Preludes & Essays

Comics have always been an extreme passion of mine and have always enjoyed the idea of magic and fantasy worlds contained within them. The reason I gravitate toward fantasy comics rather than prose novels is the addition of artwork within them. The artist is able to actually take us to this world rather than having our imagination doing most of the work.

As we were brainstorming in class Professor Hatfield explored the topic of "The Sandman" comic book series. These comics were published in 1989 and ran until 1996 under DC Comics vertigo line. They were also written by Neil Gaiman, who has also written Coraline (one of our required texts for class). I've heard so much about this comic over the years. Graphic literature enthusiasts seem to categorize it next to the works of classics like "The Dark Knight Returns" or "Watchmen". It suddenly came to me that with the fantasy elements contained in the Sandman this could be a viable topic for my essay. So from that I would like to study: How does graphic literature depict the concept of creatures and creating the extraordinary.

I picked up the first two volumes of the series and started going through them. The first aspect that really grabs you is the horror style the books are written in. The artwork is reminiscent of comics such as "Tales From the Crypt" with a fantastical cast reminiscent of classic horror archetypes. From simply flipping through it the different ghouls are so different. One one page you have this pasty pale rock star figure and on another you'll have a goblin looking creature. An important aspect of the novels we have read thus far is the creatures that inhabit these portal worlds. The authors of our readings usually take the ordinary and make them extraordinary (the supporting cast in The Wizard of Oz and many of the creatures from our readings).

Another thing that was completely unexpected as I was flipping through the Sandman is that it is somewhat contained in the DC Comics continuity. I haven't read the books yet so the context is still a mystery, but it seems that the pale rock star figure at one point confronts Martian Manhunter from the Justice League. I have been pretty familiar with Vertigo over the years having read my share of "Y: The Last Man" and "Sweet Tooth" and it was not cannon with the Superhero books. Over the years I've heard mumblings of Sandman and DC books in the same sentence, but haven't really thought anything of it. I just assumed that none of it related. I was wrong!

I plan on reading all the volumes of "The Sandman" in preparation for this paper. In fact, after each volume I finish I would like to do a reading of them in terms of our class. It could be a very enlightening project that would no doubt help the quality of my paper.

Neil Gaiman's reputation has always been for the fantastical. I haven't read much of his work with the exception of starting Coraline and a few other comics he did. The Batman book he did, "Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader" seemed to have fantastical elements within it, but I would never call it a straight up fantasy book. I also started reading his Marvel 1602, but it didn't grab me right away.

Most of my familiarity with Gaiman comes from a now out of print book he did for DC Comics entitled Green Lantern Superman: Legend of the Green Flame". This series took two popular DC Characters and set them on an adventure through the fantastical. It really lent itself to the concept of the portal when through a Green Lantern Power Battery, they are transported to a different realm. Here they encounter some ghastly looking concepts including Deadman and a pirate ship floating amongst waterfalls of lava. I might even be referencing this book at some point during my paper.

In addition to "The Sandman" series I would like to explore other types of comics that deal with the folklore genre. One of the most stylized and recognized comics for it's folklore storylines is the Hellboy series.

The great thing about analyzing the Hellboy books is they can be coupled with the motion pictures based off them. I could possibly compare and contrast the the book and the movie. Both movies are also very different from one another. The first one deals more with science and history while the sequel delves into more mythological creatures.

While Hellboy is creature who was supposed to be a bad guy who now fights for good I might also like to analyze superheroes who have monstrous appearances. The first character who comes to mind when I say this is Swamp Thing. This character is a vegetable type monster who fights those who try to destroy his swamp. I would like to analyze Alan Moore's run on the book where he explored where the lines of the monster and the hero cross over.

Another comic that would be interesting to include in the paper is "Fables" written by Bill Willingham. This comic book series revolves around our favorite fantasy characters (Beauty and the Beast, Snow White, The Big Bad Wolf and more). These characters were mysteriously exiled from their home world and now inhabit ours. The catch however is that by living in our world they must stay incognito. For example, Big Bad Wolf is now a reformed private investigator. The series is violent and takes an entirely new take on these characters in a way that is different.

