READ A COMIC!

[thehefner]

It is so frickin' surreal seeing the words V FOR VENDETTA plastered everywhere on TV, on ads, and in the news. The title of one of the truly great graphic novels of all time by the single greatest living comic writer (rest in peace, Will Eisner), now in the public conciousness where it belongs. Where all such comics belong. Even though the movie's comic roots won't be given their due credit in the film's credits (thanks to Alan Moore's legal action, because as brilliant as he is, he's also bugfuck crazy, which only helps his brilliance), I truly hope this will create great interest in the book and maybe the medium.

Of course, superhero movies haven't really helped comics for jack, because kids would rather buy Spider-Man toothpaste than read an actual comic book, so there you go. And no one really seemed to care for the source material of GHOST WORLD, ROAD TO PERDITION, and A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE. Regardless, people, read a comic. It's good for you.

Kudos to Jon Stewart for bringing up how it originally was a comic and how it was a response to the Thatcher administration. And while we're at it, BIG kudos to Stephen Colbert for his salute to 85-year-old MAD Magazine Fold-In artist Al Jaffe (whose work can also be seen in AMERICA: THE BOOK). Jaffe's work is one of the last truly great ties MAD still has to their roots, even if Colbert's audience didn't seem to appreciate it. Plebians.

If Handy the evil hand puppet were here now, he'd say, "It's V FOR VENDETTA...? It's a graphic novel...? It's Alan Moore...? READ A COMIC!"

Comments

[gore-whore-5.livejournal.com]

I know Ghost World is a comic and I couldn't find it the one time I looked for it. Neither could I find Tank Girl. But I didn't know Road to Perdition and A History of Violence were comics. They need to tell us these things, dammit!

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Uh, we carry all those books at my comic store at all locations, y'know. Which I say not in a "you can come visit, wink-wink" way, but rather a "dude, we have those!' way.

And they did mention the comic connection in the opening credits. But I think they purposely sped through that.

[sabine42.livejournal.com]

I read an awesome article on it yesterday...but they said that the author had had wanted nothing to do with it and didn't want his name attached to this project...?

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

I don't fully understand the reasons, but allow me to speculate. First of all, this is Alan Moore, the *best* writer out there. He's had two movie adaptations of his work so far. FROM HELL and LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN. So yeah, he's already not friendly with Hollywood for how MAJORLY they fucked up his movies in the past.

Secondly, from the way I hear it, the V movie is basically "Fascism vs. Democracy." While V the comic was "Fascism vs. Anarchy." A chance like that to the warmer, fuzzier, safer democracy is, in a way, kind of a spit in the face of what the original V was all about. Anarcists are already pissed off, as they tend to be, and are planning to protest the movie.

Oh, and Moore also created a blond british tan-trenchcoat-wearing chain-smoking occult con man detective by the name of John Constantine. And what did Hollywood do? Cast Keanu Reeves. That right there would be enough to make me swear off Hollywood for good.

When it gets down to it, Moore firmly believes that comics and books in general are meant to be *read*, not adapted. And as much as I get excited about movie adaptations of stuff, I can't help but see his pure logic.

[eliyes.livejournal.com]

I was in a book store and I found a novelization of the V for Vendetta movie on the shelves. It kind of scared me, because since so many movies based on books tend to just reprint the books with a new title taken from the movie's advance posters, people are going to think this novel is what the book is based on, I betcha...

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

That... really saddens me.

What asshole would read a movie novelization of a movie based on a comic? Hell with that, what asshole reads movie novelizations? "Hmm, I really liked IN THE CUT the movie, but somehow I didn't quite feel that we got enough of what was going on in Meg Ryan's head. Oh, what's this? Heaven be praised!"

[eliyes.livejournal.com]

It saddens me, too, and I haven't even read most of V for Vendetta.

I mean, I can understand watching a movie (or a musical) and then looking for the novel is was based on. But a novelization ofa movie, or a show? No. I grew up a trekkie. I read a lot of Star Trek novels. The ones that were novelizing episodes were much, much worse than the others.

[fishymcb.livejournal.com]

As soon as I read the title of this post, I thought of Handy. I'm glad to see I was on the right wavelength. "EAT HIS HEAD!!!!!"

[jgurlpunkrck.livejournal.com]

You should see the Odeon. They are WAY decked out. The plan is that I'm going to see it with some friends on Saturday. So excited...

I had wanted to go to the Berlin film festival, where I think they showed it, but that was right at the beginning of the trip, so, you know...whatever. I'll just have to be patient, I guess.

Nuts.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

What exactly is the Odeon?

[jgurlpunkrck.livejournal.com]

The giant cinema in Leicester Square where they have all the premieres.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, that's right. I saw X-Men 2 when it premiered there. But I rarely went... tickets are SO FUCKING EXPENSIVE! Seriously, they show lots of those movies at the Prince Charles, and again, it's dirt cheap!

[jgurlpunkrck.livejournal.com]

Yea, I know, but it's Stephen Rea, so...I'll make an exception.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

AND Stephen Fry!

[jgurlpunkrck.livejournal.com]

WHAT?! Oh man, that is SO worth it!

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

And John Hurt too, although I don't know if you'd care much about that. But I do. Because John Hurt rules.

[jgurlpunkrck.livejournal.com]

Yes, I DO care about John Hurt, too. He was so cute in Hellboy. Until he died. That sucked.

Is he the totalitarian dictator? I thought I recognized him on the commercials, but I couldn't place it.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Yeppers, that's him! "WHY... THEY... NEEEED US!!!!"

[spacechild.livejournal.com]

saw it.. mixed feelings.