Meeting Neal Adams

Absolutely one of the greatest and most respected comic-book artists of all time is Neal Adams. Anyone familiar with comics and its history will know him—if not, a quick introduction…

(I’ve previously written about him on my blog here, regarding 1978’s Superman versus Muhammad Ali comic-book. Though I intended to bring my copy, pictured at right, to the event for him to sign, I forgot it at home! When I first walked in and introduced myself, I mentioned this to him—we both laughed and I told him, “Next time!")

Adams is a pivotal figure in the industry, in that he was one of the artists who pulled comics into the modern era. He came into the industry at the perfect time, when radical change was needed. A shift had already begun in the early 1960s, with the debuts of the Fantastic Four at Marvel Comics and the modern-day version of the Flash at DC. Prior to that, comics had been in a period of doldrums—while remembered fondly by many (some feel it’s time for the pendulum to swing back), with some exceptions, comics generally had become too safe, fantastical and, in some cases, even silly. This was in large part due to the scare the industry had gone through during the early 1950s, following complaints (and Senate hearings) that comics had become too violent and inappropriate for children, and a cause of juvenile delinquency.

With these shifting winds, Adams came in and heralded a more mature, polished, more “photorealistic” style that readers didn’t realize they were yearning for, honed by his experience in advertising and newspaper strips (Ben Casey). While Adams is known for a diverse body of work, his influence is probably best defined by his sophisticated take of the Batman. Up to that time, the character was still in fantasy/children’s comics mode, a stereotype that for better or worse was further cemented in the public mind by the Adam West Batman TV show. Adams (and the writers he worked with) completely redefined Batman for the new age, with more realistic adventures and (for the time) more mature themes. While not quite the completely tortured, dark detective the character’s become in today's comics and films, his Batman was certainly the first step in that more complex direction.

Adams also was an early vocal advocate of artists' rights. He was among the first proponents for a union and was instrumental (along with fellow cartoonist Jerry Robinson) in getting recognition and a pension for the creators of Superman, Jerry Shuster and Jerry Siegel, who were both living in poverty when the Christopher Reeve Superman film hit theaters in 1979. Adams and Robinson shrewdly used the film's release as leverage to shame Warner Brothers, the parent company of DC Comics, into doing the right thing.

So of course you can imagine what a thrill it was to see and meet Adams at an event organized by local L.A. area cartoonists, at Adams’ new comic-book store, the Crusty Bunkers, in a building that also has served as the home office for his Continuity Studios West. Adams’ studio over the years has been involved in comics, advertising and animation; as those activities have wound down in recent years, Adams decided to open a comic book store/boutique in the space.

While I’ve briefly met Adams as a fan at conventions, this is the first time I’ve had an opportunity to meet him in a professional manner or setting. For this evening, Adams was the featured guest, graciously hosting the group at his new store. He talked shop with fellow professionals, fielded questions and regaled us with engaging and often hilarious stories and anecdotes from his career, often involving many well known comics industry giants he’s worked with over his storied career. Some of these stories have been told in interviews, and others are not for me to share, but Adams was always engaging and entertaining, and candid about himself and others.

As alluded above, Adams first tried to break into the industry at a moment of transition in the industry when everyone told him that the business “would be dead in a year.” He talked about wanting to break into comics while even in high school, where even his teachers (one of whom was a professional cartoonist) discouraged him.

Because of these "lost years," as he and others have noted, at one point when he started in the business, everyone was either five years older or five years younger than him, making him a bridge of sorts between the old guard of cartoonists and industry professionals and the new guard.

As a result, Adams had plenty of funny and juicy stories (and opinions) about comics pros who loom large in the history of comics, such as Mort Weisenger, Julius Schwartz, Robert Kanigher, Jack Kirby, Joe Kubert, Alex Toth, Frank Frazetta, and Stan Lee, as well as his contemporaries and some of the cartoonists who have followed, like Archie Goodwin, Murphy Anderson, Wendy Pini, and Dave Sim. He particularly had kind words about Jack Kirby and Stan Lee, acknowledging and talking about their role in revitalizing the industry in the early 1960s.

