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WATCHMEN Are Coming!! Here Are Some Books To Prepare You!!
SPOILER ALERT !!
Merrick here...
As you almost certainly know by now, WATCHMEN hits theaters this evening.
Given the aesthetic intensity of the property, it's in no way surprising that a bevy of image/design intensive publications are supporting the film's release.
Several of these books, from Titan Books (website HERE), are worthy of particular note; I thought I'd share some details about them before you head to theaters.
NOTE: IMAGES EMBIGGENABLE
First up:
WATCHMEN: THE FILM COMPANION
AUTHOR: Peter Aperlo, 176 pages, ISBN = 9781848561595
This is the title we gave away in a contest earlier this week (HERE).
There's quite a bit about the making of the film here, including an interesting story about efforts to evoke/replicate DR. STRANGELOVE's war room for WATCHMEN. The WATCHMEN gang were having trouble matching the look of STRANGELOVE's tactical displays. Turns out, one of Snyder's gaffers had actually worked on Kubrick's film & knew how the large projections were achieved back in the day (the process was eventually employed here as well).
One extremely appealing element of the book is its expansion on/contextualization of the concept's alternate time line. This involves a torrent of characters & an evaluation of their interrelationships past/present - as well as a more thorough look at past costumed superheroes.
Through both word and image, we get a better sense of many characters who received precious little screen time (I believe a few may not have appeared in the current edit of the film at all, but I'm not 100% sure on that).
Here's a look at poor Dollar Bill:
Other past heroes receiving attention/images here include Silk Spectre I/Sally Jupiter, Nite Owl I, Hooded Justice, Silhouette, Captain Metropolis, and Mothman . A look at vintage villains is incorporated as well, including an expanded look at Moloch (we only see glimpses of his past super villain attire in the film - this book offers much better shots of the baddie in his heyday).
You can learn about how Rorschach's mask was animated, and how Snyder & Co. realized the on-set spill light thrown by Doctor Manhattan.
Very informative with a tremendous number of high-quality photos, WATCHMEN: THE FILM COMPANION would make an excellent primer for folks who've never been exposed to WATCHMEN, people who've read the graphic novel but are hazy on the details, and fans who want to more deeply immerse themselves in the film's careful forged universe.
This is currently in bookstores, but you can grab it from amazon. HERE is a link to the hardcover, or you can find the paperback version HERE.
WATCHMEN: THE ART OF THE FILM
AUTHOR: Peter Aperlo, 256 pages, ISBN = 9781848560680
Very little text, lots and lots of art - much of it self-explanatory design progressions of settings, vehicles, and characters.
Here's an early design treatment for the Owlship...
And here's a run at Ozymandius' costume by John Cassaday:
What strikes me most about this particular title is the sense that design progression for the WATCHMEN movie was far more limited/less varied than one might find in, say, a STAR WARS production.
I'm guessing this is because so much of the film's look was mandated by Team Snyder's adherence to the graphics novel...there wasn't much need/room to try too many variations on themes I guess. As a result, there aren't any radical takes/significant variations between much of the art here and what we see on screen - which is a fun element of books like this. Something to consider when purchasing.
With that caveat, WATCHMEN: THE ART OF THE FILM is still a really nice product: great image reproduction on high quality paper, etc. - and there are some nifty close-ups of items like newspapers and posters that are only seen as background flavoring in the film.
If you're a fan of the WATCHMEN graphic novel who appreciates Snyder's cinematic interpretation? This book would probably be just right for you.
Find it in bookstores, or you can order it HERE.
WATCHMEN: PORTRAITS
Photography by Clay Enos - Forward by Zack Snyder, 240 pages, ISBN = 9781848560697
This book is exactly what it sounds like: a ciollection of portraits from folks populating the on-screen WATCHMEN universe.
Frankly, when I first heard about this product, I rolled my eyes and thought it was too dorky for even an unapologetic Geek like myself. Now that I've gotten a look at it? The book works surprisingly well.
Featuring a mammoth assemblage of black and white portraiture from Clay Enos, the film's official photographer, PORTRAITS is beautifuly printed, simply/slickly presented, and captures a depth of character/soul that, frankly, is sometimes missing from the actual film. Some of these photos work wonderfully well as...photos...outside of their WATCHMEN context, especially background characters and what not.
