Gene in January, Day Three:
Howard The Duck #5, page 8 by Gene Colan and Steve
Leialohahttps://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=1692243
Gene Colan was initially worried that being assigned the Howard The Duck comic
was a demotion to drawing funny animal stories for children... until he read
Steve Gerber's scripts. “I enjoyed it, because Howard was the easiest thing to
do, and it was such a chance to make things funny and lighten up a little bit,”
Colan said. “I enjoyed humor, and Steve was so funny. I’d just sit there and
laugh my head off just reading the script, and I’d call him and say so.”
I think it's time to talk about Steve Leialoha. Brothers and Sisters, can I
testify to the glory of Steve Leialoha, and praise him for his mighty deeds;
praise him according to his surpassing greatness? When the great artist
pairings of comics history are duly reverenced, Brothers and Sisters, where are
the trumpets, lutes and harps for Colan/Leialoha? Heed my words, and teach the
children of Newsprint that they cannot apply themselves too diligently to the
praises of Colan/Leialoha!
It's mystifying why Steve's name isn't mentioned more often in discussions of
the greatest inkers in comics. Looking at my first Colan/Leialoha HTD page when
I received it many years ago, my first reaction: "GOTTA GET MORE LEIALOHA INKED
PAGES!!" I like Janson's inks on the later stories, too, but man... this is
exceptional inkwork. Steve Leialoha brought a sensitivity and finesse that was
perfect for this book, and for about a year we had a dream team of
Gerber/Colan/Leialoha working sympatico to bring us some quirky and wonderful
stories. Here's to comics that fly under the radar of editors!
I might be misremembering... and there's not much tread left on the ol'
cognitive tires, if you catch my frisbee... but I think that Steve Leialoha
departed Howard The Duck to ink the initial Star Wars adaptation comics in
1977. I'm not saying this was a bad idea. I'm not saying that Leialoha didn't
help those comics look great, too. I won't deny that the initial Star Wars
comics were reprinted dozens and dozens of times, allowing Steve Leialoha to
bask in opulent luxury hitherto unknown to comics artist trench workers, while
Marvel waited almost 25 years to reprint Howard the Duck in an Essential TPB
that went out of print a few weeks later. What I am saying is that Leialoha's
departure from HTD still saddens me, and I take it as a personal affront.
