question: In what year was the creator of the character that appeared in a series of films directed by Stephen Norrington, Guillermo del Toro and Goyer born?
answer: 1926
context: Title: Hellboy II: The Golden Army
  Passage: Hellboy II: The Golden Army is a 2008 American supernatural superhero film based on the fictional character Hellboy created by Mike Mignola.  The film was written and directed by Guillermo del Toro and is a sequel to the 2004 film "Hellboy", which del Toro also directed.  Ron Perlman reprises his starring role as the eponymous character.  "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" was released by Universal Pictures.  Unlike the first film, which featured a darker, gothic atmosphere, the film features a fantasy atmosphere.  The film grossed over $160 million, against a budget of $85 million.  It received positive reviews from critics, which praised the fantasy atmosphere in the film, as well as Perlman and the other cast's acting performances.
  Title: Gene Colan
  Passage: Eugene Jules "Gene" Colan (September 1, 1926 – June 23, 2011) was an American comic book artist best known for his work for Marvel Comics, where his signature titles include the superhero series "Daredevil", the cult-hit satiric series "Howard the Duck", and "The Tomb of Dracula", considered one of comics' classic horror series.  He co-created the Falcon, the first African-American superhero in mainstream comics, and the non-costumed, supernatural vampire hunter Blade, which went on to appear in a series of films starring Wesley Snipes.
  Title: Blade (film series)
  Passage: The Blade films are based on the fictional Marvel Comics character of the same name, portrayed by Wesley Snipes.  They were written by David S. Goyer, based on the comics by Marv Wolfman, and Gene Colan.  The three films were directed by Stephen Norrington, Guillermo del Toro and Goyer respectively, and distributed by New Line Cinema.
  Title: Doña Lupe
  Passage: Doña Lupe is a 1985 short horror film written and directed by Guillermo del Toro.  It is del Toro's ninth short film, though the first eight remain unreleased.  Del Toro filmed "Doña Lupe" at 19 years of age; reviewers have noted that the film "feels like the work of an amateur artist getting to grips with his craft".
  Title: Doug Jones (actor)
  Passage: Doug Jones (born May 24, 1960) is an American actor and former contortionist known for roles in the science fiction, fantasy, and horror genres, often wearing heavy makeup to play nonhuman characters.  He is perhaps best known for his collaborations with filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, starring in "Mimic", as Abe Sapien in "Hellboy" and "", the Faun and the Pale Man in "Pan's Labyrinth", "Crimson Peak" and The Asset in "The Shape of Water," respectively.  He has appeared in films such as "Tank Girl", "Hocus Pocus" and "The Bye Bye Man".  He also portrayed the titular Silver Surfer in the superhero film "", as well as appearing in the TV series "Falling Skies", "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and del Toro's "The Strain".  He is currently a series regular in "", as Lt. Saru.
  Title: The Shape of Water (film)
  Passage: The Shape of Water is a 2017 American romantic fantasy film directed by Guillermo del Toro and written by del Toro and Vanessa Taylor.  The film stars Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Octavia Spencer.  It was screened in the main competition section of the 74th Venice International Film Festival and premiered on August 31, 2017, where it was awarded the Golden Lion for best film in the competition.  It also screened at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival.  "The Shape of Water" has been met with high praise from critics, with many declaring it Del Toro's best film since "Pan's Labyrinth" and particularly praising Sally Hawkins' performance.  It is scheduled for release in the United States on December 8, 2017.
citations: Blade (film series) Gene Colan