One of DC Comics’ preeminent colorists, Jerry Serpe, passed away Monday. A colorist and color separator since the end of World War II, Jerry had primary responsibility for overseeing the interior color for DC’s entire line during the 1950s and 1960s. He later went freelance, continuing to color virtually every character and every feature DC published for more than 30 years.
During my first tenure at DC in the mid-to-late ’70s, Jerry was a fixture in DC’s production department, a room of astonishing talent: Anthony Tollin, John Workman, Steve Mitchell, Todd Klein, Bill Morse, Jack Adler, Bob LeRose, Carl Gafford, and others. I wrote and designed most of the house ads during that period and a lot of the promotional material, and Jerry almost always provided the color. His work was flawless; his demeanor was impeccable. That’s saying a lot, as the deadline pressure in the production department was – and will always be – massive.
Tony Isabella informs us Jerry’s daughter Donna his funeral will be in Florida tomorrow (Thursday); anyone is welcome to attend. Respects can be sent to:
Baldauff Funeral Home
1233 Saxon Blvd.
Orange City, FL 32763
386-775-2101
Thanks, as always, to Tony Isabella and to Mark Evanier.
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