Tagged: Neal Adams

‘Star Trek’ when Sulu was black and Uhura was white

  • News
  • October 26, 2008

As an occasional Star Trek author, there are days when I have cursed Paramount’s licensing department for saying that you can’t do this with that character, or saying that Klingons aren’t warlike, or that Federation officers never disobey orders, or any other sort of restriction that seems arbitrary and picky that wrecks a perfectly good story idea.

But without them, you can get some truly strange occurences– like this Peter Pan comic book and record set for kids. The first story, "A Mirror Of Futility", drawn by Neal Adams or a very close fascimile, has Lieutenant Uhura as a white woman and Lieutenant Sulu as a black man– and he’s wearing the wrong color shirt to boot.

And it’s not a random fluke, either– because in the second story drawn by the late great John Buscema, "The Time Stealer", it happens again. (It also features an appearance by someone who looks very close to Conan, but that’s another story.)

And the line "Shutting down… engines now, Captain." We’ve apparently gone from Sulu to Yoda.

One has to wonder what George Takei and Nichelle Nichols thought of it…

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Adams, Kubert and Lee Come To Aid Of Concentration Camp Artist

Adams, Kubert and Lee Come To Aid Of Concentration Camp Artist

  • News
  • August 9, 2008

 

The perfect trifecta of living comic book legends –  Neal Adams, Joe Kubert, and Stan Lee – have come to the aid of Nazi concentration camp survivor and animator Dina Gottlieboa Babbit in her fight to retrieve her long stolen artwork from a Polish museum.

According to today’s New York Times, Ms. Babbit survived two years at the infamous Auschwitz Polish concentration camp by painting watercolor portraits for the notorious butcher of Aushwitz, Dr. Josef Mengele. Many of these paintings are in the possession of the Aushwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum; as her work, Ms. Babbit claims ownership and has long demanded its return. The Museum has refused, and Neal, Joe and Stan have taken up the effort.

To help raise awareness, Neal teamed up with Rafael Medoff, the director of the David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies, to produce a six page comics story detailing the situation. The story was inked – in part – by Joe and sports an introduction from Stan. 

They are presently looking for a publisher.

Since her liberation, Ms. Babbit had worked as an animator for Jay Ward Productions, Warner Bros. Animation, and MGM.

Neal Adams and Modern Comics Movies

  • News
  • July 22, 2008

You know superheroes are dominating Hollywood when the movie trade Variety features an extended ode to Neal Adams.

The piece, which includes some quotes from Adams, stresses his role in bringing about more serious superhero comics, particularly on Batman, and how that has influenced superhero movies.

Major studios have mounted a corporate takeover of Comic-Con as a vehicle to promote movies and TV shows, but comicbook artists still receive rock star treatment at the San Diego event. And among those artists, none cast a larger shadow over the current cinematic renaissance than Neal Adams.

Teaming with writer Denny O’Neil in 1970, Adams transformed Batman from the "Biff! Bam! Pow!" camp associated with the 1960s TV show starring Adam West back into the sleek, brooding Dark Knight depicted onscreen for the past two decades. By doing so, they helped establish the serious-minded template that has informed the best superhero adaptations that followed.

And the best quote from Adams:

As rendered by Adams, Batman again became a night-shrouded creature and less a superhero than a grim vigilante — Sherlock Holmes with Olympic-quality athleticism. "Batman is the grittiest character in all of comics," Adams said. "This is an awfully real concept, so none of this wishy-washy shit would do."

Happy Birthday: Neal Adams

Happy Birthday: Neal Adams

  • News
  • June 15, 2008

Born on Governors Island, Manhattan, New York in 1941, Neal Adams attended High School Industrial Art in Manhattan and then went to work in the advertising industry. He had actually applied to work at DC Comics but didn’t get a job offer — Adams did do some freelance work drawing Bat Masterson and Archie Comics but was not credited for it. In 1962 he was hired as an assistant at the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA), and worked anonymously on several comic strips before being given his own strip, Ben Casey.

