Gerry Conway - Off the Record Interview Musings

I watched the DVD "Off the Record with Gerry Conway" the day I received it in the mail. Rather than review the DVD, I'm just going to tell people to purchase the 3 1/2 sit-down talk with one of the most prolific (and enjoyable) Marvel and D.C. Comics writers of the 1970's and 1980's. Click the link to OffTheRecordDVD.com to make a purchase.

By the way - head over to TwoMorrows.com and purchase a great back issue of Alter Ego magazine that features a very in-depth career retrospective with Gerry Conway.

Repeating what is found on the DVD would be a boring review. I'll just mention the two things that really stood out in my mind after the initial viewing. Gerry Conway made two very serious points:

1.) Comic books have become a niche and the pop culture love of superheroes has moved to the movie industry,

2.) The era of the larger than like comic book creator is long over.

I recently checked the November sales figures for comic books. After the huge boom in sales from the first few D.C. Rebirth and Star Wars books, sales are way, way down. The top book, Batman, is sold a little over 100,000 copies and most Marvel and D.C. books are selling 40,000 - 60,000 or so.

Not too many people other there buying comic books. Millions upon millions of people are watching the movies. The great wonder of superheroes still connects with fans of all ages all over the world -- but in a different medium.


And it is pretty difficult to be a "larger than life" comic book creator when no one knows who you are because no one is buying your books. A great many actors, actresses, and directors are pretty larger than life thanks to their cinematic success.

Comic books won't be going away any time soon. The crazy prices and the release of tons of books to a small number of buyers does keep money rolling in. More money, however, is going to role in from movies, TV shows, video games, and merchandise for years to come.

Sad to say -- the comic book industry is now more of a story development project for entertainment properties. Is this good or bad? Gerry Conway mentions Harlan Ellison in his interview. Ellison once said all movie set in the future are positive even when the futuristic world is a bleak one. Ellison said something to the effect of "Don;t worry about how bad the future is. Be happy it is still there."

The Human Side of Luke Cage

How much of Luke Cage is a fantasy hero and how much of him is a normal man?

Luke Cage is human, all too human. For someone with bulletproof skin and superhuman strength that defies the laws of physics, Luke Cage is very human. Mike Colter truly does flesh the character out in the outstanding Netflix series. As with Marvel's Jessica Jones, the series focuses on a hero who has unique special abilities -- but no garish costume. And the backdrop in which Marvel's Luke Cage takes place is very real.

Saying there is a "human side" to Luke Cage may even be a misnomer. He is all too human - a man with the complexities of a tragic hero. Maybe it would be better to say there is a superhero side to Luke Cage. He's 95% Luke Cage and 5% Power Man. Unlike Daredevil or Iron Fist, Luke Cage does not allow himself to be swallowed up by an alter ego. Perhaps this is the reason for some of his complex misery. Becoming Power Man would allow for a brief departure from the life that is Luke Cage. The former "Hero for Hire" won't allow this. He never hides from who he is.

Luke Cage is a man who has found himself in very difficult circumstances and as a victim of circumstance. His false imprisonment sent him down a completely different path in life. Even free from prison, Luke Cage cannot live a peaceful existence. His attempts at blending in as a normal person in a normal life is consistently upended. Being superhuman not the reason why although enhanced strength and indestructible skin does help him during various. Being all too human is the source of his difficult existence. A powerful code of honor keeps him constantly in the thick of drama and trouble.

Luke Cage suffer through life because he is Power Man. He suffers because he is a rare character in the world. Luke Cage is a real man.

Looper and the Incredible Missed Opportunities with the Hulk Franchise

Looper hits all the major points as to why there won't be third Hulk solo movie any time soon - if ever. The Incredible Hulk remains one of my all-time favorite comic book characters. In the late 1980's, when I "grew out" of comic books (I would make a triumphant return as a regular reader within a few years) John Byrne's outstanding run on The Incredible Hulk allowed the comic to be the last one I would continue to read after ceasing with the other titles in the Marvel and D.C. line.

The Hulk truly is an outstanding character, but he is a character that needs a supporting cast to help with the narrative. In the wonder Incredible Hulk TV series, all the human drama and emotion came from Bill Bixby's endearing portrait of the drifting scientist.

