It was the night we played the World Game with Rick Meyer. The first night of my return from a 40 day and 40 night trek through the wilderness of California set off by the San Francisco treat. 40 days after the Martian went to Titan in the fall of the summer of 77 on 45th and 9th. Rick had just left Continuity and I walked into the front room to see Neal. "Look Mike..." Neal said right away, realizing I wasn't yet willing or able to talk about it. "You want to know what religion is all about? I'll tell you. Shouldn't kill, shouldn't steal, fair play..." Neal went on to list several other commandments as he pointed from finger to finger on his one hand with the index finger of his other and then switched hands for the next five. Neal is Moses, I thought to myself as I listened to him wind down his speech and went back to my room.
A couple of hours later everyone was gone from the studio except for Joe Barny. Joe was a night owl like myself. He sat in Larry Hama's room listening to a late night radio talk show about comics. Larry always left his room unlocked so Joe could listen to the radio. The talk show focused on Steve Ditko. The host was taking phone calls from listeners. I joined Joe in Larry's room and after a long silence, he asked me what was on my mind with all this. I pulled out the Bible I'd brought back with me from California and opened it to Revelations chapter 12 and gave it to him. Joe read it and attempted to explain.
"This is talking about the Second Coming of Christ, Mike." He said."Are you saying that this Michael in here is you? That you're the Second Coming of Christ? Is that what you're saying?"
Truth to tell, I didn't know much about the Second Coming of Christ back then but I wasn't about to say no. I just knew that that name was written there for me. Realizing he wasn't going to get an answer, Joe prodded on.
"If you really believe this, then why not say it on the radio?" Joe suggested. "They're taking calls now."
Sounded good to me. Joe dialed and I took the phone and waited. Some time later I was talking to the screener and introduced myself. I was then moved to the top of line of the people waiting to get on the air and the host came on as soon as the last call had ended.
"Next caller's from Manhattan... " I was on the air and I had every intention of making it count.
"This is Mike Nasser working with Neal Adams and Dick Giordano at Continuity Associates." I said.
"Welcome, Mike." The host said cheerfully. "Your work is well known and it's a pleasure to have you join us."
"Thank you." I answered.
"What's on your mind tonight?"
"We're putting together a political party of comic book creators from Continuity and plan on running it for the 1980 presidential election."
A few seconds of silence and the host regained his composure.
"Well...uh, is that all, Mike? It sounds like you have more on your mind."
"It was written that the Second Coming of Christ would be a man named Michael." I said.
It took the radio talk show host a little longer to regain his composure this time. Realizing it best to end the call, he signed off.
"Well, if you believe it..." He said, "...then go for it."
The night was sleepless. At 9:30 the next morning, Neal came bursting into the studio. This was an early hour for Neal in the studio. I was in the hallway facing him as he stepped out of the elevator. He looked at me with a big smile.
"Did you say you were the Second Coming of Christ on the Radio?" He asked unbelievingly.
"I just answered his questions" I tried to explain.
Later in the day, I stepped out of Continuity and found myself in the elevator with Larry Hama.
"You don't really believe all that shit in the Bible, do you?" He asked.
"Neal thinks he's Moses", I answered.
"What?" Larry exploded. "Did Neal tell you he thinks he's Moses?"
"Ask him." I said. We stepped out of the elevator.
Skip forward to 1993. Things between Neal and I went sour. I just came back from a meeting with a big shot lawyer in Manhattan who wanted to serve Neal with a lawsuit for the copyright of Ms. Mystic and libel in Crazyman. I called Larry Hama to ask his advice.
"Whatever you think that Neal's done wrong, you can't forget that he's like our father." Larry said. "Neal has been like our father and you don't just sue your father. It's not right."
I didn't take Larry's advice.
Skip forward again to early October, 2004. I'm at my workstation at DPS, a 3D animation studio in the IDT Communications headquarters building. Newark, New Jersey.
Someone walks up behind me, "...let me first say Hi to Mike." I turn around. It's Larry Hama and he greets me with a big handshake and a smile. He dropped by as a guest of one of our fellow storyboard artists to pitch an idea for an animated film to DPS. Half an hour later we sat together for lunch.
"Have you fixed things with Neal yet?" He asked.
"I'm trying." I answered him. "I just don't know what more I can do."
"You have to fix things with Neal." He said. "You have to find a way."
"How long have you been here?" He asked.
"About 3 months." I answered. "I came here to give a drawing to Christopher Reeve who's directing the film we're working on."
"The production people don't want me to give it to him. They're afraid it'll disturb him and they won't allow me to meet him." I added. "It's a dead end."
"You have to fix things with Neal first." Larry insisted.
A few days later, on Friday, I resigned from DPS and went to have a conversation with Neal. It wasn't yet time to fix things. Christopher had a heart attack.
On Sunday Christopher Reeve died.
Skip forward 40 days to the Big Apple Convention in New York. Penn Plaza Hotel. I just finished The Comic Book Creator's Party website and sent out news releases to the industry press and to Neal Adams. In an article there, Blood Which Flows from the Heart, I explained everything that happened between Neal and I and was finally going to try to fix things. I walked into the lobby and saw Neal with his family at their tables to the left. Everybody was happy. I was scared shitless and not sure how I'd be received. I walked upstairs to the artist's tables and ran into Larry Hama.
"Have you fixed things with Neal yet ?" He asked.
"I don't know Larry." I answered him. "I don't know if Neal is willing to put this behind us yet."
"You have to fix things with Neal." He said. "You have to find a way."
"Look Larry, I value your advice although I didn't always listen to you. Do you really think it's realistic that I just walk up to Neal and say hello after everything that's happened?"
Larry thought about this long and hard.
"Why not?" He said.
At the end of the last day of the convention I ran into Larry Hama again.
"Have you fixed things with Neal yet?" He asked.
"You were right." I said, unable to hide the excitement. "It's fixed. We had a good exchange and shook hands to patch it up."
"I've gotta run and catch a plane back home. Got a family waiting for me in Israel that I haven't seen in 4 months."
"Shalom to you." Larry said as I walked away. "Have a safe flight"
"Shalom to you, peacemaker" I said. "Thanks for all the good advice."
Larry Hama. Peacemaker. Portraits of the Creators Sketchbook.
