Comics2Film is a nifty site delivering a steady stream of news, gossip and sneak peaks of films based on comics. But you knew that already, right? What I’m waiting for is the first webcomic2film. Be sure to let Comixpedia know when you hear about it…
Today, Comics2Film points out a Movie Poop Shoot interview with Mark “Skywalkin'” Hamil who directed a movie-to-be-released entitled, “Comic Book: The Movie.” Also nifty.
I actually wrote an article on this earlier in the year – Undercover Brother is really best characterized as “flash animation” and it’s hard to claim it as a webcomic. Maybe I did in the article – I’ll have to go reread it.
I didn’t come across the other two items in my research – what “source” webcomics would 10 Ways to Lose a Guy and Darkness Falls have been based on? (URLs?) My sense is still webcomics have not reached the levels of audience necessary to make the direct leap to film. They certainly may inspire a screenwriter to life ideas from them but that’s a different animal from a direct adaptation of a webcomic.
“How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days” was based on the 1998 book of the same name by Michele Alexander and Jeannie Long.
“Darkness Falls” was based on a 2001 short film called “Tooth Fairy” created by comic-book writer Joe Harris (Marvel’s BISHOP, SLINGERS), and though a webcomic was created to promote the release of the film, it did not originate as a webcomic.
As far as I can tell, a movie based on a webcomic has yet to be produced. The closest we’ve come is adaptations of web ANIMATION, like 2002’s “Undercover Brother” (a live-action movie based on the UrbanEntertainment.com Flash animated series) and Revolution Studios/Sony’s upcoming Flash-animated feature “Lil’ Pimp” (based on Mediatrip.com’s Flash animated series), which may not see theatrical release because of allegedly horrible test screening results.
However, a number of webcomics have been optioned for film. Most notably, Christopher Baldwin’s BRUNO way back in 1999, optioned to the director of BENNY & JOON. It was covered by Salon.com.
Your Pal,
Chris Crosby
I recall very clearly in reviews of “10 ways…” that it was mentioned as having been a webcomic. Hmm.
Just to mention it though, movie producers ARE watching. I know this because 2 years ago my friend John Sowder wrote a computer graphic scifi webcomic called “Alien Sentry” (www.aliensentry.com). Soon after it debuted on the web, John was approached by a producer named Adam Kline from a production company called ArkPix. Kline wanted to option John’s comic for TV. The deal eventually fell through.
Just this summer though, John’s comic became the subject of some message board chatter over at Scifi.com’s “Trackers” board. A web columnist doing an article about “Alien Sentry” stirred up some stuff by suggesting that the producers of “Trackers” ripped off John’s comic. And that Kline (who had approached John two years earlier) may have been one of the producers on the TV series.
So, like I said before, producers are out there watching. Which is both a good AND a bad thing.
GAAK Online:
http://www.drunkduck.com/GAAK
Undercover Brother was a webcomic that made it to film. As was “10 ways to lose a guy” starring Kate Hudson. And wasn’t “Darkness Falls” based on a webcomic too? It’s possible that more and more webcomics will make it to film. Hopefully producers will make better choices as to which ones are brought to film (“10 ways to lose a guy”?). There’s more diversity in webcomics then there ever wil be in print comics because print comics are closing off more and more to new independent voices (Epic? What was that about?). Webcomic2film properties are out there for the asking, if they’d just ask. LOL As the writer/creator of “G.A.A.K: Groovy Ass Alien Kreatures” I’ve got both my fingers and toes crossed that some savvy movie producer will catch it and say, “Brilliant! This is the next BIG summer blockbuster!”. LOL.
Darryl Hughes – Writer dude of “G.A.A.K: Groovy Ass Alien Kreatures”
http://www.drunkduck.com/GAAK