Comic Book Confidential

Comic Book Confidential is a documentary by Ron Mann, released in 1988. I had been itching to see this for a long time, and finally got the chance this weekend. Having seen another one of Mann's documentaries, Grass, I was looking forward to seeing how he approached this topic. The history of the comic book and its contributions to pop culture and a variety of mediums is long and complex, and certainly could not be covered in one film alone. That being said, I thought Mann did an incredible job of capturing integral moments in the history of the comic book and exploring the various movements within the medium. The style in which he did so was also very original. One of my favorite things Mann did was pan over comic strips and add sound effects as each artist/writer read their own work. He added another dimension to the strips by doing so, and brought what you usually only imagine into reality.
And what a goldmine of interviews! Everyone from Stan Lee to Bill Griffith spoke, and I hung on their every word. Their interviews really spoke to the ways in which comic books reflect the social mentalities of their time. I always enjoy seeing the faces and hearing the voices behind a comic book, but to listen to them read their own work was beyond words! There is something fascinating about listening to a writer read their work in the way they imagine it. I like to then compare it to the way I imagined their characters sounding! R Crumb was my favorite to see interviewed.
All the original footage also added a lot to the documentary. It's fun to see all the underground comic book artists at work, as well as see footage of the hearings on the dangers of comic books. The arguments being made seem almost humorous (yet believable) now, but I can see how they would have been detrimental and suffocating to the industry.

I would definitely recommend this documentary to any one interested in learning more about the complex world of the comic book!