Thursday, February 19, 1998
Super Smith to the rescue!
COMIC: Director Kevin Smith broadens his career and renews
public interest in comic books by launching "Clerks. (The Comic
Book)"
His leading man, Ben Affleck, awaits the Oscars to find out if
he will win the prestigious Best Screenplay award for "Good Will
Hunting." His leading lady, Joey Lauren Adams, leaves his crew to
pursue other interests. So, not to be outdone, director/writer
Kevin Smith will soon release a line of … comic books?
"I just always wanted one day to get into writing comics," Smith
explains. "Even before getting into film I was kind of leaning
towards writing comics and this just seemed like the easiest way,
to do something based on the stuff we’ve done."
The comic book series will be based on his debut film, "Clerks,"
which established Smith as a creative force to be reckoned with.
His following films, "Mallrats" and "Chasing Amy," have continued
to bring him success, though neither has yet appeared in comic book
form. His "Clerks" comic hit stores Wednesday – both Smith and his
artist Jim Mahfood will be signing the first issue at the Golden
Apple Comic Book Mega-Store on Melrose Saturday from 2 p.m to
4p.m.
"This is the first time I’ve done a comic book signing," Smith
admits. "I was at the San Diego comic con last year signing posters
and books, like the screenplay book of ‘Chasing Amy’ and ‘Clerks,’
and the response was overwhelmingly positive. We were quite busy
the whole time that we were there."
While the "Clerks" comic will hold most of Smith’s attention at
the moment, a 15-page Jay and Silent Bob comic will soon be
released as well. The piece already appeared last month as part of
an Oni Press anthology titled "The Oni Double Feature," though it
has yet to become the mini-series connecting the end of "Chasing
Amy" to the characters’ arrival on the set of Smith’s film in
progress, "Dogma," which Smith has envisioned. Meanwhile, Smith has
no hesitations about attending comic book conventions in support of
his work.
"The big joke about comic book fans is that you’ll go to a comic
book show with a friend and kind of look down your nose at
everybody and feel like, ‘Look at those fucking geeks,’" Smith
admits. "And across the way, the geeks you’re looking at are
looking at you, going, ‘Look at those fucking geeks.’ Nobody wants
to own up to being what everyone else is, and I don’t know, I kind
of dig on it."
Proclaiming to have enjoyed comics since an early age, only
stopping the obsession in high school because he was "too cool or
something," Smith appreciates the opportunity to be a part of the
process. Though he realizes that many readers may pick up his work
only because of his connection with the film industry, he feels the
connection won’t negate his creative ability. However, it most
probably will lead to a small amount of film fans becoming exposed
to the world of the failing comics industry through Smith’s
efforts.
"In the time I stopped reading comic books to the time I picked
them up again, it’s gotten a hell of a lot more interesting," Smith
says of the comics world. "Writing just became so much better, so
much tighter, so much more literary and adult oriented, that’s the
plus. The drawback is that comics aren’t for kids anymore."
With this realization, the industry has been hurting. No longer
do people like Smith, who grew up on comic books, switch over to
the new lines of adult works with age. Instead, kids reach for the
joystick of their favorite video games, never thinking to check out
a comic book store once they grow into adulthood.
"Video games seem to be more interactive because you’re
controlling everything, but with reading comics it’s like reading
books. It’s more about using your imagination, even though with
comics it’s kind of laid out there for you," Smith claims. "But
comics kind of play with a different side of your brain than video
games do."
However, Smith doesn’t profess to change the world of comics
with his new line. He plans to keep his work on the adult level
that his films have attained. However, he does admit that nowadays,
"your average six-year-old pretty much knows what ‘fuck’
means."
"Growing up with comics, I think it instills a kind of basic
moral barometer between right and wrong," Smith speculates. "It
sounds hokey to say, but you learn in life there are good guys and
bad guys, and you want to be at least a decent guy. I mean, that’s
why I think comics got a lot more interesting in the last 10 years,
because even the good guys are at fault, and it’s easier to relate
to them. It’s not just guys in tights beating the shit out of each
other anymore."
Though he feels the book he’s writing is "a far cry from the
books I usually read," such as Vertigo/DC titles, he thinks the
humor involved will prove it worthy of a good perusal.
Likewise, though his forthcoming film, "Dogma," will stray from
his usual flicks in its ambitiousness, it will maintain Smith’s
dialogue-heavy flair for laughs. Starring Ben Affleck, Matt Damon,
Linda Fiorentino, Chris Rock, Selma Hayek and Alan Richtman, it
will also surprisingly maintain his low budget style.
"Everyone’s pretty much doing it for reduced, reduced rates,"
Smith admits. "You don’t want to get to a place where you’re
forcing your friends into cheap labor all the time, but I think it
depends on the project. What the budget is, if you’re inclined to
doing it and they have the time."
And even though Joey Lauren Adams, his ex-girlfriend and the
star of "Chasing Amy" pulled out of the project at the last minute,
production is still scheduled to take place in March. Ideally, the
writer/
director/comic book author would enjoy living his creative
parallel for as long as possible. Which just may be possible if he
maintains his laid back attitude.
"I don’t know," Smith relates,"I can’t solve the social ills,
man, I just want to tell some funny stories."
COMIC: Kevin Smith and artist Jim Mahfood will be signing the
first issue of their new comic book series at the Golden Apple
Comic Book Mega-Store on Melrose Saturday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
(Top) Kevin Smith (right) will be on Melrose Saturday to sign a
comic book he wrote based on his debut film "Clerks." (Above) A
scene from "Chasing Amy" centers around characters – Silent Bob and
Jay – who work in the comic book industry.
Miramax Films
Kevin Smith gained a cult following with "Clerks."