Main Cast: Lynda Barry, Robert Crumb, William M. Gaines
Release Year: 1989
Country: CA
Run Time: 90 minutes
Plot
Though aimed at those fastidious comic book collectors who spend exorbitant sums for old DC first editions (only to leave them unread and wrapped in plastic), Comic Book Confidential manages to convey the fanaticism and fun of this hobby to non-aficionados. Canadian director Ron Mann traces the history of the comic book industry, the idiotic purging of so-called violent comics in the 1950s, and the growth of the collectibles industry. Throughout the film, any comic book which does not meet Mann's exacting standards is trashed (Dell and Harvey, beware!) Among those interviewed are Marvel Comics mavens Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and EC mentors William M. Gaines and Will Elder. The underground "comix" movement is represented by Robert Crumb. Though he clearly loves comics, Ron Mann might have more successfully conveyed this with fewer clever camera angles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
Clearly filmed on a budget (as are most documentaries), Comic Book Confidential has a grainy, low-key look and feel to it, almost the cinematic equivalent of the pulp paper upon which comic books were originally published. This gives the film something of a disreputable aura to it, perfectly in keeping with the rather disreputable reputation of its subject -- and that's all to the good. Comic Book Confidential maintains an irreverent attitude, even as it honors comic books and their creators. Using an overview approach, it doesn't delve too deeply into any one area (production, working conditions, personal philosophies, etc.), which is probably just as well. Almost any one of the creators interviewed could be the subject of a full-length documentary (as, of course, Robert Crumb has been). Still, there are enough insights and moments of revelation to keep this from being just a skin-deep look. Directors Charles Lippincott and Ron Mann have been creative in adapting a static visual medium into a moving visual medium, incorporating devices such as limited animation, camera sweeps, pans, and interesting and mutable juxtapositions of panels and images. This last device is especially effective when applied to Frank Miller's talking TV heads from The Dark Knight Returns. The directors also have many of the artists read from their stories, which works better in some instances than in others. Most of the artists come across well, seeming relatively comfortable in front of the camera, and it's interesting to see many of them at work. Also of note is the soundtrack, which makes use both of original and preexisting songs. Thoroughly enjoyable, Comic Book Confidential is a good introduction to the varied world of comic books and the people who make them. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Charles Lippincott - Director, Ron Mann - Director, Robert Kennedy - Editor, Ron Mann - Editor, Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet - Composer (Music Score), Nicholas Stirling - Composer (Music Score), Robert M. Fresco - Cinematographer, Joan Churchill - Cinematographer, Don Haig - Producer, Charles Lippincott - Producer, Ron Mann - Producer, Steve Munro - Sound/Sound Designer, Charles Lippincott - Screenwriter, Ron Mann - Screenwriter
Directed by Ron Mann and written by Mann and Charles Lippincott, the film is a survey of the history of the comic book medium in the U.S.A, from the 1930s to the 80s, particularly from the point of view of its being an art form. The film includes profiles of a number of notable and influential talents in the comics field, such as Charles Burns, Art Spiegelman, Françoise Mouly, Frank Miller, Stan Lee, Will Eisner, Robert Crumb, Harvey Pekar, and William M. Gaines. In addition to the talents discussing their best known contributions to the art, they also give readings of passages of their work. A live action version of Bill Griffith's character, Zippy the Pinhead, also appears.
The project started in the mid-1980s when Mann was working on a press kit of the comedy Legal Eagles. He secretly used resources from that project (including the studio's crew, money and film stock) to interview his subjects during his off hours. Due to time constraints, Mann cut out footage with musician Frank Zappa, Scrooge McDuck creator Carl Barks, All American Comics editor Julie Schwartz and creator of the first all-woman comic book It Ain't Me Babe, Trina Robbins.
