Deadpool. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Captain America: Civil War. X-Men:
Apocalypse. Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows. Suicide Squad. Doctor Strange. What do all of those have in
common? Those are the big-budget blockbusters coming out this year based on
comic books. Want to go smaller? How about the direct-to-video movies Justice League vs. Teen
Titans, or Batman:
The Killing Joke? And there’s more on the way.
 |
| A dated but telling infographic about forthcoming comicbook movies. |
The 21st Century has
seen a renaissance in comicbook-based entertainment. Comics have been adapted
into other media since the dawn of the Golden Age, with theatrical serials
based on Superman, Batman and Captain America. Once
television came into play, comics made their home there as well as far back as
the 1950s with The Adventures of Superman, and again on Saturday mornings
with Superman again leading the charge with The
New Adventures of Superman. But
it wasn’t until comicbook-based movies began taking themselves more seriously
beginning with 1998’s Blade that the public at large began
taking their source material seriously. Comics have become big business for
Hollywood with no signs of slowing down.
 |
| "Quick! Somebody mention Martha!" |
This month, with both a new Captain
America and X-Men movie due to hit theaters, as well
as the annual Free Comic Book Day
event the first Saturday, we celebrate the four-colored inspiration for many of
the great movies and programs you currently enjoy. But wait, you ask “How does
this month differ from the previous Marvel and Justice League months?” Very
simple. Marvel and DC are collectively known as “The Big Two”
in the comics industry, as they tend to dominate the store shelves and
consciousness of the comic buying public. So, for this month, we’ll be focusing
on the other aspect of the comics industry: the independent.
 |
| Some of the plethora of independent publishers. |
Independent publishers come in all shapes and sizes. Some were created by
professionals who got tired of working for someone and decided to become their
own bosses; eventually growing to become a corporate presence all their own.
Some came into existence simply because they could, although many would fold
due to economic realities and stiff competition from other companies with
better financial backing. There are even a few out there created to house a
professional’s own project that they wanted to maintain complete control over.
 |
| If you recognize half of these characters, congratulations: you read indies. |
While not all independent companies, creators or books are well-known, some
have managed to achieve mainstream success. Perhaps you’ve heard of a little
comic called Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtles? Or how about this little movie called The Crow? Or maybe Ghost World was more
your thing? That’s right: the little guy sometimes makes good, and this month
we recognize the ones that have on Saturday mornings.
Want more of a comic fix? You can check out these other
comic-based shows we’ve already covered:
No comments:
Post a Comment