As far as the films of this go I would explore what film borrows from fantasy elements of graphic literature. How has this blending of writing and artwork changed the way fantasy films are made? For example, can any of the characters in "The Sandman" be reminiscent of the protagonists, antagonists, or allies we have been reading about in class.

If anyone has any suggestions for texts let me know?

Portal to a Grid

"Kevin Flynn: The Grid. A digital frontier. I tried to picture clusters of information as they moved through the computer. What did they look like? Ships, motorcycles? Were the circuits like freeways? I kept dreaming of a world I thought I'd never see. And then, one day... 
7 Year Old Sam Flynn: You got in! 
Kevin Flynn: Heh heh. That's right, man... I got in!"


As this course continues we have been studying the concept of "the portal". The portal takes a character from an ordinary world into the extraordinary world. In this extraordinary world the character leans lessons and usually the meaning of home. In the end they return to their life forever changed from the lessons they learned from the extraordinary.

That being said, I was able to enjoy a second viewing of "Tron: Legacy" on Blu-Ray. This film was a 2010 release, directed by Joe Kosinski and stars Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, and Olivia Wilde. "Tron: Legacy" is the sequel to the original "Tron" from 1982. Both films were distributed by Walt Disney Studios, who seems the king of stories revolving around the portal concept. They have produced many animated films based off the novels we have been studying this semester ("Alice In Wonderland", "Peter Pan", and "Beauty and the Beast"). The difference between this film and the others is Tron does not have any literature to base a movie off of.

While still remaining true to the style of transportation to a mystical realm the film takes various liberties with the science fiction genre. For example, instead of being led to the grid by falling down a rabbit hole or a raging tornado, our hero Sam Flynn is transported by a laser. In "Alice in Wonderland" the Red Queen's minions are walking cards, and in Tron CLU's goons are reprogrammed citizens of the grid.

The idea in 2010 of being transported by computer is much more relevant by choosing science over fantasy. I would like to relate this back to the transition between Golden Age superheroes and Silver Age superheroes in comics. The Golden Age characters were built around mysticism and magic, powers given by wizards for example. As science started to explain the unexplainable our sense persuasion decreased. The comics industry were forced to create new characters under changing times. This holds very true with Tron and the digital age leaping forward. In this century with the digital generation starting it was imperative to tell a portal tale younger audiences could relate to today. "Tron: Legacy" includes the concepts of programs, users, and computer tech to give the audience a sense of familiarity with the changing times.

While the film differs from the classic portal, many of the elements included are the same. One example of this is the antagonists CLU who is very much like the villains we have studied thus far, most importantly, The Red Queen. Much like the Red Queen, CLU has his goons in the grid whom he orders around. These reprogramed civilians take any order without question and helps CLU carry out his mission.

As you can see the concept of the portal is alive in todays cinema. It is able to be reformatted and changed to fit into contemporary times. Tron: Legacy is a perfect example of this, and a great film as well.

Oz gets Sucker Punched

Yesterday I attended a screening of Zack Snyder's new film "Sucker Punch". I would like to start by saying if you haven't seen the movie I might address points that could be construed in the realm of spoiler territory.

Once I got past the glowing eye treats the film had to offer I started analyzing the story a bit more. Upon pondering I couldn't help but notice the similarities between the film and "The Wizard of Oz". While I say similarities, I don't necessarily mean tone or the aesthetics, but more in the realm of story structure.

"Sucker Punch" follows the story of our protagonist Baby Doll, a girl whose recently been committed to an asylum by her abusive stepfather. In an attempt to cope with this she falls into a fantastical dreamworld which involves her and 4 other girls: Sweet Pea, Rocket, Blondie, and Amber trapped in a brothel unable to escape. When a mysterious stranger prophesies the girls need to collect five items from an even more fantastical world they will be able to go home.

The overall theme of being trapped in a fantastical world and yearning to go home lends itself to both films. Dorothy and Baby Doll feel trapped in this unfamiliar setting and want to go to their norm. Both characters escape to a fantastical worlds in order to deal the traumatic events that have happened in the real world. They perceive people in their own worlds as characters playing an extreme of themselves to serve the fantastical world.

