|
Friday, September 3, 2010
Bastards, Bad Girls, and Blades . . . Oh My!
Are These “Comics” the Next Silver Screen Bling?
By Bryan A. Bushemi and Marc R. Keller
The stunning film adaptation of Frank Miller’s gritty, violent Sin City in 2005 marked a new era, bringing comic books into the realm of the hip. Directed by Robert Rodriguez (Desperado, From Dusk Till Dawn, Spy Kids, et cetera) with Miller himself, the ultra-noir masterpiece shot so far ahead of the curve, the mainstream is still trying to catch up. Sure, the Spider-Man and X-Men franchises made billions worldwide, and Superman’s caped ass flew in yet another live-action incarnation, but Sin City was the flick that made comics truly cool.
It also put Hollywood on notice that the next critical and commercial goldmine might be another clichéd superhero seat-packer. Instead, it could flow from the ink-stained fingers of a less-than-household name, a maverick creator with a unique vision of what the oft-derided fanboy medium of comic illustration really entails.
Whatever that is, it’s bound to rip through stereotypes of what the mainstream media thinks audiences want. The following trio of such boundary-pushing creations might be the next to take that leap from the page into the collective consciousness of millions thirsting for something hot enough to blow them away and cool as the other side of the pillow. These might be the next vanguard of comics to hit the big time . . . and if they’re not, maybe they should be.
* * *
 Say it loud—he’s a bastard and he’s proud:
Matthew Mohammed’s Black Bastard pimp-slaps PC bitches in the funniest fucking comic you’ve ever read.
The titular character of Toronto-based comic writer/publisher Matthew Mohammed’s Black Bastard is decidedly not politically correct. Junior Jones Jr., a.k.a. Black Bastard, is a shit-talkin’, dick-swingin’, ass-stompin’ bad muthafucka who doesn’t give a damn about that which toes the line—and even less about those who sanctimoniously scrawl it, expecting us to step softly so as not to hurt their feelings.
The place? Niggaropolis. No shit, that’s really the name of the pimp-stereotype-inspired Bastard’s home ‘hood. Drawn by the “Black Signal,” he swings into bitch-slap mode to lay the smack down on everything from crybaby pro basketball players, the absurdity of society’s idealization of mindless romantic love, and the insipidness of blindly following the ridiculous dogma of organized religion—with a healthy dose of mockery for society’s insistence on engaging in racial bitch-fests. It’s illustrated social commentary with more sting than South Park or The Simpsons.
Over the past half-decade, Mohammed has produced three issues of the series, a “prequel” issue 0, and a magnificent, 72-page Black Bastard “Blactacula!” anthology employing the talents of more than 20 writers and artists giving their creative interpretations of “the blackest man in comics.” In this latest endeavor of almost a dozen short graphic-illustrated tales, Mohammed and posse skewer ghetto kids, blaxploitation films, feminism, action movies, trashy talk shows, legal “reality” TV, Oprah Winfrey, and even the convoluted absurdity of comics themselves. Mohammed is not afraid to chomp the hand that feeds him. As one of Black Bastard’s many fans declared, “You gotta have big ones to do that.”
 That’s an attitude Mohammed brings to Black Bastard. “It’s true,” said Mohammed, who in person exudes his own brand of pimptastic élan. “To do this comic, you can’t hold back. I think one of the things that sets this comic apart from everything else is that it’s not meant so much to offend, but it just doesn’t pull punches. It’s the truth, and if you can’t deal with it, then who’s fault is that?”
The audience Mohammed originally sought for Black Bastard was what he calls the “WWE” audience, the mostly male, 16–35-year-old block so highly sought by mainstream entertainment. But what he found while selling his independently produced books at conventions, through his Website, and his Rorschach Press imprint, was how wide an audience enjoyed it. Black Bastard’s unflinchingly wicked satire has an avid following ranging across the spectrum; he’s sold thousands of issues, as well as impressive numbers of Black Bastard T-shirts and other merchandise. “If you’ve got a sense of humor, you’ll enjoy it,” Mohammed said. “If you don’t, keep walking.”
That broad appeal might get Black Bastard to the next level of commercial and critical success. Regardless of whether Black Bastard becomes an animated series, film, or live-action feature, Mohammed wants to snag those who gravitate towards South Park, The Boondocks, Family Guy, Scary Movie, et cetera, as well as beyond that.
