Comic Book: The Movie (2004) (V)

Director:

Mark Hamill

Release Date:

27 January 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Hollywood invaded the Comic Book World... Now the real Comic Book Heros are striking back!

Plot:

The relationship between Hollywood and comic book culture is lambasted in this mockumentary as a beloved heroic character is rung through the studio system.

Plot Keywords:

Comic Book | Convention | Mockumentary | Hugh Hefner | Fandom

Awards:

3 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Mark Hamill	...	Donald Swan
Donna D'Errico	...	Liberty Lass / Papaya Smith
Billy West	...	Leo Matuzik
Joseph Burns	...	Jack Whitney (as Joseph I. Burns)
Roger Rose	...	Taylor Donohue
Jess Harnell	...	Ricky
Lori Alan	...	Anita Levine
Daran Norris	...	Commander Courage / Bruce Easly
Tom Kenny	...	Derek Sprang
Scott LaRose	...	Mac (Comic Store Pal #1)
Gary Anthony Williams	...	Kurt (Comic Store Pal #2)
Arleen Sorkin	...	Ms. Q (studio secretary)
Robert M. Lange	...	Robert Lange
James Arnold Taylor	...	J.T.
Debi Derryberry	...	Debby Newman
Jill Talley	...	Jill Sprang
Jim Cummings	...	Voice of Dr. Cedric Perview
Megan Cornelius	...	Loose Lips Lois (Garage Reporter)
Kevin Michael Richardson	...	Ice Tray
Peter Mayhew	...	Peter Mayhew
David Prowse	...	Dave Prowse
Jonathan Winters	...	Wally (Army Buddy #2)
Tara Strong	...	Hotel Maid (voice)
Gina Gatto	...	2nd Liberty Lass
Tracy Butcher	...	Tracy Butcher
Stan Lee	...	Stan Lee
Peter David	...	Peter David
Kevin Smith	...	Kevin Smith
Ray Harryhausen	...	Ray Harryhausen
Bruce Campbell	...	Bruce Campbell
Matt Groening	...	Matt Groening
Phil Morris	...	Phil Morris
Chase Masterson	...	Chase Masterson
Edd Hall	...	Edd Hall
Gary Owens	...	Gary Owens
J.J. Abrams	...	J.J. Abrams (as Jeffrey Abrams)
Gregory Nicotero	...	Greg Nicotero (as Greg Nicotero)
Beth Hathaway	...	Beth Hathaway (as Beth A. Hathaway)
Paul Dini	...	Paul Dini
Mark Evanier	...	Mark Evanier
Bill Mumy	...	Bill Mumy
Kristine Poplar	...	Kristie Poplar
Scott Shaw	...	Scott Shaw
Bruce W. Timm	...	Bruce Timm
Ron Perlman	...	Ron Perlman
Mike Mignola	...	Mike Mignola
Laura Nativo	...	Laura Nativo
Nathan Kane	...	Nathan Kane
Andy Mangels	...	Andy Mangels
Maggie Thompson	...	Maggie Thompson
Jeremy Bulloch	...	Jeremy Bulloch
Mark Teague	...	Mark Teague
Violet Benny	...	Violet Benny
Zee Miller	...	Zee Miller
Matt Mariska	...	Matt Mariska
Christine Anderson	...	Christine Anderson
Nina Kaczorowski	...	Nina Kaczorowski
Junko Todaka	...	Junko Todaka
Amanda Elliott	...	Amanda Elliott
Maurice LaMarche	...	Maurice LaMarche
Rob Paulsen	...	Voice Actor
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sid Caesar	...	Old Army Buddy
Hugh M. Hefner	...	Hugh Hefner (as Hugh Hefner)
Eric Fell	...	Comic Fan (uncredited)
Lloyd Kaufman	...	Lloyd Kaufman (uncredited)
Rich Knight	...	Vampire Fan (uncredited)
Doug Sakmann	...	Doug Sakmann (uncredited)
Avy Scott	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Tara Strand	...	Costumed Guest (uncredited)

Directed by
Mark Hamill

Produced by
Mark Hamill	....	producer
Jess Harnell	....	producer
Peter Jaysen	....	executive producer
Eric Mittleman	....	producer
Roger Rose	....	producer
Rich Tackenberg	....	executive producer
Kathy Weiss	....	line producer
Billy West	....	producer
Marilou York	....	co-producer
Scott Zakarin	....	producer

Original Music by
Billy West

Cinematography by
Jason Cooley

Film Editing by
Nimrod Erez
Lawrence Hutchins
E.S. Josephs
Matt Mariska

Makeup Department
Marie-Flore Beaubien	....	key makeup artist
Thea Samuels	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joe Vallero	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Christopher Charles Crosby	....	designer: Keenspot booth display (as Chris Crosby)
Daniel DeFabio	....	additional artist
Gabe Perna	....	sculptor: Commander Courage bust
Steffen Schlachtenhaufen	....	additional artist
Mark Teague	....	lead artist
Walden Wong	....	additional artist

Sound Department
Michael Guske	....	sound mixer: Los Angeles
Phillip A. Hamilton	....	adr recordist
Joe Hettinger	....	sound mixer: Los Angeles
Robert Kubilos	....	sound designer
Mark Lyons	....	sound mixer: Los Angeles
Cordel Mansfield	....	sound mixer: San Diego (as Cordell Mansfield)
Steve McCarty	....	sound effects editor
Steve McCarty	....	sound re-recording mixer
Michael Miller	....	adr mixer
Scot Shatwell	....	sound mixer: San Diego

