In this recent post about the spec script market, I posited this that it would behoove someone to compare the sales of spec scripts to graphic novels and comic books. Well, that someone turned out to be me. From the always excellent site DoneDealPro, the results of a search for graphic novels and comic books sold in 2010:
GRAPHIC NOVELS (16)
Title: Too Cool to Be Forgotten
Logline: A fortysomething father of two undergoes hypnosis therapy to quit smoking, only to transport back to 1985 and his formative years as a gangly, awkward teenager.
Writer: Alex Robinson (author)
Prod. Co: Likely Story
Genre: Science Fiction Comedy Drama
Logged: 1/14/2010
More: Graphic novel published by Top Shelf. Anthony Bregman will produce.
Title: Fire
Logline: A college student is recruited by the CIA, only to find that he has been trained for a program that creates expendable agents.
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Prod. Co: Original Film Circle of Confusion Productions Alchemy Entertainment
Genre: Spy Thriller
Logged: 1/27/2010
More: To be adapted from Bendis’ graphic novel which is published by Image Comics. Original’s Neal Moritz and Circle of Confusion’s David Engel will produce. Zac Efron and Alchemy Entertainment’s Jason Barrett will executive produce. Zac Efron will star.
Title: X Diary
Logline: A 26-year-old cartoonist with a fiery temper breaks up with her easygoing musician boyfriend. They decide to stay friends, even though they still have feelings for each other.
Writer: Kevan Peterson
Prod. Co: Netcomics
Genre: Drama
Logged: 3/15/2010
More: Based on the manhwa (Korean graphic novel) by Toma. Netcomics’ Soyoung Jung will produce. Kalman Apple will direct. The film is budgeted at $10 million.
Title: Incognito
Logline: Zack Overkill enters the witness protection program after testifying against his boss, Black Death. He’s forced to take a drug that strips him of his powers, but he regains his strength when he experiments with new drugs. Soon he’s a masked vigilante fighting villains.
Writer: Robert Schenkkan
Agent: Dave Wirtschafter
Agency: WME
Manager: Jimmy Miller
Mngmnt Firm: Mosaic Media Group
Studio: Twentieth Century Fox
Prod. Co: Chernin Entertainment Circle of Confusion Productions
Genre: Action
Logged: 4/30/2010
More: To be adapted from Ed Brubaker’s graphic novel. Peter Chernin and David Engle will produce.
Title: Meet the Haunteds
Logline: A family moves into a recently revitalized area of Harlem to find their new home is haunted by an African-American family that has been there since the 1970s and has no idea how much the world has changed.
Writer: Chris Wichtendahl (creator)
Prod. Co: Platinum Studios Rumpus Entertainment
Genre: Horror Comedy
Logged: 5/4/2010
More: Upcoming graphic novel to be published by Platinum. Platinum’s Scott Mitchell Rosenberg and Rumpus’ Steve Carr & Jason Taragan will produce. Randy Greenberg will executive produce.
Title: Black Pearl
Logline: An ordinary man saves a woman from abduction then finds himself at the center of a media frenzy as he steps into the role of costumed crusader for justice.
Writer: Mark Hamill Eric Johnson Paul Tamasy
Prod. Co: Berkeley Square Films
Genre: Action Thriller Drama
Logged: 5/17/2010
More: Based on Hamill & Johnson’s graphic novel published by Dark Horse Comics. Paul Tamasy will produce. Mark Hamill will also direct.
Title: 3 Story: the Secret History of the Giant Man
Logline: A giant man’s strange medical condition causes continuous growth. Three women — his mother, wife and daughter — are part of his journey from birth to his eventual three-story height.
Writer: Dustin Lance Black
Agency: Creative Artists Agency
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Prod. Co: Dark Horse Entertainment
Genre: Fable
Logged: 6/2/2010
More: To be adapted from Matt Kindt’s Dark Horse Comics graphic novel. Dark Horse’s Mike Richardson will produce. Dark Horse’s Keith Goldberg will executive produce. Warner’s Lynn Harris & Matthew Milam will oversee. Black will also direct.
Title: Tales From the Farm
Logline: Described as a quirky dramedy with a ice hockey angle.
