Comic book legend Neal Adams, the man who brought heroes like Batman and Green Lantern face to face with gritty realism, both in art style and in story content, has passed away at the age of 80. Besides being a paradigm-shifting artist, he also was a champion for the rights of creators. He passed away on Thursday due to complications from sepsis, according to his wife Marilyn Adams.
Born in New York on June 15, 1941, Neal Adams attended New York City’s School of Industrial Art. Getting his start in commercial advertising, he also pursued work in comics. His early works included humor strips for Archie Comics and working on the syndicated newspaper strips Bat Masterson and Ben Casey. After leaving Archie Comics, he would work with a different Archie, Archie Goodwin, drawing horror comics for Warren Publishing.
After almost a decade of being rejected, Adams finally began working for DC in 1967. He worked on war comics and humor books, like Jerry Lewis and Bob Hope, before making his mark with Deadman in Strange Adventures 206 (taking over the art from character creator Carmine Infantino). He got his first cover with the company with Deadman issue 207. Deadman surprised the industry and earned Adams an Alley Award for “the new perspective and dynamic vibrance.”
This success led to Adams working on and revolutionizing the Dark Knight, also known as Batman. Along with writer Denny O’Neil, they helped modernize Batman and take him away from the camp and comic image that came about as a result of the 1960s Adam West TV series. They introduced new characters with darker and more mature motivations like Man-Bat and, most famously, Ra’s al Ghul and Talia.
They also helped shake off the camp nature of classic Batman villains like the Joker. “We took a harder edge. We decided that Joker was just a little crazy,” Adams told Vulture in a 2019 article. The article made the case that without that classic story, 1973’s “The Joker’s Five-Way Revenge” in Batman No. 251, comics like The Killing Joke, and versions o the character seen on the big screen byJack Nicholson, Heath Ledger, and Joaquin Phoenix would never have existed.
Neal Adams and Denny O’Neil also tackled social issues such as drug addiction, racism, and overpopulation in the pages of Green Lantern/Green Arrow in the 1970s. They also created the Green Lantern hero, Jon Stewart. Stewart, one of DC’s first Black icons, would go on to become a major part of DC, especially in the animated series, Justice League. Their 1971 story, “Snowbirds Don’t Fly”, revealed that long-time Green Arrow sidekick Speedy was using heroin. The story in Green Lantern/Green Arrow 85 and 86 showcased how the medium could address tough real-world problems.
Neal Adams stopped working for DC and Marvel (where he worked on books like The Avengers and X-Men) in the mid-’70s. He would go on to found his own studio, Continuity Studios. He worked to promote better working conditions and championed for creators’ rights.
He worked alongside Stan Lee for the Academy of Comic Book Arts. Adams hoped for the Academy to become a union to fight for benefits and ownership for creators. But Lee was more interested in creating a comic book version of the Motion Picture Academy. While Adams failed to create a union for artists, he did bring about change in the industry. Most famously, in helping to get artists and writers credit (and payment) when their characters appeared in TV, movies, or other media.
He also helped change the publisher’s policy on original art. Publishers would keep the original art, even destroying it. Adams pressured companies to establish policies to return the art. This gave many artists a second income stream. One of the most famous results of this policy facilitated Marvel to return pages of art featuring the Fantastic Four, Thor, and The Incredible Hulk to Jack Kirby.
Neal Adams was a force to be reckoned with. One time, Marvel Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter distributed contracts that stated freelancers could not assert copyright over their creations. Adams then sent around a copy of the contract, with “Do Not Sign This Contract! You Will Be Signing Your Life Away!” written across the top. While this did raise awareness among his fellow creators, the effort didn’t have its intended effect. Marvel flexed its muscle and threatened anyone who tried to unionize by ending the freelance workflow.
“My father was a force,” Josh Adams said. “His career was defined by unparalleled artistic talent and an unwavering character that drove him to constantly fight for his peers and those in need. He would become known in the comics industry as one of the most influential creators of all time and a champion of social and creators’ rights. When he saw a problem, he wouldn’t hesitate. What would become tales told and retold of the fights he fought were born out of my father simply seeing something wrong as he walked through the halls of Marvel or DC and deciding to do something about it right then and there.”
The comics world has truly lost a great one. Our deepest and heartfelt sympathies go out to Adams’ family, friends, and fans.