The structure of the film is the same as the fantastical worlds they encounter include various worlds all very distinct from each other. In Wizard of Oz Dorothy goes from small town of Munchkinland, to the dark brooding forest, to the glowing Emerald City. Each of these settings are very distinct from each other. In "Sucker Punch" Baby Doll is transported to a dojo-esque setting where she must face stone samurais, a castle ranging with orcs and dragons, and a futuristic train infested by robots.

The similarities in the film do not only reside within the worlds, but the characters as well. In "The Wizard of Oz" Margaret Hamilton plays both Miss Gulch and The Wicked Witch of the West, the antagonist in both the real world and Dorothy's dream world. In "Sucker Punch", actor Oscar Isaac portrays both the orderly whose being paid off by Baby's Doll's stepfather in the real world, and Blue Jones,  the brothel owner in the fantasy world. Both villains go through a fantastical physical change when switching worlds to mimic and serve the one they are in accordingly.

Not only does this occur with the antagonist, but also the mentor figure, who represents the Oz of the film. Scott Glenn plays a character simply known as "Wise Man". Wise Man appears at many points throughout the film in all the different worlds. In each world his wardrobe is different, at one point he is a sensei type character, and another he is a World War 2 looking fighter. Frank Mogan did the same thing  when he played five different characters in "The Wizard of Oz".

While both films tonally and content wise are different the theme still remains the same. Both girls are trapped within their minds and want to escape. They build a world of characters to represent their own worlds and escape their traumas.

Alice vs. Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland

While watching both films I've realized how different they both are. The contrasts between both film are fairly obvious, yet there are some that are quite subtle. Even though they are telling the basic premise of the Alice in Wonderland the story, the meaning and the interpretations are both quite different.

First of all, the most obvious difference is the Svankmajer version has a much darker tone to it. The 1951 one by Disney and co. has a very technicolor feel to it. The colors have even become somewhat of a staple of the film, with audiences relating it to drug induced experiences. The background sometimes was black, much like the background of the play, with all the creatures being extremely colorful. This black background allowed the eyes to focus on the brightness of them.

While the Disney version is very aesthetically vibrant, the Svankmajer version could not be more different. It has a very Star Wars/Blade Runneresque feel to it in the way that everything seemed a little grimy and used. Besides the creatures and the way things work, Wonderland seems to look a lot like ours.

One scene where I'd like to point out the differences is a scene which is always associated with Alice and Wonderland, which is the one where she falls down the rabbit hole. The disney version has Alice more so floating than falling as she's making her way down the rabbit hole. This is where we really get to see the technicolor at work, changing the world and the tone. The items she encounters throughout this journey are a bit askew, for example a mirror showing her an upside down image of herself. As for some of the other items they give the impression they are in the process of melting.

The Svankmajer version has a very different take on the way this scene is conveyed. After Alice is hit with a rake and falls down the hole, she is an elevator of sorts. Unlike the Disney version as Alice is going down this elevator shaft she is observing the collection much like she is in a museum. They are not interacting with her and remain still throughout this trek.

Another difference is the way Alice changes after drinking the elixir on the table. In most versions I've seen of this scene she just shrinks to a very small size. The Svankmajer version is a very different take on this as Alice changes into a doll when she shrinks. During these scenes, there are no actors and the film and everything is told through stop motion

Finally, and one of the most important aspects of the Svankmajer film is that it is told for the most part as a silent film. There is no "connected dialogue" in the film and everything is told through Alice's perspective. The only dialogue we actually get int he film is when Alice tells what a certain character is doing, and even these scenes are few and far between.

While the Svankmajer version is a very dark sophisticated version of the tale, the Disney version is able to appeal to a more kid friendly audeince. It's really just what you are in the mood for.

Harry Potter in Comics?

I stumbled up some sketches today by Skottie Young and Scott Morse. Skottie Young is known for illustrating the Wizard of Oz comic book series we will be reading in class. I think it's an interesting take on the material that is more or less different from it's movie counterpart.

Head over to: http://www.skottiescott.com/ for more....

What do you think?

