An in-depth look at the history of comic book shops and how they and the people that run them continue to make a difference. Through interviews with industry professionals and the shop owners themselves, Shopping For Superman, explores the cultural significance and ever evolving relevance of your friendly neighborhood comic shop.
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Comic Book Confidential (1989)
A survey of the artistic history of the comic book medium and some of the major talents associated with it.
The Jodorowsky Constellation (1994)
This documentary depicts the filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky talking about his life, his loves, his career as a filmmaker, graphic novelist, and workshop leader, and his eccentricities including tarot reader and theatrical director during The Panic Movement. Directed by Louis Mouchet, La Constellation Jodorowsky includes a lengthy on-camera interview with Jodorowsky in Spanish with subtitles. Marcel Marceau, Fernando Arrabal, Peter Gabriel, Jean "Moebius" Giraud, and Jean Pierre Vignau make appearances discussing their various projects with the director. In addition to the interview and film clips, Mouchet features some bizarre footage from Jodorowsky’s absurdist plays in which topless women splattered with paint writhe around the stage in a theatrical production meant to represent The Panic Movement, i.e., an artistic expression in which reason cannot fully express the human experience.
Adventures Into Digital Comics (2006)
The film observes the events surrounding the sudden decrease of sales of comic books in the US in the early 90's, followed by the surge of webcomics on the Internet.
Marvel: 75 Years, from Pulp to Pop! (2014)
In celebration of the publisher's 75th anniversary, the hour-long special will take a detailed look at the company's journey from fledgling comics publisher to multi-media juggernaut. Hosted by Emily VanCamp (S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Sharon Carter), the documentary-style feature will include interviews with comic book icons, pop culture authorities, and Hollywood stars. The special also promises an "extraordinary peek into Marvel's future!" Might Marvel release the first official footage from next year's Avengers: Age of Ultron or Ant-Man? If they do, you'll know about it here.
Rude Dude (2014)
Possessed of an incredible artistic talent, Steve Rude is "The Dude," an eccentric personality as colorful as his comic book art. Filmmaker Ian Fischer (Magritte Moment) presents Rude's rise through the comic book world and difficult transition from comic book shops to art gallery walls, made all the more challenging by Rude's battles with mental illness.
Green Lantern: First Flight (2009)
Test pilot Hal Jordan finds himself recruited as the newest member of the intergalactic police force, The Green Lantern Corps.
Turtle Power: The Definitive History of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)
In the spring of 1984, a strange new comic book sat beside cash registers in select shops, too big to fit in the racks, and too weird to ignore. Eastman and Laird's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles presented a completely original breed of super hero. It was too bizarre, too crazy. It broke all the rules and should never have worked. Until it sold out. Again and again and again. For 30 years. Now, peek under the shell and see how this so-called "happy accident" defied every naysayer to become one of the most popular and beloved franchises in the world.
Cool World (1992)
A bizarre accident lands Frank Harris in Cool World, a realm of cartoons. Years later, cartoonist Jack Deebs, who's been drawing Cool World, crosses over as well. He sets his lustful sights on animated femme fatale Holli Would, but she's got plans of her own to become real, and it's up to Frank to stop her.
The Alchemy of Art: David Mack (2007)
This is an in-depth look at the writer and artist David Mack, who Entertainment Weekly designates "One of the true geniuses of the medium."
Telling Stories: The Comic Book Creators (2005)
Hero Video Productions presents a 2-hour DVD packed with interviews with some of the greatest names in comics! Bruce Timm, Greg Rucka, Jimmy Palmiotti, Howard Chaykin, Geoff Johns, Steve Englehart, Trina Robbins, Adam Hughes, and Arnold Drake discuss their work in intimate interviews that reveal the craft and inspiration behind their greatest work. These superstars talk in-depth about their experiences in the industry and how they approach their art. The answers are humorous, insightful, reflective, and instructive, and anyone interested in the creative life will find inspiration in this video. As a special bonus, viewers get to visit Englehart in his studio as he scripts the long-awaited follow-up to his classic run on "Batman". This exciting DVD is from the team behind the highly acclaimed "Terry Moore: Paradise Found" DVD. A must have for any comic fan's shelf!
