‘Green Arrow’ aims for comic-book return
By César G. Soriano, USA TODAY

Filmmaker Kevin Smith’s pen has found a new mark off the big screen.

Smith — the director and writer of Clerks, Chasing Amy and Dogma — is resurrecting the DC Comic Green Arrow, about a modern-day, crime-fighting Robin Hood who’s a whiz with a bow and arrow.

“Comic books have grown up, so it was a great time to get back in, not only because it appeals to the kid in me but because the writing has grown so much stronger,” says Smith from the set of Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, out Aug. 10. The film follows the adventures of Jay (Jason Mewes ) and Silent Bob (played by Smith), the dimwitted dudes who have appeared in Smith’s earlier movies, and reunites the usual players, including Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Joey Lauren Adams and Chris Rock.

Smith’s first major foray as a comic-book writer came in 1998 with Marvel’s Daredevil, which features a blind superhero. Now he has signed on to revive superhero Green Arrow, aka Oliver Queen. The comic book dates to 1941, but the character was killed off in ‘95 and replaced by his son, Connor Hawke. Smith, 30, committed himself to 12 issues; the first is due out Feb. 28.

“Green Arrow is a second-tier, maybe even third-tier character,” Smith says. “I guess it’s just the underdog influence why I always root for the guy whose not necessarily the guy on top.”

He’s not the only one. Longtime fan Jayme Blaschke, 31, of Temple, Texas, who runs a Web site devoted to Green Arrow, says: “This isn’t some guy from another planet. He doesn’t get his powers from a magic ring or the bite from a radioactive spider. He’s a normal man, just like you or I. He likes his chili hot and his jazz cool.”

In August, Smith will launch Bluntman and Chronic, a comic book tied to Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. Fans of Smith’s films may recognize Bluntman and Chronic as the comic created by Ben Affleck’s character in Chasing Amy. And his published handiwork can be found at his own comic-book store, Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash, in his hometown of Red Bank, N.J.

Smith says: “Comic books are one of the only true American art forms. They’re powerful icons that are consistently published, even in the age of the Internet.”

Comic Timing

After years of filmmaking, director Kevin Smith will see you in the funny pages.

With the success of indie flicks such as Clerks and Dogma under his belt, director Kevin Smith finally has the clout to do what he’s always wanted: write comic books. While working on preproduction for his next film, the once and future Silent Bob broke his vow and talked about his upcoming stint as a writer of DC Comics’ superhero series Green Arrow.

Maxim: Do you think it’s a step down to go from films to comic books?

Kevin: I think it’s viewed that way. Most people are, like, “Are you hurting for cash?” I have to explain that it’s not about paying the rent. It’s fun, and something I wanted to do. I see writing comics as the fulfillment of a dream and as good practice. It lets me flex muscles I don’t normally get to flex. There isn’t a dick joke every five minutes.

M: But why Green Arrow? He doesn’t even have any superpowers.

K: It’s the same appeal as Batman, who also doesn’t have superpowers. He’s a dude in a suit. There’s an identification factor. You could never picture yourself being Superman; he’s a god. But Green Arrow is just an exceptional archer, and if you tried really hard – or were Geena Davis – you could be an exceptional archer.

M: You were tapped to write a new Superman movie, but the project couldn’t, um, get off the ground. What happened?

K: I wrote a script that was very conventional. It was classic Superman, and based on that Nicolas Cage and Tim Burton signed on. But once Burton joined, he said, “I want to bring my own writers.” Who knows if the studio ever said, “What about Kevin?” I doubt it. “We’ve got Tim Burton. Fuck the Clerks guy.” At that point I was history.

M: Nicolas Cage as Superman: What the hell were they thinking?

K: Not my call. I was just the writer. One day they told me he was interested, and I was, like, “Ohh, as Brainiac, the villain” – but they said, “No, as Superman.” And that was it. But I like Nic Cage. Nic Cage can do shitty movies for the rest of his life if he wants, ’cause he was in Raising Arizona.