 The next few years herald ambitious goals for Mohammed and Black Bastard. He is expanding his Web presence, developing a screenplay, increasing publication frequency, and licensing the Black Bastard image for merchandising and media saturation. Big plans, indeed.
While the subject matter and manner in which it’s handled might be controversial for censorship-happy Neo-cons, the appeal of Black Bastard is undeniable. The revolution might damn well be illustrated, and the power of laughter provides more of a kick in the ass than dry political commentary. Perhaps soon, the Bastard may bitch-slap his way into the big time.
* * *
 Being good is a bitch: Stuart Saygar’s Shiver in the Dark serves up a ball of lust and wickedness!
Some follow the high road to the sunshine of success. Others take a decidedly darker approach. Grace, the “heroine” of Stuart Sayger’s sinister but ethereally drawn Shiver in the Dark is not a nice girl. She’s essentially a latent sociopath—an attractive, shallow, self-centered college chick from privileged roots skating through life on looks and money.
This is not the usual damsel-in-distress protagonist. Then again, Shiver is not an ordinary horror tale, and its story isn’t at all mundane.
Sayger’s takes Shiver far off the over-beaten path of light, diving into a perturbing, yet seductive exploration of the dark side. Sayger explains, “Grace is someone who might prove to be very good for Evil to add to the fold.” Starting to see the difference here?
 So, who wants to read about a rotten-hearted, spoiled bitch? Why would someone want to? Well, that’s just it. As much as society praises do-gooders, human nature’s nasty underbelly fascinates us. One of the most popular fictional characters of recent years is serial killer Hannibal “The Cannibal” Lecter. We like evil because we wish we could be bad … and get away with it. While there have been other characters, in comics especially, who do unpleasant things, the overwhelming majority are in the course of a no-holds-barred struggle against those who really are evil.
Not so Shiver’s Grace. The first three issues show her introduction to dark forces through an old book she steals . . . which happens to be a gateway to all that is unwholesome. Normally, that’s the cue for a fetching female protagonist to get the Hell out of Dodge, or at least fight the good fight.
Instead, Shiver in the Dark presents a fascinating character study combining that dynamic with the personal issues of a college coed. Sayger describes his creation as something of a twisted “horror-romance,” focusing not only on Grace’s introduction to evil, but also the wants and desires that would motivate someone like her to embrace it. Case in point, Grace makes a critical “getting in bed with evil” decision in order to snag a rival’s boyfriend. Love, or lust, is definitely one of evil’s roots, and Shiver exploits that to fascinating effect.
 Sayger hopes his unique approach to the art form will gain even wider exposure. While the audience he targets is primarily interested in comics, it’s broader than that of more “traditional” superhero titles. With more literary, character-driven plotlines, Shiver is intended for intelligent, discerning readers from late teens to late 20s—a significant and valuable segment of the entertainment-seeking populace, particularly given Shiver’s gender-spanning appeal.
Sayger has already had a fair amount of success. The public has taken notice from Sayger’s promotion of the book and merchandise at conventions, on Shiver in the Dark’s Website, and through its worldwide distribution.
“To be honest, I had no idea how well the book would do,” said Sayger. “I knew I had an uphill battle, but I’ve been fortunate that it has been very well received.”
Shiver has garnered rave reviews, and the comic industry magazine Wizard recently featured it in an article, a coup indeed for an indie comic. Future Shiver issues are likely to be published through a larger company, Sayger believes, and the attendant marketing push should expand its popularity.
 The art of Shiver in the Dark is macabre, gorgeous, and genuinely compelling—and likely to continue garnering notice. While Sayger welcomes a Sin City-style success, he’s leery of how creative properties are often bastardized by the mainstream entertainment industry when adapted for film or television.
There has been interest from film studios, but Sayger is determined not to allow the story and characters be watered down in typical Hollywood fashion. Protecting Shiver’s striking visual aesthetic is also key. Obviously, finding a director willing to fight for the material is essential to bring Shiver’s wicked vision to life beyond the page.
Shiver in the Dark is one of very few illustrated properties with the look, the coolness quotient, and the novelty to give it potential for critical, commercial, and artistic success. Who says you gotta be nice to get ahead? Good, maybe, but Stuart Sayger’s fevered brainchild just happens to be very good at being bad.
* * *
 Slashing the stereotype: David Mack’s breathtaking Kabuki puts a new edge on comics and illustrated killer beauties.