Here's a look at Matt Frewer as Moloch:
And here's Niall Matter as Mothman:
While all of the primary WATCHMEN characters are represented here, many of the book's most interesting photos are of personalities seen on-screen only fleetingly (if you even notice them at all).
Definitely worth flipping through if you have a chance. Whether you love or hate the WATCHMEN film, this coffee table-sized title should also work very well on its own as a collection of interesting, and sometimes even affecting, portraiture.
You can find it HERE.
NOTE: IMAGES EMBIGGENABLE
WATCHMEN: THE FILM COMPANION
AUTHOR: Peter Aperlo, 176 pages, ISBN = 9781848561595
This is the title we gave away in a contest earlier this week (HERE).
There's quite a bit about the making of the film here, including an interesting story about efforts to evoke/replicate DR. STRANGELOVE's war room for WATCHMEN. The WATCHMEN gang were having trouble matching the look of STRANGELOVE's tactical displays. Turns out, one of Snyder's gaffers had actually worked on Kubrick's film & knew how the large projections were achieved back in the day (the process was eventually employed here as well).
One extremely appealing element of the book is its expansion on/contextualization of the concept's alternate time line. This involves a torrent of characters & an evaluation of their interrelationships past/present - as well as a more thorough look at past costumed superheroes.
Through both word and image, we get a better sense of many characters who received precious little screen time (I believe a few may not have appeared in the current edit of the film at all, but I'm not 100% sure on that).
Here's a look at poor Dollar Bill:
Other past heroes receiving attention/images here include Silk Spectre I/Sally Jupiter, Nite Owl I, Hooded Justice, Silhouette, Captain Metropolis, and Mothman . A look at vintage villains is incorporated as well, including an expanded look at Moloch (we only see glimpses of his past super villain attire in the film - this book offers much better shots of the baddie in his heyday).
You can learn about how Rorschach's mask was animated, and how Snyder & Co. realized the on-set spill light thrown by Doctor Manhattan.
Very informative with a tremendous number of high-quality photos, WATCHMEN: THE FILM COMPANION would make an excellent primer for folks who've never been exposed to WATCHMEN, people who've read the graphic novel but are hazy on the details, and fans who want to more deeply immerse themselves in the film's careful forged universe.
This is currently in bookstores, but you can grab it from amazon. HERE is a link to the hardcover, or you can find the paperback version HERE.
WATCHMEN: THE ART OF THE FILM
AUTHOR: Peter Aperlo, 256 pages, ISBN = 9781848560680
Very little text, lots and lots of art - much of it self-explanatory design progressions of settings, vehicles, and characters.
Here's an early design treatment for the Owlship...
And here's a run at Ozymandius' costume by John Cassaday:
What strikes me most about this particular title is the sense that design progression for the WATCHMEN movie was far more limited/less varied than one might find in, say, a STAR WARS production.
I'm guessing this is because so much of the film's look was mandated by Team Snyder's adherence to the graphics novel...there wasn't much need/room to try too many variations on themes I guess. As a result, there aren't any radical takes/significant variations between much of the art here and what we see on screen - which is a fun element of books like this. Something to consider when purchasing.
With that caveat, WATCHMEN: THE ART OF THE FILM is still a really nice product: great image reproduction on high quality paper, etc. - and there are some nifty close-ups of items like newspapers and posters that are only seen as background flavoring in the film.
If you're a fan of the WATCHMEN graphic novel who appreciates Snyder's cinematic interpretation? This book would probably be just right for you.
Find it in bookstores, or you can order it HERE.
WATCHMEN: PORTRAITS
Photography by Clay Enos - Forward by Zack Snyder, 240 pages, ISBN = 9781848560697
This book is exactly what it sounds like: a ciollection of portraits from folks populating the on-screen WATCHMEN universe.
Frankly, when I first heard about this product, I rolled my eyes and thought it was too dorky for even an unapologetic Geek like myself. Now that I've gotten a look at it? The book works surprisingly well.
