Celluloid Heroes

Another day at work preparing for the arrival of the Alex Ross exhibition. I have to admit, it's good fun to be going over such things as costume rentals, comic book history, and super hero press images to represent the show. I also have some cool news I hope to be sharing next week.

There is work in the exhibit from both major comic book publishers (DC and Marvel), and it has me wondering about any tensions between the two companies over the years. How funny then to hear this story on NPR on the way home about how the competition between both companies has extended to the silver screen. Well, I have always been a Marvel fan, but there was a time when their attempts at movie-making were disastrous. When the best you can come out with is 1986's Howard The Duck, you know you're in trouble. There were plenty of Marvel films that didn't even make it that far, but went straight to video. DC on the other hand had Christopher Reeve's Superman, Tim Burton's Batman series, and so on. 



Well, somewhere down the line Marvel got straightened out, and now produces their own movies, free from the whims of other studios (well, if you don't count the Disney distribution). So now we have a growing Marvel universe on-screen... see Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and the new Avengers movie (just released on video!). Much like independent film and music, they can control more of their output and existing franchise--these movies are as close to the spirit of the books as I have seen. Actually, I haven't seen a bad Marvel movie lately--I think Spider-Man 3 came before the switch-over... "ouch" on that one.

Anyway, it's good fun... one of the perks of working at an art museum devoted to illustration arts I guess. I think Alex Ross set the stage for this new renaissance of super heroes in movies... he engaged our imagination, or reminded us of what we used to dream this world could look like... 

Related Links:

"Pow, Crash, Boom! Marvel Thrashes DC On Screen," NPR, September 26, 2012 

"Why The Avengers Worked So Well," Christopher Orr, The Atlantic, September 25, 2012

Icing On The Cake

Ok, I was going to drop this whole superhero/comics thread−I think I've gone on long enough... BUT... I finally watched Iron Man 2 last night. What a fantastic flick! I really enjoyed it... scenes like this had me grinning from ear-to-ear:

I didn't really have high hopes for the sequel. I mean, I really enjoyed the first Iron Man movie, but I had heard this one sort of paled in comparison. Well, I thought the exact opposite... there seemed to be a lot more action, CGI looked better, bigger laughs, conflict with Tony Stark and his life-threatening condition, and a killer cast. Mickey Rourke as the villain Ivan Vanko/Whiplash was pretty creepy and dangerous in the way that actor can do, and I really liked Don Cheadle as James Rhodes, Gwyneth Paltrow as assistant/love interest Pepper Potts, Samuel L. Jackson as S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Nick Fury (Avengers tie-in!), and especially Sam Rockwell as the obnoxious and conniving Justin Hammer, who is trying to create his own battle armor and put Tony Stark (played again by the wonderful Robert Downey Jr.) out of business. I can't believe Rockwell is the same guy who starred in the terrific sci-fi flick Moon−I'll have to check out more of his work. For Iron Man 2, the pacing is brisk, the filming stylish, and I think Jon Favreau has turned out to be a great director for this series: there's something about the whole cool, martini-soaked vibe that he brings... makes me think back to the movie Swingers he starred in back in the mid-90s (he co-wrote that one too, babies). This is the kind of movie I would love to make if I wasn't too busy dreaming about making artsy films. It just made my night... I need to buy it.

Ok, so I'm becoming a convert to Marvel Comics again (the Avengers movie had a record $207.4 million opening this weekend, by the way). Maybe my Mom needs to make me more superhero cakes like she did back in the old days... maybe I need to find adult-sized Underoos... maybe I need to update my top-ten super hero movie list from last week. Hmm. Ok, maybe it should look like this now:

I am Iron Man cake!
Photo ©JClowe Experience archives.

Jeremy's Top Ten Super Hero Movie List of All Time (Take 2):

1. Batman: The Dark Knight (2008)

2. Spider-Man 2 (2004)

3. The Avengers (2012)

4. X-Men (2000)

5. Iron Man 2 (2010)

6. Batman Returns (1992)

7. Thor (2010)

8. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

9. Superman II (1980)

10. Spider-Man (2002)

So there you go. Case closed... at least until the new Spider-Man and Batman movies come out later this summer!

Related Links:

"'Avengers' Smashes Box-Office Records: Experts Weigh In," MTV.com, May 7, 2012

ironmanmovie.marvel.com

"How Comics Influenced Sam Rockwell's 'Iron Man 2' Character," MTV.com, May 7, 2010

Gettin’ My Comic On

With Black Widow at Earthworld Comics
(if only my 14-year-old self could see
me now). Photo ©Jeremy Clowe.
All rights reserved.

Yesterday was a busy day… lots of invitations to different  kinds of Cinco de Mayo celebrations: birthdays, baby showers, house warmings, and a craft show by Sarah’s talented sister and cousin. Sandwiched in between all this, it was also Free Comic Book Day—so while Sarah joined the baby shower, I decided to venture out to Earthworld Comics in Albany, New York, and join in the colorful celebration.