Camera and Electrical Department
Matt Mariska	....	camera operator: "c" camera
Matt Mariska	....	set photographer
Dan Squires	....	camera operator: "b" camera

Animation Department
Daniel DeFabio	....	additional animator

Editorial Department
Michiko Byers	....	additional editor
Mark Teague	....	additional editor

Other crew
Tommy Busby	....	production assistant
Charlotte Chatton	....	production coordinator: Miramax/Creative Light Entertainment
Chemene Collier	....	production coordinator
Michael Schachtner	....	production assistant

Thanks
Mark Altman	....	special thanks
Dana Archer	....	special thanks
Melissa Armstrong	....	special thanks
Barry Babcock	....	special thanks
Sergio Ballesteros	....	special thanks
Troy Bolotnick	....	special thanks
Lori Brooks	....	special thanks
Gil Champion	....	special thanks
Tyler Cornelius	....	special thanks
Margaret Crockett	....	special thanks
Kevin DeMunn	....	special thanks
Danielle Dorfman	....	special thanks
Chuck Duran	....	special thanks
Mark Fisher	....	special thanks
Ricardo Frazer	....	special thanks
Max G.	....	special thanks
Pamela Garcia	....	special thanks
Simon Giles	....	special thanks
David Glanzer	....	special thanks
Tammy Golihew	....	special thanks
Chelsea Hamill	....	special thanks
Griffin Hamill	....	special thanks
Nathan Hamill	....	special thanks
Joseph Harnell	....	special thanks (as Joe Harnell)
Bob Hennessey	....	special thanks
Mark Hennessey	....	special thanks
Colin Hoover	....	special thanks
Larry Hummel	....	special thanks
Nick Jameson	....	special thanks
Helene Jaysen	....	special thanks
David Jordan	....	special thanks
Kevin Kasha	....	special thanks
Michael M. Kelly	....	special thanks
Kenny	....	special thanks
Genie Kim	....	special thanks
Jeniffer Kush	....	special thanks
Robert M. Lange	....	special thanks (as Robert Lange)
David Larry	....	special thanks
Katie Leigh	....	special thanks
Ron Levin	....	special thanks
Lindy	....	special thanks
Danny Mann	....	special thanks
Mort Marcus	....	special thanks
Jim McLaughlin	....	special thanks
Noah	....	special thanks
Berna Ozlam	....	special thanks
Rob Paulsen	....	special thanks
Louis Pieper	....	special thanks
Kristine Poplar	....	special thanks
Joe Rangel	....	special thanks
Anthony Ray	....	special thanks
Dana Reneau	....	special thanks
Amanda Rose	....	special thanks
Laura Rose	....	special thanks
Margaret Rose	....	special thanks
Natanya Rose	....	special thanks
Rebecca Rothstein	....	special thanks
Jamie Rusche	....	special thanks
Gary Sassaman	....	special thanks
Michael Schachtner	....	special thanks
Susan Schaefer	....	special thanks
Andrew Sipes	....	special thanks (as Andy Snipes)
Amity Smith	....	special thanks
Gail Stanley	....	special thanks
Genevieve Tackenberg	....	special thanks
Maggie Thompson	....	special thanks
Junko Todaka	....	special thanks
Alex Track	....	special thanks
Caleb Zakarin	....	special thanks
Debra Zakarin	....	special thanks
Irving Zakarin	....	special thanks
Maci Zakarin	....	special thanks
Mark Zakarin	....	special thanks
Miriam Zakarin	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Creative Light Entertainment
• Timely Studios

Distributors

• Miramax Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for language, sexual content and some drug references

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13 | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, California, USA

Company:

Creative Light Entertainment

Trivia:

At one point, Donald ('Mark Hamill' ) and the crew ask to sit at a table with three men, but they are scared away. The three men at the table are Hamill's co-stars from the original Star Wars trilogy: 'Peter Mayhew' (Chewbacca), 'David Prowse' (Darth Vader), and Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett).

Quotes:

Donald Swan:Do you ever have to sell someone on an idea and they go, "Gee, I don't know..."
Kevin Smith:Yes, there was this, um, this tranny hooker the other day. I was really trying to sell her on the idea of a three-way.
Donald Swan:Tranny... what's a tranny?
Kevin Smith:A tranny is... oh, Don.

Movie Connections:

References "Neon Genesis Evangelion" (1995)

Soundtrack:

Welcome to My World

Sincere, fun, with subtle jabs

The hearts are in the right place and the fun is found in details and indirect references to the goings on in the comic book adaptation machine. Fans and non-fans might find fun in it, and I cheer Mark Hamill for initiating this. The one small caveat is that the viewer should be someone who is aware, for example, of Kevin Smith's screenplay for Superman Lives. If that kind of detail isn't as interesting for you to follow, or if you genuinely care more about "news reports" that followed every detail of the "Bennifer" situation a while back, then stick to the usual reality TV that is clogging the airwaves. This movie introduces us to a few people we might not recognize, but who are revealed in extra features to be great unseen celebrities and artists. I hope Hamill keeps directing, and perhaps tries something genre related and with a tripod. Good stuff. I'll show my DVD enthusiastically.