13 COVERS: A GENE DAY Birthday Celebration

The fan-favorite Shang-Chi artist was born 70 years ago…

Shang-Chi in the Bronze Age was blessed with a run of artists perfectly suited to the Master of Kung Fu. The best known are probably Paul Gulacy and Mike Zeck. But Gene Day — who was born Aug. 13, 1951, and died at the excruciatingly young age of 31 in 1982 — is also fondly remembered by the Shangnoscenti.

Paired with writer Doug Moench, Day kept alive the grindhouse cinema feel of the series into the ’80s, having taken over pencils from Zeck. So dig these 13 COVERS — especially with Shang-Chi having joined the massive Marvel pop-culture machine with the MCU film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. (It premieres Aug. 16, followed by a wide release Sept. 3.)

Right on.

MORE

— 13 GLORIOUS SHANG-CHI COVERS — Just for Kicks. Click here.

— Marvel’s SHANG-CHI and the JAMES BOND Connection. Click here.

Author: Dan Greenfield

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8 Comments

  1. Happy birthday to Mr. Day. The first issue I’d ever read was ironically the last issue of the book that my mother had picked up for me on whim so I’d never experienced his work. Absolutely stunning.

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  2. Gene Day’s covers to Rom Spaceknight issues 38 and 39 were also very cool.

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  3. The lack of grindhouse feel in the trailers so far is exactly why I can’t get excited for the movie.

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    • Yeah, it’s missing the old school Kung Fu feel, and also missing the old school James Bond feel. Shang-Chi was the marvel movie I was most excited for, and once I saw the trailer, the least excited for. If you want to see something that DOES have the grittiness of the old Shang Chi comics, check out Wu Assassins on Netflix. Very Enjoyable.

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  4. Gene Day died at 31 in 1982? I had no idea. That’s horrible. I liked his inking on Marvel Two In One, I thought he did a really good job. He was an underappreciated artist.

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  5. I’m also astonished to find out about his untimely passing at too young an age. I remember devouring all these off the racks at the time. Rest in peace.

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  6. I remember his passing, but had no idea of more of the story behind it until today. Had to rely on the printed word back then…the internet was just about to be born. We corresponded some when we were both still fan artists. Such a tragedy to lose him so young. I admired his talent and he shouldn’t have had to die for his dream.

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