A Brief Exploration of Their Collaborative Work With Insight From Colan Historian Tom Field

Introduction
In the annals of comic books and narrative (or sequential) art, the collaborative work of penciler Gene Colan (September 1, 1926 – June 23, 2011) and inker Tom Palmer (July 13, 1941 – August 18, 2022) is legendary. Their collaboration spanned over three decades, where their oeuvre amounted to thousands of pages, and included a line up of significant characters such as Daredevil, Submariner, Black Panther, Dracula, and Iron Man.

(As an aside, the [George] Lucas Museum of Narrative Art [opening in LA 2026] states: “Narrative art gives visual form to specific stories and the meanings they contain. … all about stories, and the moments in those stories captured by the artists. … Much of the world’s artistic output is narrative, conveying stories rooted in religion, myth, legend, history, literature, or events.”)

Late 2024 through early 2025, I researched and purchased two comics that were milestones for both luminaries Colan/Palmer—Doctor Strange #172, June 1968 release date, Colan cover, and Daredevil Vol. 2, #20, July 2001 release. The Doctor Strange issue was their first ever collaboration, and Daredevil was their last.

Tom Field’s The Secrets in the Shadows, The Art & Life Of Gene Colan
To add insight to this blog, I referenced a 2005 book written by award-winning writer/editor/historian Tom Field on the definitive Colan biography “The Secrets in the Shadows, The Art & Life Of Gene Colan”, published by TwoMorrows Publishing.

The book is long out of print, but can be found in the secondary market. It covers various aspects of Colan’s work, for example, his glory days at Marvel, writing for him, conversations with him and his collaborators, and a portfolio of his art.

When I originally posted a variation of this blog in the Facebook Group Gene Colan Appreciation Society, Field was kind enough to join in for some Q & A that is repurposed here. Further, Field was key in assisting me identify Colan/Palmer’s last work with that Daredevil issue.

Tomb of Dracula
The duo’s magnum opus is Marvel’s Tomb of Dracula (TOD)—promoted as “Comicdom’s Number 1 Fear Magazine”—which lasted 70 issues in 8 years, 1972 – 1979. Both collaborated on 64 of those issues except numbers 1, 2, and 8 – 11; and to this day, TOD is hailed by its devout fans as the best horror title of all time.

Colan’s illustrations added impact to writer Marv Wolfman’s TOD stories; engagement to the dynamic, action-filled characters; and an atmospheric environment as he painted with his pencils. And Tom was able to read and understand Gene’s renderings, panel per panel, and bring the pages to life.

Turn to any page of TOD that both artists worked on and you can see numerous aesthetic nuances: a cinematic flow utilizing chiaroscuro techniques, dynamic characters that would pop out of panels in mesmerizing layouts, and precise use of zip-a-tone screens, for instance. 

In an issue of “Comic Book Artist” #13, May 2001, from TwoMorrows Publishing, Palmer said: “I’m very proud of my work on Tomb of Dracula. I think when you have that long a run on a book with the same team—Wolfman, Colan, (letterer John) Contanza and me—you can really hone your skills. And we really got to know each other’s approaches to the work. The title held a very high standard all the way through.”

Both Respected Each Other
Colan/Palmer respected and trusted each other immensely. (The conversation between Colan/Palmer was conducted by Field at the National Comics Convention in NYC on November 21, 2004.) From Secrets in the Shadows, Colan on Palmer’s inks over his pencils: “The best. He was the best. My stuff is never easy to do, I know. A lot of inkers have had a lot of trouble with it.” Palmer: “ … I think Gene knows that he’s a terrific artist. I respect him and his work. I worked hard on it.”

From the same Comic Book Artist issue, Palmer stated: “I think we were able to work together so long because I understood Gene’s pencils, or at least saw them differently. It wasn’t just a matter of inking—I don’t think I was ever really challenged by just inking—it was I was able to bring something of myself to the work and enjoy the assignment. And with Gene, I always had to bring something to it; I couldn’t just ink what I had in front of me. And, as far as I know, he enjoyed what I did.”

