Zeros 2 Heroes - The People's Publisher

I liked the comic, but I can't help but wonder - did Robert Venditti use the comic as a showcase for his story to get a movie deal? He's never done a comic before - and as I read the comic I couldn't help but think it was very 'filmic'. It's so polished and so slick, and has a very clear three-act structure that is ready-made for a screenplay.

It's a good story, and I'm sure it will be a good movie, but I have mixed feelings a bit - I mean, comics are their own medium, and this comic reads a bit more like a snazzy storyboard than a comic. It doesn't feel like Venditti is committed to comics as a medium in their own right.

Do I sound like a comics snob? Maybe I am. But I think that's not a bad thing. I write lots of different things - I write screenplays as well as comics - but I try and give each medium my full attention, and push the storytelling capabilities that are unique to each.

Of course he wants a movie deal. I want one. But that shouldn't be factoring in when I'm writing the comic. If an author is writing a book, then they should respect the medium, and write the best damn book they can, and leave the screenplay for later. It seems like with The Surrogates, Venditti knew he wanted to make a screenplay, and structured the comic around that, thus limiting his use of the comic medium.

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written by Tenzil Kem, May 09, 2008

Crackwalker, I'll try to read the story you mention, but just let me say that as a matter of principle I agree with you. People who don't respect the medium they are working in are not deserving of our support. Comics rule! And films are okay, too. Separately!

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written by Crackwalker, May 09, 2008

Pick up Surrogates if you can. It's a good story. But when I read it, I thought 'this was written to be a movie'. There are parts that are kind of draggy as a comic, but would be great scenes in a movie...

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written by Titan.inc, May 11, 2008

It's a very smart idea if he did. That's what I want to do with Siege of Hao. Produce a successful comic run that will essentially be useable as a storyboard for the movie. In addition, it will give me a chance to hype the movie and get a fanbase for a successful movie.

Of course, it will be nice to be able to develop the dialogue and scenes a little more and actually have to choreographed crazy martial arts action.

But as I see it, no matter what comic you do, you should think about how you can market it outside of comics. Movie? TV series? Merchandising? Novel? Video game? There are so many options it's only right to think about future applications. :D

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written by mekikas, May 11, 2008

Isn't that what that little contest Comic Creation Nation was about?

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written by genrewriter, May 11, 2008

Sure, that's what CCN's about, but I think what Crackwalker is saying (and rightfully so) is that you shouldn't just reformat a screenplay into comic script form, rather you should reimagine the story in a way that'll take full advantage of the comic medium (and in so doing give the comic form the respect it deserves).

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written by Tenzil Kem, May 11, 2008

Thanks, GW, that's the point I didn't get to. It's great if our comics become tv shows, movies, games, etc. but at least as far as I am concerned you have to write a good comic first, as a comic, before any of the rest of that can happen. But maybe that's just me.

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written by Crackwalker, May 11, 2008

Like I say, I dearly want to get rich from selling an idea to a movie studio.

When I came up with the original Hero High idea, it was for a tv series. I had a script done for a TV episode already as part of my pitch package. But when CCCN came up, I didn't just take that script and deliver it as a comic script. I started over and wrote a new story, keeping the comics medium in mind.

I'm imagining my audience; they are sitting in a lazy-boy chair, or lying on the floor, or bunked out in a sleeping bag, and they have this comic in their hands. That's the audience, and that's who I have to keep in mind when I write a comic script. Within the 22-pages of the story, I need to have a full reading experience (and leave 'em wanting more for next issue of course)

I felt like Surrogates was written for a different audience - a film agent. Someone who will read the book and make a recommendation to a producer. Some of the issues were a bit talky - the action was a bit understated, and sparingly used. From a movie producer's point of view, you're reading the story and imagining actors in the roles, and thinking about budget, and the story will speak to them as a blueprint for a movie. That's a fine way to make a movie, but as a comic it's not exactly successful.

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written by Crackwalker, May 11, 2008

If I were to look at making a Hero High movie, I'd take some key story elements from the comic and then approach the material with a fresh perspective to come up with a good movie idea.

Comics and movies should be good friends, but not because comics are pretty storyboards. Comics allow for great visual storytelling, and that's what they have in common with film. There's good stories being told in comics, and that's why movie people are interested. This is all good.

What's not good is when comics are written simply as a step in the film/tv development process. That disrespects the comics reader - they are being treated simply as a stepping stone towards the true goal of making a movie.

I just don't like to see the comics medium treated as a poor cousin to movies.

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