Comic Crusaders: TV and film writers returning with a passion to their first love

by John C. Davenport of The Dallas Morning News

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In other examples of the screen/comics crossover, Kevin Smith, writer-director of the films Chasing Amy, Dogma and Clerks, has revived the Green Arrow series for DC. Three years ago, he wrote the Daredevil series for Marvel….

“You get to play with characters you don’t normally see,” says Mr. Smith. “It’s a chance to play in somebody else’s sandbox … to go to another medium and stretch those writing muscles.”

Mr. Smith has probably done more than any of his contemporaries to raise the cinematic profile of his comic books. The main characters in Chasing Amy write and draw them, and comics are a major topic of Mallrats (which include a cameo by comics legend Stan Lee). Mr. Smith says the Superman references in Mallrats tagged him in the film community as “the comics movie guy” and led to his being hired to write the script for a new Superman movie, a project that has since died.

But that’s only one of the ways in which Mr. Smith’s film and comic-book careers are intertwined. The title character of his latest film, “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back” (opening Aug. 24.), have been in all five of his movies. The characters Jay and Silent Bob – Mr. Smith plays Bob – are the basis for comic books in Chasing Amy as well as in the new film. They also are the inspiration for a real comic-book series.

Comic-book fans are usually though of as being divided into distinct camps – Marvel mavens vs. DC disciples, for example – with strong allegiances. But Mr. Smith, who has worked for both companies, says “it’s not an angry competition” between DC and Marvel. “The comics are such a dead marketplace,” he says, that’s what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.

Or, as the case may be, Supergoose and the X-Gander.

“Anything that can bring more traffic into stores is all right by me,” says Joe Quesada, editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics, whose view of the marketplace is quite a bit rosier than Mr. Smith’s.

What Mr. Smith has done for comics in his films is “invaluable” for the industry, Mr. Quesada says. Filmmakers in the comic-book field have a “wonderful exuberance” for the medium, he adds, and offer a “fresh perspective. They also come in with basic skills, such as formatting stories and pacing.”

“There’s a bias against comic-book writers,” Mr. Smith says. “They’ve been ghettoized and that’s insane. There are far more brilliant comic-book writers writing comic books that there are film writers writing films.”

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His [Mr. Straczynki] Spider-Man series and Mr. Smith’s Green Arrow have been selling well, according to Zeus Comics’ Mr. Neal.

“Everything they touch is gold,” he says referring to these big-name comic-book creators, “because everything they do is good work.”

Which brings me to my first film this week (finally). “Chasing Kevin”. This is a fun little short Mockumentary about an independent filmmaker obsessed with Kevin Smith, so obsessed in fact that he raises money and shoots his own feature entitled “Employees” about the trials and tribulations of Foot Locker clerks. Then he stalks Kevin Smith. This film sports appearances by Kev-bo himself as well as Jason Mewes. And its just damned funny.

The great thing about “Chasing Kevin” though, is that its not just a parody of Kevin Smith and Clerks; it also makes a great statement about indie filmmakers and their want to emulate those who have come before them. Rather than emulating them, however, sometimes they end up merely imitating them. Remember the glut of indie Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction clones that came out in the mid 90’s? All those gritty, noir Hitman movies that now line the video store shelves of the action section. Well, this mocks that whole phenomenon as the lead ends up in an asylum, placed in a special filmmaker ward for those indie filmmakers who have gone too far. Alongside Quentin, Spike and P.T. Anderson wannabes, the protagonist finds what it really means to be independent.

This film showed at Vulgarthon 2000 (Kevin Smiths Film fest) and really deserves screentime at almost every film fest out there. It has a great deal to say about indie film and does so in a fall down funny manner that shorts programs often need. It’s never preachy, just funny and inventive.

Check out the production company’s website and see a five minute clip of “Chasing Kevin” HERE .

“Part of me wants as many people as possible to see my film,” said “Vulgar” director Bryan Johnson. “But I didn’t think it worth compromising the integrity of the film. It’s not like this is something that could open on 2,500 screens.”