Neal Adams Batman study

[Chuck Williams]

Hi All,

Just sculpted a 1/3rd scale study of a Neal Adams Batman. About 8 inches tall total.
It's in tan Chavant NSP medium oil clay.

It's been fun staying loose on this.

Chuck...

[BiffPow]

It’s interesting, to me it looks like maybe Ben Affleck was perhaps the closest match to Neil Adams’ interpretation of Batman.

[SteveA]

Beautiful Job Chuck. Love it.

[Batfanman]

Fantastic work, Chuck! They need to hire you to make a Mt. Rushmore of Superheroes.

[BATWINGED HORNET]

Wonderful work, Chuck. The greatest comic book Batman interpretation of all, and you've captured the non-scowling Adams Batman perfectly!

It’s interesting, to me it looks like maybe Ben Affleck was perhaps the closest match to Neil Adams’ interpretation of Batman.

Agreed; I thought the same thing once I saw him in the costume and in action.

[Mike Mulitsch]

Very nice

[AndyFish]

Adams is far from my favorite Batman artist but shot #3 ¾ view really shows how you managed to make a 2D drawing work in 3D

[Yellow Oval]

Absolutely beautiful, Chuck! Neal Adams' '70s depiction of Batman has always been my all-time favorite version of Batman (and Joker as well).

[gerryd54]

Adams is far from my favorite Batman artist but shot #3 ¾ view really shows how you managed to make a 2D drawing work in 3D

who would you pick ahead of Adams?

[BiffPow]

Not sure who Andy would pick, or his reasons, but for me, as Batman became more gritty, he became less fun. While recognizing the talent of people like Adams, I did not enjoy the comic books as they became increasingly “realistic” (as ridiculous as that statement is, given that the guy runs around in tights and a cape).

Comic books were best when they served as escapist literature for me - larger than life and disconnected to the problems of the real world.

I suppose that’s why the only “real” Batman is in the 1966 world (again, for me). I don’t collect or buy any other Batman related figures or vehicles (other than my friend’s gift of the Ben Cooper costume Batman figure, precisely because it captures that fun from my childhood). The other “Batmen” hold zero appeal for me.

Likewise, the older Batman comic books had all of the bright colors and fun and not-so-serious escapism that the TV show had. Therefore, I prefer Dick Sprang’s art, for example, over Adams’s interpretation of Batman.

[AndyFish]

I've always liked "style" over realism which I often find lifeless, and that's simply because a lot of realism style art is traced from photographs. So give me Dick Sprang, Jerry Robinson, Carmine Infantino, very early 70s Jim Aparo or Irv Novick or Marshall Rogers any day.

Biff if you've never read the Steve Englehart/Marshall Rogers era of Batman I highly recommend it. It captures the very stylized version of the Golden Age with modern age storytelling and presents a Batman who actually still has a sense of humor (and I'm talking ONLY about their initial run from Detective Comics 471-476) the sequels got too dark for my liking.

[BiffPow]

I've always liked "style" over realism which I often find lifeless, … .

Biff if you've never read the Steve Englehart/Marshall Rogers era of Batman I highly recommend it. It captures the very stylized version of the Golden Age with modern age storytelling and presents a Batman who actually still has a sense of humor (and I'm talking ONLY about their initial run from Detective Comics 471-476) the sequels got too dark for my liking.

1. For the same/similar reason, while I certainly appreciate the tremendous talent possessed by painters who can render realistic paintings that look like photographs, the artwork just never spoke to me. If I want to look at something that looks like a photograph, I will look at a photograph. I’ll take impressionism and abstract over photorealism.

2. Andy, I have never heard of that series of stories. I will have to look into it. Thanks!

3. Having said all of that, Chuck, great job on bringing Mr. Adams’s Batman to “life”! I hope you are considering getting a license to market those to collectors. I could definitely see those selling pretty well.

There are some talented Batfans on this board that should be getting good income for their work.