Frank Miller: Comics ‘Strip-Mined’ by Movies

Van Jensen

Van Jensen is a former crime reporter turned comic book writer. In addition to ComicMix, he contributes to Publishers Weekly and Comic Book Resources. He lives in Atlanta, and his blog can be found at graphicfiction.wordpress.com.

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3 Responses

  1. mike weber says:

    So, let me get this straight – Frank Miller, whose "Spirit" film is looking more and more like a wrongheaded disaster-in-the-making (I hope i'm wrong about that, BTW) is complaining about other people doing Bad Things to comics in the movies?That's like Start Towne, whose screenplay for "The Last Detail" completely changed the story and its resolution by simply omitting the final third of the book (the part that gives it a point), having a snit because Polanski changed the ending of his screenplay for "Chinatown" (as was reported at the time).I've noticed that one of the things often lacking in Miller's work is irony.

    • Russ Rogers says:

      I don't think Miller is complaining, just commenting. He sees Hollywood's currently making more movies out of graphic novels as a fad, not a trend. I'm going to reserve judgment on "The Spirit" until it comes out. Maybe until it comes out on video. I'm reserving a seat for "Watchmen." Now THAT looks cool!

  2. Vinnie Bartilucci says:

    It is easier to adapt something extant than to create something new. A comic will have a pre-sold market of some size, and a good story idea they can adapt (read: ruin) and improve (read: ruin) with impunity. Much like the mistake they made with Godzilla too many in Hollywood see comics properties as names people remember, but do not know or recall any of the details of such, so they can be altered with no worries. I recall when Rocketeer came out, they went out of the their way NOT to mention it was based on a comic. This was still too soon after the nightmare that was Howard The Duck, and "Comic Book" were back to being naughty words. Now they're hot again, and anything and everything is getting optioned. It'll ebb and flow again , as it always does. All it'll take is one colossal disaster and they'll drop off the production calendars like those ticks from the Cloverfield Monster.