Hooked on Comix Vol. 2 review ....

Two-in-One Review: Hooked on Comix Vol. 2
http://www.thefourthrail.com/features/1202/hookedoncomix.shtml
Randy:
Anyone who doesn't believe that comics are an artform need only look at the crossover between the creators and afficianados of the form into other media, and how prevalent that is. There are any number of comic-book creators who are also independent filmmakers or musicians, and David Moore has combined a love of comics with a skill of directing documentaries to create a riveting documentary called Hooked on Comix.
Don:
This half-hour video is the second volume of Hooked on Comics. The first, released in the mid 1990s, featured such creators as Daniel Clowes, Gilbert & Jaime Hernandez and Julie Doucet. This time around, Moore takes us into the homes and minds of a sextet of indy comics creators.

Hooked on Comix Vol. 2   Directed by David P. Moore
Featuring Ivan Brunetti, Charise Mericle, Chris Ware, Archer Prewitt, Jessical Abel & Terry LaBan

Randy:
I've gotta be honest, I approached the viewing of this at first like I would a book report back in my school days, feeling like it was more of an obligation than something I could do for fun. Not because I didn't think I'd enjoy the video, but because watching anything with a critical eye is less fun than just sitting down to watch it. Within a few minutes, however, I was captivated, as Moore has a quirky and light style that conveys the feel of independent comics through film, and the entire video is infused with the unusual and artistic personalities behind these comics, some of which I knew and some of which I didn't.
Don:
I don't think I was quite as enthralled as you were, but I was intrigued by the personalities of the six cartoonists. In addition to their chosen medium of expression, they all have something else in common: they have perspectives of the world around them that one might describe as being outside of the norm. But at the same time, Moore spotlights the variety of motivations and emotions that drive them to create.
Randy:
My wife and I watch a lot of shows on the Food Network, History Channel and Discovery Channel, and Moore's work is right in that vein. With some basic but clever graphics and absolutely terrific music, the video really moves along, and the half-hour went by before I knew it. The structure of Hooked on Comix is basically divided by artist, rather than by topic or timeline or anything like that, and so it's very clear that what Moore is doing is giving six different viewpoints on one subject, rather than showing a "day in the life" of the artists or conducting a series of interviews that are woven together to make a single point. The structure is fairly open, and while you get a sense of the invisible interviewer in the way some of the creators talk, obviously responding to questions about their routine, what they feel is comics role, why they chose comics, etc., in general it feels like we were invited to take a look at the lives and homes of these artists.
Don:
The music and editing keep the documentary hopping along, but the quality of the filmmaking itself didn't do much for me. This is low-budget stuff, and at first, that's what drew my attetion. The staged day-in-life scenes with Brunetti are particularly awkward. Fortunately, the personalities of the six subjects soon eclipse the rough edges of the filmmaking itself.
Randy:
One thing that struck me right off the bat about the creators showcased in this documentary was how unusual and interesting their workspaces (and living spaces) are. Whether it's Ivan Brunetti's sort of basic urban living style, with classic art and a bright blue classic type shower curtain, Charise Mericle's unusual puppet-theater type gadgets and other items of kitsch or Chris Ware's space which echoes the hyper-detailed backgrounds he puts into his comics, each of these creators has a work and living space that reflects who they are. I was also impressed that Moore manages to convey the different comic styles of the creators using video, showing one panel at a time to give the sense of reading some of the comics and giving an overview of the comics with a sort of montage feel, so that even those not familiar with these creators before would have a sense of their work upon viewing the video.
Don:
I was particularly interested in Brunetti and how his dark personality and clear self-esteem issues have so colored his comics work. There's a brutal honesty in his personal storytelling... so brutal as to be disturbing. He says the nasty things all of us think of from time to time, but that we all keep to ourselves in order to fit in. After only a few minutes, I actually pitied Brunetti, but envied his ongoing drive to give his emotions form.
Randy:
This is not a video strictly for the established fanbase of these creators, but instead a video for those who have any interest in the artistic process behind comics. And I must admit that seeing this video gave me a desire to seek out the work of these creators and in at least one case, to revisit the work of one creator who I didn't like at first but whose detail and artistic strengths really stood out in this context, making me re-evaluate my original take.
Don:
If there's one outstanding problem with Hooked on Comix, it's that the director and his subjects hook the viewer only to release them far too quickly. The half-hour flies by, and there's so much more to said about the comics field, the stigma of the medium and what makes someone look to comics to express themselves.
Randy:
I did wish at times that Moore had gone a bit longer with Hooked on Comix; I would have happily watched another hour of these creators discussing issues, and I also would have killed for a short segment where they were all brought together in the same place to discuss the topic, as I think that would have been fascinating. Fortunately for me, there is a Hooked on Comix Volume One, and even better, a DVD is planned which will contain both volumes next year. I expect that DVD will find its way into my collection soon after its release.