Renowned comic book artist Neal Adams passed away in New York on Thursday due to complications from sepsis. He was 80 years old.
Adams' dynamic photo realistic style brought a newer, more serious version of Batman in the 1970s. He paved the way for later incarnations, like The Dark Knight, and more adult, darker comic book stories.
Neal was the co-founder of the graphic design studio Continuity Associates. He was a creators' rights advocate who helped secure a pension and recognition for Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.
The official Twitter account of DC Comics tweeted that “the modern comic landscape would not be what it is today without the incomparable work” of Adams. “Neal portrayed heroes as both super and human in equal measure. His work on Batman, Green Lantern, and many more was revolutionary. DC joins the world in mourning his loss."
There is a lot being written about Neal online. The tributes from other comic book artists, talking about his influence on them, are particularly touching.
A
lot is going to be written over the next few days about the impact of
Neal’s work on comics and illustration, his impact on creators’ rights
and his personal impact on the careers of many artists who pepper our
industry. To say that all of it will be well deserved is the greatest of
understatements.
I knew Neal only casually, enough to chat for a
while whenever we saw each, so I cant say that he had any personal
impact on my career.
His work, however, certainly did.
I was a
junior at NYC’s High School of Art & Design when Neal’s TARZAN
covers were released. Needless to say, their impact was immediate and
everyone I knew had copies, whether they intended to read the books or
not. I was amongst them.
My appreciation for the art went beyond
mere admiration, though. I primarily knew Neal as a comic book artist
and knowing how prestigious an assignment those covers were, I wondered
how one got to a position where they were even considered for it. I
loved those books and the subject matter and dreamed of one day, should I
be lucky enough to actually break into this industry, to be considered
worthy of that selfsame assignment. They definitely lit a fire in me and
were actually the impetus for me to start painting.
Neal’s Tarzan
covers became the standard and the benchmark and except for a couple of
different editions here and there over the years, remained so for over
40 years.
I find myself today in the honored position of painting all
new covers for those same books. Despite all the work I’ve done over
the years, my end goal was always this job, and Neal’s covers were the
spark that ignited that desire and I cannot express that strongly
enough.
Attached is a showcase of those covers and they are every
bit as awe inspiring and intimidating as they were when I first saw them
all those years ago.
Enjoy, and thank you, Neal
His work in the ephemeral world of comic books, made a bold mark.
Ron Kampeas, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency's Washington Bureau Chief, tweeted about the above:
I was 10. Standing at Georgie's, five and dime. This validated my visceral love for comics. It took my breath away. And awakened me to a reality. That is what art does.
The memories Neal Adams created still breathe. They will forever be a blessing.
These are but two of the many, many stories that people who knew Neal or just loved his work, that are out there. A legend has passed away.
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