“Rob? Rob? Time for breakfast!!!”
[insert squiggly vapor lines and harp sounds]
Oh my! That headline was just a dream! But it is a fairly well-sourced dream. In case you missed yesterday’s blockbuster news, the irrepressible Rob Liefeld took three days out of his schedule to write a screenplay called ICONS about the early days of Image. Hitherto shown only to close friends, the screenplay turned up at the website Dreammoviecast where you can read several sample pages up along with Liefeld’s own dream casting choices. I don’t want to spoil all the surprises but here are two:
Chris Pine as Liefeld!
Joe Manganiello as Marc Silvestri!
Okay if a movie has Joe Manganiello in it, it is also MY dream casting, and that of many others, so mark this one MUST SEE. Anyway, more details in the link, and the wacky story of the Image founders would make a heck of a movie—in fact it IS being a movie, even if only the “as told to type”—Patrick Meaney, who previously made the Warren Ellis and Grant Morrison documentaries, is putting together THE IMAGE REVOLUTION, a documentary on just that very subject. If ICONS with Christian Bale as Todd McFarlane never gets made, this will be the next best thing.
“DouchePool, the Movie!”
Won’t Disney sue over the use of their “Icon” trademark? :)
Is this a TV movie? Because i can’t see a movie studio picking up “The Image Comics story”
So Rob’s going from vanity press to vanity cinema? Maybe there’ll be some dark insights and plot twists… like Rob struggling with his inner demons because he WANTS to be honest about his age and learn how to draw, but realizes that his entire fanbase is utterly invested in the idea that he is a talentless 15 year old just like they are. Should he throw away fame and riches for integrity? LOL
I’m for a HBO series under the premise “a series about the comics industry with a dash of Boardwalk Empire”.
Is that who he honestly thinks could play him or is it more a “Brad Pitt will play me in a movie of my life” kind of thing?
You cant write a movie about yourself. Do you think he’ll write himself as the talentless hack who crashed and burned or the misunderstood and genius artist who peaked too young and all the hate he gets is just the jealousy of spiteful fanboys? He saved the industry, The biggest creator since Stan Lee. The best creator since Alan Moore.
Tbh I kind of hope this happens. It would be awesome to see the kind of bullshit that he comes out with.
ACT I: SCENE 1:
It was a dark stormy night…. We just had our first rocking party after forming Image. Guns & Roses, Too Live Crew all night long. Proving that we had the same instincts all along, both Todd McFarlane and I spotted the last can of what used to be anOld Milwaukee six pack by the fridge. As we both reached for the brew, a conversation began
TMcF: Naw, you can have it Bro
RLdF: Thanks Todd,
TMcF: So I’m launching my new comic tomorrow
RLdFd: Its that about a hell spawn guy who fights and rips apart other hell-spawn guys, with giant teeth, blood and everything.
TdMcF: Yeah sort of
RldFld : Cool, I’m making a team where people have hair like Wolverine, swords like Deathstroke, big chests and hoofed feet. And the jump around and growl a lot.
TMcF: We’re making history …You’re looking good bro, you could be a movie star
RLdfd: I agree, Thanks Todd.
“Only one of them has real talent. The other two are crazy.”
In hindsight, I guess Terry was speaking first of Jim Lee?
Let me also imagine another scene:
IMAGE OFFICES. INT. EVENING.
Alan, Neil, Dave, and Frank walk slowly down the dimly lit hallway. Neil is in the center. Alan walks to the left and Frank on the right. They’re followed up by Dave. Each is wearing a dark trench coat. It’s after hours, dark. The trio moves past the Christmas tree and cleaning crew towards the publisher’s desk.
NEIL: Todd, I came here in person to tell you up close and personal like, that the gravy train has made its last stop. Our four issues on the plantation are over. We are leaving Image comics.
Todd pauses, takes another drag on his cigarette and blows.
TODD: Hey buds. This feels a bit f*****’ rash, eh? Especially considering you haven’t made a dime off your books yet.
NEIL: Yeah, look that’s one of the problems…
TODD: Wait a f*****’ minute, bud…
NEIL: Why do you swear so much, Todd?
TODD: See, bud. I say “f*****'” a lot, because that’s intense, bud. It adds to my enigmatic mystique. Eh?
NEIL: Whatever, Todd. Look, you haven’t paid us. Our books are your best selling Spawn titles of all time. We blow your issues outta the water. It’s not even close.
