Comic Book Confidential...
Recently, I picked up Comic Book Confidential...
If I include documentaries on animation, then the Pixar Story and the Hand Behind the Mouse would have to take precedence. Comic Books Unbound, which includes some footage from some other documentaries, explores the relationship between Hollywood and the mainstream comic book industry.
I've seen Drawing a Revolution, which delves into the relationship between Hollywood and anime and touches on some of the history and fan interest in anime. I've also seen a variety of behind-the-scenes documentaries of the making of various anime (Steamboy, Metropolis, Satanika, Gunsmith Cats, etc.), but, so far, I haven't come across any really noteworthy anime documentaries that I might want to watch more than once.
Comic Book Confidential is a documentary that touches on some of the work of a handful of mainstream comic book artists, but, spends most of its time delving into the art of a variety of "underground" comic book artists. I've seen this documentary before, but, I can't seem to remember when. Although, I haven't set foot in a comic book shop in a number of years, I still enjoy learning about the history of the comic book industry and lives and work of comic book artists. After Comic Book Superheroes Unmasked and Crumb, Comic Book Confidential is one of my favorite comic book themed documentaries.As Kevin Smith observes in his 2002 introduction to the DVD, Ron Mann's 1989 documentary Comic Book Confidential hasn't lost a bit of its relevance. It emerged as comics were enjoying a popular renaissance, when Frank Miller was redefining the Batman mythos in the mainstream, and scores of independent artists found their unique voices in the burgeoning aftermath of the underground comics explosion of the '60s and early '70s. Mann's irreverent sensibilities are perfectly suited to this graphically kinetic history of comic books from the early '30s to the late '80s, itself presented as a graphic hybrid of comic art, archival footage, and lively interviews. All of the major players are included from each era, and Mann's masterstroke--having latter-day comics innovators read from their work--makes for some delicious storytelling straight from the source.
If I include documentaries on animation, then the Pixar Story and the Hand Behind the Mouse would have to take precedence. Comic Books Unbound, which includes some footage from some other documentaries, explores the relationship between Hollywood and the mainstream comic book industry.
I've seen Drawing a Revolution, which delves into the relationship between Hollywood and anime and touches on some of the history and fan interest in anime. I've also seen a variety of behind-the-scenes documentaries of the making of various anime (Steamboy, Metropolis, Satanika, Gunsmith Cats, etc.), but, so far, I haven't come across any really noteworthy anime documentaries that I might want to watch more than once.