M: People are already salivating over the Spider-Man film. What’s your take on it?

K: I think it’ll be great. Sam Raimi is a really great action director. I mean, this is the guy who made Evil Dead 2 -how could he possibly fuck up Spider-Man? Of course he won’t. Tobey Maguire is a fine casting choice as Peter Parker, and Willem Dafoe as the Green Goblin is even better. I mean this is the guy who played Jesus.

M: Your Daughter, Harley Quinn Smith, is named after a Batman villain. How’d you talk the wife into that?

K: She just loves that character, so when she got pregnant I suggested the name. Then we had the kid, and in the hospital room I said, “Giving her that name is the worst thing we could do to this child.” But my wife said, “I don’t care what people call her. I think it’s a great name.”-Interview by Paul Semel

Also there was a side panel:

Hero Worship

Kevin Picks his top four all-time favorite comics you probably never heard of.:

Grimjack by John Ostrander

“Grimjack was a marshal doomed to live forever in this weird city that would slip in and out of phase with reality. Great comic, wonderful writing. I’m not doing it justice.”

JLA by Grant Morrison

“Some writers take on a character and say, ‘Everything you knew was a lie. And he has a new costume.’ Morrison took the Justice League characters and just told a really good story.”

Mage by Matt Wagner

“It’s the story of a simple man in a world without heroes who discovers he is something of a hero himself. It’s a precursor to Unbreakable in many ways.”

Sandman by Neil Gaiman

“This was the first time literature and comics melded so perfectly. Even if you took out all the pictures, you’d be left with one of the best works of fantasy literature”

…with the movie, our careers, etc.

A good week all around, with the weirdest moment being watching my wife and the other girls clad merely in their undies, simulating sex. What a strange job.

Joe Quesada came out and impressed us all with his histrionics, making him the second Marvel editorial top-dog to appear in a View Askew flick.

We made a return trip to a new and improved Mooby’s, and also shot at – horror of horrors – another convenience store! It felt like infidelity, I tell’s ya (though not to worry: we shoot at Quick Stop in NJ the last week in March)!

All in all, a very good week, with great peformances all around.

Did a bit of editing last night too, and the flick’s looking great so far.

Tonight, we’re having our ‘Mid-Way Party’ to celebrate twenty five shooting days with no one having killed anyone else yet. Monday, we have off for the holiday. Then Tuesday, it’s the return of the Shatner of the View Askewniverse himself: Ben Affleck (can’t wait!).

On unrelated notes…

Look for a pic of me and a wonderful, Phil and Ande drawing of me in Maxim and Paper magazines respectively, now on stands, I believe. Both promoting ‘Green Arrow’.

Pick up the number six best selling book in the country, by the by, in a mere week and a half at local comic book stores (or order it signed from the Stash Online).

Don’t forget (and I see some of you can’t, as you already have it) that the ‘Clerks’ Cartoon DVD is coming out this week. This is a must-have for the hardcore (and casual) fans.

Wish a brother luck: aside from both Affleck AND Damon this week, he’s got to squeeze into a ridiculous outfit and get the shit beat out of him in the BluntCave.

Quite a strange job indeed.

What’s up with the Kevin Smith project you’re involved in?

I think I’m doing a day on it. It’s Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. Jay and Silent Bob have been little supporting characters in all of Kevin’s movies and this time, they get their own movie.

Describe your friendship with Kevin.

We’re both the same age, we both love Run-D.M.C., and that’s pretty much it. That’s what keeps me and Kevin together. If he starts any Run-D.M.C. record, I can finish it. Any verse, any time.

Even though production on Kevin Smith’s “Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back” is more than half done, casting on the hotly anticipated project continues to leak out. The latest to join the epic comedy include “Final Destination”’s Ali Larter and none other than Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada. Additionally, Empire Online has revealed that Mark Hamill will have a lightsaber fight with Jay and Bob in the film. WizardWorld.com will soon be providing twice weekly updates from the JSBSB set until the conclusion of filming. Because we’re insidery like that.