Posted in: Comics, Comics Publishers, Current News, Marvel Comics | Tagged: adam hughes, Dan Green, marc silvestri, rip, walter simonson

Walter Simonson, Marc Silvestri & Adam Kubert Remember Dan Green, RIP

Longstanding comic book inker Dan Green has passed away at the age of 70. Comic book creators remember the man and his work.

Longstanding comic book inker Dan Green has passed away at the age of 70. Born in Detroit, Michigan, he attended the School of Visual Arts in New York, before drawing Tarzan comics by Marv Wolfman. He switched to finishing and inking and began work for Marvel on  Jim Starlin's Captain Marvel.

Dan Green began a long collaboration with John Byrne on Iron Fist, and then John Romita Jr on Iron Man, which led to Uncanny X-Men, continuing from Romita to Marc Silvestri to Jim Lee. He left to work with Silvestri on Wolverine, before returning to X-Men with Adam Kubert. He would then work for Marvel and DC alternately, as well as Dark Horse's Star Wars until his retirement ten years ago.

Dan Green also painted the graphic novel Doctor Strange: Into Shamballa co-written by JM DeMatteis, as well as the Edgar Allan Poe adaptation The Raven & Other Poems & Tales.

Dan Green worked as a fine artist with a number of gallery shows of his paintings, including Simulacrum in 2003 and in 2016, he and his daughter Galen exhibited both his paintings and her sculptures at Roos Arts in Rosendale, New York. Here are a few thoughts expressed by those who knew Dan, worked with him and found inspiration in his lines.

Walter Simonson: Dan Green has caught the last train out. This happened a few days ago apparently, and I wanted to wait till I was sure. Now, I'm sure. Dan was one of the first guys I met on the day I showed up at DC in August, 1972 to try to get into comics professionally. That was back in the day when you could just show up and talk to people, and when companies still had offices to show up at! Four young hotshots were sitting around a table in the DC coffee room when I walked in. Howard Chaykin, Michael Kaluta, and Bernie Wrightson were three of them, and the fourth was either Alan Weiss or Dan. I never did figure it out in later years, but Dan thought it was him. So be it. I was a little dejected because a couple of editors had looked at my portfolio and said in so many words, "Well, this is nice but what else can you do." The guys asked to look at my work, liked it, and thanks to them, and Kaluta in particular, I was given a chance to show my pages to Carmine Infantino, then publisher at DC. He liked my work, made sure I left the offices with three stories to draw, and I began to have a career in the wake of meeting the four musketeers in the coffee room. Dan was a wonderful artist who did a lot of inking in comics, including one of my X-Factor jobs. He had a beautiful, delicate line that complimented my own line work, and I've always been delighted he inked one of my stories. He also had a nice hand at painting, which I felt he did far too little of. I haven't seen much of Dan in the last few years, but I am immensely saddened by his death. Thank you for the beautiful work and for the friendship, pal. Godspeed.

Anne Nocenti: Dan Green added an extra pizzaz when inking the X-Men while I was editor. As the artists on the book changed, he held steady. His lush, mystical paintings can be seen in his Doc Strange Graphic Novel "Into Shamballa" with J. M. DeMatties. We stayed in touch over the years, and the last time I saw him he mugged for my camera. A dear pal, great talent, he will be missed. Condolences to his daughter Galen, who he passed his talent to, as can be seen in her wry, ribald puppets. (on instagram as galendjuna)

Adam Kubert "We worked together on many many comics back in the day. I would pencil and Dan would ink. But to call Dan an inker wasn't accurate. Dan was an artist. He clarified the drawing and made it better. Dan gave the drawing more energy. Everything had its own texture. Hair was rendered differently from skin from leather from foliage. His line work was fluid and never labored. And he made it look so damn easy. Dan was an inker that could draw really well. When I'd get my originals back from Marvel first thing I'd do is turn them over. I'd look to see if Dan did any of his amazing doodles. I'm sure I still have some and will post when I can. I didn't have much contact with Dan. It may sound odd considering the amount of work we did together but it felt normal to me. I did my job and he did his. But through the work we both knew what each other was thinking. It was a really special time for me and a true collaboration in every sense. One that I will never forget."

