Ernie Colon
Encyclopedia
Ernie Colón is an American comics artist
, born on July 13, 1931,
Colón was born in Puerto Rico
and began his professional career at Harvey Comics
as a letterer
. He later worked, uncredited, as an artist on titles including Monster in My Pocket
, Richie Rich and Casper the Friendly Ghost
. At Harvey, he met Sid Jacobson
, who became his editor and frequent creative partner.
His first confirmed, credited work was penciling and inking
the two-page story "Kaleidoscope of Fear" in Wham-O Giant Comics #1 (cover-dated April 1967, published by the toy company Wham-O
. He went on to drawn three issues of Gold Key Comics
' Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom (#24-26, July 1968 - Jan. 1969), and to do much work for Warren Publishing
's black-and-white horror-comics magazines Creepy
, Eerie
, and Vampirella
.
Colón was an editor for DC Comics
from 1982 to 1985. He oversaw titles such as Arion, Lord of Atlantis
, The Flash
, Green Lantern
, and Wonder Woman
.
Colón's many artistic credits include Grim Ghost
for Atlas/Seaboard; the historical fantasy Arak, Son of Thunder
(with writer Roy Thomas
); Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld (with writers Dan Mishkin
and Gary Cohn) for DC 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. 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 Farrar, Strauss and Giroux.
Comics artist
A comics artist is an artist working within the comics medium on comic strips, comic books or graphic novels. The term may refer to any number of artists who contribute to produce a work in the comics form, from those who oversee all aspects of the work to those who contribute only a part.-Comic...
, born on July 13, 1931,
Colón was born in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
and began his professional career at Harvey Comics
Harvey Comics
Harvey Comics was an American comic book publisher, founded in New York City by Alfred Harvey in 1941, after buying out the small publisher Brookwood Publications. His brothers Robert B...
as a letterer
Letterer
A letterer is a member of a team of comic book creators responsible for drawing the comic book's text. The letterer's use of typefaces, calligraphy, letter size, and layout all contribute to the impact of the comic. The letterer crafts the comic's "display lettering": the story title lettering and...
. He later worked, uncredited, as an artist on titles including Monster in My Pocket
Monster in My Pocket
Monster in my Pocket is a media franchise developed by Morrison Entertainment Group, headed by Joe Morrison and John Weems ....
, Richie Rich and Casper the Friendly Ghost
Casper the Friendly Ghost
Casper the Friendly Ghost is the protagonist of the Famous Studios theatrical animated cartoon series of the same name. As his name indicates, he is a ghost, but is quite personable...
. At Harvey, he met Sid Jacobson
Sid Jacobson
Sid Jacobson is an American writer, having worked in the fields of children's comic books, popular music, fiction, biography, and non-fiction comics. He was managing editor and editor in chief for Harvey Comics, where he created the comics Richie Rich, Hot Stuff, and Casper the Friendly Ghost...
, who became his editor and frequent creative partner.
His first confirmed, credited work was penciling and inking
Inking
Inking is the process of using a liquid known as ink, which contains natural or man-made pigment.* Inking is work done by a Inker, one kind of commercial artistIn biology:...
the two-page story "Kaleidoscope of Fear" in Wham-O Giant Comics #1 (cover-dated April 1967, published by the toy company Wham-O
Wham-O
Wham-O Inc. is a toy company currently located in California, USA. They are known for marketing many popular toys in the past 50 years, including the Hula Hoop, the Frisbee, Slip 'N Slide, Super Ball, Trac-Ball, Silly String, Hacky Sack and the Boogie board....
. He went on to drawn three issues of Gold Key Comics
Gold Key Comics
Gold Key Comics was an imprint of Western Publishing created for comic books distributed to newsstands. Also known as Whitman Comics, Gold Key operated from 1962 to 1984.-History:...
' Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom (#24-26, July 1968 - Jan. 1969), and to do much work for Warren Publishing
Warren Publishing
Warren Publishing was an American magazine company founded by James Warren, who published his first magazines in 1957 and continued in the business for decades...
's black-and-white horror-comics magazines Creepy
Creepy
Creepy was an American horror-comics magazine launched by Warren Publishing in 1964. Like Mad, it was a black-and-white newsstand publication in a magazine format and thus did not require the approval or seal of the Comics Code Authority. The anthology magazine was initially published quarterly but...
, Eerie
Eerie
Eerie was an American magazine of horror comics introduced in 1966 by Warren Publishing. Like Mad, it was a black-and-white newsstand publication in a magazine format and thus did not require the approval or seal of the Comics Code Authority. Each issue's stories were introduced by the host...
, and Vampirella
Vampirella
Vampirella is a fictional character, a comic book vampire heroine created by Forrest J Ackerman and costume designer Trina Robbins in Warren Publishing's black-and-white horror comics magazine Vampirella #1 . Writer-editor Archie Goodwin later developed the character from horror-story hostess, in...