Looper also is not afraid to mention the first Hulk film -- truth be told -- killed the franchise before it started.

What a shame considering there are so many outstanding Hulk stories to craft into....maybe an adult animated television series?

Or perhaps we should all be thrilled and content with the animated adaptions they come forth from Lionsgate Home Entertainment.

  

BTW!

Hulk Fans Can Check Out Hub About The Dumb Hulk's Childhood Angst.

Spider-Man Lament '77

Turning back the clock almost 40 years takes us to the short-lived but never forgotten Spider-Man television series starring Nicholas Hammond. I remember watching the pilot episode when it originally aired on television and sat enthralled watching the wall-crawler come to life on TV. And then the show disappeared. For years, I thought it was because the rating were poor. Shockingly, the ratings did quite well but CBS cancelled the show anyway. CBS was already airing the successful Incredible Hulk television show and didn't want to become known as "the superhero network" and lose advertiser dollars.

The quick abandonment of Spider-Man really was one of those unfair incidents in television history. Plans were made to bring Spider-Man to The Incredible Hulk TV, but the crossover never happened.

Defending Netflix's Two Marvel Shows Per Season Rule

Fans are a bit irked over the news that Daredevil and Jessica Jones' solo adventures are on a brief hiatus. Netflix is sticking to it rule regarding "only two Marvel shows per season". With Luke Cage and The Defenders appearing in 2017, Daredevil and Jessica Jones' new seasons have to wait until 2018. The two characters, of course, are major players in The Defenders so its not like we won't see them at all. They are just being brought into an ensemble piece along with Luke Cage and Iron Fist.

BGR Tech has the whole story about Jessica Jones and Daredevil getting the solo hiatus treatment.

Fans who leave, breathe, and binge watch Marvel (and D.C.) television shows might be shaking their heads at the notion no new television programs are in the works. These fans should be thankful Netflix is taking the slow road approach.....even if others are not doing the same.

The big fear everyone has (or should have) about comic book movies and television shows is audiences are going to burn out on them. An audience is always going to exist for superhero programs. How large that audience is depends on a number of factors. Does the program have mainstream or niche appeal? Based on TV ratings and box office results, the interest in superhero (and other comic book-related properties) remains high.  Overexposure and "too much of the same stuff" syndrome are factors that are likely to chip away at audience size. People do end up getting bored and wanting something different. Slowing down the flow of comic book properties - as opposed to riding the fad into the ground while its hot - is a better long-term approach.

Netflix is being careful with its properties and is avoiding the urge to rush out three or four series per year. Doing so may help Netflix keep its audience even if the comic book movie/TV show fad slowly starts to decline.

For now, here's The Defenders' teaser:

The Trailers for Netflix's Luke Cage and Iron Fist Debut

Netflix Marvel fans can now catch a glimpse of what to expect from the forthcoming Luke Cage series. The first teaser trailer debuted and its loaded with the cool action and melodrama to be expected. The series isn't Luke Cage's debut as the character (played by Mike Colter) was a memorable supporting member of Marvel's Jessica Jones series.

The character first appeared in Marvel Comics in the early 1970's with Luke Cage: Hero for Hire, a series that started out quite good and then suffered from an uneven direction.

Cage got a silly name change to Power Man and was eventually teamed up with another character whose book was selling poorly, Iron Fist. The Power Man and Iron Fist book was a fun comic that had a decent run from the late 1970's to the mid/late 1980's.

And speaking of Iron Fist.....

Iron Fist was an underrated hero who arrived to cash in on the 1970's Kung Fu movie craze, but did not connect as well as Shang Chi, Master of Kung Fu. An Iron Fist movie first went into development well over 15 years ago, but never materialized. And then along came Netflix.

Moon Knight May Be Headed to Netflix for Supernatural Series

Marvel Comics has launched YET ANOTHER new series featuring Moon Knight.

That is not the big news though. The real big news is the rumors about Netflix launching a Moon Knight television series are not 100% rumor. The streaming service is having such massive success so far Moon Knight, Ghost Rider, and Blade are all in development. ScreenRant has the whole story so far.

All three heroes have something in common: they have a supernatural twist to them. Of the three, Ghost Rider and Blade were featured in hit movie franchises. Moon Knight never had the chance because he is - mostly - a B character.

