Neal Adams is probably the most influential person in comics of his generation. He not only showed writers and artists new ways to create comics but he showed publishers and editors new ways to treat the talent. I could tell you about an hour of stories about how the industry was better for having him in it…and that's in addition to the fact that he himself did some very fine comics.
One thing about Neal: He's always been about something new and his newest venture is a store in Burbank, California that's having its grand opening celebration on Saturday. Neal Adams' Crusty Bunkers Comics and Toy Store is the place to be. Not only will Neal be there but the place should be crawling with celebrities from the world of comics.
The shop is located at 4710 W. Magnolia Blvd., between Pass and Cahuenga. It's open from 11 AM to 7 PM and that's about all you need to know —
— except you may be wondering about that name, Crusty Bunkers. Back when Neal was doing a lot of comics, he attracted a mob of younger artists around him. Now and then, some editor at some comic book company would have a story that was running late. To make the deadline, Neal would gather together a group of those artists and under his supervision, they'd all pitch in and finish the art as a team, sometimes overnight.
The exact makeup of the crew varied from job to job and there were usually too many of them involved to put all the names into the credit box…so they were credited as the Crusty Bunkers, or sometimes "C. Bunker" or some variation. In honor of those Rescue Rangers, Neal has christened his new enterprise with their name. Isn't that nice?
I'm going to try to get by on Saturday. Hope to see you there…that is, if I can find you among all the folks from the world of comics who'll be swarming into the place.