Comic Book Confidental

[Tryg Helseth]

MARK MAYERSON:

>Comic Book Confidential, a film by Ron Mann, takes the point of view that
>comics are subversive of normal American values.  Mann is in favor of
>these "subversive" attitudes and examines the luridness of golden
>age super hero comics, the EC horror and war titles, the underground
>comics of the '60's and the modern alternative comics scene.

Thanks, Mark, for the background on this film.  I guess when I said it was 
a history of comic books in the US, it wasjust that--"a" history, not 
"the" history. :)   Nits aside, I think your description above is far more 
accurate about it being the story of "subversive attidude" comics. 

>The best thing about the films are the interviews.  Mann's sense of
>history and point of view are highly debatable.  Because mainstream
>Mann's film got lots of good reviews and won several awards.  However,
>lots of informed comics fans and professionals have problems with 
>the film.

I did find the film enjoyable, especially the inteviews, though (as you 
pointed out) Unca Carl was noticably absent from the cast.  The credits at 
the end were blurred and rolled too fast for me to read, but I did see Don 
and Maggie Thompson's names in the credits.  If anyone would have put in a 
plug for Carl Barks, I'm sure they would have.  Like you say, Disney comics 
probably didn't fit the theme of movie (unless Don and $crooge had secret 
lives we don't know about... :) )

TORSTEN ADAIR:

>Disney comics has received very little attention by comic book historians.
>This is due in some part to Disney hiding credits and creators from fans.
>Considering the people featured, Carl Barks was a glaring oversight.

Hiding the creators from the fans (and vice versa) seems to be a trademark 
of Disney.  I was surprised when Disney started publishing the comics that 
they (at last) gave the artists credit.  I listened to an interview with 
Annette Funicello recently; she said that they (the Mouseketeers) never 
knew of the fan mail sent to them.  Years later when she learned about the 
tons of mail, she was told it was kept secret to protect the kids from 
being envious of the one with the the most mail...

Tryg Heseth  <tryve at maroon.tc.umn.edu>

"I wish the all could be Calisota Ducks!" -The Beach Drakes