Dave Cockrum (1943-2006) was a comic book artist of some prominence in the 70s and 80s. He co-created Storm, Colossus, Nightcrawler, Black Cat, and the Starjammers for Marvel comics. Cockrum redesigned the Legion of Super-Heroes, the X-Men, and Ms. Marvel.
Cockrum was Marvel’s main cover artist for almost a decade. He won an Eagle Award in 1977 and an Inkpot Award in 1982. He eventually left mainstream comics to publish his creator owned Futurians. His career faded as his battle with diabetes grew, eventually killing him.
I met Dave in 1983 at a comics convention in Pittsburgh, PA. It was the first con I went to. I was so excited as Dave was my favorite comic artist at that time. I had just started trying to draw comic pages, having no idea of the dimensions or, really, anything. I was dying to show him.
I waited in line, met him and chatted. He asked me to come back when the line was done. I went back, we sat together on the edge of a stage, and he went thru my sketchbook page by page and gave me advice, criticism, how to draw comics, storytelling, and so much more. If there is one individual that set me solidly on the path of an artist, it is Dave Cockrum.
I met Stan Lee and the Great Kreskin at the same con. They paled in comparison.
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