Writer: John Carr
Prod. Co: Rhythm & Hues Studios
Genre: Drama Comedy
Logged: 6/9/2010
More: Adapted from Jeff Lemire’s graphic novel. Steven Gilder and Alec Chorches will produce. Lemire will executive produce. This will be live-action film with some CG elements.
Title: Legends
Logline: After the remains of Pinocchio are discovered, Red Riding Hood, now a noted wolf hunter, and Jack the Giant Killer partner to discover who is murdering the creatures of folklore all of whom are supposed to be protected by a charm that renders them almost immortal. Along the way, they are assisted by Goldilocks, a mercenary, and Hansel & Gretel, now psychic exterminators.
Writer: Nick Percival (creator)
Prod. Co: Imagine Entertainment Radical Pictures
Genre: Dark Fantasy
Logged: 6/17/2010
More: Graphic novel published by Radical Comics. Imagine’s Ron Howard an& Brian Grazer and Radical’s Barry Levine will produce. No screenwriter is attached yet.
Title: Damaged
Logline: Two brothers have been committed to justice in different ways — one inside the law, one violently beyond it. Now with the end of their careers approaching, they must train their replacements, hoping to remake them in their image. But the vigilante code has changed and the brothers are left unprepared for the true lawlessness and corruption that is about to be unleashed.
Writer: Michael Schwarz (creator) John Schwarz (creator) David Lapham (creator)
Prod. Co: Radical Pictures Full Clip Productions
Genre: Action Drama
Logged: 7/1/2010
More: Graphic novel. Full Clip’s Michael Schwarz & John Schwarz and Radical’s Barry Levine will produce. Full Clip’s Sam Worthington and Radical’s Jesse Berger will executive produce.
Title: Earp: Saints for Sinners
Logline: Set in the future, famous gunslinger Wyatt Earp takes on outlaws in a ravaged society where the only boomtown left is Las Vegas.
Writer: Matt Cirulnick
Agency: WME
Studio: DreamWorks Pictures
Prod. Co: Mandeville Films Radical Pictures Stars Road Entertainment
Genre: Science Fiction Western
Logged: 7/20/2010
More: To be adapted from a Radical graphic novel, created by Matt Cirulnick and Mandeville’s David Manpearl. It was written by Cirulnick and M. Zachary Sherman with illustrations by Mack Chater and Martin Montiel. Radical’s Barry Levine, Mandeville’s David Hoberman & Todd Lieberman and Stars Road’s Josh Donen will produce. Matt Cirulnick and Radical’s Jesse Berger & David Manpearl will executive produce. Sam Raimi will direct. Dreamwork’s Mark Sourian & Jonathan Elrich will oversee.
Title: Xerxes
Logline: Revolves around Themistocles and the Battle of Artemisium, which coincidentally happens on the exact same three days as the Battle of Thermopylae. Before the Battle of Marathon Themistocles discovers that Persians are invading again.
Writer: Zach Snyder Kurt Johnstad
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Genre: Action Fantasy
Logged: 7/21/2010
More: Prequel to “300.” To be based on Frank Miller’s graphic novel.
Title: A Contract With God
Logline: Set in a Bronx tenement in the 1930s, a man, who made a deal with the Almighty that he would do his best in life and God should look out for him in return, feels no longer bound by the deal after his adored adopted daughter dies suddenly; an out-of-work bookkeeper finds he can earn a few thrown pennies singing in the allies of tenement buildings; an authoritarian German building superintendent learns about not messing with Lolitas when they come a-calling; and young city-dwellers escape to the Adirondacks in the summer, searching for social and financial advancement through marriage.
Writer: Darren Dean
Prod. Co: Eisner Studios, Inc., Will
Genre: Drama
Logged: 7/26/2010
More: To be based on Will Eisner’s graphic novel. Darren Dean will also produce. Bob Schreck and Michael Ruggiero will co-executive produce. Tommy Oliver will co-produce. Mark Rabinowitz will associate produce. Alex Rivera, Tze Chun, Barry Jenkins and Sean Baker will each direct a segment.