Every preconceived notion one might have about comics— the fanboyishness, Spandex-clad superheroes, and absurdly pneumatic female ideals—are shattered the moment a reader picks up David Mack’s long-running illustrated masterpiece, Kabuki. Originally released in 1994 as a series of stark, dynamic black-and-white comics, Kabuki is similar in style and substance to Sin City. The art is detailed and extraordinary, and the story is stunningly ambitious.
Kabuki inhabits a world where Yakuza gangsters vie with an intrigue-rife political/economic complex for primacy over the vast wealth and power of high-tech, futuristic Japan. The eponymous protagonist, Kabuki, is part of the mysterious government agency, the Noh, dedicated to maintaining the delicate balance between the factions. Along with eight other ravishing, iconic female assassins, Kabuki is tasked with culling any criminal element upsetting that precise equilibrium.
Sounds relatively straightforward, right? It’s not. Kabuki is an astonishingly complex achievement for any medium. It’s a mix of underworld espionage, pathos, political intrigue, and Japanese cultural mythology woven together with the deadly grace of a basketful of vipers. Kabuki herself comes from a background of strife and tragedy, facially disfigured and nearly killed by her father as a child. Damaged both physically and psychologically, she hides behind a mask that allows her to interact with the world yet remain isolated from the chaos and violence surrounding her. Eventually, corruption and personal needs force Kabuki from beneath the Noh’s aegis, taking the illustrated tale on a tangent entirely different from its blood-drenched genesis.
 That barely scratches the surface of Kabuki’s intricate plot. The series has been ongoing for more than a dozen years, growing both literarily and stylistically. From its black-and-white pen-and-ink beginnings, Mack’s creation has undergone a metamorphosis into an astonishing riot of multiple media as widely varied as oil paint, collage, watercolor, sculpture, and beyond. It’s evolved past any traditional definitions of comics that once might have applied, becoming nothing less than futuristic literary fiction in graphic novel form.
About Kabuki’s transformation, Mack said, “Comics are a hybrid medium. Whenever they pull from themselves, they are lifeless. But, whenever you pull from outside what it initially is, bringing into that medium and making it larger, there’s something new constantly being generated. Whenever you add to the grammar of this medium and bringing something brand-new to the vocabulary, that’s when it really sings.”
That approach is reflected in those drawn to Mack’s work. While hardcore comic enthusiasts flock to Kabuki, the largest element of readership he encounters are those who say, “I don’t read comics at all, but I read Kabuki.”
Such universal audience attractiveness has helped Kabuki sell well over a million issues, paperbacks, and hardcovers in the U.S. alone, as well as being translated into at least seven different languages.
 “It’s surpassed my wildest dreams,” said Mack. “It’s my passport to all worlds. I’ve been to more than a dozen-and-a-half countries and four continents signing Kabuki.”
Initially, Kabuki was produced through Caliber Comics, then Image, who also carries Todd McFarlane’s Spawn. Kabuki issues, merchandise, and books are available worldwide, as well as through Mack’s official Website and a comprehensive site maintained by one of his most diligent devotees. More recently, Mack moved Kabuki to Marvel’s creator-owned independent imprint, Icon, allowing him to maintain the control that has granted him such freedom to experiment—and, by extension, such best-selling eminence.
Just how much success? While he’s still waiting to explode onto the big screen or television, it’s merely a matter of time. In February 2005, a USAToday.com poll included Kabuki in a poll asking which never-before filmed comic book audiences would most like to see in movie form.
Kabuki has long been on the entertainment industry’s radar. Over the past eight years, Mack has sold and re-sold the film option to Fox four times. He was also hired by Fox to pen the screenplay. Numerous adaptations of Kabuki have been done, including some with award-winning writer/director John Sayles (Eight Men Out, Silver City, the to-be-released Jurassic Park IV), both for animated and live-action productions.
 Mack recently declined to renew the option for Kabuki’s film rights with Fox, but was tight-lipped about where it would surface next. He does confirm that a Kabuki motion picture is indeed still in the works, and that it will be realized sooner rather than later.
Given Mack’s close participation with the development, it’s a safe bet Kabuki’s boundary-shredding, multi-faceted creativity will make its way there gloriously intact—unlike its heroine’s unfortunate victims!
|
April 22, 2008:
February 4, 2008:
November 20, 2006:
A Comic-Con without the Captain
