Dave Stevens: Drawn to Perfection

I grew up with the Rocketeer movie and it holds so many special places in my heart for many many reasons. But I was never familiar with the artist who created this iconic hero. Drawn to Perfection is a unique documentary about a unique human being, Dave Stevens. The story that is told through the span of this film is one of trial, tribulation, triumph, and turmoil. A very personal dive into the life of a man who would have probably hated such an invasion of his life, but this story - like all good stories - needed to be told. The director, Kelvin Mao makes a very special decision to focus a great majority of doc on the art of Dave Stevens. He allows the stories of the interviews to be told, but the focus is almost always on the art. Which I think is an inspired choice since the art is what Dave is most famous for. The movie allows the art to breath and to be appreciated by the audience. It yearns for more screen time as you're not quite finished marveling at the pieces before the next edit appears. It makes you want to immediately run out and by any and all copies of Dave Stevens art. A brilliant, movie, funny, and (like Dave) timeless love letter to an artistic genius.

Let me add my voice to those praising Kelvin Mao's wonderful documentary DAVE STEVENS: DRAWN TO PERFECTION.

The director managed to bring together a great many disparate pieces of source material, much of which was created for the film, but a good deal of which came archivally. Kelvin did this in such a way that it flowed seamlessly, which I did not think possible.

For Dave Stevens fans who are thinking "there is nothing new under the sun" when it comes to Dave's work, there are a number of art pieces which have never been reproduced in print that appear in the film.

I was amazed at how well the documentary managed to upgrade segments which I had seen many times before, like Greg Theakston's video interviews from the grainy results which are easily found and viewed online into quality video presentation.

I have to say, as one of the many folks who found Dave such a friendly and welcoming person, I was also brought to tears to see folks who I have talked to about Dave many times and who were much closer to Dave than I was choking up or coming to tears when relating their experience of Dave's final days. When William Stout was crying, so was I; when Jim Silke was choking up, tears were still running down my face. When John Koukoutsakis was finally able to give Dave a hug, it managed to give me some closure as well.

It was also touching to hear Billy (The Rocketeer) Campbell read a brief portion of Dave's journal.

This was truly a wonderful testimony to Dave's life and art, and I commend Rob Chatlin, Kelvin Mao, Christopher Ungar, and Robert Windom for producing such a marvelous film.

However you first discovered Dave Stevens' work, either in comics, through Bettie Page or through the Rocketeer movie, it opened your eyes to the way comic art and illustration should be. This film does the same for the man, showing us the person behind the brush, honestly and candidly, through conversations with his friends and peers. They tell the stories that enlighten us about who Dave was, and why he was so demanding about his work. And boy, this film delivers on the artwork! The filmmaker showcase Dave's stunning brushwork, from childhood sketches to oil painting, to his famous pieces (Wow!). I never had the opportunity to meet Dave, but through this film I have a pretty vision of the man and his artistic visions.