News
Frank Miller Blogs on the NYCC Spirit Panel
May 14, 2008
Spike has posted a new exclusive blog from comic creator/filmmaker Frank Miller talking about the reception that the first teaser for Will Eisner's The Spirit received at the New York Comic-Con last month.
Miller writes:
The recent New York Comic-Con was a blast. Just three years on, the show has made it clear that it wants to be a healthy rival to the San Diego Goliath.
Allow this New Yorker a moment to be thrilled by this development. It's good for everybody, especially, and incidentally, it's good for my friends in San Diego, who have startled the entertainment world by transforming their show from a lonely shepherd for a much-maligned story form — comic books — into a pop culture force to be reckoned with. Well done, friends: now let's see what my town can do to compete!
The crowd was generous and wildly enthusiastic, showing New Yorkers' secret virtue: our sweetness.
He goes on to talk about his love for New York City, something Miller shared with his mentor Will Eisner, and talks about how the rest of the Comic-Con panel went, which you can read about here. If you missed any of Miller's previous installments, you can read them on the official website.
Related Articles From Other SitesPosted by: comicsouljah on May 14, 2008 at 22:58:44
Nice!
Posted by: endochrine on May 14, 2008 at 23:09:14
that arcade in dkr is on the atlantic city boardwalk. freaked me out the first time i went in there. but that's in jersey, frank.
Posted by: KILL ALL FIRSTERS on May 14, 2008 at 23:42:36
Katana Slasher = Moron
Posted by: FIRSTERS SUCK on May 15, 2008 at 00:12:44
I agree... with KILL ALL FIRSTERS.. I don't really have an opinion on the article... but I hate firsters.
Posted by: Zahin on May 15, 2008 at 00:14:36
Ghey
Posted by: Adam West on May 15, 2008 at 00:18:49
I don't get it..... is this breaking news?
Posted by: dontfearmereaper on May 15, 2008 at 01:12:31
can the world hold two huge comic-cons??
Posted by: patty on May 15, 2008 at 04:55:40
eh... I was totally unimpressed w/ Frank Millers other stuff, therefore I dont care.
Posted by: Robert Clare Forest on May 15, 2008 at 06:30:34
I'm really sick of the negative comments made by people on these forums. Why read Superhype at all? Just go and lead unhappy and pathetic lives without ruining my fun.
That's all I have to say... Thank You Very Much.
Posted by: t on May 15, 2008 at 08:48:23
i love the spirit teaser. a minimalist neo-noir
Posted by: ggreg on May 15, 2008 at 11:42:22
I've been a Spirit fan since the Harvey issues in the 60's, and the Spirit and Will Eisner would roll thier eyes at this Sin City take. The Spirir is about humanity and noir. If you've got to rip something off, rip off Chandlers Phillip Marlow, not junk like Sin City.
Posted by: BIGW1966 on May 15, 2008 at 12:08:48
@ggreg; How can Miller be ripping off what he created?(SIN CITY) As for the Spirit, it is just your standard NOIR Detective story. SIN CITY is a very Noir styled comic and movie. His filming method on it may just work better than you think.
Considering how close he and Eisner were for the last 35 years, i am sure the Will actuall approved of SIN CITY and felt that that chiarscuro method of art would have fit the Spirit if Will had been interested in trying that style.
Posted by: ggreg on May 15, 2008 at 13:00:59
I have very hard time believing that will Eisner would care much for the Sin City type of storytelling. I think Miller is ripping himself off, and using a style that doesn't fit the project because that is what the studio wants, and so Miller is using it to get his crack at directing his first feature. Sin City isn't true noir, it's almost a parody of noir, and it's is something that Eisner in his prime would parody with his tongue firmly in his cheek.
Posted by: Bill the hoocher on May 15, 2008 at 14:50:15
"I think Miller is ripping himself off,"
ugh. idiot.
Posted by: Steven The Comic Book Artist ! on May 15, 2008 at 15:17:31
@ the comment made by ggreg about Philip Marlowe.
Actually, Miller's Sin City character of Dwight McCarthy was supposed to be a modern version of Philip Marlowe: Private Eye.
