Why NEAL ADAMS Was Such a Huge Fan of the Underrated RUDY NEBRES
A NEAL ADAMS CHRONICLES birthday salute to an incredible artist who deserves far more recognition… — UPDATED 1/14/26: Artist Rudy Nebres, born January 14, 1937, turns 89! Perfect time to reprint this piece from his birthday in 2024. Dig it! — Dan — By PETER STONE Rudolfo D. Nebres, who is turning 89, was a huge part of Continuity Studios as well as a huge part of my comics career. He penciled and inked comic books, advertising storyboards and animatics while I was working with him. He was a consummate professional in every sense of the word. He would arrive every morning at exactly the same time, take off his coat, and get to work. Then, when his day was done, he put on his coat and went home to New Jersey and his family. He was never one of those young, single artists who stayed all night to finish a job. He knew it would be there in the morning. Rudy, born Jan. 14, 1937, was quiet and somewhat intense because, in the end, he was there to do a job. He was there to ink, or sometimes to pencil. It didn’t matter if he was inking a woman holding a product in a kitchen or a demon trying to kill a superhero. He gave every single piece he worked on the same intensity and skill. Sometimes Neal Adams needed a storyboard penciled and Rudy was available. So, Rudy would pencil it and Neal would ink it. Based on an art director’s rough sketches, Rudy could turn a standard storyboard into something real and wonderful. This from a man who used to draw Conan, the White Tiger, Shang-Chi, Iron Fist and so many more. In the years that Rudy worked with Neal, they were well-suited for each other. Neal needed an inker who could draw and Rudy was definitely that. He had studied Fine Arts in the Philippines and worked extensively at DC Comics, Archie and Marvel Comics. He had even worked in the Tony DeZuniga studio for a time. So, Rudy and Neal could create finished pieces of exceptional quality no matter who did what. Neal could pencil or ink and Rudy could ink or pencil. They could not be more different as men, but they were perfectly suited for each other in terms of art. Neal’s...
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