My dream came true when I got the chance to sit across from Stan Lee.  I worshipped every strand of Spider-Man when I was a kid and being given the chance to interview him was like interviewing a universal life force.  It was like interviewing…a Beatle!! To hear all of his great stories about creating legendary characters was so inspiring and I felt like a kid again.  Can you believe that he and other comic book icons like Frank Miller, Neal Adams, and Mark Waid are a part of this film?!?

Stan is the nicest guy in the world and showed me nothing but kindness. When he agreed to be a part of this film, I had my A-ha! moment of knowing that COMIX was now bigger than me.  I was making it for everyone who believed in the power of superheroes and comic books and knew there was no looking back.  Stan was super nice, fun, fascinating, and energetic.  He talked about creating Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four with such passion.  He talked about all the legendary characters he created and the artists who helped him bring them to life. You could tell how proud he was of his career. Hearing and seeing him talk about how his publisher hated the idea of having the name Spider-Man as a superhero and doubting if Stan knew what a superhero was…and all I could saying to myself was, “Are you kidding me?” If ANYone knows who a superhero is, it’s Stan “The Man” Lee!

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COMIX: Beyond the Comic Book Pages is an exciting new feature film documentary about the world of comic books told through the thoughts and images of the creators, artists, writers, collectors, store owners, independent publishers, and especially the passionate fans who have made it the phenomenon that it is today.  Please support our Kickstarter campaign to help finish COMIX.  We are almost there!  You will receive all kinds of amazing rewards, including being the first to receive the movie!  The link is below:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1732480229/comix-beyond-the-comic-book-pages-the-movie

The Kickstarter link is live!  Check it out:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1732480229/comix-beyond-the-comic-book-pages-the-movie

I have always loved comic books.  About ten years ago, I had an idea to make a comic book.  This idea led me to create the feature documentary film, COMIX: Beyond the Comic Book Pages which is about comic books and the phenomenon surrounding them.  I wanted to make a film about the heroes of the comic book world:  creators, artists, writers, publishers, store owners, and especially the fans, many whom I found were just like me.

To be honest, it’s taken ten years to make this film because I have actually funded all of it on my own. I have invested tens and tens of thousands into this movie and am now at a point where I need help to finish the color correction, sound mix, and to pay for the use of hundreds of amazing comic book images that are crucial in telling the story. I am hoping that you will consider being a part of a film that I believe is special.

Our goal is to raise $35,000 in 30 days. The way Kickstarter works is it is all or nothing. In other words, if we don’t reach our goal during the 30 day funding period, we get nothing.  This is where you come in, a true fan and COMIX crusader!   We are offering some pretty cool rewards, including being the first to own the movie on up to being an Associate Producer, so please support our campaign!

Please…help fund COMIX and just as important, please share this message with everyone you know.

I appreciate your support.  Thanks, Michael Valentine

The late 80’s and early ‘90s were a turning point for comics. Independent comic book publishers came into the scene with the idea that creators could publish their comic books and retain the copyrights for the characters they created. Image Comics began with a vision of seven artists who had already made a name for themselves in the industry – Marc Silvestri along with Todd McFarlane, Jim Lee, Whilce Portacio, Rob Liefeld, Erik Larsen, and Jim Valentino. Their vision was to do something different by breaking away from the mainstream and creating unique characters that they owned. It was Image Comics, as well as companies like Dark Horse Comics, that forged the spirit of independence in comic books, which, up to that time, was mainly led by the two largest comic book publishers, Marvel and DC Comics.

One of my all-time favorite comic book artists is Marc Silvestri. Some of my favorite early works from him are Uncanny X-Men and Wolverine. Marc also founded Top Cow Productions. Top Cow’s successes include Witchblade, The Darkness, Tomb Raider, Hunter Killer, and more.