Palmer’s Greatness
Field’s book outlined that both graduated from the same Art Student League school: Colan in the 1940s and Palmer in the 1960s. Upon Palmer’s graduation, Stan Lee immediately assigned him to ink luminaries Neal Adams on X-men, John Buscema on The Avengers, Jim Steranko on Captain America, and of course Colan, which was initially on Doctor Strange. I wonder how intimidating that was being new to the industry and handed inking projects from four highly regarded, well-decorated illustrators in the medium of narrative art? Further, each of the pencilers had their own unique style. Regardless of the pressures that Palmer faced, he obviously rose to the occasion and seized the opportunities to forever etch his name as one of the greats in comicdom.

My recollection of Palmer’s art was early in my youth when I began to seriously collect comics, which included The Avengers #95 (Adams’ pencils), Captain America #113 (I had Steranko sign my copy at the opening night of his Winnipeg Art Gallery exhibit—that’s another blog topic haha), and X-Men #56 & #57 (Adams’ pencils). In those Avengers/X-Men issues, Palmer displayed his prowess by inking over the late great Adams’ pencils. The results successfully showcased Adams’ ultra-realism style like no other inker before, or even after. With Cap, Palmer complimented Steranko’s linear pencils well and resulted in a sequential, cinematic flow from panel to panel that Steranko was noted for. Both Adams and Steranko’s styles uniquely differed—yet Palmer was able to understand each of their trademark styles and manifest them accordingly. 

(On another side note … for myself, as well as for many other collectors of narrative art, nostalgia is a pivotal factor why we collect. Each of my collected item can be traced to a specific time, location, and moment in my life. “Nostalgia by motivating us to remember the past in our own life helps to unite us to that authentic self and remind us of who we have been and then compare that to who we feel we are today. … It’s a social connectedness phenomenon and nostalgia is in that sense a very healthy pro-social emotion.”, according to American Psychological Association.) 

Colan’s “Painting With A Pencil”
“Other pencilers such as Jack Kirby were linear and straightforward”, according to Colan, but not him. Colan’s unique technique of “painting with a pencil” is alluring to the readers—yet can be challenging to his inkers.

In fact, without that linearity, Palmer would have the freedom to provide his own interpretation, let’s say, cross hatch a leg and not draw it as such or it’ll look odd. And Palmer added, “Colan’s layouts and rendering got looser over time, …” where Palmer had to tighten them up.

As Palmer stated in “Secrets in the Shadows”: “His pencils are subtle. They may not look that way—they may look powerful—but if you look at his penciled pages, you see there’s very light rendering, a grey. Now, you typically have three distinct values in these pencils: light, medium and dark. Some (inkers) ignore the light and make the medium as black as the dark, but I saw all three values. That was the difference.”

The Creators Align
In my eyes, some inkers did not do justice to Colan’s pencils to fully represent his style. Comic books is a narrative art medium where the story and visuals are the byproduct.

As Palmer indicated earlier, he understood the three values of Colan’s pencils. However, some inkers missed the lighter, wispy version of Colan’s pencils. Instead, the lighter shades have been turned into solid blacks—hence, missing that added depth to contrast with the medium and dark blacks.

TOD was a great example that hit all the marks and aligned well: the stories, Colan’s pencils, and Palmer’s inks, including other elements such as the lettering and colours. Similar to a film, where the story, acting, and cinematography need to all align for the final product to be fully appreciated.

I have a local collector friend who purchased the cover of Captain Marvel #4 by Colan/Vince Colletta from the Colans at SDCC back in 1989. For myself, as I have gotten older and can better comprehend refined narrative art as opposed to when I was younger—I appreciate Colan/Palmer’s art more and more. And to this day, their work is respected and sought after by admirers old and new.

Q & A With Tom Field (From May 29, 2024 and January 3, 2025)
On my initial post in the Gene Colan Appreciation Society, I initially thought Field stated that the 8-page backup story in Batman: Gotham Knights #15, May 2001 release date was Colan/Palmer’s last collaboration. However, this was their second to last per Field’s correction.

Field: First of all, that Batman story might *not* be their final collaboration. They reunited for a Daredevil/Spider-Man story in the Sept. 2001 issue of Daredevil Vol. 2 #20. This was a commissioned story that friend/fan Kevin Hall put together with his plot and Stan Lee’s script. An amazing little project. And I think the last time Colan/Palmer worked together on a comics story.

Buenaventura: Tom much appreciated for willing to participate in this Q & A.

