Neal Adams, comic book writer and contributor to Star Trek story records, dies at the age of 80
"Neal Adams" by Gage Skidmore is marked with CC BY-SA 2.0.
MAY 1, 2022 - He is probably best known to fandom as a comic book artist and, specifically, for drawing superheroes such as Green Lantern, Green Arrow, the X-Men, and, of course, Batman. He also stepped over into the Star Trek universe. The Hollywood Reporter announced last Friday that artist Neal Adams died on Thursday, April 28th at the age of 80.
Adams got his start back in the late 1950s drawing for Archie Comics after failing to land a gig with DC Comics, but he later ended up at DC, drew covers and stories, and eventually began drawing Batman. In the 1970s, though, Peter Pan Records produced a series of Star Trek audio stories, which were accompanied by read-along comic books. Adams was the artist and co-author on “The Time Stealer” in that series.
Adams also defended the rights of comic artists to their work. Josh Adams said, “My father was a force. 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.”
Among Adams’ many awards, the most recent were inductions into the Eisner Awards’ Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1998; the Harvey Awards’ Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1999; and the Inkwell Awards’ Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame in 2019.
For more on the life and career of artist Neal Adams, you can read the full obituary at The Hollywood Reporter. You can also watch and listen to “The Time Stealer” over on YouTube.
Please join all of us in offering our condolences to the friends and family of Neal Adams.
David is a contributing writer for Daily Star Trek News on the Roddenberry Podcast Network. He is a librarian, baseball fan, and book and movie buff. He has also written for American Libraries and Skeptical Inquirer. David also enjoys diverse music, but leans toward classical and jazz. He plays a mean radio.