Above all, Adams is a student of the medium who appreciates those who came before him “on whose shoulders the industry was built.” Here he was not just referring to cartoonists but also great illustrators and artists like Alphonse Mucha and Norman Rockwell, noting that there would always be a section in his store where books about the great artists would always be available to be appreciated and remembered.

Though Adams could have kept going with a willing and captive audience, the evening eventually came to a natural conclusion—ever the gracious host, he invited people to take photos with him. This gave me a few moments to speak a little more with him. He was extremely kind and generous with his time, and clearly enjoyed being among fans and fellow professionals.

35th Anniversary Screening of Electric Dreams

On Saturday, September 7, I had the good fortune to catch a 35th anniversary screening of an obscure romantic comedy from 1984 called Electric Dreams (1984). It was held at a small arthouse theater in Santa Ana, California, the Frida Cinema, about 35 miles from my home in West L.A., in Orange County. Appearing at the screening were the film’s leads—Virginia Madsen and Lenny von Dohlen—as well as the screenwriter, Rusty Lemorande. When I say obscure, I’m not kidding, as the film has never been released on DVD in the U.S. and was only in theaters for two weeks (more on that below).

The film was followed by a Q&A with Madsen, von Dohlen and Lemorande, and then a signing.

As I’ve mentioned elsewhere on this blog, I have a special fondness for Electric Dreams, which was the film debut for Madsen and von Dohlen. Though the film did well internationally, it was in theaters in the U.S. only briefly. The film developed a cult following shortly afterwards, thanks apparently to repeated showings on HBO. Its reputation as a hard-to-find film has been boosted by its lack of availability on DVD in the U.S., though it is available overseas. A low-quality version is available on YouTube and I owned it on VHS for many years before burning it onto a DVD (by then, the VHS print had also faded badly).

Set in San Francisco, the film is a romantic comedy featuring a love triangle between a boy, a girl and his computer—Miles is a young, awkward architect who, at the start of the personal computer revolution, purchases a computer to help him with his research on an earthquake-resistant brick, and Madeline is a cellist with a local symphony orchestra. Shortly after the beginning of the story, Madeline moves into the apartment above Miles and the two soon strike up a relationship. However, after a series of mishaps, the computer becomes sentient and falls in love with Madeline through her music. Jealous of Miles, the computer (who we find out later has named himself Edgar) tries to get Miles out of the picture by taking over his life by ruining his credit, putting him on a most wanted list, and trapping him in the house. (Edgar was voiced by actor Bud Cort, who reportedly did his lines on set in a box so that the actors wouldn’t have to interact with a “real” person—the organizers of the show said they did make an attempt to get Cort to come to make an appearance as well.)

As I have mentioned in my own review—and as the actors discussed on stage during the Q&A—the film was a little ahead of its time in demonstrating the threat to privacy and the vulnerability of personal information in our web-connected world. That said, the film is at its heart a romantic comedy not a cautionary tale—a modern-day re-telling of Cyrano Debergerac, with Miles taking credit for music composed by the computer. So the dangers of having our information online is really only a minor side note to the film and played mostly for laughs, adding just a bit of tension and conflict in the final act of the story.

Before the screening started, two members of the film’s programming staff came out to introduce the film—it turned out both were fans of the movie and, based on this shared love, decided on this anniversary celebration. They then brought out Madsen onto the stage, who expressed being touched by the turnout.

At the start of the Q&A that followed, Lemorande and the actors first spoke about their experiences on the film. For Madsen and von Dohlen, because it was their first film project, they bonded closely and have maintained a close friendship over the years, which was clear in their interactions with each other. (The film was actually shot in England, though the exterior shots were filmed on location in San Francisco, where the film takes place). In addition to citing Cyrano as an inspiration, Lemorande also shared some behind-the-scenes information that was new to even the actors.

