Using expert and comic book insider interviews, never seen before historical photographs and films, and animation, diagram goes further than any previous comic book documentary to explore and understand the controversial figure at the center of this american tale. Dec 11, 20 every comic book documentary you must watch well, not all of them, but at least i have your attention now. On tuesday, pbs will honor moore and her lifetime of work with the documentary mary tyler moore. Masters of comic book art eisner, kirby, ditko, adams, wrightson, miller 1987. A neverending battle shows comics as uniquely american stories. Pbs to air special on comic books called superheroes. Its an independent documentary film, so screenings in your area might have been thin on the ground. Books became his passport to other worldssomething he would champion through the creation of his comic book, the 99. Unlocked is a groundbreaking 8 part documentary series that provides firsthand stories by industry icons, celebrities, consumers, and field experts on the culture, technology, history. Comic book confidential 1988 this film offers a nice broad look at the world of comic books.
This fall pbs will offer its own version of comic con when it airs the threepart documentary superheroes. Bass is the marketing director for pbs media, creator of the comic book p. The documentary is hosted and narrated by liev schreiber, directed by michael kantor and cowritten by michael and laurence maslon. Independents a documentary film video dvd of comic book. Some names include charles burns, frank miller, stan lee, will eisner, robert crumb, and harvey pekar. From my vhs recordings, here is the documentary comic book superheroes unmasked, which aired on june 23rd, 2003 with commercials included. A neverending battle is the first documentary to examine the dawn of the comic book genre and its powerful legacy, as well as the evolution of the characters who leapt from the pages over the last 75 years and their ongoing worldwide cultural impact. After collaborating on a variety comicsrelated projects over the last 5 years, john jennings and damian duffy have put together an anthology, black comix. A neverending battle is a threepart documentary by pbs that examines the history of the comic book industry. Dark horse supports indie documentary 24 hour comic june 27, 2017 oregon confluence 24 hour comic premier delights july 7, 2017 film international ready, ink, go 24 hour comic march 2, 2017. Michael and laurence also authored superheroescapes, cowls, and the creation of comic book culture, a companion book to the.
The value of the comics industry grows even more when you consider that comicsbased films now make up a. These are available to license for books, magazines, merchandise, newsletters, presentations and websites. Independents is a feature length documentary that explores the creative process through interviews with two dozen writers and artists of independent comic books and graphic novels. While it seems almost every show you hear about these days is based on a comic book, there is a fairly robust market in the other direction. May 17, 2016 comic books are big business these days. The comic was adapted into a liveaction film starring wilmer valderrama in 2007. The documentary will be released concurrently on blu. What was wonderful about this project was the humor throughout, said lois vossen, executive producer of independent lens, the awardwinning showcase for documentary films on pbs. The depression, world war ii, the civil rights movement, gay pride, you name it, theyre all reflected in comic books. Sep 10, 2015 what was wonderful about this project was the humor throughout, said lois vossen, executive producer of independent lens, the awardwinning showcase for documentary films on pbs. Valerie harper, friends honor mary tyler moore in pbs. With judy woodruff, gwen ifill, jim lehrer, mark shields. Very well done documentary about comic books from their very beginning.
A neverending battle is the first documentary to examine the dawn of the comic book genre and its powerful legacy, as well as the. Hernandez credits the independent comic book boom with giving him and other latino artists and writers the freedom to explore themes that had relevance for them. The following is a list of episodes from pbs series pov, a production of american documentary, inc. Oct, 2011 independent lens caught up with isaac solotaroff, the filmmaker behind wham. This has been true since at least the silver age of comics c. A stylish, sweeping documentary series about the history of comic books, featuring stan lee, adam west, lynda carter and more. A rare copy of the world of comic booksowned by word. Americas youth would help underscore the larger social legitimacy and power of comic books in. A never ending battle i was left with an itch for more documentaries like that. Since 1988, pov has presented over 400 independently produced documentary films to public television audiences across the country. Meet the wonder women behind a new generation of superheroes. The documentaries cover everything from music and cinema, to literature, religion, politics and physics.
The first two segments of this documentary are wonderful for someone, like myself, who only had a cursory understanding of comic book history. Pbs superheroestruth, justice and the american way 20. Theyre also a good vehicle for telling american history. Theyre thoughtprovoking, eyeopening, and enlightening. This fall pbs will offer its own version of comiccon when it airs the threepart documentary superheroes. A neverending battle, with cbr news before its october 15 broadcast on pbs. Laura sneddons comic studies classes continue with a look at documentary comics, with laura reading and reacting to joe saccos palestine and safe area goraa. Independent lens caught up with isaac solotaroff, the filmmaker behind wham. They contain great interviews with people from the era, and do a great job of breaking down the cultural significance of superheros, albeit it in broad terms. The family behind meet the patels takes candid talk to a. I could own my own thing, without having to give into editorial or marketing concerns. The value of the comics industry grows even more when you consider that comicsbased films now make up a multibilliondollar segment of the film industry as well. Narrated by keith david, and has a great list of comic artists and writers being interviewed.