.
Colón was an editor for DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
from 1982 to 1985. He oversaw titles such as Arion, Lord of Atlantis
Arion (comics)
Arion is a fictional sword and sorcery hero published by DC Comics. He debuted in Warlord #55 , and was created by Paul Kupperberg and Jan Duursema.-Publication history:...
, The Flash
The Flash (comic book)
The Flash is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics superhero of the same name. The character's first incarnation, Jay Garrick, first appeared in Flash Comics #1...
, Green Lantern
Green Lantern (comic book)
Green Lantern is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics heroes of the same name. The character's first incarnation, Alan Scott, appeared in All-American Comics #16, and was later spun off into the first volume of Green Lantern in 1941. That series was canceled in 1949 after 39 issues...
, and Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
.
Grim Ghost
The Grim Ghost, created by Michael Fleisher, is a fictional character, a superhero first featured in Grim Ghost #1 from Atlas/Seaboard Comics. The series lasted only three issues before Atlas Comics ceased publication and the company went out of business in January1976...
for Atlas/Seaboard; the historical fantasy Arak, Son of Thunder
Arak (comics)
Arak is a fictional comic book character published by DC Comics. He first appeared in a special insert in Warlord #48 and was created by Roy Thomas and Ernie Colón.-Publication history:...
(with writer Roy Thomas
Roy Thomas
Roy William Thomas, Jr. is an American comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...
); Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld (with writers Dan Mishkin
Dan Mishkin
Dan Mishkin is a comic book writer, and co-creator of the DC Comics characters Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld and Blue Devil. Both series used fantasy elements in ironic and often thought-provoking ways. DC gave these series a promotional push by featuring them in free, 16-page insert previews...
and Gary Cohn) for DC Comics; Airboy
Airboy
Airboy is a fictional aviator hero of an American comic book series initially published by Hillman Periodicals during the World War II-era time period fans and historians call the Golden Age of comic books. He was created by writers Charles Biro and Dick Wood and artist Al Camy.-Golden Age:Airboy...
for Eclipse Comics
Eclipse Comics
Eclipse Comics was an American comic book publisher, one of several independent publishers during the 1980s and early 1990s. In 1978, it published the first graphic novel intended for the newly created comic book specialty store market...
; Magnus: Robot Fighter for Valiant Comics
Valiant Comics
Valiant Comics is a comic book imprint published by various publishers since its inception with Voyager Communications, Inc. in 1989, later Acclaim Comics, Inc. Its assets were purchased from the bankruptcy of the Acclaim Entertaintment by Valiant Entertainment, Inc. in 2007.-Voyager...
; and Damage Control
Damage Control (comics)
Damage Control is a fictional construction company appearing in Marvel Comics, which specializes in repairing the property damage caused by conflicts between superheroes and supervillains...
and Doom 2099
Doom 2099
Doom is a Marvel Comics anti-hero featured in the Marvel 2099 comic book series Doom 2099. The character is based on Doctor Doom, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
for Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
. Also for Marvel, Colón wrote, drew, colored and lettered the 1988 science-fiction graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
Ax. From 2005 until the tabloid's demise in 2007, he drew the weekly comic strip "SpyCat
SpyCat
SpyCat is a comic strip appearing in Weekly World News created by Dick Siegel and drawn by Ernie Colón.SpyCat speaks nine different languages ranging from Persian to "dog" and is armed with "Adamwestium" claws and deadly cat o' nine tails. He writes free-form poetry when not waging war on America's...
" in the Weekly World News
Weekly World News
The Weekly World News was a supermarket tabloid published in the United States from 1979 to 2007, renowned for its outlandish cover stories often based on supernatural or paranormal themes and an approach to news that verged on the satirical. Its characteristic black-and-white covers have become...
.
Colón and Jacobson created a graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
version of the 9/11 Commission Report
9/11 Commission Report
The 9/11 Commission Report, formally named Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, is the official report of the events leading up to the September 11, 2001 attacks...
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
Che Guevara
Ernesto "Che" Guevara , commonly known as el Che or simply Che, was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, intellectual, guerrilla leader, diplomat and military theorist...
was released in 2009. The following year, Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Farrar, Straus and Giroux is an American book publishing company, founded in 1946 by Roger W. Straus, Jr. and John C. Farrar. Known primarily as Farrar, Straus in its first decade of existence, the company was renamed several times, including Farrar, Straus and Young and Farrar, Straus and Cudahy...
published their next collaboration, Anne Frank
Anne Frank
Annelies Marie "Anne" Frank is one of the most renowned and most discussed Jewish victims of the Holocaust. Acknowledged for the quality of her writing, her diary has become one of the world's most widely read books, and has been the basis for several plays and films.Born in the city of Frankfurt...
: The Anne Frank House Authorized Graphic Biography, published by Farrar, Strauss and Giroux.