Tag Archives: Will Eisner

Farewell To Two Comic Book Legends…

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December saw the passing of two legends of the comic book world.

Artist Jerry Robinson (born Serrill David Robinson), best known for his creation of Batman villain The Joker in 1940, passed away on December 7. Robinson is also credited with coming up with the name Robin for Batman’s sidekick, as well as contributing to the creation of Bruce Wayne’s butler, Alfred Pennyworth and the scarred villain Harvey Dent/Two-Face. He was a strong advocate of creators’ rights and was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2004.

Just one week later, on December 14, Joseph Henry “Joe” Simon, the co-creator (along with comic legend Jack Kirby) of Captain America also passed away. In addition to creating the Star Spangled Hero, Simon also worked for DC Comics on such titles as Sandman, Newsboy Legion and Manhunter as well as Captain Marvel for Fawcett Comics. Working with Kirby, Simon also pioneered the Romance and Horror comic genres. Simon was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1999.

The book’s always better… or is it?

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Have you noticed how many popular novels are being made into films this year? Angels and Demons, based on Dan Brown’s popular Robert Langdon series started the year off with a blockbuster film from a bestseller book.  Oddly enough the book is set prior to the events is The Da Vinci Code, but the film is made as a sequel. 

If thrillers weren’t your thing, ever popular Jodi Picoult had her first novel to film treatment with My Sister’s Keeper just a few months back.  Shortly after, Sophie Kinsella’s Confessions of a Shopaholic also came to the screen starring Australia’s Isla Fisher. This film was a reasonable box office success, but panned by the critics. Audrey Niffennegger’s The Time Traveler’s Wife has just been released starring another Aussie, Eric Bana, and whilst we are on the Aussie theme, Maurice Sendak’s timeless children’s classic, Where the Wild Things Are which was filmed in and around Melbourne will be released next month. Most of this feature was actually filmed in 2005 but has been in what they call ‘development hell’ until this year.

If Graphic Novels are your thing, the very popular Will Eisner series The Spirit was released as a film this year, but has unfortunately been tagged one of worst films of 2009.

But wait there’s more!

Dickens’ classic, A Christmas Carol has had a CGI re-imagining, released just in time for Christmas and to rave reviews. But possibly the most highly anticipated book-to-film event this year is the Twilight sequel, New Moon which was released today across Australia!

There’s plenty I’ve missed, tell us what others you have enjoyed this year or are looking forward to being released in 2010?

Which do you think was better, the book or the film? If you haven’t yet read the book, come to the library, grab a copy and make up your own mind which was better.