Scott Pilgrim vs. The Movies

Scott Pilgrim vs. The Movies

The Scott Pilgrim graphic novels by Bryan Lee O’Malley chronicle the love life of Scott Pilgrim and Ramona flowers and the challenges they both face. The reader is taken on a creative journey through the life of Scott, who’s life somewhat resembles a video game. In 2010 the books were adapted into an all encompassing film directed by Edgar Wright entitled Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. The film stars Michael Cera as Scott Pilgrim , Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Ramona Flowers , Kieran Kulkin as Wallace Wells, and more. 

The story begins with our hero Scott Pilgrim, a bass playing slacker, explaining to his friends about how he has started dating a new girl Knives Chau. Scott enjoys being with Knives because of the simple nature of the relationship. This all changes when meets (literally) the girl of his dreams, Ramona Flowers. Ramona shows up watch Scott’s band Sex-Bob-omb play at a club. During the show Scott is bombarded and attacked by Ramona’s first evil ex boyfriend, Matthew Patel, whom Scott defeats.

Scott soon after learns after that he must defeat Ramona’s seven evil ex boyfriends if he wants to continue dating her. Throughout the six novels we are introduced to the various dastardly ex boyfriend and Scott’s adventures. This includes an action movie star, a vegan rock star, and “The final boss” a club owner. In between the action the concept of relationships and friendship is explored. O’Malley taps into what we all feel during relationships, the obstacles we face, and how we go through them.

I think the biggest challenge in adapting the film was pacing it correctly. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World had the difficulty of containing all six novels into a two hour film. Literally translating the book from panel to panel as a movie as was done with Sin City, would have made for a lengthy movie. Instead, what needed to be done was look at the graphic novels and pick out which parts moved the story the fastest from one scene to another. One of the most important changes from translating the book to the movie was cutting out lengthy dialogue and certain subplots. Some of these subplots, however, are usually lightly touched upon in the film. 

One of the things that always kept me reading Scott Pilgrim was the relationships between the characters. With the time constraints and the amount of information contained in the books it was difficult to balance all the relationships. In the comics there is more room to allow Scott and Ramona’s relationship to slowly evolve. The movie seemed to feel rushed building the chemistry between Scott and Ramona. Had the film not had any of the fantastical elements and solely focused on their relationship it could have more time to develop. 

One of the most faithful aspects of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World was the characterization. Every actor in the film, including very minor characters, seemed to study their characters and give them their respective quirks. Scott is still hesitant about getting a haircut, Julie is still trying to gain Envy’s approval, and young Neil is still Sex Bob-omb’s biggest fan. The actors seemed to have extensively studied the text and consulted with O’Malley about them.

Wrights direction on this film was extremely reminiscent of the style of O’Malley’s artwork in the novels. Like most graphic literature the book is encompassed with onomonopia’s such as “ZWIP” and “SHWAAA” to indicate the action taking place. What the film attempts to do inserting these noises harmoniously with the text, usually fading away with the noise. Another aspect of text that Wright extracts from the comics was introducing each character with a text box. This allows the audience to get the exposition of the characters without taking up screen time.

With all the constraints in adapting Scott Pilgrim into a movie I feel like the cast and crew did a great job translating it. They made a capsulated version of the comics containing many of the elements from the books. I look forward to many more adaptations like this.




WATCH THIS COMPARISON!!!!!!

Kick-Ass Review

The first thing I looked for when reading this review by Joblo.com was that the author was not familiar with the text. I've read "Kick-Ass" as the issues come out and I can honestly say that the movie and the comic are the same, but different. You don't necessarily have to read the comics to understand the movie, however, it can make it for a much more enriching or destructive experience.

Why could reading the text make "Kick-Ass" better? For one, you've already got a grasp of the characters, and because the actor's portrayal is pretty much spot on you don't have to deal with the exposition of that. The book is also somewhat of a  realistic take on "comic book heroes". The review from Joblo.com goes on to discuss how the movie is a somewhat realistic take on "comic book movie heroes".

While fans were somewhat weary of Nic Cage's performance the review goes on to say "Cage delivers in a big way". When I saw the movie I thought it was funny that Cage basically delivered an Adam West 'Batman' performance. The way 'Big Daddy' was written in the film suited the performance that Cage delivered.