Dig Comics is an American documentary film written and directed by Miguel Cima. It won an award for Best Documentary at the San Diego Comic-Con International Film Festival,[1][2] in 2009. The short film advocates for the comic book art form in the United States, and encourages the viewers to read more comic books.[3][4]
| Dig Comics | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Miguel Cima |
| Written by | Miguel Cima |
| Produced by | Miguel Cima Corey Blake |
| Narrated by | Miguel Cima |
| Cinematography | Brian Crane Justin Talley |
| Edited by | Dirk Van Fleet |
| Music by | Rodney McGlothlin Fernando Romay |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 19 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Synopsis
editCima, an avid comic book advocate[5] and filmmaker, embarks on a journey to win fans for this print medium.[6] In doing so, he explains the reasons for the steady loss of readership in the US over the last 60 years, and questions why this originally American art form flourishes more successfully in France, Japan, the Netherlands and Germany.[7]
Cima interviews experts, artists, distributors, fans and nonreaders to provide a wide perspective on the challenges affecting the industry. He conducts random man-on-the-street interviews, as well as talks with comic book enthusiasts, about the relegation of printed comic books to a niche market while big Hollywood films earn billions from comic book spin-offs.[8] The scope of the documentary is broadened with a historic take on the genre.[9] A cross-cultural comparative explores the evolution of comic book readership in countries such as France and Japan, from the last century until the present.
History
editDig Comics was conceived by writer and director Miguel Cima, and shot on location in Los Angeles, California. Further produced clips and videos were also shot in Los Angeles as well as Paris, France.
After the film's release in 2009, it was screened at a number of film festivals. It won the Best Documentary category at the San Diego Comic-Con International Film Festival in 2009.[1][10]
Reception
editOverall the documentary short was received positively.[3] Actor and producer Edward James Olmos expressed support for the film.:[11][12] Comics Alliance pointed out that high price of comic books in recent years and the increase in media channels competing for consumer dollars are not mentioned as possible factors contributing to the decline in sales.[13]
Festivals and showcases
edit- Cannes Independent Film Festival, 2009
- Los Angeles Downtown Film Festival, 2009
- Vancouver, Canada International Film Festival, 2009
- Tucson Film And Music Festival, 2009
- Royal Flush Film Festival New York, 2009
- Cannes American Pavilion Emerging Filmmaker Showcase, 2010
- New Filmmakers LA at Sunset & Gower Film Festival, 2010
- Bumbershoot Film Festival Seattle, 2010
- Shockfest Film Festival of Hollywood, 2010
- Long Island International Film Expo, 2010
- Full Frame Documentary Festival, 2010
- Fear No Film Festival, 2010
- Action On Film International Film Festival, 2010
- Moving Image Film Festival, 2010
References
edit- ^ a b Comic Con International Film Festival: Film Festival Awards 2009. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
- ^ "Comic-Con 2009: CCI-IFF Awards" Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine. ScreenCrave, by Krystal Clark on July 26th, 2009
- ^ a b "Dig Comics (DVD Short)". Comics Bulletin, August 23, 2009. Jason Sacks
- ^ "Graphic NYC reviews Dig Comics". Dig Comics. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.
- ^ "Bumbershoot Monday: Picks and Notes Featuring Drake, Bacon, Meat Puppets, and More". Seattle Weekly, Aug 31 2010
- ^ Horn, Kristian (2009-09-30). “Dig Comics – Cool News.” Aintitcool.com. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
- ^ "Dig Comics Fights To Save Comics Industry". Modern Times Magazine, Jul 8, 2012.
- ^ "Dig Comics website". www.digcomics.com. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
- ^ Killorin, Matthew (2010-03-31) ”Dig Comics Movie Review.” Capes On Film. Retrieved June 13, 2013.
- ^ "Comic-Con 2009: CCI-IFF Awards" Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine. Screen Crave, Krystal Clark on July 26th, 2009
- ^ Villareal, Yvonne (2009-09-25). “Documentary reminds fans to ‘Dig Comics,’ not just superhero movies.” Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2013-06-12.
- ^ “Announcing: Dig Comics Screening at Meltdown Comics w/ Special Appearance by Edward James Olmos (2009-09-24).” Meltdown Comics.
- ^ Goeliner, Caleb (2010-01-06). “The Little Documentary That Should: Miguel Cima Dishes On 'Dig Comics'.” Archived 2014-01-17 at the Wayback Machine Comics Alliance. Retrieved 2013-06-12.