After creating two hit films, Kevin Smith tries his hand at something really challenging – writing comic books

In the world of American independent cinema, Kevin Smith is a major player. The young writer-director displayed a tremendous gift for dialogue and storytelling in his 1994 debut, “Clerks,” a hilarious study of two unambitious, twentysomething register jockeys. The film garnered awards at the Cannes and Sundance film festivals. Smith flopped with “Mallrats,” a studio-backed teen flick with more budget than brains, but he rebounded big-time in 1997 with “Chasing Amy,” a sharp take of a young man’s quest to win the heart of a lesbian.

In five short years, Smith has gone from film-school dropout working in a convenience store to a cinematic hero. He’s reached a level of success that most film-school wannabes would kill for.

So, what the heck is he doing writing comic books?

Smith has spend most of the last year penning fantastic tales about a Marvel Comics hero named Daredevil who fights crime in a red jumpsuit. He also wrote a few independent books based on the characters from his films.

Some people might think the bright 28-year-old filmmaker is slumming, but not Smith. He has been a comics nut since his teens. He filled “Mallrats” and “Chasing Amy” with comic-book images and references, and now he’s writing his own – a dream shared by millions of comic-book fanatics.

“It is kind of neat,” said the soft-spoken Smith. “I’ve been a reader for such a long time that I always wondered whether I could do it, and what kind of writer I could be.” He doesn’t have to wonder any longer. The reviews for Smith’s run on “Daredevil” have been sensational. Not only has the book become one of comicdom’s best sellers, but Smith regularly tops the list of fan-favorite writers that Wizard, an industry magazine, runs each month.

The storytelling skills Smith has shown in his films carry over to the printed page. Instead of scripting bloody, plotless brawls that are all-too common in today’s superhero comics, Smith has emphasized character development and pacing in “Daredevil.” The stories are so good that the relative lack of cartoonish, over-the-top battles is hardly noticed.

“He comes in with a fresh perspective,” said artist Joe Quesada, who works on the book with Smith. “What Kevin does so well is characters, and that’s what he brings to ‘Daredevil.'”

This weekend, Smith will be the guest of honor at the Wizard World: Chicago’99 comic book convention at the Rosemont Convention Center. The recognition is not only for his work on “Daredevil” but also for the way he’s used his films and fame to shine a respectable spotlight on the comics industry.

“It give our field a little more legitimacy in the real world, and that’s a good thing for all of us,” said Jimmy Palmiotti, another “Daredevil” artist. “He’s able to bring in people who have never read comics before, and once they’re in, hopefully we can hook them and keep them and show them a new art form.”

Films, comics similar

Films and comics, different as they may seem, actually have a lot in common. Both are visual mediums. Both tell stories that often are larger than life. They’re similar in more basic ways, too. For example, the storyboards that filmmakers use to set up their shots greatly resemble the panels in a comic book. Several comic writers have done work in film and TV. Frank Miller, for example, went from drawing and writing the epic comic “Batman: The Dark Knight Returns” to scripting the story for “Robocop 2.” And Dennis O’Neil, a longtime DC Comics writer and editor, has written for the “Batman” animated series.

Few film pros have made names for themselves in the comics biz, however. Smith doesn’t consider the job change a step back or a throw-away effort at self-promotion, a la Michael Jordan’s aborted baseball career.

“It’s definitely something I have a commitment for,” he said.

Smith’s comics gig started last year at the independent Oni Press with a few different black-and-white books about the characters in his films, including Dante Hicks, the main clerk in “Clerks,” and the lovable dope dealers named Jay and Silent Bob.

The Oni Press books, like Smith’s movies, aren’t for the faint of heart. The dialogue tends to be vulgar and laced with profanity, but that doesn’t mean the books aren’t funny. Smith’s films showed he’s a master of satire, and that goes for his conics, too, whether he’s lambasting “Star Wars” figure collectors or poking fun at Santa Claus.

“Kevin’s love of comics is obvious, (and) he’s an amazing writer,” said Oni Press publisher Joe Nozemack. “Really great writers can do great work for different mediums.”

Then came “Daredevil,” and with it a whole new appreciation for Smith’s comic-book abilities. Smith said he expected the Oni books to do reasonably well, but the overwhelming success of “Daredevil” took him by surprise.

“The ‘Daredevil’ stuff was mind-blowing,” he said. “Never in a million years did I dream that it’d be a Top 10 book.”

Smith’s eight-issue run on “Daredevil” will end this summer, but he promises to return to the book late next year. He also has been talking about taking over writing duties on DC’s “Green Arrow,” a proposal that has fans champing at the bit.

“A god upon the earth”

Readers love the fact that Smith – who actually owns his own comic-book store in his New Jersey hometown and who wrote an early script for a new, yet-to-be-filmed “Superman” movie – has embraced a hobby that small-minded adults consider childish.

“Kevin Smith is a god upon the earth to your every day comic fan,” said Wizard senior staff writer Jim McLauchlin. “He’s the geeky kid who grew up and made good and shockingly didn’t turn his back on his past.”

Despite his success in comics, Smith hasn’t given up on Hollywood. Filmmaking is his first passion and will remain his primary source of income for the foreseeable future.

“That’s definitely what pays the bills,” Smith joked.

In fact, Smith’s newest movie, “Dogma,” is due to his theaters this October. Among its stars are Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Salma Hayek, Chris Rock and – as usual – Smith himself as the aptly named Silent Bob.

The long-awaited “Dogma,” is about two fallen angels trying to get back into heaven and the heroes who are enlisted to stop them, surely will be one of the topics Smith discusses when he chats with fans this weekend in Rosemont.

Although some snooty film types wouldn’t even consider spending time with the great unwashed at such an event, Smith said he really enjoys talking with people at conventions.

“You get to meet the people who employ you,” he explained. “These are the people who buy your tickets, who buy your books. It’s nice to meet a fan who says he really likes your book. But it’s also good to meet someone who says it’s (bad).”

Smith said he’s really touched by the “guest of honor” recognition.

“I’ve never been the guest of honor at anything,” Smith said. “It’s really nifty, especially in a field I’ve just entered into. It means a lot.”