First, after asking the audience who first saw the film in the theater—only about a third had (as had I)—he said those of us who did were lucky because it was in theaters for only two weeks. He noted in those days films were given time to find an audience, mentioning it took 9 weeks for the popular comedy Caddyshack to catch on. Apparently, the head of MGM, which held the film’s North American distribution rights, pulled Electric Dreams from theaters to give time for the soundtrack (which featured Jeff Lynne and Boy George/Culture Club, who was huge at the time), to make the charts—the plan was to then re-release the film to theaters on the strength of the soundtrack. A week after the film was pulled, however, the head of MGM was fired, effectively killing the plan and the film’s prospects.

During the Q&A, Lemorande also gave full credit to the two leads for their fine work—indeed, the performances and chemistry of the two leads really are the heart of the film. In response to a question from the audience, Madsen said the two had never met before the first day of shooting and there had been no rehearsals; she did mention, however, that the location shooting in San Francisco did give them a chance to bond before the production moved to England. (Lemorande mentioned that one of the first scenes shots of the movie was the last scene, which he said he would have never done today, but the leads pulled it off wonderfully.)

One of the moderators also noted how progressive and self-possessed a character Madeline is, which was also a bit ahead of its time—rather than Miles being an aggressive suitor, she is the one trying to send Miles signals of her interest, while at the same time also dating a fellow musician.

One other funny tidbit – Bud Cort, who did the voice of the computer, didn't record his lines in post, he did them on set, but from within a box so that the other actors wouldn't be thrown by interacting by a live actor. Both actors thought that was strange but since it was their first film, they didn't question it. (von Dohlen said he saw him once on set by accident.) Ironically, the theater’s lobby has a collage of characters from classic movies -- and Bud Cort is on there from Harold and Maude!)

Lemorande also noted that since Virgin Pictures was producing the film, they insisted that only Virgin artists be on the soundtrack. (This is also why the movie was shot in England—though, of course, the exterior shots were done on location in San Francisco, prior to moving the production overseas.)

Though the film is available overseas in digital format, complicated U.S. distribution rights have delayed the film’s availability on DVD/Bluray in the U.S., though Lemorande said he expected them to be sorted out soon (given how long it’s been, I’ll believe it when I see it!)

In any case, it was a lovely evening where the actors and screenwriter got to feel the love from an appreciative audience. After the Q&A, the three went into the main lobby for a signing. Though I had forgotten to bring my VHS copy of the film for them to autograph, the theater had mini-posters on hand for this very reason.

REVIEW: Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood

Note: A spoiler warning is included below.

While Quentin Tarantino has always been one of the most distinctive voices in Hollywood, he’s also one of its most self-indulgent. I mean this in the sense that he wears his influences and passions on his sleeve, and revels in them in his work. But what distinguishes Tarantino is his ability to draw the audience into his passions and enthrall them.

I’ve never enjoyed excessive violence in films (and have never liked horror movies) and, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve become less inclined to even sit through films that are suspenseful or harrowing. So while I do admire Tarantino, I’ve yet to see the Hateful Eight, Kill Bill, or Death Proof. That said, I have seen his others, including Django Unchained, with Inglorious Basterds my favorite. This is closely followed by Jackie Brown, his most “traditional” film, which for me showed that Tarantino was indeed a bonafide filmmaker.

Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood is perhaps his most personal, geeky and self-indulgent to date because it conveys the sights and feels of Tarantino’s childhood memories of growing up in L.A. Indeed, he has admitted the film is his love letter to L.A. Yet it succeeds because he captures the period in its sights and sounds so vividly, sweeping up the audience in its wake and bringing us along for an enjoyable ride.

The first half of the film or so in many ways is nearly all self-indulgence, with some foreshadowing of what’s to come. Here, Tarantino lovingly and with great attention to detail re-creates L.A. in its still-innocent 1960s’ swinging glory, down to the storefronts and the DJs heard on the radio and parties at the Playboy mansion. The film also revels in Hollywood film- and television-making, with time in the film spent at shoots on studio lots.

