What Really Happened to Dave Cockrum and Gene Colan?

Colan kept dignity and high spirits in spite of dire circumstances.

If you've followed my blog, you know how I felt about my pals Dave Cockrum & Gene Colan. What you probably don't know is what went on behind the scenes of their struggles with Marvel. Perhaps you read between the lines. Maybe you missed the episodes entirely and are content collecting their comics and art. Fair enough.

But if you're interested in their real stories--and some of the other sordid happenstances in the world of four-color comics--you might want to check out this video.

Cockrum was cheated but never complained. 

Aardwolf Publishing has launched it's first Kickstarter project around my book Comic Book Babylon. With an introduction by Stan Lee and art by Michael Netzer, it's little wonder why the project funded in less than two days. But the Kickstarter is just the beginning. The book will be the real event. Come meet the real Alan Moore, Frank Miller, Joe Kubert, Walter Simonson, Bob Layton, Herb Trimpe and many other key creators of the comic book universe. Come read Harlan Ellison answer tough questions for tough Jews. Take a look at what I consider my most exciting project in more than a decade. Click here to start the journey.

Kubert School Scholarships: The Gifts That Keep Giving

I hope to attend this Friday's annual scholarship awards ceremony at the Joe Kubert School. It won't be the same without Joe, who left us last August. But there is no greater legacy to my old friend than his school's ability to produce well-trained artists and launch them into the industry. This year, I am proud to add a third scholarship to the portfolio:

THE JOE KUBERT MOST VALUABLE COLLEAGUE SCHOLARSHIP is a new gift from Joe’s friend and admirer, writer Clifford Meth. It is awarded to a student who takes pride in helping his/her fellow students. Each year, at this ceremony, Joe would stress the importance of networking with fellow alumni and future colleagues, and he demonstrated his concern for his fellow artists throughout his life. This gift is awarded in memory of Joe Kubert's abiding fraternal spirit.

THE GENE COLAN SCHOLARSHIP was established by writer Clifford Meth in memory of his friend Gene Colan and is co-judged by artist Mike Pascale, a Kubert School alum. Gene Colan is regarded as one of the most influential and beloved artists of Marvel's Silver Age. He worked for Marvel for 64 years—longer than anyone else to date—touching nearly every major Marvel character and defining many including Daredevil, Iron Man, Tomb of Dracula and Howard the Duck. In the last decade of his career, Marvel and Dark Horse ceased assigning inkers to Gene's work—his pencils were regarded as too perfect to cover with ink. This is the second year the GENE COLAN SCHOLARSHIP has been awarded and the award is presented for outstanding craftsmanship with a pencil.

THE DAVE and PATY COCKRUM SCHOLARSHIP was established in 2007 by Dave's widow Paty and his friend and collaborator Clifford Meth. Paty was a production artist at Marvel during the last years of the famed Marvel Bullpen, where she also penciled covers for Marvel's British magazines and such U.S. titles as The Amazing Spider-Man and Claws of the Cat. Her husband Dave, who passed away in 2006, is considered one of the greatest character designers Marvel ever had. His designs and creations for Marvel included Nightcrawler, Storm, Colossus, Mystique, Thunderbird, Ms. Marvel, the Black Cat, the Starjammers and the Futurians, among others. Having trained under Murphy Anderson at DC, Dave spent most of his career at Marvel. The annual DAVE and PATY COCKRUM SCHOLARSHIP is awarded for creativity and outstanding story-telling ability.