Comic Books and Their Creators

From comic books, to animation, to nine tenths of all currently produced Hollywood movies, superheroes are everywhere. They’re incredibly popular, and who can blame them? They’re fun, inspiring, and they create onomatopoeias whenever they hit things. And, as luck would have it, here at NFB, we’ve thrown up the signal and found four fantastic films related to the genre.

So, freshly inked off the presses, here is our list of four films that all revolve around the graphic subject matter of comic books and superheroes.

The Devil You Know: Inside the Mind of Todd McFarlane

During the 1990s, Todd McFarlane spawned a craze throughout the comic books industry. Though not without his share of controversies or criticism, the artist and writer helped to define the anti-hero genre that was so prevalent during that era, and contributed to the founding of Image Comics. In The Devil You Know, filmmaker Kenton Vaughan delves deep into the mind of McFarlane, humanizing him, and painting a personal portrait of his life and story

The Devil You Know: Inside the Mind of Todd McFarlane, Kenton Vaughan, provided by the National Film Board of Canada

Kooperman

Dealing with an era obsessed with superheroes but high on apathy, Kooperman is an entertaining comedy that pokes fun at the genre. When the hapless owner of a failing comic book store is given an eviction notice, he must learn to escape his fantasy world and suit up for an adventure to save his real life.

Nothing Sacred

Leaving the realm of superheroes and into the halls of print media. This feature documentary examines famed Montreal political cartoonists and premier satirists Aislin and Serge Chapleau. Throughout the film, we are privy to an intimate look into their lives, their work, their loved ones, and, perhaps most importantly, their favourite targets to lampoon.

Nothing Sacred, Garry Beitel, provided by the National Film Board of Canada

Seth’s Dominion

Gregory Gallant, better known by his pen name, Seth, is the creator, writer and artist of the industry award winning comic book, Palookaville. As reflective and witty as the writer himself, this documentary is an insightful character analysis. Half live-action, half animated, this film blends wonderful visuals with insightful biographical storytelling.

Seth’s Dominion, Luc Chamberland, provided by the National Film Board of Canada