Comic Book Confidential

When this film came out, it was a refreshing and enjoyable movie. It treats comics with some real respect and takes the time to explore the medium in some detail.

However, there are some flaws. Some of the talents interviewed do not work in comic books per se, but in comic STRIPS, a variant of the medium that has gotten much more respect over the years than comic books. However, that variant has it's own history and dicipline that is distinct from comic books and should not have been included. This is meaning no disrespect talents like Bill Griffith, but it's like having a film discussing the art and history of movies and having TV series producers interviewed. They are part of a related medium, but are really not relevant to the main subject of the film.

Otherwise, it does cover a fairly complete view of the form with giants like Jack Kirby, Stan Lee and Robert Crumb, although I would have liked to have seen talents like Alan Moore (Swamp Thing, Watchmen) or the Pini's (Elfquest) being interviewed. The animated sequences were a neat way to get the atmosphere of the comics in their different eras as well as the major characters. The footage of the pages from "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns" was particularly effective.

In short, if you need a quick overview of the comic book as a form of art, then this film is well worth your time.

In a short amount of time, this movie executed its information in a quirky witty way. It was great to get the basic information about how the comic book started, how it affected society, and all the different transitions it went through in different time periods. It didn't go terribly in depth with its information, but it was a good starting point. What made the movie even better to me, was their use of animation and graphics. This took the movie to a very contemporary atmosphere, where parts of the movie became a comic book, while visually explaining the artist intentions of their comic, and showing the different styles each era had. This movie was visually cleaver, artistic, and very informative.

Ron Mann's playful documentary works in two ways, first and foremost as an affectionate thumbnail history of comic books and the social attitudes that nurtured them, from the super patriotic fervor of the Second World War to the right-wing paranoia of McCarthyism to the counterculture underground of the '60s and beyond. Elsewhere it's an introduction to almost two-dozen comic artists (the tag cartoonist doesn't do them justice) still plying their trade, all of them misfits, rebels, radicals, and malcontents. Snappy graphics and sample art combine to make the film a colorful celebration of an enduring and popular form of self-expression, with one drawback: most of the highlighted artists could have inspired their own full length feature, and the film simply isn't long enough to examine them individually to the depth they each deserve. Also, parents please note: despite the subject matter this is certainly not a film for children.

Really, my summary line sez it all.

This film does a valiant, necessary job: In its scant 80ish minutes, it gives a passable broad view of the evolution of the comic medium in the U.S.

Take it from me, if you grew up with comics in the 60s thru the 80s, this film covers an impressive array of the essential bases. One of the highlights, to me, is basking in Will Eisner's beautiful visionary mind.

And the other minds you see are lovely variations on that central theme.

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! Lovely production values, highlighting--just like comics! Fancy that!--the power of wild, middling production values coupled with untrammeled creativity to speak simple, direct truths that touch your heart and free your mind.

Check it out.

Fantastic documentary. It shows portions of the comic book world, behind the scenes that you may or may not have known about until this movie hit the streets. It's a bit like a primer to the less known, forward thinking creator producers that are/were shaping the face of comics.

The chronological/sequential time-line of the show gives you an interesting perspective on the state of comics in all their forms, focusing on the most important aspects of the industry at the time. I also like the way the big 2 are almost a side bar, with comments made about changes and relevant timely issues (Frank Miller talks Batman about the pivotal "Dark Knight Returns")

I highly recommend this movie to anyone interested in sequential art or documentaries for that matter...