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SDCC: DC CROSSING OVER BY BRUCE MacINTOSH The DC “Crossing Over” panel was jammed with creators who have had their comic creations converted to the big and little screens. The panel discussed how the comics medium is crossing over into the mainstream. DC writers are coming IN and going OUT to other mass media, such as TV and movies. How is their work as comics writers being received in the world. The unofficial moderator of the panel, John Cunningham (VP Marketing DC Comics) opened by commenting that comics writers have gained a new respect in the TV and movie industries: “This is serious, serious business.”
The panel included Christos Gage – Wizard Magazine’s writer to watch. (2001- The Breed movie, Law & Order SVU, and Numbers on TV. Currently on Authority Prime, Wildstorm’s Armageddon); Gregory Noveck – Senior VP for Creative Affairs (developing comics properties to other media, such as Superman Doomsday: Watchmen, Jonah Hex, Ronin, etc.); Steve Niles – writer (30 Days of Night, Dark Days, Criminal Macabre with Ben Templesmith, Arcane Comics, joint ventures with Rob Zombie, Simon Dark for DC.) 30 Days of Night opens on Oct. 19 with Josh Hartnett; Greg Rucka – “critically acclaimed crime novelist”, “Patriot Acts” – an Atticus book – comes out on Oct. 28, 2007. Co-writer of 52 and Gotham Central; Mark Verheiden – writer & co-exec producer of Battlestar Gallactica, and the Teen Titans movie, and the new Bruce Campbell movie, “My Name is Bruce”, Superman/Batman; Paul Dini – Batman The Animated Series, Lost, Detective Comics, Countdown; Cecil Castellucci – young adult novelist, indie rocker, Director, “and now a graphic novelist” writer of the critically-acclaimed Plain Janes, which is another independent comic story being made into a movie; Adam Freeman & Mark Bernardan – co-creators of Wildstorm’s “The Highwayman”.
Mark Verheiden: What has changed in the business. “When Batman (1989) movie came out, people began taking comics series.” Now producers grew up as fans of comics.
Greg Rucka lamented that the Con was in danger of “imploding” because it is getting so media-centric: The studios could start to realize that it is no longer cost-effective, and think that appearing at Comicon and premiering your movies might seem like “pandering”. (Although he did catch himself and suspect that that has already become the case.) Gregory Noveck wondered aloud, “When did Comicon become Sundance [film festival].”
Christos Gage said that 15 years ago there were specific classes for screenwriting, etc. Now “boundaries in general are being broken down” and if you can do more than one kind of writing, that is very marketable. In addition, writers like Joss Whedon are able to do what they want and satisfy fans in multiple genres.
Gregory Noveck: “Comics are a source for good material.” Although he doesn’t need to sell Superman or Batman, but in the case of The Losers or Watchmen, he has to make sure that studios don’t screw it up and keep it honest to the material.
Steve Niles says that he’s having the time of his life, working on the 30 Days of Night movie. “I don’t have a complaint in the world!”
Watchmen sales went up when V for Vendetta came out, but while the GN sales of V tapered off when the movie came out, Watchmen has continued to sell. So John says that it is an exciting opportunity to introduce moviegoers to a great comic
As writers, Cecil Castelucci said, “you’re interested in telling good stories”, so it’s great that movie producers are recognizing this. She never thought about doing Plain Janes as a film, “but I think that’s great” if they want to do it, because it may encourage people to go back and “read the source material.”
Rucka also thinks that it is rare for a creator to write a comic and say, “I am writing this so it can be made into a movie.” However, sometimes screenwriters often think that that their experience might translate well into a comic. Steve Niles agreed and commented they often simply have a story and if it is not going to be a movie, they just want it to be told. Christos also said that it doesn’t work if a writer tries to use a comic as a stepping stone to movies, or to get their foot in the door at the movie studios – because if you don’t believe in a project, it will show.
John Cunningham asked Paul Dini how true was his characterization to Paul Dini back in February about Countdown. “I think some things we’re doing have worked very well: We’ve tried to follow the TV pacing rules, but they’re different animals”, because people have “come to expect more action and staggering developments in each issue.” He did comment that the pace will start to build very soon and get more action packed.
Cunningham observed that one common criticism that the “Big Two” are3 so “event driven”, but Noveck thinks that the TV concept of the Summer Blockbuster has seeped into comics. He cited the three Crises that have occurred in DC in the last few years. Greg Rucka corrected him by saying that this is only Thursday, so it is only two Crises. (But wait until Saturday.) Of course, what Rucka is referring to is the change of name of Countdown to Countdown to Final Crisis.
One audience member asked whether it was necessary to have a different agent for every medium you work in. Gage commented that most comics creators don’t have agents. In fact, if he has a screenwriting agent, he includes in the contract that that agent does not represent him for the comics work.
Another audience member asked whether movie studios make the writers make the comics “splashier” for development into films. Both Rucka and Niles said that “you have to mess with the material”, because details have to be filled in for a film. There’s a danger, Paul Dini said, to “being too reverential to the comic story,” because certain things must be translated when it goes to film. But they’re not going to change much as it goes from comic to movie.
Niles said, “there’s a reason why people liked” the comic before it was optioned to become a movie. He also mentioned that if a movie studio tries to change too much about the fundamentals of his (comic) property, he may have to wait until the option expires and find another studio that would stay true to the story.
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Gregory Noveck: “Comics are a source for good material.” Although he doesn’t need to sell Superman or Batman, but in the case of The Losers or Watchmen, he has to make sure that studios don’t screw it up and keep it honest to the material.
