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Legendary comic book artist and co-creator of Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld, Ernie Colón dies at 88
Ernie Colón, the prolific comic book artist, writer and editor, has passed away at the age of 88 after a battle with cancer. The announcement came via his Facebook page Friday morning.
The announcement reads:
"I’m posting today with a heavy heart. The extraordinary Ernie Colón passed away yesterday afternoon in his home at the age of 88, surrounded by family, after over a year battling — and I mean battling — cancer. He did things on his own terms. The legacy he leaves behind is astonishing; a 60+ years career in comics, not to mention the work he did in other mediums including painting, writing, sculpting... I don’t think there was anything he couldn’t do. He loved to create — he was always creating. When people asked if he was “still drawing,” he said, “No idea what else I would be doing, since I would draw even when not paid for it. (half the story of my life).”
Colón began his career in the 1960s as a letterer for Harvey Comics, where he worked as an uncredited penciler on Richie Rich and Casper the Friendly Ghost. While at Harvey, Colón met Sid Jacobson, who became his longtime friend and creative partner. In 2006, the pair teamed up on the graphic adaptation of the 9/11 Commission Report. The two would continue to release additional historical graphic works, like their 2010 graphic biography about Anne Frank.
During the 1970s he made the jump to horror with Warren Publishing, where he contributed his talents to Vampirella, Eerie, and Creepy. In 1979 he worked on the Marvel adaptation of Battlestar Galactica with writer Roger McKenzie. Colón also spent time at DC Comics in the 1980s, where he served as an editor on titles like Wonder Woman, The Green Lantern and The Flash.
In such an illustrious career, it is difficult to point to a single comic or issue as wholly representative of his incredible body of work. Many, however, know him best from his work with the late Dwayne McDuffie on Marvel’s Damage Control. He's equally well known for co-creating DC’s Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld and Arak, Son of Thunder. Colón's distinctive style lent itself well to DC's 1980s science fiction mainstays.
Colón was born in Puerto Rico on July 13, 1931, but grew up in mainland USA. Colón had been battling cancer over the last year. He passed away at his home surrounded by friends and family.
