shaxper
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Posts: 22,379
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Post by shaxper on Oct 17, 2021 12:17:32 GMT -5
Read his Continuity stuff, if you dare; he was always bat-s@#$. If I were cynical, I'd say he thinks if a book has "great art" the story doesn't matter. Neal Adams himself would likely agree with you. He is quite cynical about the industry and his own work. Make no mistake he got out of comics as soon as he had a path forward in the advertising world, and he only returned to comics because that's where the money was. The quality of his art comes from a deep-seated perfectionism and not any particular love for the medium, and I'm willing to bet he has even less passion for his own scripts. When I worked for him at a few shows, he constantly reiterated that I should push prints because even though he made more on custom art, that required him to do actual work whereas the prints took care of themselves.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 17, 2021 12:20:40 GMT -5
I've been re-reading Neal Adam's Deadman run in Strange Adventures. The most notable things about it to me are the panel layout and the way Adams uses all sorts of different angles and close-ups that were revolutionary at the time. There's a lot of psychedelic lettering as well. My question is did anyone read the Neal Adams mini series a few years ago that was supposed to conclude the series? it was. . . . not good. and tho he certainly defined Deadman for a certain generation?. . once Kelley Jones got a hold of the character? his look ABSOLUTELY defines Deadman for me.
and some of the Jones/Baron minis are fantastic - tho one or two? absolutely a case of the art propping up a so-so story
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Post by tingramretro on Oct 17, 2021 16:18:56 GMT -5
Is it true that the Gwen Stacy- Norman Osborn fling has been retconned away? It has. It was all part of a convoluted revenge plot orchestrated by the late Harry Osborn and Mephisto.
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Post by tingramretro on Oct 17, 2021 16:22:16 GMT -5
I've been re-reading Neal Adam's Deadman run in Strange Adventures. The most notable things about it to me are the panel layout and the way Adams uses all sorts of different angles and close-ups that were revolutionary at the time. There's a lot of psychedelic lettering as well. My question is did anyone read the Neal Adams mini series a few years ago that was supposed to conclude the series? It was absolutely terrible. It completely ignored every development in Deadman's saga since the original Adams run ended, and basically picked up the story as though it was 1970. It also made absolutely no sense in itself, with characters randomly appearing out of nowhere with no explanation. Adams cannot write.
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Post by Icctrombone on Oct 17, 2021 16:45:48 GMT -5
I've been re-reading Neal Adam's Deadman run in Strange Adventures. The most notable things about it to me are the panel layout and the way Adams uses all sorts of different angles and close-ups that were revolutionary at the time. There's a lot of psychedelic lettering as well. My question is did anyone read the Neal Adams mini series a few years ago that was supposed to conclude the series? it was. . . . not good. and tho he certainly defined Deadman for a certain generation?. . once Kelley Jones got a hold of the character? his look ABSOLUTELY defines Deadman for me.
and some of the Jones/Baron minis are fantastic - tho one or two? absolutely a case of the art propping up a so-so story I'm a pretty big Mike Baron fan and I refuse to believe that the wrote a bad story.
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Post by Icctrombone on Oct 17, 2021 16:51:38 GMT -5
If I were cynical, I'd say he thinks if a book has "great art" the story doesn't matter. Neal Adams himself would likely agree with you. He is quite cynical about the industry and his own work. Make no mistake he got out of comics as soon as he had a path forward in the advertising world, and he only returned to comics because that's where the money was. The quality of his art comes from a deep-seated perfectionism and not any particular love for the medium, and I'm willing to bet he has even less passion for his own scripts. When I worked for him at a few shows, he constantly reiterated that I should push prints because even though he made more on custom art, that required him to do actual work whereas the prints took care of themselves. Shax, I heard a podcast a while ago that had Adams as a guest. He didn't come back to comics for the money. There was no money in it as compared to his advertising work. He was actually working on a newspaper strip before his DC work and kept coming back because he loved Comics. And Art IS the most important component to comics.
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Post by spoon on Oct 17, 2021 17:20:59 GMT -5
I've been re-reading Neal Adam's Deadman run in Strange Adventures. The most notable things about it to me are the panel layout and the way Adams uses all sorts of different angles and close-ups that were revolutionary at the time. There's a lot of psychedelic lettering as well. My question is did anyone read the Neal Adams mini series a few years ago that was supposed to conclude the series? Man, that Aquaman backup story was bad. If that's an example of Adams' writing, I think I'll pass on the mini-series. Are you reading the Aquaman lead feature? Coincidentally, I've been reading the Aquaman: Deadly Waters HC the past few days. The Deadman back-ups tie in with the Aquaman stories, and I think the interconnection is interesting. I thought the stories were weird but in a good way.