Also, it's a matter of public record that before Eisner died (January 2005) he was privy to the work that Miller and Robert Rodriguez were doing in adapting Miller's Sin City (including translating the black and white with isolated color design from the books). At that point in time (and for a long time prior) The Spirit was being optioned as a big screen feature. As I understand it, Eisner had always wanted to do a Spirit story in that same style, especially after the way his protege' Miller utilized it (which is a design that Miller did not create. It's been around way before the Sin City books. You can find examples of this design if you look up some 1960s pop-art). It is also said that Eisner was shown footage of Sin City as it was being made and expressed interest in doing the same thing for The Spirit movie. Miller had always intended to use the Sin City film to help along possible production of The Spirit film and to do it this way, as according to Will Eisner's wishes. Eisner had planned to see Sin City upon it's premiere (April 1st 2005), but he passed away before that film's release.
How can anyone argue with what the creator himself wanted?
In either case, I'll be on this flick like Angelina Jolie on a destitute 3rd world orphan!!!!!!!!
LONG LIVE WILL EISNER, THE TRUE SPIRIT!!!!!!
---Later!
Posted by: ggreg on May 15, 2008 at 16:12:45
What I say is that he is ripping himself off in the context, that I believe he is using a style that doesn't work on this project. Millers and Eisners styles were miles apart and to take Eisners style and hammering it into a Sin City style is my point. The project brings the style, and not the other way around. And Bill, thanks for your well constructed and courteous argument.
Posted by: Steven The Comic Book Artist ! on May 15, 2008 at 17:05:38
While it is true that this does look like a Sin City version of the Spirit, it still has me interested. I have some golden age Spirit books that were done in black and white and were A LOT edgier than the full color comic. The new trailer being shown before Iron Man reminded me of them. I actually think that Eisner would've loved Miller's interpretation in using the style he utilized in Sin City. Yes, I would have liked to seen it in full color, but (even though he didn't create it) Miller utilizing this design for this flick is just Miller doing something that he's stylistically known for. He is the one best known for it in comics. Still I find it interesting that a lot of people are jumping on Miller about using this design on Eisner's Spirit, yet in comics you didn't hear anyone say boo about Joe Quesada using it for the covers and some of the interior art for his Daredevil: Father mini-series, Matt Wagner's Grendel: Black, White, and Red, or Billy Tucci's Shi when he did the same.
For anyone that has ever read any of Will Eisners books on producing comics like Comics and Sequential Art, etc...One of the things that he taught was that every creator has to find their creative voice. Even when said creator works on another property created by someone else, they still should utilize their creative voice. Maybe I'm just being too overtly optimistic, but I see this as more of a merging of Eisner and Miller. Now, couldn't Miller have done this film in a full color format as far as visuals go? Sure. Some have even said that he should've made it more like **** Tracy (watch that title get censored, guys.) with a primary color palate. That would've been interesting, but then people would've started railing against Miller trying to rip-off **** Tracy. A great man once said:
"You can't please all of the people all of the time."
That man was one of our founding fathers. He's the one that freed the slaves. Look on your 5 dollar bills if you wanna know who it is.
Even though I'd like to see something a little more in line with the original comics, I'll give this a shot.
---Later!
P.S.
To: ggreg
Hey, man! You brought up that you've been a Spirit fan since the 60s. Any Spirit stories come to mind that you loved? Any favorite characters in those books? Aside from the Spirit himself, I really dug Sand Sareff. There's just something to be said about the "slutty girl down the street" as opposed to the "girl next door", but that's just me (ha! ha!)!!!!!
Posted by: ggreg on May 15, 2008 at 17:42:15
There are so many it would be hard to single any out. Even as a kid in the 60's those stories just had such a different tone they really impressed me. They were great action packed stories, but written with humanity and humor, they really stand the test of time. As far as style goes, they are so light years apart it's hard to see how Miller can retain that Eisner tone. I've never seen the humorous human side that the Spirit had in his heyday in any of Millers work. I guess I'm more interested in the Will Eisner Spirit than a updated black suited version. From the photos I've seen of him, he doesn't look like the Spirit I remember. I also don't know why there is going to be a lack of color in the movie, the original comics were printed in color, I believe.
