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Comic Book Confidential
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Comic Book Confidential
Comic Book Confidential is a documentary film, released in 1988. Directed by Ron Mann and written by Mann and Charley Lippincott, the film is a survey of the history of the comic book medium in the United States from the 1930s to the 1980s, as an art form and in social context.
The film includes profiles of twenty-two notable and influential talents in the comics field, such as Charles Burns, Art Spiegelman, Françoise Mouly, Frank Miller, Stan Lee, Will Eisner, Robert Crumb, Harvey Pekar and William M. Gaines. In interviews, the creators discuss their contributions and history, and read passages from their works over filmograph animations. Montages of comics through the decades, archival footage of an old 1950s show called Confidential File, and a live-action Zippy the Pinhead are featured.
Ron Mann moved to Hollywood in 1985 following the success of Imagine the Sound and Poetry in Motion, but was $70,000 in debt after the failure of Listen to the City. Mann called Joe Medjuck seeking work and received contract to write three scripts for Ivan Reitman. He was able to pay his debts and had $100,000 in his bank account.
Mann attended a comic book convention at the suggestion of Charley Lippincott. Mann talked to Emile de Antonio and bpNichol about making a film about comic books. Mann was hired to make an electronic press kit for Legal Eagles, after initially proposing to make a documentary about the making of the film. He decided to use the free film stock and crew he was given to interview comic book artists in New York. Universal Pictures was unimpressed with the footage Mann shot and requested that he return the footage. After this he considered making a film about Dario Fo, titled Enemy of the Obvious, and received a $35,000 grant from the Canada Council. However, he decided to not go forward as one of his friends made a film about the San Francisco Mime Troupe and gave back the grant.
Mann returned to the comic books concept and the first investment was USD$5,000 from Feiffer's Swan Foundation, which later invested another USD$5,000. The Canada Council gave him a $35,000 grant. He planned on proposing a half-hour documentary to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and asked Don Haig to produce it, but Haig derided the project and asked "who reads comic books?". Haig agreed to produce, but they decided to expand the length of the film after conducting research.
Telefilm Canada's Theatrical Fund only gave grants to fictional films. Mann instead had to apply for the Broadcast Fund, which required a Canadian broadcaster to purchase the film's broadcast license for 25% of its budget. Mann initially budgeted the film at $360,000 and sold the license to Citytv for $90,000, which would be paid in installments over the 48 months after the completion of the film. The film was required to be completed by September 1987. The Ontario Film Development Corporation initially planned to give $25,000 in equity and $90,000 for interim financing, but invested $115,000 directly instead due to the Citytv license's long payment timetable. Martin Harbury was hired as an executive producer at the request of Telefilm.
Mann sold the theatrical distribution rights to Cineplex Odeon Films for a minimum guarantee of $200,000 and an advance of $40,000. He selected Cineplex Odeon as he liked P4W: Prison for Women, another documentary they distributed.
The film's budget in 1986 was $500,000 with $141,000 coming from Telefilm, $115,000 from the OFDC, $40,000 from the Canada Council, $40,000 from Cineplex-Odeon, and $25,000 in deferrals. However, the budget rose to $700,000 due to production delays and was paid by Mann taking $200,000 in debt. Mann took a $25,000 loan from Marvin Pludwinski and sold his equity to Pludwinski for another $25,000.
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Comic Book Confidential
Comic Book Confidential is a documentary film, released in 1988. Directed by Ron Mann and written by Mann and Charley Lippincott, the film is a survey of the history of the comic book medium in the United States from the 1930s to the 1980s, as an art form and in social context.
The film includes profiles of twenty-two notable and influential talents in the comics field, such as Charles Burns, Art Spiegelman, Françoise Mouly, Frank Miller, Stan Lee, Will Eisner, Robert Crumb, Harvey Pekar and William M. Gaines. In interviews, the creators discuss their contributions and history, and read passages from their works over filmograph animations. Montages of comics through the decades, archival footage of an old 1950s show called Confidential File, and a live-action Zippy the Pinhead are featured.
Ron Mann moved to Hollywood in 1985 following the success of Imagine the Sound and Poetry in Motion, but was $70,000 in debt after the failure of Listen to the City. Mann called Joe Medjuck seeking work and received contract to write three scripts for Ivan Reitman. He was able to pay his debts and had $100,000 in his bank account.
Mann attended a comic book convention at the suggestion of Charley Lippincott. Mann talked to Emile de Antonio and bpNichol about making a film about comic books. Mann was hired to make an electronic press kit for Legal Eagles, after initially proposing to make a documentary about the making of the film. He decided to use the free film stock and crew he was given to interview comic book artists in New York. Universal Pictures was unimpressed with the footage Mann shot and requested that he return the footage. After this he considered making a film about Dario Fo, titled Enemy of the Obvious, and received a $35,000 grant from the Canada Council. However, he decided to not go forward as one of his friends made a film about the San Francisco Mime Troupe and gave back the grant.
Mann returned to the comic books concept and the first investment was USD$5,000 from Feiffer's Swan Foundation, which later invested another USD$5,000. The Canada Council gave him a $35,000 grant. He planned on proposing a half-hour documentary to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and asked Don Haig to produce it, but Haig derided the project and asked "who reads comic books?". Haig agreed to produce, but they decided to expand the length of the film after conducting research.
Telefilm Canada's Theatrical Fund only gave grants to fictional films. Mann instead had to apply for the Broadcast Fund, which required a Canadian broadcaster to purchase the film's broadcast license for 25% of its budget. Mann initially budgeted the film at $360,000 and sold the license to Citytv for $90,000, which would be paid in installments over the 48 months after the completion of the film. The film was required to be completed by September 1987. The Ontario Film Development Corporation initially planned to give $25,000 in equity and $90,000 for interim financing, but invested $115,000 directly instead due to the Citytv license's long payment timetable. Martin Harbury was hired as an executive producer at the request of Telefilm.
Mann sold the theatrical distribution rights to Cineplex Odeon Films for a minimum guarantee of $200,000 and an advance of $40,000. He selected Cineplex Odeon as he liked P4W: Prison for Women, another documentary they distributed.
The film's budget in 1986 was $500,000 with $141,000 coming from Telefilm, $115,000 from the OFDC, $40,000 from the Canada Council, $40,000 from Cineplex-Odeon, and $25,000 in deferrals. However, the budget rose to $700,000 due to production delays and was paid by Mann taking $200,000 in debt. Mann took a $25,000 loan from Marvin Pludwinski and sold his equity to Pludwinski for another $25,000.