Cartoonist Eugene Colan’s hand drawings of super hero characters are so precise that they are often published directly from the pencil sketch, without first being “inked.â€
Colan, a longtime resident of New York City who recently moved to Vermont, has been drawing cartoon characters and scenes for both DC and Marvel Comics since 1946. He is currently exhibiting nearly 20 of his original sketches this spring at the Southern Vermont Arts Center in Manchester, Vt.
The exhibit, “Painting with Pencil,†is on display now in Gallery 1 of the arts center. It includes framed and autographed copies of the original frames, accompanied by the corresponding comic book in which they appeared, and other background information. Popular characters such as Captain America, Daredevil, Iron Man, Wonder Woman and Howard the Duck are included in the display.
Colan, who studied at the Art Students League of New York under renowned illustrator Frank Riley, began his prolific career brightening the pages of the Manila Times in the Philippines during World War II, where he served as a corporal in the Army Air Corps. Upon returning to the U.S., he began in 1944 drawing Wings Comics for Fiction House.
His big break came in 1946, when he signed contracts with the country’s two largest comic-book publishers, with whom he is still associated to the present day.
In the more than 50 years of his career, his work has included nearly every genre about which comics have been printed: romance, war, crime/detective, Western, science fiction, horror, humor, and superheroes. He is closely associated with many characters, such as Daredevil, Batman, Captain Marvel, Dracula, Submariner, and others.
His early work for Marvel included Menace, Mystic, and Journey into Mystery. He later headed to DC Comics to do Sea Devils and Hopalong Cassidy. His most well-known work was done in the 1960s for Marvel Comics, including the long-running Tomb of Dracula, and Daredevil and his collaboration with Steve Gerber on Howard the Duck.
According to an artist’s biography, “Gene has gathered a very devoted following. His artwork is original and unique, copied from nowhere but his own fertile imagination. His style is immediately recognizable for its dramatic and sweeping cinematic form, mastery of light and shadow, expression and characterization, and unusual eye-catching layouts.â€
Indeed, those on display showed characters whose swooping gestures broke through the lines of their individual windows, with many full-page graphics. The original drawings, about twice the size of the comic books in which they appeared, are for sale as part of the exhibit.
Colan, now 75, is still active in the business. He is currently working on an adaptation of the old pulp fiction character “The Spider,†which is slated for film in the near future. He has also returned to drawing special-project Batman stories for DC Comics.
With increased nostalgia of the comic book period, most notably from the popularity of Michael Chabon’s Pulitzer prize-winning novel, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, historians are looking back to the golden age of comic books for its cultural significance; its portrayals of violence, of good and evil, and the messages it presented to millions of young boys throughout the 20th century.
Student exhibits
The artwork of local students is also gracing the walls of SVAC’s Yester House, an annual tradition. Hundreds of students from Pine Cobble School, Maple Street School, Flood Brook Union School, Mettawee Community School, Burr and Burton Academy, Shaftsbury Elementary School, The Dorset School, Manchester Elementary & Middle School, Arlington Memorial High School, Long Trail School, The Mountain School, Northshire Christian Academy, and even some home-schooled students, showed off a variety of work they have been doing this school year.
At Saturday’s opening ceremony, the hall of Yester House were filled with budding young artists and their parents checking out, among other things, hand-woven baskets, paintings of American troops, collages of three-dimensional dioramas, and surrealist-inspired paintings of the family pet. The artwork shows the diversity of each school’s art programs, both in terms of media used and the type of subjects and approaches.
As part of the exhibit, the SVAC Board of Trustees awards scholarships to three students participating in the exhibit. In addition, students may apply for the Eva Mathiasen Memorial Scholarship, based on an art portfolio.
The Southern Vermont Arts Center can be reached at (802) 362-1405.
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Winter Storm Warning Issued for Berkshires
Another snowstorm is expected to move through the region overnight on Friday, bringing 5 to 8 inches of snow. This is updated from Thursday's winter weather advisory.
The National Weather Service in Albany, N.Y., has posted a winter storm warning for all of Berkshire County and parts of eastern New York State beginning Friday at 4 p.m. through Saturday at 1 p.m.
The region could see heavy to moderate snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour overnight, tapering off Saturday morning to flurries.
Drivers should exercise caution on Friday night and Saturday morning, as travel conditions may be hazardous.
Saturday night should be clear and calm, but warming temperatures means freezing rain Sunday night and rain through Monday with highs in the 40s. The forecast isn't much better through the week as temperatures dip back into the teens with New Year's Eve looking cloudy and frigid.
Samuel Currence served his country in the Air Force with distinction, professionalism and unparalleled humility from 1962 to 1985, retiring as a technical sergeant. click for more
Many homeowners are showing their holiday spirit by decorating their houses. We asked for submissions so those in the community can check out these fanciful lights and decor when they're out.
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