Still giddy from The Avengers movie, I was quite startled when I was greeted by “Black Widow” upon entering the shop. She offered me a pin and a lollipop—it was useless to resist her charms. Katie, the girl in the costume, did a great job of portraying the Avenger played by actress Scarlett Johannson in the film; also on hand was Ms. Marvel... they certainly were appealing to the stereotypical fanboy, I’d say!

It was absolutely packed in the store—I had never seen such a crowd in a comic shop. They had a few of those old-school spinning racks filled with free comics, and we were allowed to take five books each. The crowd was actually pretty diverse: lots of guys, but also girls, families, and young kids, some dressed up as their favorite hero. I saw one father pointing out his favorite books to his kids, which made me smile...

I have my own fond memories of heading out to the comic stores with my father when I was in middle school/early high school. It was something of a monthly ritual: he would drive me out across town to Empire Comics, the premiere shop in Rochester, where I would select literally dozens of books (talk about feeling like a "kid in a candy store!"). Dad wasn’t really a comic book fan, but he always came through with these trips, which meant a lot to me. I looked forward to not only picking up my favorite titles, but also spending some time my father… I'll always cherish that memory.

Comic geeks unite! Free Comic Book Day at Earthworld Comics,
Cinco de Mayo, 2012. Photo ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

During yesterday’s trip, I had a clear objective: find early and recent issues of The Avengers. I succeeded in finding a reprint of the first two issues of the Marvel comic, which originally came out in 1963; the movie was loosely based on that origin story, which included Iron Man, Thor, and The Hulk, and bad guy Loki (Thor’s brother). Also added to the film were Captain America, thawed out from the 1940s (originally appearing in Avengers #4), as well as Black Widow and Hawkeye, who joined the team in later issues as well.


It’s funny to read these early issues—hardly sophisticated by today’s standards, but the imagination displayed at the very beginning by Marvel founders Stan Lee and Jack Kirby is certainly on display.

My "Avengers" collection (just one of several boxes worth!).
Photo ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

One thing I always loved about The Marvel Universe, which they are now starting to implement in their movies, is the connectivity between the characters and stories in the books. This made The Avengers, in particular, a fun book to read. There were constant changes to the lineup, so you never knew what new hero would be heeding the call to "assemble." I especially got hooked around issue #222, where the team included Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Hawkeye, She-Hulk(!) and the Wasp (pretty close, I realize, to what the movie team looks like). I went on to read and collect the book faithfully (never missing an issue) for five years—possibly longer than any other comic I collected (even Spider-Man)!

So what was it about The Avengers (and comic books in general) that captivated my young mind? Well, first and foremost, it must have been the artwork. Just like my Dad got introduced to art through the work of illustrator Norman Rockwell on the covers of The Saturday Evening Post, I had a lively window each month to a fascinating universe of interesting looking scenes and characters—I actually loved the costumes, and wonder if that pointed to my designer sensibility? I would try my hand at drawing these characters as well, or even creating my own comic books, which my father would copy at his job at Xerox, and I would distribute to my devoted classmates.

It’s odd to go back to a comic book store these days—I can’t say I find the artwork all that enticing in most of the standard, monthly books. Things looked a lot “cleaner” back in my day, and I do see that mirrored in certain books like Mike Allred’s Madman (almost a retro-style). 


Far more interesting to me now are the graphic novels, which stray from the typical superhero format and art style. Terry Moore, the artist/creator of Strangers in Paradise, is a good example—his books are quite a hit with female audiences… something that seemed rather foreign back in the 1980s. I had the chance to meet and conduct an interview with Moore back in 2007 during Norman Rockwell Museum’s LitGraphic exhibition—it took place after I completed the exhibition video, so he is not included... but I should post the interview online at some point, for a look at his modern sensibility to comic book storytelling. 

The Marvel Universe: filled with
movies waiting to happen!

In truth, I think one reason I liked the old Marvel Comics books so much was that they included complex, personal stories about people trying to do good—in some ways it was more interesting to follow the personal relationships between these larger-than-life characters than all the wham-bam action scenes. Around the time I was collecting, The Avengers’ Yellowjacket character suffered a nervous breakdown and turned on his teammates… it was riveting... intriguing storytelling about how the group had to deal with this issue. The characters also dealt with romantic relationships, suffered from insecurities… Iron Man even battled alcoholism. Many of the 1980s Avengers books were penned by writer Roger Stern, who also went on to create The West Coast Avengers, another book I collected (feeding into my fascination with California!). I was pretty interested in the long-time Avenger, Hawkeye, who formed the group. 

