Happy 80th Birthday Neal Adams!

Above, Neal Adams and yours truly at the 2012 Comikaze Expo in Los Angeles.

by Armand Vaquer

Neal Adams, the comic book artist who many (including me) consider to be the definitive Batman artist, turned 80 today.

Adams recently was released from the hospital after a bout with sepsis. Thankfully, he overcame it and is enjoying his birthday.

It is hard to believe Neal Adams is 80. Then again, it is also hard to believe that I'm 67. But, there you go.

I became aware of Adams's work around 1967 when he started drawing covers for DC's Superman Family of comic books. Then, he started doing some Batman/Superman stories in World's Finest Comics.

Not long after that, he started illustrating stories in Batman and Detective Comics. And, around about that time, he took over the illustrating chores for the Green Lantern/Green Arrow series of stories in the Green Lantern comic book. Adams also illustrated Deadman stories, some included Batman. Those were great reads.

I got to meet Adams at the 2012 Comikaze Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center. I was there as a panelist on Godzilla.

Adams is still very much artistically active and appears at numerous comic book and science-fiction conventions around the country.

A big Happy Birthday to Neal Adams!

Haruo Nakajima's 84th Birthday Coming Up

by Armand Vaquer

Above, Haruo Nakajima in 2008.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Haruo "Mr. Godzilla" will be turning 84 this coming January 1.  He was born on January 1, 1929 in Yamagata, Japan.

 As has been a tradition for the past several years, fans wanting to extend their birthday greetings to Mr. Nakajima can post them here in the comments.  I will begin to forward them to his daughter Sonoe on January 1.

Mr. Nakajima will be a special guest at the Mad Monster Party convention this coming March 22-24, 2013 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

If you want to have your birthday greetings sent to Mr. Nakajima, post them here.

Happy Birthday, Christine Nguyen!

by Armand Vaquer

Above, Christine Nguyen. Photo courtesy of Donald F. Glut.

As I have to work the graveyard shift tonight and won't have access to a computer for the duration, I figured I'd better get this posted now:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTINE!

Yes, tomorrow I share birthdays with actress Christine Nguyen. She recently referred to me as "my birthday buddy." She currently appears in the feature film, The Green Hornet.

Enjoy your birthday tomorrow, Christine!

Sean Connery Is 80 Today!

by Armand Vaquer

Bond, James Bond turns 80 today.

No, not the Ian Fleming character, but the original movie James Bond, Sean Connery.

Described as a "man's man," Connery created the movie James Bond template that has endured the ups and downs of the movies and successor actors including Roger Moore, George Lazenby, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and, currently, Daniel Craig. (Bond 23's production is being held up due to financial problems of MGM.)

My parents took me to see a double-bill of 1962's Dr. No and 1963's From Russia With Love (both starring Connery) and I've been hooked ever since. When it was announced that Goldfinger was about to be released, I already knew what to expect and looked forward to seeing it.

I have most of the Ian Fleming Bond novels (I hit the jackpot one day at a used book store).

It is generally conceded that Connery's Goldfinger (1964) is the best of the Bond movies. I think he hit his stride in that one although the aforementioned Dr. No and From Russia With Love were good movies.

Connery's last Eon Productions Bond movie was Diamonds Are Forever (1971). It had its moments, but it showed that the series was beginning to get into the silliness of the Roger Moore (who took over in the next film, Live and Let Die in 1973) years. He then went on to distinguish himself in other films such as The Man Who Would Be King, The Untouchables (he won a supporting actor Academy Award for that one), amongst others.

Connery's last outing as Agent 007 was in the independently-produced Never Say Never Again in 1982. In that movie, he showed that he still had the Bond touch.



Akiko Wakabayashi, who co-starred with Connery in 1967's You Only Live Twice (set in Japan), said in a G-FAN interview (by yours truly and Brett Homenick) of Connery, "James Bond in the movie is a ladies' man, but Sean-san is a warm-hearted honest man. He has a clear vision as an actor. He can be stubborn from time to time, but he is a real man with a bit of old-fashioned taste."

Connery says his acting days are over (almost sounds like one of his final lines in Never Say Never Again). He is enjoying his retirement. Perhaps, if the right project and role should surface, he could be persuaded to make a comeback. Never say never!

Happy Birthday, Sean Connery!

Happy Birthday, Christine Nguyen!

Photo courtesy of Christine Nguyen.

Happy Birthday, Christine Nguyen!

by Armand Vaquer

Actress/model Christine Nguyen (The Mummy's Kiss: Second Dynasty) celebrates her birthday tomorrow.

By coincidence, I also will be celebrating my birthday, although I've a few years on Christine.

When she found out that my birthday falls on the same day as hers, she said, "OMGoodness! You're birthday is on February 4th, too?!?! So cool! You are the first person I have ever known with my birthday! We must remember to toast each other that day!"

I'm entirely not sure, but I think a relative of mine also has her birthday on February 4.



Christine is currently in a contest called The 1 Contest. She has received many votes since Ted Newsom (who did the poster above), Don Glut and I started campaigning for her, but she needs more to have a chance to win. So...to help make Christine's birthday a good one, go to the link below and vote for Christine.

To vote, go here: http://www.the1contest.com/. Voting ends March 15.

Happy Birthday, Christine! (From one Aquarius to another!)