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Thursday, September 9, 2010
Searching for the Next Sin City
Small Comics, Big-Screen Magic
By Marc R. Keller and Bryan A. Bushemi
 What’s black and white and “read” all over? That longtime joke could describe either Sin City’s color scheme or the appearance of that comic itself. Figuratively speaking, these possibilities indicate the multimedia leaps comics have taken in recent years—drawing record droves of fans to various comic conventions in 2006 and will certainly draw even more in the future. In 2006, 58,000 attended Chicago’s Wizard World convention and San Diego’s famous comic-con drew more than 100,000.
However, the question is, how can simple “funny books” win acclaim from non-fanboys today? Why would anyone plunk down a $25 convention admission fee ($50 for the entire weekend) to stare at moldy, yellowing comics, considering they haven’t been pop culture staples for years? Maybe the answer lies in the fact that they are undergoing a Renaissance recently, gaining exposure in various media—including the silver screen.
This revival was made possible by the creative efforts of the Big Two (Marvel and DC) and a now-defunct third company, CrossGen. Despite the prevalence of crossover events, this resuscitated the writing and artistic quality that launched the industry in the first place, with the Big Two annexing smaller companies and recruiting non-comic creators. CrossGen, on the other hand, took another route, creating stories using oft-neglected comic genres of fantasy, sci-fi, supernatural, et cetera. As creatively successful as CrossGen was, it expanded more rapidly than it should have before ultimately tanking in 2004.
One person helping get comics recognized in the mainstream world is Clerks II director/screenwriter Kevin Smith. Smith has incorporated his love for the medium into his movie scripts, including Chasing Amy and Mallrats. He even appeared as the chain-smoking, Silent-Bob-inspired Bluntman, with sidekick Jason Mewes’ Jay character as the gawky, neurotic Chronic, in the short-lived Bluntman and Chronic comic.
Like Smith’s movies, comics have piqued mainstream interest. Domestic concerns with the Iraq War, drug abuse, terrorism, and abortion speak to audiences. For example, Smith’s brief runs with Daredevil and Green Arrow in the 1ate-1990s and early-2000s reflected issues such as religion, AIDS, and prostitution.
![Wizard World Chicago 2006 (photo by Marc R[1]. Keller)](http://www.comicworldnews.com/interviews/142/142b_sm.jpg ) Despite Smith’s filmic efforts, comic book characters have often had rocky movie careers. Since the release of the Batman, Captain America, and Superman movie serials in the 1940s, comic-based films haven’t exactly leapt into filmgoers’ hearts, with Christopher Reeve’s Superman films serving as rare exceptions. In the 1990s, it reached an artistic low-point with cheesy productions of Tank Girl, Steel, the Schumacher-directed Batman films, and Spawn, among others.
In 1998, Marvel Studios unexpectedly salvaged the industry’s film future with the release of Blade, an obscure 1970s Marvel character played by Wesley Snipes. Blade’s overnight success not only won new comic fans (and two more sequels), but also sent Big Two suits into the boardrooms to discuss film plans for their premier characters. This comic movie resurgence revived the lackluster Batman and Spider-Man franchises, while creating new ones in X-Men, Fantastic Four, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Aeon Flux, and V for Vendetta.
But, if one comic-themed movie deserves accolades, it’s Frank Miller’s Sin City. Miller cut his grim-and-gritty teeth on Daredevil and The Dark Knight Returns more than 20 years ago before releasing his creator-owned noir Sin City comic. True, Superman Returns and X-Men 3 found worldwide appeal, but Sin City was nominated for more than two dozen awards, including the Cannes Film Festival’s prestigious Golden Palm, winning many. In essence, Sin City represents an example of the undeniable artistic merit and commercial success that comics can achieve when translated correctly to other media. Miller’s ancient Spartan-themed 300, which opened March 2007 and has made more than $300 million, builds on that success. Sin City’s sequel is scheduled for release in Summer 2007 with hopes of even greater accolades and box office muscle.
With the unqualified success of Sin City in the public and critical consciousness, the mainstream entertainment industry is looking at comics for the next breakout product. Three independently created concepts regularly showcased at comic conventions might very well be just that. These noteworthy offerings include Stuart Sayger’s complex, grippingly grim Shiver in the Dark, Matthew Mohammed’s hilariously un-PC Black Bastard, and David Mack’s gorgeous, sexy, graphic epic Kabuki. (See accompanying article, “Bastards, Bad Girls, and Blades ... Oh My!”) After all, why should the Big Two seize the media recognition creators like those rightfully deserve?
Whatever your illustrated poison, the art form commands growing attention everywhere from retail shops/bookstores to online message boards. Such creativity is long in coming and never easy. After all, it took more than a single weekend for Sin City to gain recognition.
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April 22, 2008:
February 4, 2008:
November 20, 2006:
![Wizard World Chicago 2006 (photo by Marc R[1]. Keller)](http://www.comicworldnews.com/interviews/142/142b_lg.jpg)
A Comic-Con without the Captain