JM DeMatteis: Dan Green wasn't just one of our best inkers, he was a wonderful illustrator—as evidenced by his extraordinary work on INTO SHAMBALLA. He was also an old friend. A great loss, a great sadness, for all who knew him.

John Byrne: Saddened.

Paul Levitz: I recall him more fondly as one of the early 70s wave of new youngsters bringing original styles to DC when Carmine Infantino was encouraging experimentation and editors Joe Orlando, Dick Giordano and Archie Goodwin were handing out short stories to the then-kids. Dan was one of the fresh voices, well suited, I thought, to fantasy work. His worlds looked lush and real, even if unreal events (and beings) filled them. The economic opportunities were better for him as an inker, particularly on the high royalty earning X books, and so he concentrated there. We never had much direct cont, so I have no tales to tell…just respect for his consistent fine work and professionalism which I heard about from others who relied on him. My sympathies to his loved ones and good friends in the comics tribe.

Pat Brosseau: "When I started lettering Wolverine he was the inker over Marc Silvestri. He did some incredible brush work over Silvestri's pencils and I marveled at his line work when I saw the originals. Not only a fantastic inker but an incredible painter too."

Carlos Raphael: Dan Green passed away recently. Now Dan is important to me, because along with Terry Austin, he was the first inker I recognized as being "Dan Green". He was MY X-inker. For YEARS. I missed the Byrne-Austin X-Men boat, because I was into sports cards at the time. A few years later, I picked up Uncanny X-Men 167 and I was off to the races. Now Dan didn't start inking until just under a year later with issue 179, but it was at this time in the run I was fervored, after getting that Paul Smith run! He would ink X-Men until issue 260, so just shy of a 100 issue run, and the Silvestri-Green run is simply legendary! So Dan Green is a very important creator of my childhood and young adulthood. Rest in power, Dan. You will be missed.

Lewis LaRosa "His work over Silvestri was hugely influential to me. Dan's bold, confident, and energetic brush work is just unbeatable, full of immediacy & spontaneity. RIP legend"

Linda Lessmann Reinhold: I was instantly, mentally, transported to the old days when Dan and his beautiful wife, Sandi, were the most lovely friends, and we visited often, both in the city and upstate where they lived in their train station house. Sadly, Sandi passed away in 2015 and several years later, before the pandemic, Dan and I had many long phone conversations. I'm sorry that I never saw him again. May he rest in peace.

Marc Silvestri: Just heard about the passing of one of our industries best. I was beyond fortunate to have Dan Green as my artistic partner not only for my run on The X-Men, but for Wolverine as well. RIP man, and thank you.

Marcos Martín: One of the absolute best. His inks over legends like JRJR, Leonardi or Silvestri were just extraordinary and another big part of my formative years.

Mike Mignola: Goodbye to the great Dan Green. I didn't really know him but used to see him around the Marvel office. A great inker (of course) but first knew him as a great painter— he illustrated a collection of Conan stories for Don Grant— really beautiful stuff. Another great talent gone too soon.

Larry Hama: RIP Dan Green. He had one of the slickest ink lines in the biz. This was his embellishment over Marc Silvestri on Wolverine. The last few years were rough on Dan after the passing of his beloved Sandi. Hope he is at peace.

Jimmy Palmiotti: I never met Dan Green face to face but admired his work and all the greats he worked with. Half of my 70's and 80's collection featured his fantastic work. We lost another great one today. Rest in Peace.

Mahmud Asrar: Just read that Dan Green has passed away. Dan was one of the first inkers I was lucky enough to work with. Although brief, I treasure our collaboration as he has always been one of my favourite inkers. He will be missed.

Darick Robertson: I met him in 1986. He showed me Silvestri's X-Men pencils he was working on. Very kind and friendly and a huge talent.

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