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shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,379
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Post by shaxper on Oct 17, 2021 17:42:50 GMT -5
Neal Adams himself would likely agree with you. He is quite cynical about the industry and his own work. Make no mistake he got out of comics as soon as he had a path forward in the advertising world, and he only returned to comics because that's where the money was. The quality of his art comes from a deep-seated perfectionism and not any particular love for the medium, and I'm willing to bet he has even less passion for his own scripts. When I worked for him at a few shows, he constantly reiterated that I should push prints because even though he made more on custom art, that required him to do actual work whereas the prints took care of themselves. Shax, I heard a podcast a while ago that had Adams as a guest. He didn't come back to comics for the money. There was no money in it as compared to his advertising work. He was actually working on a newspaper strip before his DC work and kept coming back because he loved Comics. And Art IS the most important component to comics. I don't know, my friend. I've only worked with him on two occasions, but both times he was very forthcoming and free with his opinions. Could be he told that podcast what they wanted to hear, or could be that (like most people) his memories and feelings about the past change from time to time. But everything I know about Adams, both from our discussions and from what's generally out there, is that it was the business end of the industry that really appealed to him and not the characters/stories/work itself.
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Post by Icctrombone on Oct 17, 2021 18:16:14 GMT -5
I think both could be true. He was certainly commanding the top artist pay when he worked but went where the money was. He was supposed to do a She Bat/ Spawn crossover but did a Mr. T comic instead because it paid a lot more money. As for his writing, I don't remember liking anything he wrote.
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Post by tonebone on Oct 18, 2021 10:08:46 GMT -5
Man, that Aquaman backup story was bad. If that an example of Adams' writing, I think I'll pass on the mini-series. The Adams writing I ever read was the Batman: Odyssey mini-series, which was just bizarre. It was so trippy, I am almost convinced he was smoking banana skins when he wrote it. I have the hardcover of that. It is the single most bat-shit crazy thing ever put on paper. I hated it and enjoyed it at the same time. I was never bored, I 'll tell you that much. I actually commented on another forum that it was like skiing downhill naked, while a pack of ravenous beavers chewed on my skis while I was high on Nitrous Oxide, and wore a helmet made of live minks who sang playground songs at me. Or something like that. I don't remember exactly... Adams actually replied to the post, and I DO remember his exact words: "Sounds like you had a good time."
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Post by tonebone on Oct 18, 2021 10:15:53 GMT -5
Neal Adams himself would likely agree with you. He is quite cynical about the industry and his own work. Make no mistake he got out of comics as soon as he had a path forward in the advertising world, and he only returned to comics because that's where the money was. The quality of his art comes from a deep-seated perfectionism and not any particular love for the medium, and I'm willing to bet he has even less passion for his own scripts. When I worked for him at a few shows, he constantly reiterated that I should push prints because even though he made more on custom art, that required him to do actual work whereas the prints took care of themselves. Shax, I heard a podcast a while ago that had Adams as a guest. He didn't come back to comics for the money. There was no money in it as compared to his advertising work. He was actually working on a newspaper strip before his DC work and kept coming back because he loved Comics. And Art IS the most important component to comics. I think he doth protest too much...... I have a feeling that if you are Neal Adams, and you are willing to do multiple mini-series for DC, there IS money in it. Maybe not for everyone, but I would guess Neal Adams gets paid VERY well for those series. They always sell well, and become big sellers in the collection market, as well.
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Post by EdoBosnar on Oct 18, 2021 10:41:39 GMT -5
(...) and wore a helmet made of live minks who sang playground songs at me. (...) Not gonna lie, that sounds like it might be interesting at the very least.
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Post by Icctrombone on Oct 18, 2021 10:42:24 GMT -5
On all the interviews I have read , comics are the redheaded step child to animation , advertising and daily newspaper strips. But of course Adams got top pay when he did comics.
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Post by MDG on Oct 18, 2021 12:26:27 GMT -5
On all the interviews I have read , comics are the redheaded step child to animation , advertising and daily newspaper strips. But of course Adams got top pay when he did comics. That's an outgrowth of the fact that most comic publishers were basically "mom and pop" operations compared to other industries until the 80s--maybe longer.
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Post by Ozymandias on Oct 18, 2021 13:49:59 GMT -5
Is it true that the Gwen Stacy- Norman Osborn fling has been retconned away? It has. It was all part of a convoluted revenge plot orchestrated by the late Harry Osborn and Mephisto. It came out recently, but I forget some things faster than others (if you catch my drift). I understood the plot was all Harry, and Mephisto just happened to be there once he died.
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