Ernie Colón

Ernesto Colón SierraColón in English translation of Via (July 13, 1931 – August 8, 2019) was a stateside Puerto Rican comics artist, known for his wide-ranging career illustrating children's, superhero, and horror comics, as well as mainstream nonfiction.

Early life

Colón was born July 13, 1931, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the son of Ernesto Colón, a police detective, and Isabel Sierra, a textile worker and bank teller. He had eight siblings, all sisters. Raised in the mainland US from age 10, he listed among his early influences the newspaper adventure-strip writer-artists Milton Caniff and Will Eisner, and the lighthearted 1940s Fawcett Comics superhero Captain Marvel, saying, ”I never enjoyed superheroes – with the exception of the early Captain Marvel. That character had humor and didn't take itself as seriously as all the other snarling, furious products of DC and Marvel,” Colón said in 2011. He attended high school at what was then New York City's School of Industrial Art.

Career

1950s to 1970s

In 1955, cartoonist Ham Fisher hired Colón to ink backgrounds on the long-running comic strip '' Joe Palooka'', an assignment that ended after approximately one month following Fisher's suicide that December. Colón began his career in earnest at Harvey Comics, recalling in 2011,

Working uncredited at Harvey Comics for much of that time, Colón met editor Sid Jacobson, who became his frequent creative partner. Colón' earliest attributed work appears in two comics each cover-dated December 1960: the 15-page story "Spellbound" in Harvey's ''The Friendly Ghost, Casper'' #28, and, in a one-off for Archie Comics, the two-page featurette "Madhouse Stamps for Teens" in '' Archie's Madhouse'' #9. In addition to much work for Harvey in the 1960s and 1970s, Colón also drew and possibly wrote the two-page story "Kaleidoscope of Fear" in ''Wham-O Giant Comics'' #1 (April 1967), published by the toy company Wham-O). drew three issues of Gold Key Comics' '' Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom'' (#24–26, July 1968–Jan. 1969), and contributed to Warren Publishing's black-and-white horror-comics magazines '' Creepy'', ''Eerie'', and '' Vampirella''. Under the pen name Jack Purcell, he drew and lettered a story for rival Skywald Publications' ''Psycho'' #3 (May 1971).

In 1979, he collaborated with writer Roger McKenzie on an adaptation of ''Battlestar Galactica'' for Marvel Comics.

1980s–2010s

At DC Comics, Colón co-created the historical fantasy '' Arak, Son of Thunder'' with writer Roy Thomas, with the character introduced in a special insert in '' The Warlord'' #48 (Aug. 1981). Two years later, he introduced '' Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld'' with writers Dan Mishkin and Gary Cohn in a similar preview in ''The Legion of Super-Heroes'' vol. 2 #298 (April 1983). Colón was an editor for DC Comics from 1982 to 1985 and oversaw titles such as '' Arion, Lord of Atlantis'', ''The Flash'', ''Green Lantern'', and ''Wonder Woman''.

His other artistic credits include '' Grim Ghost'' for Atlas/Seaboard Comics; ''Airboy'' for Eclipse Comics; '' Magnus: Robot Fighter'' for Valiant Comics; and '' Damage Control'' and '' Doom 2099'' for Marvel Comics. Also for Marvel, Colón wrote, drew, colored and lettered the 1988 science-fiction graphic novel ''Ax''.
In the late 1980s, Colón penciled the short-lived '' Bullwinkle and Rocky'' series for Marvel's children's imprint Star Comics, edited by Sid Jacobson. Colón returned to Harvey with Jacobson in the early 1990s and worked on such projects as '' Monster in My Pocket'' and ''Ultraman''. From 2005 until the tabloid's demise in 2007, he drew the weekly comic strip "SpyCat" in the '' Weekly World News''.

Colón and Jacobson created a graphic novel version of the 9/11 Commission Report titled ''The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation'' ( cover-dated Aug. 2006). They released a 160-page follow-up, ''After 9/11: America's War on Terror'' (Aug. 2008). The duo's ''A Graphic Biography: Che'' was released in 2009. The following year, Farrar, Straus and Giroux published their next collaboration, ''Anne Frank: The Anne Frank House Authorized Graphic Biography'', published by Hill & Wang.

He collaborated with his author wife, Ruth Ashby, on the 2005 comic book ''A Spy for General Washington'', telling the story of Revolutionary War secret agent Robert Townsend, and on the graphic novel ''The Great American Documents: Volume 1'', published by Hill and Wang in May 2014. Colón reunited with writer Dan Mishkin to produce ''The Warren Commission Report: A Graphic Investigation Into the Kennedy Assassination'' in 2014.