Hawkeye is a bit of a loser in the comics world… sort of matching Spider-Man in terms of never catching a break in his personal life. I guess I root for the underdog, and found myself drawn (no pun intended) to these characters who keep on trying, in particular. I was a little nervous at how they were going to portray Hawkeye in the Avengers movie−the trailers I had seen didn’t look like I pictured him. But it worked just fine in the film, with Jeremy Renner doing just fine with his portrayal (even though the character is controlled by the evil Loki throughout much of the film). I have some thing for archery, and I think the character’s costume and action potential looks good… we’ll see about the personal problems.

Director Joss Whedon seems to get the appeal of the books—the way the characters each have their own style of doing things, and struggle to work together as a team. Some of the best moments in the film are when the characters are bickering or fighting with each other. I was thrilled to see Thor fight Iron Man and then the Hulk… Whedon did a good job of bringing the original tone of the comics to the movie; he also seems to have his own style and sense of humor that must be why he has been such a successful director on projects like Buffy The Vampire Slayer (one of Sarah’s favorites).

The actors were all great—I liked Mark Ruffalo’s portrayal as Bruce Banner, in particular—as a kid, I loved the old Hulk TV show with Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno… teared up when they would play that closing theme when David Banner walked on after losing control to his monstrous alter-ego. Ruffalo does a good job of showing the conflict of the scientist, trying hard to control his temper. The Hulk in the movie was fantastic—other reviewers have pointed out they way he used sparingly, which might just be a good thing. Also, the CGI looks a lot better now… generally, all the effects looked believable, and fun to watch in 3D.

Of course Robert Downey, Jr. really is Iron Man. His wisecracks throughout the film are good fun, and he has a good chemistry with all of the other actors. I think Chris Hemsworth was better as Thor in his own movie (which we saw after The Avengers), but still quite good here—it might have something to do with the different style of the films' directors. Samuel L. Jackson is also a great presence as Nick Fury, head of the secret military law-enforcement agency S.H.I.E.L.D., that is responsible for bringing The Avengers together. I think Jackson is great in any movie he is in… frequently playing a variation on the same bad-ass character. I also really liked Tom Hiddleston as the villain, Loki. He has sort of a goth-like menace about him, as he tries to control Earth and the heroes—I think he’s even better here than he was in Thor.

In a recent issue of Entertainment Weekly, the movie's actors mention that the defining thing about their characters is that they are “desperately lonely.” Such characters as Captain America (Chris Evans) and Black Widow obviously have great potential in this regard. On its own, I think the Avengers does seem a little incomplete in terms of character development, but works better when you have seen the other films. So yes, while it's not on quite the same level of cinematic success as Batman: The Dark Knight, I loved The Avengers; I'm already looking forward to the next film, and wouldn’t mind if they kept that same creative team in place for a while….

Sorry ladies, I'm taken. But we can still be 
superfriends. Photo ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

Back in the comic store, I’m sensing that things have changed a bit since my youth. There doesn’t seem to be as much of a stigma to collecting comic books anymore. For one thing, popular culture has caught up and realized the potential of great fantasy storytelling (so welcome in these troubled times). Marvel Comics has such a great catalogue of fun characters and storytelling to work from, even if they have a troubled history of their own in terms of treating the creative talent. Artist John Hebert was on-hand at yesterday’s event, and did not hide his frustrations with the comic book company he had worked with for several years. Even Avengers co-creator/artist Jack Kirby had issues with Marvel in terms of being recognized and compensated for characters he created (apparently there was a boycott of the movie by many dedicated fans). It’s a bit of a shame, because so much great art and storytelling have come out of the House of Ideas…. I guess now that the comic book industry has become such a big business, it too can fall prey to corporate greed and bad management—I think even Captain America would have a hard time sorting out that one.

For me, it’s great to see the continued love for visual storytelling. I know that comics fueled my imagination as a kid, so it was nice to see all of the kids on hand at Free Comic Book Day, excited about reading. All the movies and merchandising are great, but the true satisfaction of losing yourself in the wild stories and artwork of printed comic books seems to be stronger than ever.

Girls just wanna have fun--yup, comics aren't 
just for us boys anymore. Photo ©Jeremy Clowe.
All rights reserved.


Links:
Free Comic Book Day
The Avengers
Earthworld Comics

Earth's Mightiest Heroes

Ok, we loved The Avengers−it had just the right mix of action, personal drama, and cool costumes. My "inner fanboy" was revived at the sight of Thor doing battle with The Hulk, and I could feel the grin on my face forming when Captain America met Iron Man for the first time. A proper review will have to wait, while I catch my breath...

Exhausted after a long day at work, I asked Sarah if she wanted to watch Thor, which we hadn't seen yet−she agreed... said she was wished we could have had a Marvel movie marathon instead of work today (yeah, she's a keeper!).