This re-dressing of L.A. for the film thrilled many local residents—while I did not move to L.A. until the 1980s to attend college at UCLA, I can attest that some of what can be seen in the film was still there when I arrived. In fact, the historic Village Theatre in Westwood, just outside the UCLA campus, is prominently featured in one of the film’s posters (pictured at right). In recent years, I have again become a regular patron of the theater with my family, partly because it is a large classic movie house. I assumed and hoped that Once Upon a Time… would open there and was disappointed to discover that the film opened instead directly across the street at the equally historic Bruin Theatre. However, it turned out to be the appropriate place to see it after all because when actress Margot Robbie, who plays real-life actress Sharon Tate in the film, goes to watch herself at a showing of the Dean Martin film, the Wrecking Crew, the theater she walks up to and enters, after talking to the people at the ticket booth, is the Bruin! The Village and Bruin Theatres are revealed in the film rather dramatically with a sweeping drone shot, and the audience in the theater laughed and then applauded in recognition when they realized they were sitting in the same theater as the one onscreen (she also walks through the lobby and watches the film inside the theater). Indeed, the marquee of the Bruin Theatre for Once Upon a Time… was identical in style and font to that for the Wrecking Crew in the film (compare the photos below). By the way, when I went to see the film, the theater also included posters outside of the faux movies featured in the film!

In the film's episodic first half, we are introduced to the main characters and follow them as they spend their days tooling around L.A. There’s Rick Dalton (played by a strong Leo DiCaprio), the star of a cancelled television series called “Bounty Law,” who has seemingly reached the expiration date of his TV career, lowering himself to taking on guest-starring roles on other TV shows and is considering doing a spaghetti western overseas; his stunt double/personal assistant, Cliff Booth (a great Brad Pitt, in full-on character actor mode), whose own life and career appears to be hanging on a thread; and, as mentioned earlier, upcoming Hollywood actress and ingenue Sharon Tate (portrayed by a luminous Robbie).

While Dalton and Pitt are fictional (though loosely based on the relationship between actor Burt Reynolds and stuntman-cum-director Hal Needham), Tate, of course, was the real-life wife of film director Roman Polanski and one of those murdered by followers of Charles Manson in 1969. In the film, Dalton is Polanski’s neighbor.

Given this context, the film’s narrative kicks into gear when Cliff comes into contact with the Manson cult, beginning with a meet-cute encounter with a young free spirit named Pussycat, who turns out to be a member of the clan, played by Margaret Qualley. (Qualley is outstanding in the role and has had a banner year, having played Ann Reinking in the terrific mini-series Fosse/Verdun, a character who is the polar-opposite of Pussycat. Pussycat is a true free spirit while the portrayal of Reinking made her appear as the only real grownup in Fosse’s life.)

Through his encounter with Pussycat, Cliff visits the Spahn Movie Ranch, located in a remote area of L.A. and known by Hollywood for location shooting by movie and TV studios, and which was the Manson family’s headquarters. Being familiar with the location and the owner, Cliff finds the presence of the hippies at the ranch suspicious and takes it upon himself to investigate, in one of the film’s most suspenseful sequences. (Manson also makes an appearance later in the film, albeit very briefly, when a friend of Tate’s encounters him scoping out the Polanski/Tate residence.)

Warning: Spoiler Ahead!

The film, however, takes a great departure from history and real life in the climax—while it will surprise anyone who knows what actually happened on the night Tate and her companions were murdered in 1969 by members of the Manson cult, suffice to say, it might be less so for anyone familiar with Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds which took a similar revisionist approach to actual events by giving Hitler and his henchmen their just desserts in a final scene that is best described as fantasy wish-fulfillment.