Comic Book Literacy (2009)
Comic books are a medium as diverse as movies and encourage more thought than video games. Yet this misunderstood medium has always been the dirty little secret of the literature world. From the immigrant who learns English by reading Superman comics to the child who develops a love of literature from the X-Men, comics have kept America reading for decades with fantastic tales, well structured stories and amazing fantasies.
Future Shock! The Story of 2000AD (2014)
A long overdue documentary that tells the story of 2000AD, the unsung cult hero of the comics industry. This film will celebrate and pay respect to the comic and explore its importance and influence on contemporary pop culture.
The Story of Rock 'n' Roll Comics (2011)
Todd Loren, whose scandalous series of unauthorized comic book biographies of rock stars enraged and sometimes charmed his subjects, provoked numerous lawsuit threats from the likes of Bon Jovi, Guns N Roses and Skid Row, and eventually led to a landmark First Amendment case, all before he was savagely murdered in 1992. Includes first hand accounts from many of the artists and writers who were inspired and exploited by Loren, along with interviews with Alice Cooper, Mojo Nixon and more.
Will Eisner: Profissão Cartunista (1999)
Documentary that explores the long and remarkable career of Will Eisner, a pioneering cartoonist whose work continues to have an impact on pop culture around the world. Includes interviews with Ann Eisner, Art Spiegelman, Bill Sienkiewicz, Denis Kitchen, Jerry Robinson, Angeli, Maurício de Souza, Ziraldo, Jano, François Schuiten and many other artists.
Barbara Stok - How to live well (2023)
Documentary about the Groningen comics maker Barbara Stok (1970). She has received worldwide praise for her work for more than twenty years. She knows better than anyone else how to portray philosophical ideas with humor in her books, which are published in many languages. De Volkskrant called her graphic novel 'The philosopher, the dog and the wedding', about the philosopher Hipparchia, one of the best books of 2022. Behind the colorful drawings lies a comic strip creator with a idiosyncratic philosophy of life.
Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (2017)
Based on the bestselling book series, this outrageous comedy tells the story of George and Harold, two overly imaginative pranksters who hypnotize their principal into thinking he’s an enthusiastic, yet dimwitted, superhero named Captain Underpants.
Hooked on Comix - Volume 1 - Life On The Cutting Edge Of An All-American Artform (1994)
"... It's heartening to see so much talent and dedication at work in the under-appreciated medium of personal, as opposed to corporate, comics. I also enjoyed watching so many introverts (I oughta know) squirming in front of the camera, valiantly trying to explain the unexplainable." - Bill Griffith, creator of Zippy the Pinhead
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Super Adventure! (2013)
It's Super Mickey, Wonder Minnie, Super-Power Pup, Super Goof, Dynamo Duck and Upsy-Daisy to the rescue. In an exciting full-length adventure straight out of a comic book, Power-Pants Pete swoops down and starts shrinking everything insight down to teeny-tiny size. To save the day, Professor Von Drake transforms the Clubhouse Gang into super heroes with incredible powers. But Pete's merely a sidekick; a wily villain named Megamort is the true mastermind behind the shrinky-dinky caper. Can our heroes outsmart the bad guys? Only by working together, with help from you... and the right Mouseketools.
8 Arms to Hold You (2004)
An "Ock-umentary" exploring the character of Doc Ock and the way he as well as his tentacles were brought to life on the silver screen.
Celebrating Marvel's Stan Lee (2019)
Filmed in part in front of a live audience at The New Amsterdam Theater in New York City, this Stan Lee tribute takes viewers on an action-packed journey throughout the life of Lee and across the Marvel Universe, sharing never-before-seen interviews and archive footage with Lee himself from deep within the Marvel and ABC News archives.