Cinema Popular: BATMAN: CITY OF SCARS And The NEW GENRE OF FAN-FILM

Ray Zablocki's quick video history of The Man of Steel is impressive enough to those of us out of the digital video loop, but guys like Aaron Schoenke take the bar of amateur production to an entirely different level. An incredible investment of time, talent, film, and financial resources (the film short cost roughly $27,000) on the one hand, Aaron Schoenke's Batman: City of Scars is, on the other, a testament comic books' enduring ability to inspire and compel their readers to create.

Fan-made films and videos based on comic book characters, popular Hollywood movies, and now even video game characters, are nothing new. (Hell, even our beloved Dabbler still talks about the GI JOE: A Real American Hero fan flick he made back in eighth grade! ) Ranging from the ridiculous and uninspired to productions worthy of discussion and merit like Schoenke's Scars, fan-made shorts - if anything - provide insight into what resonates.

Not surprisingly, Star Wars fan-flicks out-number those of any other character or franchise around; Fan Films, an online registry website, currently counts 312 fan-made Star Wars shorts. The BBC's Doctor Who comes in at second place with 128 fan works to its credit, with   Star Trek placing in third with 84. Rounding out the Hollywood-spawned Top Five are (surprisingly) Friday The 13th (64) and Indiana Jones (50).

While Batman can't beat Darth Vader on that same list, the Dark Knight does land in second place overall with 144 fan-films made. Appropriately enough, Superman ranks as the second most popular superhero for amateur interpretation: he counts 71 to his name. Spider-Man is third with 51, and relative newcomer Green Lantern asserts himself as an up-and-coming challenger with 34 -- and rising. Interestingly, despite their broad longtime popularity, only 12 fan-films on Fan Films are credited to Marvel's uncanny mutants, the X-Men.  

If 'Fan Cinema' or maybe Cinema Popular could be considered a genre unto itself,  City of Scars, currently in the midst of much comicsblogosphere debate following its debut at Daily Motion yesterday, can already count itself among the cream of the fan-made crop.  

Schoenke draws much of his inspiration from the recent blockbuster Batman Arkham Asylum video game, crafting his thirty-minutes to mesh quite well with the game's grisly, Gothic milieu.  Scars is, in fact, the first fan-made film to be set in Arkham, and Schoenke 's camera captures the setting vividly.  

It's the camera work - the mark of a good cinematographer and director - that sets City of Scars apart from the vast majority of fan film; Schoenke knows his tech and his skill using a light meter is beyond reproach.  The film, like so many 'professional' movies do, relies on its look to convince and distract, and its more than enough to capture the interest of any wide-eyed fan boy. 

But that's also the film's flaw, and Schoenke's piece - like the great majority of  amateur, student, and fan-films - doesn't transcend it's fan niche for want of a story.  While better looking and better crafted than most,  Batman: City of Scars isn't really better told.  The demands of production and editing being what they are,  Schoenke's desire to conquer the mechanics of film make him and his story victims of their own fan-boy special effects. 

Don't get us wrong: even criticism like that - if it's warranted - shouldn't truly detract  from City of Scars. Although its creator may have more lofty ambitions, City of Scars does succeed at being what is: a fan-film tribute to the medium of comic books, to superheroes, and their innate ability to convince us all that yes, a man can fly.

SYNOPSIS:

When the Joker escapes from Arkham and murders the parents of a young boy, Batman recalls the pain of losing his own parents as a child. He is pushed past his limits to the point where his focus becomes revenge on all who stand in his way, including many of Gotham’s underworld. Finally, Batman is forced to look at the psychological profile of his own mind and accept the consequences of his life to find resolve.

Check out more short films by Aaron Schoenke and Bat In The Sun Productions on their website [here]. And if you're curious about City of Scars fan-filmed Bat-competition, swing over to Batman Fan Films, an entire website devoted to the amateur Bat-genre -- [here].

The Dark Knight by Bill Sienkiewicz

MORE ON MR SIENKIEWICZ  [here]

Going 'Blackwards': LOST's Last Page

The final episode of LOST is coming on 23 May at 9pm with a two-and-a-half hour send-off appropriately titled "The End."  After six seasons and more than 120 episodes, the confused hoopla will soon fade to black. Sci-Fi Wire's industrious bloggers claim to have found the final page of the script for LOST's series finale. We didn't believe them until we read that they found it by digging through someone's trash. After all, where else would it be?  [via]

Orwell's Six Rules for Creative Writers

Our Quote For The Day: A True Brit

...As new bloggers, something we try to keep in mind every day. [Cyril Connolley]

Magic Action: Abbracadabbling = Creativity

Creativity, especially as it pertains to creative writing as well as comics creation, has been one of (the many) subjects we've always wanted to weave into the magical mesh that is abbracadabbling. We'd like to think we exhibit our creativity every day (blogging is creative, don't ya know -- not to mention hard but ever-so-rewarding work), but we'll admit we haven't addressed the matter head on.  