Title: Boilerplate: History’s Mechanical Marvel
Logline: In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the world’s first robot fights alongside Teddy Roosevelt and Lawrence of Arabia, journeys to the South Pole and is involved in the silent movie business before disappearing on the battlefields of World War I.
Writer: Paul Guinan (creator) Anina Bennett (creator)
Agent: Bernadette Baker-Baughman Bernadette Baker-Baughman
Agency: Baker’s Mark Literary Agency Baker’s Mark Literary Agency
Mngmnt Firm: Mosaic Media Group Mosaic Media Group
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Prod. Co: Bad Robot
Genre: Science Fiction Action Adventure
Logged: 7/29/2010
More: Graphic novel-picture book published by Abrams Image. J.J. Abrams will produce. Guinan originally pitched the concept and character via a website 11 years ago when trying to drum up interest in a graphic novel.
Title: Lore
Logline: A young man reluctantly becomes a member of an elite secret order charged with protecting humanity from the beasts of folklore who invade our world.
Writer: Cory Goodman Jeremy Lott
Agency: WME Paradigm (LA)
Mngmnt Firm: Aperture Entertainment Aperture Entertainment
Prod. Co: Mad Chance Circle of Confusion Productions
Genre: Action Fantasy
Logged: 7/30/2010
More: To be based on the graphic novel created by Ashley Wood and T.P. Louise and published by IDW Publishing. Mad Chance’s Andrew Lazar and Circle of Confusion’s Rick Jacobs will produce. IDW’s Ted Adams and Wood will executive produce. Cory Goodman will also co-produce.
Title: Oblivion
Logline: Set on a future Earth, civilization lives above the clouds and scavengers collect ancient artifacts from the polluted surface below. An earthbound soldier, who is stuck there repairing drones that patrol and blast a savage alien life form, encounters a beautiful woman who crashed in a craft and they have an experience that forces him to question his world view.
Writer: Joseph Kosinski (creator)
Agency: Verve Talent and Literary Agency
Manager: Michael Sugar & Bard Dorros
Mngmnt Firm: Anonymous Content
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Prod. Co: Radical Pictures Anonymous Content
Price: Mid six against seven figures
Genre: Science Fiction Adventure
Logged: 8/4/2010
More: Graphic novel to be published by Radical this fall. Joseph Kosinski and Radical’s Barry Levine will produce. David Fincher, Dave Morrison and Radical’s Jesse Berger will executive produce. Kosinski will direct. First announced in July 2009.
COMIC BOOKS (10)
Title: Man of Steel
Logline: Superman battles arch-nemesis Lex Luthor and super villain Brainiac.
Writer: David Goyer
Agency: Creative Artists Agency
Law Firm: Bloom Hergott Deimer Rosenthal LaViolette Feldman Schenkman & Goodman
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Prod. Co: Legendary Pictures
Genre: Action
Logged: 2/25/2010
More: Based on the Superman comic books and franchise.
Title: Beyond
Logline: A businessman’s wife disappears while on a family holiday to India. His search for her is guided only by the sound of her cries for help from the ether.
Writer: Deepak Chopra
Prod. Co: Liquid Comics
Genre: Supernatural Thriller
Logged: 3/4/2010
More: Based on the comic book by Chopra. John Garland, Michael Dufficy and Liquid Comics’ Gotham Chopra & Sharad Devarajan will produce. Suri Krishnamma will direct.
Title: Existence 2.0
Logline: An amoral, self-absorbed physicist finds his consciousness transferred into the body of the hitman who just killed him.
Writer: Miles Millar Alfred Gough
Agency: Creative Artists Agency Creative Artists Agency
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Prod. Co: Platinum Dunes Circle of Confusion Productions
Genre: Action
Logged: 3/16/2010
More: To be based on the comic book written by Nick Spencer with art by Ronald Salas and published by Image’s Shadowline imprint. Platinum’s Michael Bay, Andrew Form & Brad Fuller and Circle’s David Alpert will produce. Gough, Millar and Circle’s Rick Jacobs will executive produce.
Title: Blood of the Innocent
Logline: In Victorian London, Dracula takes on Jack the Ripper, who is the psychotic Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence.
