Gene Day

Howard Eugene Day was born on August 13, 1951, in Canada, and died far too young on September 23, 1982, at just thirty-one years old. Working primarily through the late 1970s and early 1980s, he built a remarkably prolific career across roughly 180 credited issues, demonstrating fluency as an artist, inker, letterer, and writer — a range of craft that set him apart from many of his contemporaries.

Day is best remembered for his contributions to Marvel Comics, particularly on *Master of Kung Fu* and the publisher's *Star Wars* titles, including *Star Wars Weekly* and the main *Star Wars* series. He also left his mark on *Marvel Two-in-One* and *Thor*, among other books. His versatility across so many production roles speaks to a deep, hands-on investment in the medium.

Beyond his Marvel output, Day was a significant figure in the independent comics community. The writer and artist Dave Sim, who would go on to create *Cerebus*, regarded Day as a genuine mentor — a testament to the generosity and seriousness Day brought to his craft. That mentorship role underscores how his influence extended well beyond his own page count. His death at thirty-one cut short a career that, given its early density and quality, might reasonably have left an even larger mark on the industry.