Truth be told, it's a tough topic to tackle.  For folks who aren't so inclined, being 'creative,' however one wants to define the word, might seem glamorous and magical. Surely, the lives lead by many creative people -- from movie stars to comic book writers -- can certainly appear that way. Down deep, no matter how creative we are, we understand that there's work involved somewhere, but exactly what kind of work - and how much -- are questions that tend to go unanswered or be dismissed. 

Even those of us who do consider ourselves to be creative may have a problem shaking its mystical aura.  We were dumbfounded when we discovered that more than one of our college professors subscribed to the belief that creative writing can't be taught; students either have 'it,' or they don't have 'it.' Back in the day, it was hard - and frustrating  - to prove them wrong, too. Eventually, we did. Talent can't be taught, but writing most certainly can.  The teachers who knew this -- and did this -- were the same ones who knew talent must be nurtured, formed, shaped, and structured, like a well-crafted story.  Those teachers were in the minority, and of all our college profs, they were the real creators. They knew creative work is work; it requires discipline, routine, and a nitpicky attention to detail. But work doesn't diminish creativity's magic in the least; it summons and augments it.
 

Mark McGuinness  is one of the best creative advisers we've come across, and his R.S.S. Systems Creativity Chart really nails the creative process for what it is -- a series of interlocking processes rather than a mystical 'One'. And, he points out, the magic happens at the point where creativity's three core processes, all of which we creative folks need to coordinate to do our best work,  intersect.  They are:

(1) ROUTINES:  The Dabbler's been a Capricorn all his life, and loyal to his sign, he's a creature of routine. McGuiness stands behind routine, which he says is the key that unlocks creative inspiration.Routines allow for familiar activities or objects  - like having a cup of coffee - to become associative triggers for creative states of mind.  Horror and now Vertigo Comics writer Stephen King has this to say about his:

McGuiness' Takeaway is this: Notice what time(s) of day you are most alert and creative. Dedicate that time to focused creative work. Use the same tools, in the same surroundings, even the same background music, so that they become triggers for your “creative zone.”

(2)  SYSTEMS: Though they sound similar, a system  -- one's personal productivity work flow -- is different than a routine; where major events can play havoc with routine, a system isn't dependent on circumstances. Instead, they act as a safety net. McGuiness suggests that we creative folks take a step back to assess exactly what our workflow is, as well as to study tools and methods to improve or streamline it.  

The Action Method is just one of many workflow systems, and it comes with McGuiness' recommendation. Dedicated dabblers will find it HERE.

(3) SPONTANEITY: This is the 'A-Ha!' factor, or more accurately, what opens us up to have our A-Ha Moment. Real creativity, McGuiness says, involves spontaneity and surprise, and contrary to what many folks think, the harder you work at routines and systems, the more likely you are to experience that bolt from the blue.  On the other hand, McGuiness isn't advocating grindstone and grunt work, either. Taking breaks and having fun are just as essential.  Be open to new experiences, he advises, live, and welcome the thoughts that come.

We thoroughly recommend every creative dabbler out there to check out Mark McGuiness' website, Lateral Action, for  more of his insights on creativity. You'll find it HERE. Stephen King's insights on his creative process came to us courtesy of Daily Routines -- HERE. And our source site, HERE.

A Very Merry Mutant X-Mas

We figured that Santa Claus, good old Saint Nick, would be pegged as a mutant sooner or later (anyone who delivers toys to kids all over the world in one night would have to be able to fly at super-speed or teleport, not to mention phase through solid objects like chimneys and become invisible to keep from getting caught), because it's just logical, right?  But we didn't expect someone would beat Marvel or their uncanny X-Men to the Holiday punch.


Well, someone did -- but if it's not Bryan Singer, then who? Well, if you've had a chance to see their earlier -- and dare we say classic -- YouTube hit Tom Hanks Is James Bond, then you're already familiar with the movie mash-up brilliance of  Double D Enterprises co-creators Matt Dahan and Dan Perrault. We happened to stumble across the duo's latest creation, X-Mas Origins: Santa, earlier this week, and we're still laughing like a bowl full of jelly despite ourselves.


Dahan and Perrault do a great job editing here - and while the video has clips from several different Holiday films, its their splicing and dicing of last summer's X-Men Origins: Wolverine with Tim Allen's The Santa Clause that bespeaks these boys' genius.


X-Mas Origins: Santa is a trailer for the kind of Christmas movie comic fans have always wanted but never asked for -- until now. We helped the boys out and abbracadabbled up some fancy logo work, and we're sure they'd love to hear what all of you have to say about their X-Mas clip, too. You can give Matt and Dan a big Back Issues shout-out after you catch the clip below.