TODD: And I do thank you Neil. We very much appreciate your contributions to my Spawn mythos.
NEIL: Look, it’s not like I want to own Medieval Spawn, Cogliostro, or Angela. We figured that maybe you could just pay us a reasonable wage.
TODD: Hey, bud. Go f*****’ f*** yourself, you f***. Bud. F***.
NEIL: Okay. What about a simple rights swap? You give me that Miracle Man stuff you bought from Eclipse, and I give you Medieval Spawn, Cogliostro, and Angela — no more strings attached.
TODD: This is really about a f*****’ watch, bud? Is that why we’re here? I ain’t givin’ you no f*****’ watch, bud. And I’m going to f*****’ sue you. Image is f*****’ built on creator ownership, bud. You create it. I own it!
IMAGE OFFICES. THE NEXT DAY. THE IMAGE BOARD ROOM.
TODD: Hey bud.
ROB: Dude.
JIM L: Good morning, Todd.
TODD: Bud.
ROB: Dude.
JIM V: Ciao.
JIM L: Hi Jim.
TODD: Bud.
ROB: Dude.
ERIK: Hide-el-ee Ho!
TODD: Bud.
ROB: Dude.
JIM L: Hello.
JIM V: Ciao.
WHILCE: Hey guys.
TODD: Bud.
ERIK: Hide-el-ee ho.
ROB: Dude.
JIM V: Ciao.
JIM L: Good morning.
MARC: ‘Sup, bitches.
TODD: Bud.
ROB: Dude.
JIM V: Ciao.
WHILCE: Hey.
ERIK: Hidey ho.
SECRETARY: Has everyone met each other?
TODD: Bud?
ROB: Dude?
TODD: Hey, buds. I f*****’ called this f*****’ meeting to talk about the nerve of those f***** asking me about “creators rights.”
All in unison: Those books are selling mad numbers! What, we’re going to cut them a royalty check for their work?
TODD: F*** NO! We’re going to f*****’ sue Neil’s ass, buds!
Silly but true.
I cannot imagine anything more boring than a movie about people who write comics. There is a reason you write comics and it’s not to be in movies or have movies made about you. Unless you are Jack Kirby, that would be okay.
Actually, I’m kind of liking where this script is going…. I see there are much better writers on here than me (or Lefield) that can take it to interesting places.
Regarding comics business as movies. One could say the same thing about Facebook. but that was pretty entertaining and interesting movie because of the contrasts. And I didn’t expect that because FB is so antithetical to my interests. Jack Kirby may be too salt of the earth to be entertaining on film ( excluding his imagination and WW2 days) I wished there was more in the Sean Howe book about the matter/antimatter relationship between Stan Lee & Steve Ditko that produced one of comics most electric and artistic runs, and maybe the few things worth revisiting in the 60s . There hasn’t been many fun movies about the 90’s, so the Image guys might be good candidates for framing all that. Its what the director & writer do with the material that has possibilities. Mad Men, Iron Chef (Japan), the Office, all everyday or less glamorous can be made interesting and dynamic under the right vision,..even making comics,.The pursuit of craft and riches in a sea of egos and corporate interests has more than enough dramatic & funny material, the field is just a color choice.
“I cannot imagine anything more boring than a movie about people who write comics.”
I’m guessing you have seen neither the American Splendor adaption, nor the documentary Crumb. :)
A story about the comics industry can happen but don’t just focus on Image. Around this time was also the rise of manga and the graphic novel. the Image Founders, Stu Levy, Robert Kirkman, Penny Arcade, Gary Groth, Mark Siegel, and other publishers contributed to the current age of comics. forming a story around all these perspectives would be much more interesting. still think this more TV appropriate.
Comics: a film by Ken Burns.
@Serhend Sirkecioglu: Wasn’t Robert Kirkman like 12 when image was founded?
And that is far too much for a movie. Unless it was a documentary
I retract my previous statement. Jason A. Quest is correct. I just rarely include Liefeld and Harvey Pekar in my mind at the same time.
i would like to see this. i remember back in the early 90’s when the whole comic business hit a brick and a lot of talent left to form or go to image. they did what they felt needed to be done at the time. if you created a character for marvel or dc that company owned your character that you designed and made up. sorry if so many people think it was dumb or stupid for these guyes to go out on their own and take comics to where i think it should have been at the time (creator owned) but i think over the years it did make a statement
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