Writer: Bill Marsilii
Agency: Creative Artists Agency
Law Firm: Lichter, Grossman, Nichols, Adler & Feldman
Prod. Co: Circle of Confusion Productions
Genre: Horror Action
Logged: 6/11/2010
More: Pitch. To be based on the comic book by Mark Wheatley & Rickey Shanklin, with art by Marc Hempel and Wheatley. Circle of Confusion’s David Alpert will produce. Breck Eisner will possibly direct.
Title: Astro City
Logline: The metro area of Astro City is a mecca for super-powered beings, largely because Air Ace, the first public super-hero and a decorated veteran, established residency there shortly after World War I. Stories are told from the vantage point of the heroes and villains, as well as the humans who get caught between them. Heroes range from Samaritan, The Hanged Man, The Apollo Eleven–a group of astronauts mutated during a moon landing–to Winged Beauty, a feisty feminist who always saves women first.
Writer: Kurt Busiek
Manager: Nick Harris
Mngmnt Firm: Mosaic Media Group
Prod. Co: Working Title Films
Price: Seven figures
Genre: Science Fiction Action
Logged: 7/21/2010
More: To be adapted from his own comic book series co-created and illustrated by Brent Anderson with character designs and painted covers by Alex Ross. Working Title’s Tim Bevan & Eric Fellner will produce. Ben Barenholtz, Kurt Busiek and Jonathan Alpers will executive produce.
Title: The Strange Case of Hyde
Logline: Set in the Victorian-era, Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde goes head-to-head against a historical villain.
Writer: Cole Haddon
Agency: International Creative Management
Mngmnt Firm: Anonymous Content
Prod. Co: Skydance Productions Gordon Company, Mark Dark Horse Entertainment
Genre: Action Adventure
Logged: 7/21/2010
More: Upcoming comic book from Dark Horse. Mark Gordon, Skydance’s David Ellison and Dark Horse’s Mike Richardson & Keith Goldberg will produce. Skydance is financing development.
Title: The Untamed
Logline: A man is released from hell and given seven days to reap the seven souls that murdered him and his family.
Writer: Sebastian A. Jones
Prod. Co: Independent producer(s) Pantheon Entertainment Boom! Studios
Genre: Dark Fantasy
Logged: 7/22/2010
More: Based on his comic book which was published by Stranger Comics. Lloyd Levin and Andrew Sugerman will produce. Andrew Cosby will direct.
Title: Dan Dare
Logline: Centers on Colonel Daniel McGregor Dare, a gallant chief pilot of the Interplanet Space Fleet.
Writer: Frank Hampson (creator)
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Prod. Co: Thunder Road Films Lin Pictures
Genre: Science Fiction
Logged: 7/23/2010
More: British comic book character which first appeared in 1950. Thunder Road’s Basil Iwanyk will produce. Colin Frewin and Dan Lin will executive produce. Sam Worthington will star. Warner’s Sara Schecter, Ollie Madden & Matt Milam and Thunder Road’s Kent Cubena will oversee.
Title: The Unknowns
Logline: While living a seemingly ordinary life Alexis Davenport discovers she was actually once the highly skilled and deadly leader of a mysterious team called The Unknowns and must learn the secret of why her memories were erased and by who.
Writer: Mark A. Altman (creator) Steve Krozere (creator) Monica Olsen (creator)
Prod. Co: Rat Entertainment
Genre: Action
Logged: 7/27/2010
More: Comic book from Femme Fatales Comics. Rat’s Brett Ratner will produce. John Cheng will executive produce and oversee for Rat.
Title: Mage
Logline: Kevin Matchstick, an alienated young man, discovers he has superhuman abilities, gains a magic baseball bat and defeats the evil plans of a being called the Umbra Sprite.
Writer: Matt Wagner (creator)
Prod. Co: Independent producer(s)
Genre: Action Adventure
Logged: 8/3/2010
More: Comic book, 15 book collection. Lloyd Levin and Andrew Cosby will produce. Last set up in August 2002 at Spyglass.
That’s 26 graphic novels and comic books sold in 2010 compared to 33 spec scripts.