In 1968 Adams approached DC Comics again and was immediately hired to draw a Deadman feature in Strange Adventures #207. Adams quickly became well-known for his DC covers. He moved to Marvel to work on X-Men with Roy Thomas, and after the title ended they moved to The Avengers together. In the early 1970s Adams returned to DC, where he and writer Dennis O’Neill teamed up to revamp Green Lantern and Green Arrow, and then Batman. Adams and Dick Giordano formed Continuity Associates to supply storyboards to motion pictures, and around the same time Adams worked on the science fiction stage play Warp, which ran in Chicago, Washington DC and (for one week in 1973) on Broadway.

Adams also helped push the comics industry to more creator-friendly practices, like returning original artwork to the artist. In the early 80s he formed Continuity Comics, an offshoot of Continuity Associates, to produce his own original comics. Adams has won several Alley Awards and was inducted the Alley Award Hall of Fame in 1969. He has also won several Shazam awards, and was inducted into the Harvey Awards’ Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1999.

ComicMix Radio: Neal Adams and Batman – Finally!

ComicMix Radio: Neal Adams and Batman – Finally!

Over a year ago, we broke the news of a new Batman project drawn by Neal Adams. Now the day when you will actually get to see this is coming closer, and there have been a few changes along the way. Neal brings us up to date, plus:

— David Finch gives us the scoop on Ultimatums

— Zen comes to Devils Due

— Where’s my copy of Powers? We’ve got the latest ship dates and more

Put on your cowl and press the button!

 

 

 

ComicMix TV: Neal Adams on Batman at NYCC

ComicMix TV: Neal Adams on Batman at NYCC

Comics legend Neal Adams was on hand at New York Comic Con today to talk Batman with the ComicMix TV crew. Our intrepid man on the scene talks him up about his upcoming secret Batman project, as well as all things Dark Knight…

 

 

Neal Adams does the ComicMix Big Weekend Broadcast

Neal Adams does the ComicMix Big Weekend Broadcast

The weekend is here – and the ComicMix Pop Culture Buffet is wide open with healthy servings of sold out Marvels, stuffed bookshelves from DC, a sprinkling of Michael Ian Black, Neal Adams laying claim to Batman, farewell to Rourke & Tatoo and a bit of hard love from the guy we loved as Lamont Cranston, "clutching forks and knives, to eat the bacon…"

Lots of Wonder Woman from the 40s and the black-and-white 50s, revisit one of Superman’s various deaths, and we put some uncomfortable music to the Dark Knight. All this and all that, by pressing this button:

Beetles Blue, Doctors Three, and Adams Neal

Beetles Blue, Doctors Three, and Adams Neal

A new week and a new line up of surprises, including a peek at the big Blue Beetle Companion, 50 or 60 ways to spend money on comic books and DVDs, and we dissect The Doctor’s third season opener. Plus – the ComicMix line-up of what’s been delayed and when it’s going to happen. Plus – Neal Adams is all over Timeline.

As always, you can hear the ComicMix Podcast by clicking on this very button:

New Adams-Miller Batman pages at NYCC

New Adams-Miller Batman pages at NYCC

  • News
  • February 23, 2007

ComicMix caught up with Neal Adams this afternoon to talk Batman, and received a couple nice surprises.

Adams is indeed collaborating with Frank Miller on a long-anticipated Batman miniseries entitled Batman: Odyssey, and originally slated for six issues but he believes the story will warrant enough material for eight.  Adams has created and will be plotting and pencilling the story, with Miller supplying the dialogue.  Adams will also be inking the first two issues — and NYCC attendees can see the entire #1 (beautifully detailed art, all of which you can see as there’s no lettering on the booth copy) — but expressed an interest in having other long-time (and as yet unnamed) inkers work over his pencils for future issues. 

Until the book is finally scheduled by DC, the place to see the preview will be Booth A317 in Artists Alley.

Mike Raub’s interview with Neal Adams will be on our Podcast this Tuesday.

 

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