Featuring a mammoth assemblage of black and white portraiture from Clay Enos, the film's official photographer, PORTRAITS is beautifuly printed, simply/slickly presented, and captures a depth of character/soul that, frankly, is sometimes missing from the actual film. Some of these photos work wonderfully well as...photos...outside of their WATCHMEN context, especially background characters and what not.
Here's a look at Matt Frewer as Moloch:
And here's Niall Matter as Mothman:
While all of the primary WATCHMEN characters are represented here, many of the book's most interesting photos are of personalities seen on-screen only fleetingly (if you even notice them at all).
Definitely worth flipping through if you have a chance. Whether you love or hate the WATCHMEN film, this coffee table-sized title should also work very well on its own as a collection of interesting, and sometimes even affecting, portraiture.
You can find it HERE.
Here's an early design treatment for the Owlship...
And here's a run at Ozymandius' costume by John Cassaday:
What strikes me most about this particular title is the sense that design progression for the WATCHMEN movie was far more limited/less varied than one might find in, say, a STAR WARS production.
I'm guessing this is because so much of the film's look was mandated by Team Snyder's adherence to the graphics novel...there wasn't much need/room to try too many variations on themes I guess. As a result, there aren't any radical takes/significant variations between much of the art here and what we see on screen - which is a fun element of books like this. Something to consider when purchasing.
With that caveat, WATCHMEN: THE ART OF THE FILM is still a really nice product: great image reproduction on high quality paper, etc. - and there are some nifty close-ups of items like newspapers and posters that are only seen as background flavoring in the film.
If you're a fan of the WATCHMEN graphic novel who appreciates Snyder's cinematic interpretation? This book would probably be just right for you.
Find it in bookstores, or you can order it HERE.
WATCHMEN: PORTRAITS
Photography by Clay Enos - Forward by Zack Snyder, 240 pages, ISBN = 9781848560697
This book is exactly what it sounds like: a ciollection of portraits from folks populating the on-screen WATCHMEN universe.
Frankly, when I first heard about this product, I rolled my eyes and thought it was too dorky for even an unapologetic Geek like myself. Now that I've gotten a look at it? The book works surprisingly well.
Featuring a mammoth assemblage of black and white portraiture from Clay Enos, the film's official photographer, PORTRAITS is beautifuly printed, simply/slickly presented, and captures a depth of character/soul that, frankly, is sometimes missing from the actual film. Some of these photos work wonderfully well as...photos...outside of their WATCHMEN context, especially background characters and what not.
Here's a look at Matt Frewer as Moloch:
And here's Niall Matter as Mothman:
While all of the primary WATCHMEN characters are represented here, many of the book's most interesting photos are of personalities seen on-screen only fleetingly (if you even notice them at all).
Definitely worth flipping through if you have a chance. Whether you love or hate the WATCHMEN film, this coffee table-sized title should also work very well on its own as a collection of interesting, and sometimes even affecting, portraiture.
You can find it HERE.
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+ Expand All
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As is Watching the Watchmen by David Gibbons.
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I had no idea he was in this! I was starting to become numb from all the advertising for this film, but this is what I needed to refresh my motivation. What other surprises are still ahead?
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MILLIONS!!! Yes, MILLIONS I tell you. But fans will most likely state that they are not "true" adaptations of how the comics are.. blah, blah, blah... "That picture looks noting like the comic..."
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I have no interest in any of this.
Most overhyped piece of trash since Phantom Menace.
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to make concept art for...art? I mean, Gibbons already drew the concept for the entire series. Why try out new designs for something like the owlship? Don't get that...
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...like one of those dog-like humanoids that used to populate the duck comics drawn by Carl Barks. All he'd need to complete the look is a black, ovoid-shaped cartoon dog nose.
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With the cape stuck at the revolving door. Priceless.
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Just a quick grammatical aside to improve your future uses of the phrase.
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...where the hell has the brilliant Ma-Ma-Matt Frewer been hiding?Welcome back, fella!
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The Sci-Fi Channel series "EUReKA" the past few years. He plays one of the scientists who populates the town of geniuses and has been the focus of a number of episodes.