Moon Knight's Identity Crisis

Marvel's resident Batman Redux has had several different comic book series published featuring him and, while some were uneven, most were actually quite good. The very best Moon Knight tales - IMHO - were published in The Hulk Magazine in the late 1970's/early 1980's. Moon Knight's solo series in the early 1980's was quite good, but did not sell well. Ditto for the cancelled 1990's series. Moon Knight returned in many forms in short-lived and decently written books. The problem with Moon Knight was (and is) the character was way too close to Batman to really stand out on his own.

To separate Moon Knight from Batman, they tweaked his alter ego and gave him three alter egos. In addition to being a reclusive billionaire Steve Grant, the man behind the cape and cowl was also mercenary Marc Spector and a cab driver Jake Lockley.

What is the root of all this alter ego mania? You see, Moon Knight has a split personality disorder. On top of that, he talks to Khonshu, an Egyptian Moon God who grants him special powers. Or Moon Knight could be mentally disturbed and thinks he is talking to Khonshu.

Which Moon Knight though? In addition to "Batman Moon Knight", there is a different Moon Knight who dresses more dapper and has an arrogant personality far removed from the original version of the character.

A lot of game playing with Moon Knight's identity really created a convoluted character with limited sales potential. Moon Knight has a cult following though and Marvel enjoys revisiting the character.

Hopefully, Marvel Studios and Netflix will keep things focused on the early Marc Spector mercenary version of Moon Knight and avoid any Steve Grant/Bruce Wayne/Batman comparisons.

Better yet, Marvel could play up Moon Knight's very early supernatural traits and set the stage for the debut of.......Werewolf by Night. Wishful thinking!

Moon Knight Debuts

Moon Knight's first appearance was in the excellent 1970's Marvel horror comic Werewolf by Knight. The two-part tale (issues #32 and #33) dealt with Moon Knight trying to capture the lycanthrope on behalf of an evil syndicate. A Werewolf by Night movie was planned and, surprisingly, promotional materials were produced announcing the film but nothing came about. Why not bring The Werewolf to Netflix?

During his battle with the werewolf, Moon Knight was scratched (not bitten, scratched) and this led to Moon Knight gaining power and strength proportionate with the cycles of the moon. All that ended up being dropped over time.

Marvel and Netflix could - and should - bring it back for the streaming series because Moon Knight's greatest appeal would be turning him into a hero that walks the tightrope between traditional heroes and traditional horror tales. Ghost Rider and Blade do this to great success.

The Horror Spin

Marvel has created a host of horror and supernatural characters throughout the course of its publishing history. Superheroes are always going to be Marvel's top attractions, but the horror and supernatural characters could be successful if marketed to the right niche.

Netflix has carved out a niche with "earthen" heroes who deal with gritty, real-life problems. Daredevil, The Punisher, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage are not out to save the world. They deal with the microcosm of crime on the harsh street level. Adding MORE characters who do the same thing would risk oversaturation. The impending arrivals of Iron Fist and Shang Chi show Netflix and Marvel understand this. These two heroes represent pure martial arts fantasy, and a move away from Hell's Kitchen.

Opening a new "fan front" with supernatural heroes (and villains) absolutely would be a good move.

The new Moon Knight comic series debuted issue one in April. Sales were in the 67,000 copies range.

Punisher Series Is Greenlit By Netflix

No one should be surprised Netflix has opted to turn The Punisher into a weekly series. Jon Bernthal's performance as Frank Castle during season two of Daredevil clearly impressed fans. A Punisher series was considered even before season two was filmed. Netflix has a ton of Marvel-related ideas in various stages of development including even a possible Moon Knight series. Read the whole story at Entertainment Weekly.


The Punisher may appear on the upcoming Defenders ensemble special series.

The Magical Arrival of the Doctor Strange Trailer

I consider Doctor Strange the most interesting of all the superhero movies slated for a 2016 release. Along with Suicide Squad, Doctor Strange is pretty unique, and unique sometimes comes with questions about ticket sale potential. Suicide Squad features Batman & The Joker so box office gold is pretty much unavoidable for that film - at least for the first two weekends.