Tarantino takes the same route here in upending history, with Rick and Cliff turning the tables on the Manson family killers in what turns out to be the film’s one truly prolonged violent, brutal sequence—on the one hand, given what actually transpired, seeing the killers get their due makes the scene cathartic, though at the same time the brutality of their comeuppance—sometimes bordering on gleeful and comic as many of Tarantino's scenes do—does make one feel a tinge of sympathy for those on the receiving end. Nevertheless, while the ending has had its share of detractors, I side with one reviewer who felt that history will ever forget what truly happened, so rather than exploit and wallow in the murders, Tarantino chooses instead to honor their memory by "saving" them in his film. By doing so, he also preserves their innocence—and, by extension, the era’s. (Tate’s sister initially expressed concern about the movie but they were put to rest after Tarantino shared the script with her.)

At the end of the film, it’s not clear what the future holds for Rick and Cliff, though of course they have found a measure of grace and redemption in their actions by preventing the murders and protecting Tate and her friends. As the police leave and Rick comes off the adrenalin rush of fighting off crazed would-be killers, he is invited up to hang out with Tate and her friends, while Cliff is taken by ambulance to the hospital in high spirits, with non-life-threatening injuries. The last scene between the two shows that their friendship has been further cemented by their shared baptism of fire. Who knows—perhaps like the Reynolds-Needham relationship that inspired Rick and Cliff, they eventually follow the similar trajectory of Hollywood success.

SDCC 2019 Report Part II: Comic-Con at 50

Read Part I here. To go straight to the photogallery, click here.

The 50th gathering of the San Diego Comic-Con—SDCC 50—was another exhausting, fun, memorable success. While the importance of manning my table each year often prevents me from seeing everything and everyone I'd like, it's still a chance to catch up with friends and colleagues, connect with new and longtime readers, and be inspired by the creativity and talent all around me.

Given that this was my 22nd time exhibiting (and my 32nd as an attendee since 1986), of course I have my Comic-Con routine down pat. As in past years, I left L.A. around 4:30 a.m. (with my teenage son in tow for the first time) and made the 130 mile drive in just over two hours. I like getting an early start on road trips, but aside from the lighter traffic, the early arrival also allows me to nab a perfect parking spot in the garage beneath the convention center close to the elevators where I need to enter the convention center with my two-wheel dolly and access my booth. (I also wake up early on Sunday morning, the last day of the show, to park my car at the same general spot so that I can quickly load up my car when the show ends, returning to my hotel room afterwards). My brother, who is a big help at the show, usually arrives by plane from Northern California around this time, and helps me set up.

Last year when I was an invited guest at the show, I was put up at the Marriott right next to the convention center. Its proximity to the venue and center of the action was, of course, incredibly convenient and significantly reduced my commute time in the morning to get to the convention center by opening—I traditionally have stayed at hotels anywhere from within a mile to several miles of the convention center and while the round-the-clock shuttles are a great convenience, I still need to allow about an extra hour or more for travel. In contrast, staying at the Marriott cut the commute time to merely a ride down the elevator. As I anticipated, the family asked that we stay at the Marriott again this year. While the rate is quite a bit more than hotels further out, in the end my wife and I decided the convenience was worth the extra cost.

Everything really seemed to click this year—the convention hall opened to exhibitors earlier than in past years, allowing me to immediately move in and set up when I arrived before 7 p.m. Following tradition, after I set up, my brother and I (along with my son of course) grabbed breakfast at a nearby downtown restaurant. Even better, when I went to retrieve my car afterwards and check in at the Marriott next door, our rooms were ready! Check in time at other hotels is normally in the afternoon, so this gave me time to relax quite a bit and grab food before having to return to the convention center that evening for Preview Night. And during mid-afternoon, when I decided to pop in to the convention center to check things out (while my son slept!), I was able to pick up my kids’ guest badges—again, earlier than in past years!

This is a good opportunity to acknowledge the fine work and professionalism of the Comic-Con staff. I found the staff, particularly at the service counters, genuinely upbeat and friendly (understandable, I guess, given that most are volunteers who want to be there!). When one considers the scope and scale of the show, you have to give credit to the organizers for such a relatively smooth and well run event. The Walt Disney theme parks are renowned for their attention to customer service, the customer experience and crowd management—I truly believe Comic-Con comes a close second! They never sit on their laurels and make adjustments every year. Given the number of attendees, it’s remarkable at how relatively smoothly the show goes.

