Big Apple Comic Con - Hangin' With Neal Adams & More

[delekkerste]

I don't know what you guys did today, but me and Dave (Dam60) hung out with Neal Adams for about a half an hour! He was the guest of honor at the Big Apple Comic Con...between Daylight Savings Time and the fact that the location was changed on short notice, not too many people showed up in the morning, giving us ample opportunity to converse with Neal with hardly an interruption. We talked about comics (of course) but also a lot about Neal's theories on the extinction of the dinosaurs and the creation of the Earth and the universe (for a primer, check out Neal's website at www.nealadams.com).

 

It was a blast...I'll post the picture we got with Neal when I get it developed. I got Neal to sign my X-Men #56 CGC 9.4 on the outside of the case as well as my copy of the Avengers Kree-Skrull War TPB. The guy is a riot - larger than life. He's self-admittedly arrogant and is not afraid to be blunt or crude. Definitely a "rated-R" kind of guy, as we joked with him. He should get his own sit-com on HBO or something - "Neal Adams - Comic Book Physicist". I know I would tune in...

 

I also talked with Shi creator Billy Tucci for about 2 hours (maybe more). He says he is co-writing the second draft of the Shi movie -script and didn't specify when shooting might start on the film. It sounds like it's a while away, though. I ended up buying a couple of original art pieces (2 covers) from Billy and also an absolutely stunning Vampirella pin-up by Gonzalo Mayo from Frank Giella (DC artist Joe Giella's son). Joe was also in attendance, along with DC legends Julius Schwartz and Mike Kaluta. Mark Texeira, Joseph Michael Linsner and Ray Lago were some of the other artists there.

 

As for other Forum members, we saw the Blazing One (Dave bought some books from him...at a discount to the discounted price! Who says Bob isn't flexible???) and also met Dr. Hari Naidu ("heartened" on the Boards). All this, plus porn star Jasmin St. Claire was also in attendance. What more could you ask for???

 

All in all, it was a great time...definitely the best time I've had at any convention outside of San Diego! Hope to see more of you guys at the next show (May 2-3) and at Wizard World East in Philly in May.

 

Cheers,

Gene

[chromium]

Great report Gene... I painted my garden fence today...and then watched it dry, so I'm thinking that maybe, just maybe your day was better than mine...

[Zonker]

Any read on how serious Neal takes his revisionist physics stuff? I've been half-paying attention for the last several years, and never knew what to make of this-- is he putting us on, is he sincere, what's up with all this?

 

Z.

[delekkerste]

Any read on how serious Neal takes his revisionist physics stuff? I've been half-paying attention for the last several years, and never knew what to make of this-- is he putting us on, is he sincere, what's up with all this?

 

He's serious as a brain tumor about all this...he was getting really pumped up about it when talking with us. He's clearly ticked off at the scientific establishment, which he considers to be set in their ways and unwilling to challenge the prevailing assumptions of the day, for deriding him as a comic book guy masquerading as a physicist. He said something at one point that he'd like nothing better than to prove Dr. So-and-So wrong and to show up on his doorstep and cram his $#^#ing words down his #$ing throat (that's not verbatim, but it's not far from what he said, either!)

 

He says he's putting out a videotape with illustrated (comic book) supplement this fall that explains all of his theories. He says he is getting flak from The Establishment for "dumbing down" things for the common man, but Neal is on a crusade to get the message out in a manner that people can readily understand. He said he's been into these kinds of scientific pursuits since even when he was doing the X-Men in the late '60s.

 

I believe he's got some stuff on his website that'll give you a flavor of what he's thinking these days.

 

Gene

[aardvark88]

Did N Adams bring any affordable pen/ink or watercolor art with him? I know his website says he has not sold any of his published comic bk orig. art for years.

[delekkerste]

Did N Adams bring any affordable pen/ink or watercolor art with him?

 

He brought a lot of stuff...a good portion of his family was also there to help him out. He brought a lot of pen/ink art (a few of which were colored) - most of these were pieces shown on his website, though there were quite a few that I had not seen before (particularly some very nice Conan drawings and interesting Spidey & Spidey Rogues like Venom & Carnage (!) ones as well). The prices were identical to the website, with most pieces falling in the $1,000 to $1,500 range. He also had some smaller, simpler drawings (small figures and headshots) on regular 8 1/2" x 11" paper which were being sold for $400 each.

 

He also brought a huge pencilled Superman drawing he did that is going to be painted over by Alex Ross and a smaller color Superman drawing he did for the cover of some upcoming DC release, though those were not for sale.

 

Gene

[heartened]

Hi Gene,

 

It was a pleasure meeting you as well. I only wish I had more time to chat.....you guys caught me just as I was leaving to meet my wife. Maybe next time we'll be able to talk more.

 

Glad you had so much fun! That's what it's all about, right?

[g-man]

hey gene, was that the superman #233 cover "re-do" he is doing with Ross?

[dam60]

Just to echo Gene's comments - the con was great fun! Thanks to Blazing Bob the Batman collection is progressing nicely - 8 books away (2 of which I have slabbed but want readers of anyways). from a full run of 200-613.

 

I really enjoyed talking to Neal but wished that he was a little more interest in talking shop vs his views on evolution, etc. However, it was great to have such access to such a big name. Gene and I really did spend a good portion of the day chilling with him. He brought along some great pics in his portfolio book (the least expensive of which was some Armor Clad Spidey reminiscient of Web of 100 for $800) but his Batman and Conan pics were phenomenal. Makes me wish that I were rich!

 

I also enjoyed talking to Tex. I was able to get 50 cent copies of Ghost Rider 15 (the really cool glow in the dark cover) and Punisher War Journal #50. He signed both of them and was talking to me for quite a bit.

 

All in all a lot of fun and looking forward to the next one on the 2nd/3rd.

 

DAM

[delekkerste]

hey gene, was that the superman #233 cover "re-do" he is doing with Ross?

 

Yes, that's correct...the art is huge, like 2 x 4 feet or so.

 

Gene

[supapimp]

sounds like a good time to be had by all! wish i was there.

[CosmicBob]

Did he do sketches for folks? What was the charge?

 

Thanks!

[delekkerste]

Did he do sketches for folks? What was the charge?

 

No sketches, just autographs...first two were free, with any additional $2 each.

 

Gene

[drbanner]

Did he do sketches for folks? What was the charge?

 

Neal did sketches at Megacon a few years ago - $40 for headshots, $100 for full-figure. However, that was before his son started selling the same type of sketches on ebay for $4-6-800. Must be nice..."Dad, I need a new widescreen TV, can you give me 2 Batmans and a Conan?"

[Aman619]

Yknow, Neal is God and all, but I get a sad feeling thinking poor Neal thinks he's a Renaissance Man, who can do anything like prove the scientists wrong in his spare time, when he (or any of us ) would be damn satisfied to be the best at what we do w/o seeking new worlds to conquer...or is it windmills to tilt at?

 

Think of all the comics he could have done if only......

...well, to be fair, we could all answer this differently. How about: If only DC werent so stupid. or Neal wasnt so bullheaded, or if he needed the lousy comics money compared to his Continuity storyboard goldmine company....