Guillermo Del Toro, the brilliant director behind Pan’s Labyrinth and the Hellboy feature films is an enigma. He loves comic books, but has no interest in working with them whatsoever.
Sure, he’s adapted the Hellboy books into movies with the help of comic book legend Mike Mignola. He’s also recently announced plans to create a Hulk TV show for Marvel…but why hasn’t he ever written a comic book?
-NOTE: I don’t think he has…he could have, but I can’t find reference on that…let me check.
NOPE, I see no proof lying on the ground outside of my cave that he has ever written a comic book…I just see a frozen squirrel and three feet of snow…and that one snow shoe I found in the forest that I tried to eat. And I broke a tooth. But I digress.
WHY does it matter what the guy writes? BECAUSE of one simple statement he made some time ago and also because of A) recent statements at Conventions and B) the Spike Video Game Awards.
Let’s flash back: Guillermo stated publicly that he believes “video games are the comic books of our time.” He equates the struggle for video games to find acceptance in the mass media as art, as culturally relevant and as worth-while entertainment mirrors video games rise in accessibility, narrative accomplishments and appeal to kids.
Very good points. It should come as no surprise that Guillermo unveiled his brand new video game project on the Spike Network’s broadcast of their VGA show this past weekend. The game will be from THQ in 2013 and is called Insane.
AND NOW A BIT OF PERSPECTIVE
Despite what it may seem, I do research for my columns. I try to find something to say and see what and how others have said it. The video game journalists are off and running with Guillermo’s announcement. Some are calling to task his real commitment to games as an artistic art form. Others are hoping he has the vision and stick-to-it-ness needed to see this vision through.
Is this just Hollywood pandering to its supporters?
BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
My point mirrors theirs: Do the big kids really like what I like, or are they just saying that to get my milk money?
Last week I scribbled about the lack of fresh ideas in comic books, mostly because investors can’t see the return. Guillermo “Hollywood Director” loves comic books enough to adapt them, collect them and generalize about them as an art form but not enough to WRITE ONE? (Again, I admit I need to do more research HERE) Or launch his own title or line?
To say that video games is the comic books of today has one flaw: Comic Books are the comic book of today, a hobby/artform that folks love to adorn with platitudes but very few believe in as relevant or good business.
Let’s face it, fans: Taylor Swift’s “You Belong to Me” is about us! We’re the nice, comfortable girl that cute boy (America) goes back to for comfort while trying to screw the other, prettier girl (Movies, Video Games.)
-Say’s the toothless, shoe eating cave dweller. Brrrr. It’s cold.