One other thing leaps out: The name Radical Pictures which is producing 4 of its graphic novels. And who is Radical? From their website:
WELCOME TO THE RADICAL UNIVERSE.Our Universe embodies the concepts and stories from the top talent in all realms of entertainment and media.
Radical Publishing is committed to creating quality published works featuring character-driven storylines that truly reflect the creators’ vision. Our goal is to captivate the hearts and minds of our fans and carry our audiences on a ride through our Universe that varies from mythological and iconic tales to genre-based crime, science fiction, supernatural, horror and fantasy themes. Differentiating itself by utilizing a range of unique painted techniques for both our cover and interior illustrations, this painted stylization positions Radical’s products as premium brands in both the direct sales and mass markets. Radical aims to create and brand high concepts that leave lasting impressions as we strive to create a library of work that will stay in print for many years to come.
“character-driven storylines… mythological and iconic tales to genre-based crime, science fiction, supernatural, horror and fantasy themes… aims to create and brand high concepts.”
Sounds like a solid business plan to me.
Who’s a big fan of Radical? What’s your take on why they’re successful? Where do screenwriting chops fit into the graphic novel and comic book world?
I am a longtime comic book reader as well as analyst and podcaster. I have spent a great deal of time over the last 5 years close to the comic book industry. With that information, I say the following without malice, but as an honest, educated opinion.
Radical is one of the least successful comic book publishers when it comes to selling comic books. Their work is created for no other reason than to be optioned. They do not create comic books, they create pitch material. I've been buying comics for over 25 years and I have never purchased a Radical comic.
Obviously it has worked for them, but I doubt we will ever see an actual film from any of their optioned products.
Radical did do Last Days of American Crime, which is fabulous, but so much of their work is not stellar (not the stories or the art), and sometimes not even original (Gene Simmon's son got tagged for plagiarism (Radical very quickly responded and pulled his work)). Any work involving a celebrity is likely published by Radical.
Possibly best work (if measured by emotive power) on that list is 3 Story (artist and writer, Matt Kindt, what a talent), though I don't know that I need to see it in film (too darn poignant; internal/external conflict? disassociation). There's some other very good work on the list, and some not so good work. All in all, it seems an influx of original stories into Hollywood can only be good. And yay Matt Wagner! (He did Mage (writing and art) in college (classmate of my darling), so nice to see a film may come of it.)
Thank you for this list, Scott!!
Since the summer of Batman in '89, people have been recognizing that publishing comics and graphic novels are a brilliant and cheap way of securing part [or sometimes all] of the rights to exciting new IP.
Regrettably, comics have a work for hire history that means all often brilliant talents have signed away their creations for a paycheck. You only need to look at the long list of lawsuits for character rights to iconic US superheroes to see what's at stake and the bitterness the IP land grab has caused.
Latterly, companies like Radical and Platinum have set themselves up with the specific aim of commissioning material with cross-media exploitation potential. Graphic novels get optioned for films long before they ever get published – if they ever get published. Cue big announcement, usually just in time for Comic-Con.
It'd be fascinating to track how many of the projects you've listed ever make it to a screen.
From the film side of things, I was just going to add that the production company arm of Radical actually hasn't had anything made yet.
Out of all those on the list, I'd bet on Saints for Sinners making it through the development wilderness. Barry Levine is producing that one (exec at Radical), but I'm not sure Radical is technically carrying that one. Legends and Damages have sold pretty recently, and I think Legends has a script in.
Whether or not all of these will go through to production, who knows. Unlikely, I would think, but I might go out on a limb and say that graphic novel/comic book adaptations probably have a better track record of going from "rights sold" to "filmed" than most other properties. Look at any big producer or production company's slate and there will be about 15-30 projects that have "optioned properties" or "pitch" as their status. 90 percent of those never see the light of day.
So. Seems like Radical is just playing the odds right now. Not that farming out the hot medium for optioning money is the greatest thing in the world, but I have to say that I prefer that to studios getting so scared all they can do is pick through their own catalogs and remake movies that were shitty in the first place.