Personal life

In the US, Colón lived initially in Brooklyn, New York City, and later moved to the Long Island town of Huntington, New York.

He was married four times, his last to children's-book and young adult fiction author Ruth Ashby. He had four children, daughters Amanda, Suzan and Luisa Colón and Rebecca Ashby-Colón. He died in Huntington, New York on August 8, 2019, at the age of 88, of colorectal cancer diagnosed the previous year.

Bibliography

Works by Colón:

Atlas/Seaboard Comics

* '' Grim Ghost'' #1–3 (1975)
* ''Thrilling Adventure Stories'' #1 (1975)
* ''Tiger-Man'' #1 (1975)
* ''Weird Tales of the Macabre'' #1 (1975)

DC Comics

* '' Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld'' #1–12 (1983–1984)
* ''Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld'' vol. 2 #1, 9–11, 13–16, ''Special'' #1 (1985–1986)
* '' Arak, Son of Thunder'' #1–14, 31, 37, ''Annual'' #1 (1981–1984)
* '' Atari Force'' vol. 2 #12 (1984)
* '' Blue Devil'' #6, 9 (1984–1985)
* ''The Brave and the Bold'' #179 (1981)
* ''Cosmic Boy'' #1–4 (1986–1987)
* ''DC Comics Presents'' #63 (1983)
* '' DC Graphic Novel'' #3 (1984)
* '' The Fury of Firestorm Annual'' #2 (1984)
* '' Heroes Against Hunger'' #1 (1986)
* '' House of Mystery'' #304–305 ( I…Vampire) (1982)
* ''Legion of Super-Heroes'' vol. 2 #298 (Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld insert preview) (1983)
* ''Legion of Super-Heroes'' vol. 3 #11–12, 55, ''Annual'' #2 (1985–1988)
* '' Legionnaires 3'' #1–4 (1986)
* '' Omega Men'' #31, ''Annual'' #2 (1985)
* '' Outsiders'' #9, 13 (1986)
* ''Scooby-Doo'' #2, 4, 6, 8 (1997–1998)
* ''Secret Origins'' vol. 2 #7, 10 (1986–1987)
* ''Tales of the Legion of Super-Heroes'' #324 (1985)
* ''Tales of the New Teen Titans'' #4 (1982)
* ''Teen Titans Spotlight'' #12 (1987)
* ''Underworld'' #1–4 (1987–1988)
* '' The Unexpected'' #220 (1982)
* '' The Warlord'' #48 (Arak, Son of Thunder insert preview) (1981)
* '' Weird War Tales'' #122, 124 (1983)
* '' Young Love'' #122 (1976)

Eclipse Comics

* ''Airboy'' #46–49 (1989)

Gold Key Comics

* '' Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom'' #24–26 (1968–1969)