Field: Thanks so much for asking, Mel. This book was a true labor of love that started almost exactly 20 years ago. One of my goals from the outset was not just to interview Gene’s top collaborators, but to talk to them with Gene—about their work together. Hence, the chapters where I bring Gene together with Steve Gerber, Stan Lee … and Tom Palmer.

Buenaventura: What was the initial meeting like between the three of you 20 years ago? How did you pull that off? Can you recall that far back? haha

Field: I remember it like yesterday. There was a big NYC con in the fall of 2004. I knew Gene and Tom both were going to be there as guests, and it was easy to get them to agree to sit down together. Took a simple phone call to Gene – never hard to get him and Adrienne to New York! Friend Lee Weeks shared Palmer’s contact info, and he was onboard after an email exchange. We sat together at Palmer’s table along artists alley and had a great conversation. Fans passing by were a bit in awe, I think, to see Colan and Palmer sitting together.

Buenaventura: Did the executives recognize that unique collaboration in talent and kept both together? I’d imagine each could have been pulled into other titles.

Field: I’d imagine each could have been pulled into other titles. I believe Roy Thomas certainly recognized the power of Colan/Palmer, as he was the one who helped bring them together when he was writing Dr. Strange in the late 1960s. And I suspect he had a fair amount of say in keeping them paired when he was editor in chief at Marvel in the early 70s. From there, all one had to do was see the beauty of their collaboration, and why wouldn’t you pair them? Their styles were so complementary, and they genuinely liked working together. Plus there were some inkers that plain couldn’t or wouldn’t ink Gene’s penciled pages.

Buenaventura: Anything from this section that got left on the editing floor that might have been of interest?

Field: Not so much. I did some copy editing, but otherwise presented most of the discussion we enjoyed. What I couldn’t convey adequately is the genuine affection Colan and Palmer had for one another, and how pleased they were to see one another after however many years. When Gene died several years later, I dropped a note to let Palmer know the details of the memorial service. And even though it was 11th hour, Palmer made a point to be at that service.

Buenaventura: Can you add anything else to this milestone meeting?

Field: To conduct this interview, I borrowed a chair from Howard Chaykin’s table. He returned as we were about to start and asked me kindly “Who the fuck are you?” I explained, and he was more than gracious to allow me to use the chair. He was as happy as anyone to see Colan and Palmer together.

Buenaventura: The first time you saw their collaborative work, what attracted you to their art? Can you recall that comic? 

Field: For me, it was Dr. Strange #173, October 1968. I wasn’t quite five years old, couldn’t quite read, and I didn’t know how to take this issue. Heck, I thought Dormammu was the Human Torch! But I was struck by the artwork. It was so different from the Kirby/Sinnott FF I was enjoying elsewhere. It was compelling.

Buenaventura: In their voluminous oeuvre, what is your favourite title, and how did that work speak to you? 

Field: Hands down, Tomb of Dracula. It was the best written and drawn comic book of the 1970s, and the Colan/Palmer team created the look and lore that just drew you in and kept you hooked. It was hard to see where one artist left off and the other picked up, they were so in tune with each other. Brilliant work. I still think it’s the best series of the 70s.

Buenaventura: In the annals of comicdom, how do Colan/Palmer compare to other industry giants such as Williamson/Frazetta, Kirby/Sinnott, Adams/Giordano, Adams/Palmer, Byrne/Austin, Miller/Janson, and Lee/Williams? Did I miss others? Haha.

Field: When I think of definitive art teams, I think of Kirby/Sinnott on FF, Trimpe/Severin on Hulk, Swan/Anderson on Superman, Adams/Giordano on Batman. Colan/Palmer on Dracula is right up there. The difference is: You can imagine other artists drawing the FF, Hulk, Superman and Batman, and some of them had phenomenal runs or interpretations. With Dracula, you see only Colan/Palmer. No one else can even enter the conversation. Of course, we also saw the team on Dr. Strange, Daredevil, the Black Panther and elsewhere. They were phenomenal. And each had tremendous respect and fondness for the other. Tom Palmer went out of his way to attend Gene Colan’s graveside memorial service. That was the last time I saw him. Just a tremendous pair of talented artists.

References
Comic Book Artist #13, May 2001, TwoMorrows Publishing
The Secrets In The Shadows, The Art & Life Of Gene Colan, Tom Field, TwoMorrows Publishing, 2005
The Silver Age of Comic Book Art, Arlen Schumer, Collectors Press, Inc., 2003