Comic books have always generated a strong fandom. With the accessibility of new video production and editing tools, that fandom has grown more and more adept at producing content inspired by the characters they love. The scope and variety of fan produced content continues poses a challenge as fanfic starts to look and feel like professional productions. Where do we draw the line to protect intellectual property? At what point does a character woven into the cultural landscape through decades of storytelling become an object of public domain worthy of manipulation for creative purposes? The legal fight around fair use looms in the background, but the immediate answer is clear. Fan engagement is a byproduct that license holder wants, but they rightly prevent fan products from generating profits. This fan film inspired by Hawkeye fits neatly in the space created by contemporary circumstances. Recognizable characterization, good production values, and clear story inspiration from the award winning comic series.
To begin with, I really do like the idea of reading a comic about comics. I think it's a great idea and it's very well executed. As I was reading the first two chapters, I was surprised at how many examples there were of art in recent (and ancient, in some cases) history that are variations of "sequential visual art" and thus the foundations of modern comics. I'd never even thought about it before and it was hard to believe how many different kinds there were. I also love all the discussion about how our human brains automatically interpret certain images in a specific way, how we see others constantly but we identify ourselves when we look at cartoons, and how inanimate objects automatically becomes extensions of our bodies. The pyramid of styles was very interesting too as a way to conceptualize and almost graph or "place" a specific art style in comics. In Comic Book Nation , I enjoyed reading about the evolution of early comics from "funnies...
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