BY TODD GARBARINI
I
was first introduced to comic books in 1979 by my father’s cousin, Dan, who had
an unusually large collection of them in his parent’s basement. I had already seen Richard Donner’s Superman: The Movie (1978) twice and
loved it, completely enthralled with the big screen adventures of the Man of
Steel as embodied by Christopher Reeve. I
knew of Superman’s origins with DC Comics. Dan’s mother remarked, while he was in the basement of course, that she
wished that he would “get rid of the comic booksâ€. It’s a good thing he didn’t. Today, along with Jim Lee, Dan DiDio is the
current Co-Publisher of DC Comics. In
the years hence, I have followed my fair share of comic book characters, but
never with the level of enthusiasm that is on display at the annual San Diego
Comic Con or the New York Comic Con (for the uninitiated, here “con†is
industry shorthand for “conventionâ€, a gathering of fans who exalt with others
over their favorite comic book characters and movies). The level of enthusiasm on display at these
gatherings on opposite coasts, as well as the financial support they give to
their favorite superheroes, are what keep the artists and writers
employed.
Comix: Beyond the Comic Book Pages is the new 85-minute documentary that
takes viewers behind the scenes not only at the cons, but also into the world
of making comic books, and what it takes to prevail in a saturated market. It’s also a film about gratitude and
appreciation. Many people give thanks to
their relatives for buying them comic books; others thank the artists for their
favorite characters; still others thank both the artists and publishers for
their advice. Directed by Michael
Valentine, the film is fittingly a valentine to the creators and the fans. Heavyweights in the comic book arena who
appear are Stan Lee, the creator of Spiderman
(he has an amusing story about that); Mike Richardson, the founder of Dark
Horse Comics; Neal Adams; Frank Miller of Sin
City and 300; Todd MacFarlane; John
Romita, Jr.; and Renae Geerlings.
When
I watch a documentary, I am eager to learn something new. The history of comic books is fascinating as
they were deemed unfit for children, and there was a movement afoot to keep
them out of the hands of the little ones. The making of a comic book is also discussed in-depth in a way that I
had not heard before. There is a distinction
made between the artist who draws with pencils and the inker who applies the
colors. Very often the writers (who
provide character development and dialog) and the artists never speak to one
another!
Comix is accentuated by a spirited score by composer Michael
Crane. The fans depicted in the film are
all shapes and sizes and come from the far corners of the globe. A veritable melting pot of people
encompassing all races and creeds who converge on these convention centers
armed with backpacks, cameras, posters, photos, action figures, and just about
anything else that you can think of to have autographed and the opportunity to
meet their favorite artists, actors/actresses, and writers up close. What amazes me is the phenomenon of Cosplay
(a contraction of “costume playâ€) wherein fans dress up to look exactly like
the comic book characters they love. As
a frequent convention goer for twenty-nine years, I have noticed a demonstrable
surge in attendance of fans who partake in this role-playing lifestyle. The segments involving Cosplay made me
realize something that I had not thought of before. These people don’t just dress up. They want to become their favorite characters for the duration of the
convention. Their costumes are
magnificent, often indistinguishable from the big-screen counterparts. As a child, Halloween gave me the opportunity
to wear some truly awful and cheap-looking “costumesâ€. I was a Star
Wars Stormtrooper and wore this costume with a picture on my chest of the
Stormtrooper holding a gun! The
Stormtroopers that fans dress us as at the conventions look like they stepped
out of the actual movie. No comparison
whatsoever.
The
film is now available from Kino Lorber in a nicely illustrated 2-disc DVD set
that comes with a mini comic book and a whole host of extras. On disc one is the documentary, as well as
the following extra outtakes that equal roughly 70 additional minutes:
Anime
and Manga (3:56)
The
Art of Collaboration (10:17)
Comics
and the Movies (8:07)
Hardest
Things to Draw (3:43)
Influences
(7:22)
Insights
(4:14)
Making
History (18:29)
More
on Comic Book Conventions (6:13)
Outtakes
(7:57)
Trailer
(2:43)
Disc
two consists of interviews with Frank Miller (64 minutes) and Stan Lee (58
minutes).
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