Annual Hellos
As I mentioned up front, since I feel obligated to be at my table during most of the show to sell comics, I actually don’t get out much, so I’m fortunate friends and fellow pros make a point of stopping by my table or happen to walk randomly by. (I’d love to see people over in Artist’s Alley but it’s at the far end of the hall!) Among fellow cartoonists who stopped by or I happened to catch at some point during the show (sometimes only briefly) were Bobby Breed, Tom Batiuk, Kurt Busiek, Jackie Estrada, Nat Gertler, Scott McCloud, Andrew Pepoy, Jimmie Robinson, Stan Sakai, Scott Shaw!, Mark Wheatley, and others, talking shop with a few of them. On Friday, I also grabbed lunch with Barry Gregory, my partner-in-crime/moderator at my spotlight panel last year! Like last year, I also got interviewed by a Filipino radio station (but a different one!).

Programming
This year, I took in more programming than usual. On Thursday evening, I was honored to be invited to a 50th anniversary reception, which seemed to be made up mostly of longtime Comic-Con attendees and officials. I arrived late due to dinner plans and apparently there were presentations at the beginning that included San Diego’s mayor saying a few words. By the time I arrived, mostly just mingling was going, where I had an opportunity to see and/or touch bases with many friends and colleagues I’ve known over the years through comics and Comic-Con.

Cartoonist Sergio Aragones presenting at the Eisners

On Friday night after dinner, I popped in for a bit to the Will Eisner Awards ceremony, often referred to as the comics’ academy awards, partly to give my wife an opportunity to see the event for herself. We arrived just at the right time to see the presentation of the Hall of Fame Awards. The event has become known for the participation of celebrities as presenters—this year included actor/screenwriter/comedian Thomas Lennon and his Reno 911 co-star Ben Garant, actor Ernie Hudson, actor Phil LaMarr, and cartoonists Sergio Aragones, Bill Morrison, and Raina Telgemeier. Though I had hoped to grab late night drinks with my wife, she turned in early so I ended up having a nightcap with a buddy.

Saturday I took the kids for their first time to a presentation of Scott Shaw!’s hilarious Oddball Comics presentation and on Sunday I attended the panel remembering fellow cartoonist Batton Lash who passed earlier in the year. The panel included his widow, Jackie Estrada, comics historian/journalist (and 2019 Inkpot Award winner) Jon Cooke, and Morrison.

Business
As always, it was great meeting readers both longtime and new. My trade collections are starting to move more and being a bit more expensive than my single issues, they make a difference in the bottom line. One great trend I’ve also noticed is an increase in the number of women trying out the series (and sticking with it, picking up new issues every year!) At the end of the day, sales for me were not spectacular but okay—but there’s always next year! This year’s issue—Rob Hanes Adventures #20—wrapped up a story arc begun in issue 18 and received good feedback, with an ending that seemed to genuinely shock and surprise some readers (in a good way). Inspired by the current political landscape, it was something I needed to get out of my system and I look forward to a whole new adventure next issue! And, of course, it’s always great meeting some of the real uberfans of the series who stop by every year!

It was great having the great experience I usually have every year where someone who is a fan of classic adventure comics suddenly notices my book, sometimes like a lightning bolt! This year it included a random person in cosplay who I asked to take a picture—when he said he liked my Spirit and Steve Canyon buttons, I pointed out to him that my work was inspired by these classic comics and he ended up buying a collection. An editor from one of the top second-tier publishers also bought some comics and also met a comics scholar from Spain who turned out to be a big Milton Caniff (Terry and the Pirates and Steve Canyon) fan and ended up picking my book and returning the next day to pick up more!

Thanks to all who stopped by the table to say hi and making this year’s show another memorable success!

See the full photogallery, click here.

Just minutes after the end of the show, the carpet is already being rolled up!

Performing for their dinner in the Gaslamp after the end of the show