YGI: Damaggio Will Power 'GREEN LANTERN'

Green Lantern has remained one of my favorite superheroes ever since my life in single digits, and not much has changed for the last thirty years. While the drama and intrigue of his stories has never been as visceral - and thus not as enjoyable -- as my other favorite hero's, Batman -- Green Lantern's hook in me was never his character's resolve, nor the spectacle of his space-faring adventures, nor even his emerald costume always awash in that green cosmic glow.

It's the Power Ring of the Green Lanterns that I've always desired, and what as a little boy became the catalyst of wonderful and soaring dreams. The ring is Green Lantern's weapon, but it's also much more. Unlike the Batman's batarangs or grappling hooks, which are tools and movie props, the whole of the Green Lantern concept, the heart of the superhero, and indeed Green Lantern's very source of his luminescent powers are all embodied in his green ring.

The power ring functions on all levels of story for Green Lantern - plot, narrative, character, decision, thought, thematic elements, and spectacle. The best Green Lantern stories are those by writers who have this comprehensive understanding. Geoff Johns has captured these principles in the current DC Comics Green Lantern series, and has even extended it (perhaps as far as possible without it unraveling) through the current Blackest Night with success. It works because despite all the action, science fiction, and character development -- all essential and great things -- he didn't loose the core of the story in the process. Concept permeates the work, and gives it meaning.

In comics and movies both, a story's concept can be difficult to execute, but a good artist can capture it, conveying idea, mood and design through their work. A great concept artist accomplishes the same, yet more. The difference is something ineffable, a spirit or imaginative quality, that gives form and presence to a story on the page and off. Like in Green Lantern comics, conviction and willpower make the imagined, real.

Rodolfo Damaggio has been called by his peers to be among the best concept artists working today. Before moving into concept art and storyboard creation, Damaggio began his artistic career as a penciler and inker for DC Comics. Damaggio notes this bit of advice on his website: 'if you want to learn to draw, draw comics.'

It's extremely clear that he's learned to do just that, with cinematic grandeur. And to say that I'm absolutely stoked that Rodolfo Damaggio's current gig just happens to be Warner Bros' upcoming Green Lantern movie would be an understatement.

Damaggio's talent and skill is reflected by his extensive resume that includes films like Indiana Jones & The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. He's worked with director Joe Johnston on both Jurassic Park III and most recently Universal's The Wolf Man -- which you know all about from our weekend blog.

Science fiction aside, Damaggio's experience in film hasn't strayed too far from his comic book beginnings. He's worked as a concept and storyboard artist on Ang Lee's Hulk, Marvel's first Iron Man movie, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, and Mission Impossible III.

It's likely to be some time before any of his concept art of Ryan Reynolds or Green Lantern surfaces, but once you see Damaggio's work, it's impossible to think that Green Lantern's concepts are in anything but the best and most capable of hands.

For your graphic imagination, abbracadabbling presents just a sample of Rodolfo Damaggio's portfolio below. If you'd like to see more, you can find his many portfolios and samples of his comics work on his website here.

Mission Impossible 3 concept art

Mission Impossible 3 concept art

Sketch art for Indiana Jones 4

Batman pencils and inks for DC Comics

Storyboard element from Hulk

Storyboard page from Act I

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer

Purposeful Umbrellas

I've been preparing for the Big 3-1 in baby steps; today's was the purchase of a black compact "ghost" umbrella. Dabblers, I'm crossing two fingers that fall's fickle weather holds out for you, wherever you call home. Nothing's scarier on Halloween than an isolated shower.

We'd be lucky to score one like that in Oregon. Seriously. Something's up in Springfield -- literally up. No moon has been seen for a week, and the sky above this town is cloudy and pregnant. This is the weather. An atmosphere of collective uneasiness is crawling down the streets and the weather's to blame.

There's been storming for days now, but not the Storm people were expecting. Down at Wal-Mart or while waiting in the AM-PM line for gas and cheap cigarettes -- everywhere I've gone, Springtuckians (the word for the permanent residents here) have Storm on their lips, or at least on their minds. Even an almost-outsider like me can tell.

Probably why it rattles me a bit, too. The sky's noticeably dark lately, mornings to bedtime. "Full of gravestone heavies", to use the vernacular. Clouds are stuffed to bursting, except they don't, or won't. They prefer to threaten, water drops like warnings. When the rain's heavy, as it's been once or twice, it pelts the roof with a brief staccato, like mockingbirds when they attack. The downpours are swift and fierce orgasms, cut short with none of the release or unwind.

And everyone can sense the air of displeasure. The clouds meant to be furious, quick visitors instead hover like seeking grey markers; isolated showers carrying umbrellas, below a heavy and stagnant sea.

Am I in a (creative) mood tonight or what?!?

Halloween '09 continues for its SECOND SCARY WEEK beginning Monday, October 19th -- right here on abbracadabbling, everyone's favorite comicsblog!