Comic books are a unique storytelling art form. Words are captured and defined in speech bubbles. Actions are measured and performed in side-by-side panels. Comics are mini motion pictures on the page. The realm of what's impossible becomes possible in the magical realism of pulp fiction.
Superhuman and otherworldly powers remind the reader of what their special skills and traits are. Identity, history, and world-changing abilities are the magnetic draw of the comic book world. These documentaries explore the rich world of comics and their storytellers.
10 The Image Revolution (2014)
The Image Revolution shares the story of seven Marvel Comics artists who started their own comic book publication, Image Comics. The founders included Todd McFarlane (Spider-Man), Jim Lee (X-Men), Rob Liefeld (X-Force), Marc Silvestri (Wolverine), Erik Larsen (The Amazing Spider-Man), Jim Valentino (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Whilce Portacio (Uncanny X-Men).
The comic creators established the company out of need for creator-ownership and compensation. Since its inception in 1992, Image Comics has produced some of the most renowned comic book series by independent creators, such as Spawn and The Walking Dead.
9 Batman & Bill (2017)
Batman & Bill is a documentary about the controversy behind the creation of the DC Comics superhero Batman. Bob Kane has been credited as the sole creator of the masked vigilante. Kane's name appears in the comics and the film adaptations, but most readers aren't aware of the man responsible for the Batman mythos: Bill Finger.
Not only did Finger pen the Batman's capers, but he also designed the costume and look of the character as well. A legal battle to have Finger's name credited for creating Batman in future media soon followed.
8 Comic Book Confidential (1988)
Comic Book Confidential is a documentary collecting the history of the comic book medium between the 1930s and 1980s in the United States. A total of 22 comic creators, like Art Spiegelman, Frank Miller, and Stan Lee, expound on their contributions while their works are showcased in a montage. The film also details the influence comics had on the zeitgeist.
Footage from the 1950s television series Confidential File reports on the dangers of horror comic books and the effect they have on children. Zippy the Pinhead, created by Bill Griffith and pictured above, is also seen in a live-action sequence.
7 Crumb (1995)
Crumb follows the tragic yet spiritual life of underground cartoonist Robert Crumb. Known for his controversial depictions of sexual escapades, Crumb also drew cynical and satirical views of consumerist culture. Comic books, an interest shared with his brothers who suffer from mental illness and epilepsy, were his outlet due to his controlling father and unsupportive sisters. Crumb was a prominent counterculture figure who advocated for art that laid bare the truth.
6 Stripped (2014)
Stripped documents the transition of comic strips from newspapers to the digital era. More than 70 comic creators were interviewed, sharing their thoughts on the decline of newspapers and the future of the comic strip. Bill Watterson, the reclusive creator of Calvin & Hobbes, came out of retirement to draw the film's movie poster and narrate about his time in the industry.
5 She Makes Comics (2014)
She Makes Comics features the history of women in the comic book industry as fans and professional artists. Beginning in the 1930s and 1940s, women broke into the world of comic book making. By the 1970s, underground comics gave a voice to female comic creators.
In the 1980s, mainstream publishers DC Comics and Marvel acknowledged the works of Ramona Fradon and Marie Severin respectively, as well as other women who earned important roles. The film also highlights contemporary female artists for independent comics and webcomics.
4 Chris Claremont's X-Men (2018)
Chris Claremont's X-Men is about the titular comic book writer of the Marvel series, The X-Men. Written between 1974 and 1991, Claremont explored the lives of people who were endowed with powers that made them outliers in society. What were handicaps and scarlet letters soon became empowering forces for good. Claremont saved the X-Men characters from being discontinued early on and turned them into a successful franchise through relatable stories that didn't alienate its readers.
3 The Cartoonist (2009)
The Cartoonist is about Jeff Smith, the creator of the epic comic book saga Bone. He is considered one of America's greatest cartoonists, having drawn and written the entire series. Smith created Bone at a time when comics and graphic novels were becoming accepted by schools, bookstores, and adults as literature. He discusses this paradigm shift in the industry and shares his creative process behind his most popular creation.
2 Tales From the Crypt: From Comic Books to Television (2004)
Tales From the Crypt: From Comic Books to Television tells the origins and controversy of EC Comics, an American publisher of crime fiction, satire, dark fantasy, science fiction, and horror. Their most notable series was in the latter genre, Tales from the Crypt. The series came to an end in the 1950s due to growing claims that the comics were corrupting the youth.
EC Comics was progressive in its storytelling, however, with its themes of social reform and environmentalism. Despite being discontinued, the series found new life in the HBO anthology series Tales from the Crypt.
1 Future Shock! The Story of 2000AD (2014)
Future Shock! The Story of 2000AD is about the weekly British science fiction comic 2000 AD. The comic was born out of a decline in its young readership. Boys were no longer interested in physical comedy or tales of whimsy. As the status quo was challenged and changed during the 1960s and 1970s, 2000 AD became the publication of a satirical and dark future made of art, attitude, and anarchy.
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