One of the earliest interviews we did for the film was at Top Cow Productions studios in Century City. We interviewed President/COO Matt Hawkins, then Editor-In-Chief Renae Geerlings, artist Mike Choi, and many others, but on that day, I did not get a chance to interview Marc Silvestri. For the next few years, our schedules did not align for an interview, but I was persistent and really wanted to connect with him, not only as a huge fan, but because I knew how important his contributions helped shape the face of independent comics into the mainstream.

I wasn’t sure if he was going to be a part of the film but finally, he was available last year. Man, what a great interview! From telling stories of how he co-founded Image and Top Cow, to collaboration with writers like Mark Waid, to his earliest influences and more, I was a sponge. He also spoke about comic as an art form itself, saying “…the best of the best will make you feel something in one single drawing…you have to make people feel something panel after panel, page after page.”

I was hanging on his every word.  I can’t thank him and his team enough for being a part of this film. 

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Marc Silvestri and Top Cow Productions, in support of COMIX, has also kindly provided some of the amazing rewards for our Kickstarter campaign including some amazing limited-edition and numbered hand-painted statues sculpted by Clayburn Moore. One of the rewards is “Hunter Killer” signed by Marc and writer Mark Waid.

Artist, Writer, Penciler, and Inker Amanda Conner is one of my favorite and one of the most talented comic book artists in the business today. I love her work on Vampirella. How would I describe her art?  She says it best, it’s “fun, irreverent and out there” and it is truly refreshing! Amanda is probably best known for her work on Powergirl and Gatecrasher. I highly recommend you check out her work.

Amanda is so sweet, kind, and really great with her fans.  She stops and talks to each and everyone of them. It was an honor to get my chance to interview her at Wizard World in Los Angeles. She shared some great insights in the film that I can’t wait for everyone to see.

When asked why there are so few females in the business, she said candidly, “Just doing comics itself, it’s definitely a labor of love.  And there are some women that love it…all nine of us! (she laughs).”  She offers a lot of wisdom and advice in the film, you gotta’ see it!

Amanda was kind enough to sign and sketch in her hard cover book, “Sequential Art of Amanda Conner” for our Kickstarter campaign which launches next Wednesday, October 15. For more information, visit www.comixthemovie.com and to receive COMIX news and updates, click here.

My love for comics started at age 8 when all I wanted to do was draw John Romita Sr.’s Spiderman and Neal Adams’ Batman. I would go to the local 7-Eleven to read comic books (when they sold comic books) and to drink Slurpee’s out of the Superhero cups. I had many a good brain freezes while staring at the art and reading very cool stories.

During the making of COMIX, I got the chance to interview creator, writer, artist, and film director Frank Miller, known for his dark comic book stories and graphic novels such as The Dark Knight Returns, Sin City, and 300. Frank kept mentioning Neal Adams, and it struck me…how cool it would be to interview Neal, have him talk about Frank, and share stories about himself and his contributions to the comic book world.

After a few attempts, I found myself interviewing the man whose comic book art I idolized as a kid. I went to his studio for the interview. Neal, his wife Marilyn, and their sons were so gracious of their time. They fed my crew and me, and were patient while we set up, did the interview, and struck the set. I was so fortunate to talk to him for over two hours. We talked about everything and I gained insight into his life and legacy. He was brutally honest, didn’t hold back, and just told it like it is. It was awesome!

Hello friends - As I look back on the journey to create COMIX, a film that captures what I want to put out into the world about the passion people have for comic books and the phenomenon it has become, I continue to be inspired.  My goal is simple, to make a film that, as a comic book fan, I want to see, with people I idolize and respect. It is an important part of my vision to have the industry icons themselves tell the story…and they have with a combined fervor and pride.  I am continually blown away by the passion and authenticity of the fans who reveal so much of themselves on camera…such nice, sincere, and talented people!  Comic book fans are so unselfish and I am full of gratitude and continue to be inspired by all those that are part of the road to COMIX: Beyond The Comic Book Pages.  What makes this film special is its depth because of the people interviewed and their thoughts about all things comics.   This film is fun, positive, informative, and just totally cool!