Gene Colan

Eugene Jules Gene Colan was an American comic book artist best known for his work for Marvel Comics, where his signature titles include the superhero series Daredevil, the culthit satiric series Howard the Duck, and The Tomb of Dracula, considered one of comics classic horror series. He cocreated the Falcon, the first AfricanAmerican superhero in mainstream comics, and the noncostumed, supernatural vampire hunter Blade, which went on to appear in a series of films starring Wesley Snipes.

Eugene Jules Colan was born September 1, 1926 to Harold Colan, an insurance salesman, and Winifred Levy Colan, an antique dealer, in The Bronx, New York City, New York. His parents ran an antiques business on the Upper East Side. His family was Jewish, and his familys surname had originally been Cohen. Colan began drawing at age three. The first thing I ever drew was a lion. I mustve absolutely copied it or something. But thats what my folks tell me. And from then on, I just drew everything in sight. My grandfather was my favorite subject. Among his earliest influences, he said in 2001, were the Coulton Waugh adventure comic strip Dickie Dare in The New York Sun. I was influenced by the style, or the story. Mostly the story. I took it very seriously. He moved with his family at about ageto Long Beach, New York, on Long Island. Later, he would try to copy artist Norman Rockwells covers to The Saturday Evening Post. Other major art influences were comics artists Syd Shores and Milton

Source: Wikipedia