The SPIRIT movie:
It was a bad piece of work, Frank.
You shouldn't have signed it.
Showing posts with label Frank Miller. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Frank Miller. Show all posts
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Friday, September 12, 2008
Printing Error Un-Censors Self-Censored Frank Miller
Yes, that was "self-censored."
According to this story in the L.A. Times' "Hero Complex" blog, DC Comics is recalling the latest issue of the Frank Miller written, Jim Lee drawn comics miniseries "All Star Batman and Robin." Not because it's overripe and laughably over the top; every issue of the miniseries is. Not because it's late; the series still hasn't matched the one-year gap between the release of two issues. No, it's because of a printer error that allowed some not-very-nice words to leak out.
Turns out Miller puts blacked-out cuss words on the page and then covers them with black bars. He actually puts the curses on the page so that the black bar will be the right size. Problem is, due to a printer's error the black wasn't opaque, so the words, er, bled through. Here's an example.
That certainly isn't the worst printing error in the history of comics. The former tradition of bad reproduction in comics (which has largely disappeared with the recent upgrade in printing, intended to make you forget the hideous price for the publications) would often make letters in word balloons run together in entirely Comics Code unfriendly ways. Comics writers learned to avoid words like "flick."
According to this story in the L.A. Times' "Hero Complex" blog, DC Comics is recalling the latest issue of the Frank Miller written, Jim Lee drawn comics miniseries "All Star Batman and Robin." Not because it's overripe and laughably over the top; every issue of the miniseries is. Not because it's late; the series still hasn't matched the one-year gap between the release of two issues. No, it's because of a printer error that allowed some not-very-nice words to leak out.
Turns out Miller puts blacked-out cuss words on the page and then covers them with black bars. He actually puts the curses on the page so that the black bar will be the right size. Problem is, due to a printer's error the black wasn't opaque, so the words, er, bled through. Here's an example.
That certainly isn't the worst printing error in the history of comics. The former tradition of bad reproduction in comics (which has largely disappeared with the recent upgrade in printing, intended to make you forget the hideous price for the publications) would often make letters in word balloons run together in entirely Comics Code unfriendly ways. Comics writers learned to avoid words like "flick."
Monday, June 02, 2008
Has He Got the Spirit?
The trailer for the SPIRIT movie, which played with IRON MAN last month, raised concerns in me that the movie would have less of Will Eisner's, er, spirit in it than that of writer-director Frank Miller. The monologue in the trailer wasn't encouraging; Eisner's Spirit -- who strongly resembled in personality Jim Rockford, a fellow sleuth who would debut 20 years after the last weekly Spirit story -- would never say about his city, "She is my mother. My lover. And I am . . . her Spirit." If someone said that in his presence, he'd likely sigh and wince, hands jammed deep into his pockets, tongue stuck in cheek -- his trademark "aw, come on now" stance.
Apparently I'm not the only one concerned. In his blog, Frank Miller responds to fan concerns about the trailer and movie. He emphasizes that the film won't duplicate SIN CITY, the adaptation of Miller's comics miniseries that he co-directed. Despite what the trailer suggests, he states the film will be full-color (as the Spirit comics were). He explains the cinematic Spirit's change in wardrobe from a blue hat, suit and mask to basic black. (Think Superman's "blue" hair.) And he comments:
I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.
Apparently I'm not the only one concerned. In his blog, Frank Miller responds to fan concerns about the trailer and movie. He emphasizes that the film won't duplicate SIN CITY, the adaptation of Miller's comics miniseries that he co-directed. Despite what the trailer suggests, he states the film will be full-color (as the Spirit comics were). He explains the cinematic Spirit's change in wardrobe from a blue hat, suit and mask to basic black. (Think Superman's "blue" hair.) And he comments:
"And THE SPIRIT as some sort of SIN CITY REDUX? No, SIN CITY, that one's my own baby, folks, and it looks the way it does for its own reasons. THE SPIRIT is, and will always be, Eisner's SPIRIT. Anybody watching me on the set could attest that I very frequently drew a storyboard for a given shot first as I saw it, then as Will might’ve seen in—and, in every case, went with what I saw as Will's version."
I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.
Thursday, November 01, 2007
The Spirit of Darkness
Lion's Gate Films has put up a Website promoting the upcoming movie version of Will Eisner's character The Spirit. No content yet; just a link for updates, and a big illustration of ol' Denny Colt by Miller, in that Sin City style that looks as if the rain is slicing him to pieces. I can fairly taste the grit. (Ack! ptui! ptui! Anyone got some water?)
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Zombie Spartans?
I'm sure you'll forgive me if I express some healthy skepticism concerning a q & a in the Walter Scott's Personality Parade in today's Parade Magazine.
A purported reader who goes by the mysterious moniker "M.I., San Antonio, Tex." (I believe the use of initials indicates that the letter was actually written by the column's staff) asks whether Gerard Butler has "plans to do a sequel to his smash hit 300, the movie about Greek warriors based on Frank Miller's graphic novel of the same name?"
Responds Edward Klein, or whichever of his staff is masquerading as Walter Scott: "Miller says he'd be more than happy to write future installments of his popular creation."
One has to question not only whether the column's staff actually talked to Miller (the lack of quotation marks makes me suspect that even if they did, this is more a paraphrase than a quote) but whether the staffers know that 300 is (a) not Miller's "creation," but a retelling of an historical event; and (b) ends with [spoiler warning?] Butler's character, and his warriors, dying!
I suppose we could have "future installments" featuring the gradual decomposition of their remains, or perhaps zombie Spartans rising from the wine-dark sea to seek their revenge (damn, those guys are hard to kill!). But I somehow doubt Frank Miller -- who, after all, wrote and drew 300 back in the 1990's -- will be writing or drawing future installments.
A purported reader who goes by the mysterious moniker "M.I., San Antonio, Tex." (I believe the use of initials indicates that the letter was actually written by the column's staff) asks whether Gerard Butler has "plans to do a sequel to his smash hit 300, the movie about Greek warriors based on Frank Miller's graphic novel of the same name?"
Responds Edward Klein, or whichever of his staff is masquerading as Walter Scott: "Miller says he'd be more than happy to write future installments of his popular creation."
One has to question not only whether the column's staff actually talked to Miller (the lack of quotation marks makes me suspect that even if they did, this is more a paraphrase than a quote) but whether the staffers know that 300 is (a) not Miller's "creation," but a retelling of an historical event; and (b) ends with [spoiler warning?] Butler's character, and his warriors, dying!
I suppose we could have "future installments" featuring the gradual decomposition of their remains, or perhaps zombie Spartans rising from the wine-dark sea to seek their revenge (damn, those guys are hard to kill!). But I somehow doubt Frank Miller -- who, after all, wrote and drew 300 back in the 1990's -- will be writing or drawing future installments.
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