Thor wasn't one of the comic books I really read as a kid, but the movie actually stacks up as one of the better superhero movies I have seen! Great art direction and cinematography, and I loved the Ice Giants. I think the character Thor, played by Chris Hemsworth, was even better here than in The Avengers... interesting to see how the director's hand influences things (here by Kenneth Branagh, and in The Avengers: Joss Whedon).  

My spider-sense was always tingling.
Photo ©The J.Clowe Experience archives.

For someone who grew up during a time when it wasn't cool to admit you liked comic books, the recent movie adaptation craze is like a sweet reversal of fortune! I always knew there was some great storytelling and creativity here... nice to see more people catching on. Here's a quick top-ten list of my favorite superhero movies:

1. Batman: The Dark Knight (2008): great direction, acting, everything... Proof that you could make a "realistic" superhero movie that exists outside the genre.

2. Spider-Man 2 (2004): always my favorite superhero growing up. Tobey Maguire was a brilliant Peter Parker... I'm not sure I can deal with this new series about to be released. This second movie in director Sam Raimi's series was quite a ride... I can forgive some of the fake CGI. 

3. X-Men (2000): Patrick Stewart as Professor Xavier... Hugh Jackman as Wolverine... YES.

4. The Avengers (2012)

5. Batman Returns (1992): I was a big Tim Burton fan, and in this sequel to his take on the character, the director is really able to showcase his own creativity. Enjoyed Michael Keaton as Batman, Danny DeVito as The Penguin, and Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman was purrrfect. Great costuming, art direction... but maybe a little too "dark and adult" for kids, eh?

5. Thor (2011)

6. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011): we caught this at the drive-in... great popcorn movie! Again: great actors, story, cinematography, art direction. Love the 1940s period setting.

7. Superman II (1980): Christopher Reeve will always be "The Man of Steel."

8. Batman Begins (2005): start of great series (so far) by director Christopher Nolan.

9. Spider-Man (2002): As I said above, I loved Tobey Maguire as Spidey... and Willem Dafoe as the Green Goblin... Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane... just wish the CGI was more consistent... I would have rated this higher. I was absolutely thrilled when this was released (caught it opening day in NYC).

10. Iron Man (2008): Cool suit and action... Robert Downey Jr. is a great Iron Man... hope they tackle the alcoholism thread from the comics at some point. Great kick off to the modern Marvel movie era−shows they knew what they were doing... like in the old days!

Keep 'em coming!...

The 'Real' Super Tuesday

Speaking of movies, Sarah and I won tickets to see the new Avengers movie tonight—I'm super-excited because this was one of my favorite comic books growing up... particularly from middle school to high school (my peak comic book collecting years)! 


I was always a Marvel Comics fan growing up, favoring characters like Spider-Man, The Hulk and Wolverine, over Superman and the rest of the DC Comics do-gooders (you're usually a fan of one comic universe or another). To me, Marvel's characters seemed more real... they had everyday problems they had to face in between saving the world, which made the ongoing stories much more interesting. The books also showed the characters arguing and struggling to work as a team—from the previews, it looks like The Avengers will offer that in spades:




I'm curious to see how they will pull it off. Superhero movies are huge right now, but they have been rather hit or miss (Batman: The Dark Night= hit, Ang Lee's Hulk= miss). I'm rooting for The Avengers though—I think it's the first time they have gathered so many top-name characters together for one of these movies, and I like what they did with Captain America and the first Iron Man. Now if they can just do justice to Hawkeye... 


I'll try and post a review about the movie tomorrow, and talk more about why I loved this book so much in the 1980s... "Avengers Assemble!"


Movie website: marvel.com/avengers_movie

Lit Graphics

Ok, I admit it. I'm more than a little excited about the opening of the movie The Avengers this May. What does that say about me? Yeah. Deep down I'm still a comic book fanboy at heart. 

I would go on to say that reading comics faithfully as a kid through young adult taught me some great lessons about visual storytelling and design. Hell, I still pick them up from time to time and there's some great new works that expand on some of the traditional conventions--it has become a real art form.

I'm glad that Norman Rockwell Museum realized this as well, and decided to mount the 2007 exhibition LitGraphic: The World of the Graphic Novel. I had the chance to work on a video for the exhibit, and it was a great thrill. If you missed it at the Rockwell, the show is now touring and will open at the Munson Williams Proctor Art Institute in Utica, New York, this Sunday. In addition to my video, check out the amazing Lynd Ward's Gods' Man, a beautiful series of wood engravings that were used to illustrate a wordless picture book... back in 1929! 

I might try and attend tomorrow's opening, and will see about blogging more about the subject. In the meantime, here's a clip with two of the exhibited artists, whose work I was very pleased to learn more about: Mark Kalesniko (Alex, Mail Order Bride) and Marc Hempel (Sandman, Breathtaker, MAD Magazine). I used music in the video from Marc's band, as well as from his colleague Mark Wheatley. Zap! Biff! POW!