Comic Book Confidential (1988)

Comic Book Confidential (1988)

As one who has recently become fascinated with the literary possibilities of graphic novels, this dated film on the history of comic books was fascinating to me on many levels. Noteworthy comic artists such as Art Spiegelman, Robert Crumb, and Frank Miller narrate parts of their strips and discuss the role comics have played in American history. They note how fearful the public was about these art forms as they were seen as leading to juvenile delinquency. Listening to the overly dramatic fear mongering, I had to chuckle at people's misunderstanding of the power of this visual storytelling. I also found it interesting the ways superheroes developed in response to the American political scene. When people felt they could trust their president (Kennedy), their superheroes also were trustworthy and the opposite was true when we lost our confidence in them (Nixon).

As fascinating as this documentary was to me for its content, I had trouble being drawn into the way the story was told. At times it seemed choppy and even neurotic. Some of the people interviewed seemed a bit out of touch and saw comics as a way to be subversive and push the limits. They objected to being categorized as only for children. I must admit, though, as I listened to the uphill battle these early artists faced in order to legitimize comics. Today, as comics and their successors, graphic novels are gaining popularity, I am grateful for these pioneers and the sacrifices they made for the art.

People who know comics may get distracted at some of the film's flaws and spotty coverage but it is a good overview of the history of a growing and important medium. This film is informative and interesting and at times entertaining.

1. Storytelling: 8/10

2. Cinematography: 8/10

3. Deeper Meaning: 7.5/10

4. Targeted Audience: Those who are interested in comics

5. Connections to other works and/or ideas: work by Eisner, Spiegelman, and Crumb as well as other graphic artists

6. Quality of Research: 7/10