They’ve come a long way from the funny pages. Ironman is already in theaters; Batman and Hellboy leap from page to screen later this summer (likely in a single bound), to work their super-powered, CGI-assisted magic. Before counting box-office receipts, Starz looks at the characters’ evolution.
“Comic books today are the most important talent pool for movies,” Michael Uslan says at the start of a comprehensive study, “Comic Books Unbound,” airing on “Starz Inside” tonight at 8. Uslan, a producer of the various “Batman” films, is joined by Stan Lee (“Spiderman”), Guillermo Del Toro (“Hellboy”), Zak Penn (“X-Men”), Kevin Feige (“Spiderman”), Richard Donner (“Superman”) and others to praise the history, growth and vitality of the form.
It seems obvious that the characters who catch fire on the pages of comic books and graphic novels are ripe for translation to the big screen. After all, every panel of a cartoon is essentially a storyboard. Yet film wasn’t always considered a logical step.
With Richard Roeper as host, the fun Starz documentary chronicles the early decades when comics were reviled, through the current box-office hits.
Marvel Comics pioneer Stan Lee says, “I never imagined these characters would have the life they have now on film.”
The comic book idea of pictures and words sequentially telling stories remains what Hollywood does best.
This medley of Oscar winners and clips is what Starz does best in terms of original programming — at least until “Crash” debuts this fall.
The recap reaches back to the 1930s, when Dick Tracy was in newspapers, making the leap to comic books. Roeper recalls the witchhunt in the ’50s, when juvenile delinquency, communism, homosexuality and everything else was blamed on comics. He notes the flourishing of underground comics in the ’60s, complete with psychedlic references, and the campy TV revival of “Batman.”
Robert Crumb’s Fritz the Cat doled out X-rated social commentary in the early ’70s, but gave way to a dry period in the ’80s. Then, it was noir “Batman” to the rescue.
From superheroes battling Hitler to today’s Japanese manga; from the low-brow reputation as pulp to the big-budget phenomena of today, the comic art form has grown enormously while staying basically the same. The technology changes, the stories stay true to heroic literature.
“Comic Books Unbound” gives a nod to Comic con, the convention that once was a nerd fest and is now a marketing event for Hollywood, and ventures into the graphic novel with attention to “History of Violence” and “Persepolis.”
According to the directors and producers interviewed, the first 1978 “Superman” starring Christopher Reeve remains the best film adaptation of a comic.
The pure joy in this niche of the business is evident throughout the hour. Sam Raimi talks about being a Spiderman fan as a kid. He’s still a kid, he’s just directing “Spiderman” films that gross $800 million globally, the biggest moneymakers in the comic-to-screen line.
Fans will debate whether the special effects revolution has eclipsed the basic character and story ingredients. For my money, the disgusting “Sin City,” from Frank Miller, a raw, stylized, politically offensive bit of filmmaking, is an artistic exercise too punishing to endure. Sure, it’s all about graphic arts. But give me “Batman” any day.
Local mystery.
CBS News’ “48 Hours Mysteries” tonight covers the Page Birgfeld missing person story at 8 on Channel 4. The 34-year-old single mom was last seen in Grand Junction. Authorities learned that, in addition to working a number of other jobs, she was running an unlicensed escort service. The one-year anniversary of her disappearance is June 28.
Joanne Ostrow’s column appears Tuesday, Friday and Sunday: 303-954-1830 or jostrow@denverpost.com