Harvey Comics

* ''Beetlejuice'' #1 (1991)
* ''Casper and ...'' #1, 3 (1987–1988)
* ''Casper Digest'' #1 (1986)
* ''Casper in Space'' #6–8 (1973)
* ''Casper Space Ship'' #2, 4 (1972–1973)
* ''Casper Strange Ghost Stories'' #12 (1976)
* ''Casper TV Showtime'' #1, 5 (1980)
* ''Casper's Ghostland'' #93 (1976)
* ''Devil Kids Starring Hot Stuff'' #52, 60, 81 (1971–1977)
* '' The Friendly Ghost, Casper'' #28, 37, 87, 152, 207 (1960–1979)
* ''Harvey Collectors Comics'' #2 (1975)
* ''Harvey Wiseguys'' #1–4 (1987–1989)
* ''Hot Stuff'' #3 (1992)
* '' Hot Stuff the Little Devil'' #110, 117 (1972–1973)
* '' Jackie Jokers'' #1–4 (1973)
* '' Little Audrey Clubhouse'' #1 (1961)
* '' Little Dot'' #94 (1964)
* ''Little Dot'' vol. 2 #4 (1993)
* ''Little Dot Dotland'' #41 (1969)
* ''Little Dot's Uncles and Aunts'' #42 (1972)
* ''Little Lotta'' #78–79 (1968)
* '' Monster in My Pocket'' #1 (1991)
* ''New Kids on the Block: Magic Summer Tour'' #1 (1990)
* ''New Kids on the Block: NKOTB'' #1, 6 (1990–1991)
* ''Playful Little Audrey'' #64 (1966)
* '' Richie Rich'' #9, 200, 225 (1962–1987)
* ''Richie Rich'' vol. 2 #14 (1993)
* ''Richie Rich & Casper'' #1, 8, 22, 28, 33–34, 45 (1974–1982)
* ''Richie Rich & His Girl Friends'' #5, 10 (1980–1981)
* ''Richie Rich and the New Kids on the Block'' #1 (1991)
* ''Richie Rich and Timmy Time'' #1 (1977)
* ''Richie Rich and ...'' #11 (1990)
* ''Richie Rich Bank Book'' #24 (1976)
* ''Richie Rich Big Book'' #1 (1992)
* ''Richie Rich Dollars and Cents'' #78 (1977)
* ''Richie Rich Gold and Silver'' #1, 4 (1975–1976)
* ''Richie Rich Inventions'' #1 (1977)
* ''Richie Rich Millions'' #58 (1973)
* ''Richie Rich Money World'' #1, 3, 9, 16, 31, 41, 46 (1972–1980)
* ''Richie Rich Profits'' #2 (1974)
* ''Richie Rich Riches'' #28, 30, 32 (1977)
* ''Richie Rich Success Stories'' #23 (1969)
* ''Richie Rich Vaults of Mystery'' #9 (1976)
* ''Richie Rich Zillionz'' #2, 4, 11 (1977–1978)
* ''Shocking Tales Digest'' #1 (1981)
* '' Spooky'' #91, 133 (1966–1972)
* ''Spooky Spooktown'' #26, 43 (1968–1972)
* ''Superichie'' #8 (1977)
* ''Ultraman'' #-1, #1 (1994)
* ''Vacation Digest Magazine'' #1 (1987)
* '' Wendy the Good Little Witch'' #27, 49, 59–60, 67, 76, 86, 94 (1964–1990)
* ''Wendy the Good Little Witch'' vol. 2 #12 (1993)
* ''Wendy Witch World'' #46, 52 (1972–1973)

Malibu Comics

* '' Dreadstar'' vol. 2 #1–6 (1995–1996)

Marvel Comics

* '' 2099 Unlimited'' #8 (1995)
* ''Battlestar Galactica'' #1–3 (1979)
* '' Black Widow the Coldest War'' GN (1990)
* '' Bullwinkle and Rocky'' #1–9 (1987–1989)
* '' Casper'' #1 (1995)
* '' Damage Control'' #1–4 (1989)
* ''Damage Control'' vol. 2 #1–4 (1989–1990)
* ''Damage Control'' vol. 3 #2–4 (1991)
* '' Doom 2099'' #9, 16 (1993–1994)
* '' Droids'' #6–8 (1987)
* ''Epic Illustrated'' #1–2 (1980)
* '' The Flintstone Kids'' #1 (1987)
* '' John Carter, Warlord of Mars'' #16–17, 19–21 (1978–1979)
* '' Marvel Age Annual'' #4 (1988)
* ''Marvel Comics Presents'' #19 (1989)
* '' Marvel Graphic Novel: Ax'' (1989)
* ''Marvel Spring Special'' #1 ('' Elvira, Mistress of the Dark'' adaptation) (1988)
* '' Marvel Super Special'' #8 (''Battlestar Galactica'' adaptation); #10 (1979)
* '' Mighty Mouse'' #1–5, 7, 9 (1990–1991)
* '' Nightmask'' #2 (1986)
* '' Power Pack'' #53 (1990)
* '' Red Sonja'' vol. 2 #1–2 (1983)
* '' Savage Sword of Conan'' #46, 66 (1979–1981)
* ''Thundercats'' #14, 18, 20 (1987–1988)

Valiant Comics

* ''Magnus, Robot Fighter'' vol. 2 #7, 9, 13–16, 20 (1991–1993)
* '' Solar, Man of the Atom'' #5 (1992)

References

External links

*
Ernie Colón
at Mike's Amazing World of Comics

at the Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators
*. Addendum to print interview "Ernie Colon: Master of Everything?" in.
*English translations of multi-part Ernie Colón interview at Via Ernie Colon Unlimited.

Audio/video
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Colon, Ernie
1931 births
2019 deaths
Deaths from colorectal cancer in New York (state)
American comics artists
American comics writers
American comic book editors
Comic book letterers
Puerto Rican comics artists
Silver Age comics creators
DC Comics people