Hi guys. Looking for some advice here. This isn't a pitch, but let me just describe my situation:
My script is very graphic novel-friendly. It's a gritty, urban, paranormal mystery thriller with a NYC homicide detective protagonist, homeless kids, violent Miami street gangs and… well, "paranormal beings".
So far, the feedback has been that it's very four-quadrant (is it still okay to use that term?). It's placing well in contests and professional feedback (Pilar Alessandra) has been extremely positive.
I've contemplated trying to team up with a local (Boston) comic/graphic novelist – to either create some pages to use as pitch material, or try to create a "backdoor" into film (i.e. create the full graphic novel and hope that it gets discovered by the film industry).
So my question is:
For material such as this, would it be best to continue along the traditional screenplay route (i.e. contests and queries, and rewrite, rewrite, rewrite) and try to get it optioned/bought? Or might I have better luck going the "graphic novel" route?
Thanks.
The projects seem interesting. But what is depressing about this list is the lack of female voices. Today women/girls read comic books openly yet it still looks like a fortified boys club. There were only two female names listed and each time they were co-creators along with men. Are there no singular female writers in comics? What about the spec sales? Are those all men, too? Or are the sales more balanced?
It's disheartening in this millennium that male success is so transparent and female success remains mildly opaque. I'm sure there are women involved in those projects behind the scenes, but can't say for certain. In 2010, I'm considering adopting a pen name because from these lists it looks like a woman has no chance. Does anyone know if a female name on the title page negatively affects the reader's opinion?
To everyone who's interested in graphic novels and comic books, I'm trying to line up a Q&A with someone who writes for a comic book company, get their take on things.
@Ron C: Do you mind if I re-post your query as a GITS post? I'm sure there are others in a similar situation. Hopefully we can stir up some responses from people who work in the graphic novel business.
@Brion: Thanks much for your informed take.
Go for it, Scott. I'm really interested to hear responses from those on the inside. Thanks.
Great discussion! I'm glad this topic led me to discover your blog.
One correction: All the press referring to our Boilerplate book as a "graphic novel" is mistaken. It's a book with a lot of graphics in it, but it's decidedly not a graphic novel. You can see examples of the interior layout on our publisher's web site at http://www.abramsbooks.com/Books/Boilerplate-9780810989504.html.
This leaves me wondering why The Hollywood Reporter described it as a "hybrid picture book/graphic novel," a description that has now propagated all over the Web. We did a previous book called Heartbreakers Meet Boilerplate, which combined both forms, so maybe they got the two works confused? Or is everyone in Hollywood just graphic-novel-happy these days?
@januaryfire: Yes, there are women doing comic books (as writers, artists, and as parts of teams), but not so many, and the good ones, like the good men, stand out (and get lots of work). For a writer, Gail Simone comes immediately to mind (god she's good). Simone wrests compelling stories from characters and material that might have been humdrum in someone else's hands (check out Secret Six, so many pleasures, including what she's done with Rag Doll, sublime). And, one of Scott's UCLA students, Lisa Joy, now a TV writer (Pushing Daisies, Burn Notice, fantastic work), is making a foray into comic books (Kick Start).
Also, when talking about comic book readers, keep in mind that the audience is actually tiny (selling 100,000 is a rare home run, and even award winning series like the fabulous Walking Dead (writer Robert Kirkman, soon to be AMC series directed by Frank Darabont) sells only (eg, issue 71) 24,500 copies). And it is mostly men who buy them.
Lots of women bought the Scott Pilgrim comic, but movie was substantially recalibrated (got to make some cuts going from 1500 to 120 pages, so fights kept, relationship stuff cut, time compressed, and Pilgrim's character arc (necessary I think to actually like him) is severely truncated), am curious to see how it will do at box office (theater and dvd) among women.
Keep your name, write fabulous work, the rest will largely take care of itself (fingers crossed). And, very important, get steeped in the history of comics, read a ton of comics, and get familiar with the publishers (what they each like, what their script format is, etc.).
@Anina B: Glad you found the blog, too. Would you mind emailing me? Would like to follow up re "Boilerplate." And congrats!
scottdistillery@gmail.com
Special find (don't come across these often), comic pitch to DC.
Came across link here.