Posted by: Steven The Comic Book Artist ! on May 15, 2008 at 18:18:32
To: ggreg
Have you read any of the Darwyn Cooke issues published by D.C. Comics in recent years?
If so, what did you think.
I'm interested in what you have to say and I can actually feel what you're saying about this film diverging from the original comics. My interest is in the respect that I am a big fan of Frank Miller (Not so much The Dark Knight Strikes Again) as well as of Eisner's work. Like I said before, I see this more of as a merging of the 2 creators. I just wanted to take this moment to show that there are those that post on these threads that can have opposing opinions and still show a degree of understanding toward other's views. It's all too often that some will post an opinion only to be met with a "YOU SUCK" type of response. But, hey! That's their choice just the same as we make our own choices. If the movie doesn't do it for ya', no biggie. Just keep readin' the best versions of all...THE COMICS.
I've yet to dig into the ol' collection but, yes the original comics were in color, but there were also black and white strips that were collected. I've got a collection of 3,837 comics so it'll take a bit of doing to track my copies down. They're here somewhere. They were given to me when I was a kid.
But, in regard to my question of what you thought of the Darwyn Cooke Spirit comics, I think that even though I am a die-hard Miller fan, I would've loved to see what Cooke could've done with a live action Spirit flick.
See ya' in the funny pages, ggreg!!!
---Later!
P.S. (To any and all Frank Miller fans or those in the know of my following question)
Have any of you noticed that since the film 300 came out at the theaters, Frank Miller has been looking more and more ill?
Is he sick or something. My cousin and I were talking about this and we noticed on the Spirit film website that in the pictures and vids of him, he looks very thin and sickly.
I hope he's okay.
Anyone know of anything?
Posted by: BIGW1966 on May 15, 2008 at 18:32:11
Miller probably looks the way he does because of the enormous level of stress that comes with being in charge of a big budget production.
I really enjoyed Darwyn Cooke's run on the Spirit. He brought forth all that Eisner instilled in the character.
I used to buy Spirit Magazine in the Drug Stores as a kid. Eisner was so far ahead of the curve on Comics.
I am also glad that others voiced what i already knew about Miller and Eisner's view of him and his style.
I seem to remember a cheesy version of the Spirit that came out about 25 years ago. Probably a reason they don't go that way again.
I understood what you were getting at ggreg but it really is a merging of two styles.
Honestly it will probably help the Spirit reach a wider audience because of the stylistic approach.
Posted by: ggreg on May 15, 2008 at 19:59:41
Well, I really hope it works, because I've always loved the character and the world Eisner created. I respect Miller, but I'm not comfortable with his way of taking a character and twisting it into something ugly. to me, the Spirit lives in the late 40's and updating him to land of reality TV and cell phones, corrupts the reality Eisner created. I love Cookes stuff, and it was as close as anyone has come, but it still misses that noir world Eisner created . It's a bit like Peanuts in that, without Schultz, it can never be the same. I wish Eisner could have really had direct impact on the project and with his stamp it really could have been his Spirit. Other characters work out fine without their original author, but I'm afraid the Spirit is one that really needs Will Eisner loving touch.
Posted by: Ryu on May 15, 2008 at 20:25:28
Please make a NINJA GAIDEN MOVIE!!!!
Posted by: Big Al on May 15, 2008 at 21:34:32
Just to let everyone know I was at NYCC. After a 20 minute session of major a$$ kissing between Miller, the very sexy Eva Mendez, and couple of producers from the movie Frank then showed the 20 second spot for The Spirit. After that about 60% of the people got up abruptly and filed out, and Frank and the panel was met with a chorus of boos. Just thought everyone should know that
Posted by: grafdog on May 15, 2008 at 23:59:06
Boycott Millers propoganda!
The guy has either gone crazy, or is being manipulated by someone has some very revealing photos of miller in a compromising position with underage thai girls or boys.
He seems to have switched to the dark side after hanging with the hollywood scum.
Someones pushing him to do garbage like batman vs al quaida as a pure propaganda piece.
There is no terrorist threat! 911 was a big big scam is all. Look into 911 don't waste your time listening to washed up entertainers who's only job is to "capture your imagination" explain to me how the heck you're going to be using your imagination when its been captured.
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