The character of Doctor Strange has been around for 50-odd years, but Batman he is not. The big question is can a hero who is so far removed from the typical suit/mask/secret identity mix catch on with mainstream audiences?

The history of Doctor Strange does not reflect a very successful publishing life. In the 1960's, the books Strange Tales and Doctor Strange sold fairly well  as cult publications. Sales on college campuses among the counterculture set were strong due to (misplaced) perceptions of Doctor Strange  being a nod to psychedelic contraband.

Doctor Strange's title was cancelled time and time again over the years even though many of the story arcs were downright excellent. As a supporting character, Doctor Strange has been used quite well. Carrying his own book has proven tough. Can he carry a movie?

Why wouldn't he? Superhero movies are almost like Beatlemania these days.

At this stage, pretty much every hero movie draws people into theaters unless it is exceptionally bad. Fantastic Four pulled in about $50 million despite being a disaster of epic proportions.

Maybe the time is right for a Doctor Strange movie right now. An "atypical" hero could end up being what audiences want. The hunger for more hero fare is out there, but there is probably a want for something different as well.

The Deadpool Movie Reveals An Appropriately Crackpot TV Marketing Campaign

Look for Deadpool movie commercials on Golden Girls reruns and episodes of Teen Mom.

Yeah, the marketing department handling the Ryan Reynolds Deadpool movie have gone as nuts as the "Merc With A Mouth".

All of Viacom is going Deadpool-crazy, too. On Monday February 8th, three solid hours of Deadpool commercials are going to run on Viacom channels such as MTV, VH1, and Spike.

Insanity, they name is Deadpool marketing. Ingenious is another "I word" worthy of being used. Gizmodo has the whole advertising-sordid story.

Deadpool is not going to pull in $200 million. Deadpool the movie is going to be a lot like Deadpool the comic book. The film is sure to have a small, dedicated group of fans. These fans are sure to show up during the debut weekend. Look for them to pay some bucks for DVD/Blu-ray special edition releases. The soundtrack to the movie is probably going to do better than anticipated. Mainstream movie-going audiences might not be so inclined to see a rude, R-rated superhero romp. The crazy advertising blitz may end up generating enough buzz that a few of those mainstream audience members buy tickets.

The over-the-top nature of the ads further the notion Deadpool is crazy with a capital C. C is also the letter "comedy" starts with. Maybe some folks looking for a comedy can end up being lulled into theaters thanks to the wackiness of the Deadpool movie advertising campaign.

20th Century Fox's old-time huckster approach to advertising just might make this film a cult hit.

Deadpool opens on February 12, 2016.

Everything Wrong With The Fantastic Four (2015) In 17 Minutes Or Less Or A Day Or A Week Or More

Whoever said all publicity is good publicity was, well, wrong. There is a lot of publicity motion pictures could do without. Bad reviews are publicity....very, very bad publicity. Bad publicity for the Fantastic Four reboot never ends. A pretty long and mocking video has just gotten a release, and the video is garnering more interest than the film it pokes (mean) fun at.

The one huge benefit of the massive 2015 disaster is the good folks at CinemaSin have created a lengthy (17 MINUTES!) video pointing out all the problems with the film. The indignity that is Fantastic Four continues. The video does condense all the bad reviews the film generated into, yup, 17 minutes.

Are D.C. Comics Movies and Television Shows Dominating Marvel Comics?

"2016. The Year of D.C. Comics."

Based on the sales figures of monthly comic books, that state is not going to be believable. Marvel Comics' sales have been much stronger than what the Distinguished Competition has served up.

The great website CinemaBlend has a great article up highlighting why D.C. Comics is going to edge out Marvel in the live-action realm.

In terms of television shows and motion pictures, D.C. Comics Entertainment is doing extremely well. The Flash, Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow, Gotham, and Supergirl are doing extremely well on the small screen. Batman v. Superman and Suicide Squad should be mega-smashes on the big screen.

Of course, Marvel has Captain America: Civil War, Deadpool, and X-Men: Apocalypse slated for 2016 release. Season 2 of Dardevil is soon to arrive on Netflix.

CinemaBlend is reporting that "social and digital tracking" are showing Suicide Squad and Batman v. Superman are generating way more enthusiasm than the new Captain America and X-Men projects. Maybe a bit of Marvel fatigue has set in.