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Mar 05, 2009 2:00:35 PM CST
Are you sure that second photo isn't supposed to be
by shut the fuck up donny
posted in the Tron 2 forum?
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That guy can fucking draw!
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If you go in open minded, then you'll definitely love the beauty of it.A pretty perfect WATCHMEN movie, imho.
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www.debbieschlussel.com and read her Watchmen rants. She is a narcissistic, moralistic conservative commentator. Leave her some sharp, biting comments... What a bitch...
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http://tiny.cc/WflSf
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Hey, welcome back, my man!See? I knew you could drop that AVATAR/EYEBALLS crap and be interesting and relevant again if you tried!
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I-I-i-i-I-I got CaaaAAncer, Rorcharch!
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Yeah photo #2 definitely gives off the TRON 2 vibe
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If Ann Coulter was an experiment to create the most unappealing and self righteous bitch on earth, this broad MUST have been the rough draft they threw in the dumpster because she was too ugly.
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She LITERALLY just called fucking Watchmen fans fucking Nazis. Among other things. I'm fucking repulsed.
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I love that photo of Moloch. You can feel the cancer eating him alive.
I'd never really noticed his ears too much in the novel. -
I just posited her existence as a parody of rabid right-wing commentary. Seriously, she makes Coulter, Limbaugh and O'Reilly all look friendly and well-mannered.
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You annoying fucking nonce.
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A.K.A.: The Big Book of Blue Dong.
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...but it sure smells good!
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Because I don't like the film. It's not Transformers live action bad. Yet stale like Stark Trek the non motion picture stale.
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You know every email she gets only further fuels her fires. We should just leave her and her little no-name blog alone. She WANTS the hits people. Your going to give her a nice check with all the hits you give her site. Don't bother.
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Violence in a film is gratuitious and useless. If he loved watchmen then it surely is not pointless. He hated 300 for being violent for no reason.
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loved it.
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figures. Collectors have been waiting for years, though your comic accurate versions. DC Direct figures are NOT for kids. Too expensive.
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I meant to type.
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The world's biggest screen. It was brilliant. Very faithful, amazing to see it on screen after 21 years. The changes were palatable, and teh ending was fine in my opinion. I think the squid would have just baffled too many people, this way made mroe sense. You could see where bits were missing that would be in teh extended cut, and it didn't suffer, but the extended cut will be fantastic. I loved it.
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Because that would be my first clue as a parent (which I'm not) that Watchmen isn't for kids.As for the toyline as proof that the film is being sold to kids, I'd have to see if there were commercials for the toys on Cartoon Network or something. Because thus far, they sound more geared towards the collector and film-geek community.
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Serious typos there, it's too early.
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That means no reading the graphic novel, no reading the tie-in books, and no going to see the film.
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She's a conservative idealogue and while Watchmen is heavy on the moral ambiguity, it was still critical of the Reagan years. Therefore, in her eyes, it must be bad for America. The fact that she thinks it's marketed to kids is just the same ignorance shared with many others across this nation regarding comic books.
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That the Watchmen GN itself nailed her brand of commentary to the wall 20 years ago. Remember how one of the later supplements of the book was an actual copy of The New Frontiersman paper? Exactly the same kind of thing. No intellectual superiority, they just call everyone morons, gays, and communists. Moore had their game down cold in the '80s.
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Great fucking ad for Titan books, cos this sure as hell aint an interesting article
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Fuck the haters, they hate everything. Go see it and make your own minds up.
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I never read the comic, don't much care for 80's inks, nor do I read Batman comics. So as movies go: Watchmen > The Dark Knight.
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jackalcack, your logic is lacking. Fuck everybody and make up your own up would be the best advice.
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For every nickel we can get!
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Fair play. I'm drunk anyway, no idea what I'm talking about. You're right though, fuck everybody, myself included.
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...while you're at it.
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The other Watchmen talkback is where it's at.
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Did I miss a comic recommendation?
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Mar 05, 2009 8:02:36 PM CST
i thought this was going to be links to other Moore work
by captaincapslock
like Miracleman or Top Ten. instead i got a fancy dancy pic of pointy-eared M M Max Moloch!
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Alan Moore was right.
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