Comic book superheroes unmasked history channel aired. World is a 247, fullservice, multicast channel featuring public televisions signature nonfiction documentary, science, and news programming complemented by original content from. The origins of the medium, the evolution of superheroes and all the other genres as they born in different eras. It looks at 22 different important people in the comic book field. World is a 247, fullservice, multicast channel featuring public televisions signature nonfiction documentary, science, and news programming complemented by original content from emerging producers.
A new documentary airing on pbs will examine the universe of romance novels a genre so beloved that one is sold every four seconds somewhere on the planet by talking to those who write. Pbs has acquired north american distribution rights to charm city, the documentary directed by marilyn ness that premiered at this years tribeca film festival. Kelcey edwards is an awardwinning documentary filmmaker whose films have screened at many of the topranking festivals around the country, including truefalse, silverdocs, and sxsw. Pbs to air special on comic books called superheroes the. The business of black comic books black enterprise. Pbs newshour is an news show which shows news updates. Liev schreiber will host pbs comic book doc series superheroes. Drawn together, comics, diversity and stereotypes kaur films. Yet, many black writers and artists are increasingly going the indie. Threepart pbs documentary takes superheroes seriously. Comic book sales are soaring as the demographics of the average comic.
A comprehensive history of the superhero comic book fantasy genre and its influence on american culture. Click on any image to see links to licensing and related cartoons. Every comic book documentary you must watch elongated man. Comic book superheroes unmasked documentary 1 mostly dc and marvel, but talks about their relevancy throughout history and politics. These latino comic book artists create their own superheroes. The good news is the movie has become part of pbs indepedent lens series, which runs a new. Pages in category documentary films about comics the following 31 pages are in this category, out of 31 total. Bully premieres on pbs independent lens on monday, october, 2014. Unlocked is a groundbreaking 8 part documentary series that provides firsthand stories by industry icons, celebrities, consumers, and field experts on the culture, technology, history, and future of the video game industry. A neverending battle dvd,examines the evolution of superhero characters and the comic book industry, chronicling how disposable diversions that cost just a dime became the foundation for a multibillion dollar industry whose products are an influential part of our national identity.
From pbs follow the fortunes of superheroes, from the depression through supermans television debut. Discover what it really takes to strike out on your own and become the next big name in graphic novels. This documentary produced by m etrogoldwynmayer features the whole picture of the comicbook phenomenon in the united states as of 1988. About the film over million american kids will be bullied this year, making it the most common form of violence experienced. Liev schreiber, danny fingeroth, mark waid, stan lee. Experience the personal stories behind the headlines.
Comic book heroes unmasked originally aired on the history channel is a pretty good documentary largely going over the superhero genre in comic books. The documentary provides the rare opportunity to explore the subjects of race, gender, and religion stereotyping through the universally popular medium of comic books and cartoons. Pbs documentary explores the world of romance novels. Black powerhouses such as the black panther and luke cage appear on the scene, and the pages of green lanterngreen arrow explode with relevant storylines as comic books are forced to confront the reality of an. Sep 05, 20 pbs to air special on comic books called superheroes posted on september 5, 20 by joefixit2 pbs announced today that tuesday, october 15, 20, is superheroes night, featuring a threehour block dedicated to the groundbreaking program superheroes. Examines the evolution of superhero characters and the comic book industry, chronicling how disposable. The pbs comics and cartoons collected from thirtyfive of the best cartoonists. Amc orders history of comic books documentary miniseries. For more great films, please visit our complete collection. A celebration 45 years after the mary tyler moore show made its debut in 1970. Filmmakers michael kantor and lawrence maslon discuss their new threepart documentary, superheroes. Comic books have had a long history of tackling social issues. Its only just now that people are beginning to understand how important this story is.
The never endingbattle by filmmaker michael kantor. Karama horne a comic book, animation, and movie fan and analyst. Devoted to telling stories that humanize complex issues, world shares the best of public media in news, documentaries, and informational programming that helps us understand conflicts, movements and cultures. Drawn together boldly encourages viewers to unlearn stereotyping, look beyond the obvious, and confront media prejudicesall through an uncommon and inherently.