William Gaines Biopic!

[samurainoir]

CANNES: John Landis Developing Biopic Of 1950s EC Comics Crusader William Gaines Deadline.com

John Landis, who’s in Cannes to promote Ealing Studios’ comedy Burke and Hare, tells me he’s lining up the financing for a movie about EC Comics publisher and co-creator Bill Gaines, who was driven out of the comic book business by 1950s morality policers after his unapologetic testimony before a U.S. Senate subcommittee investigating juvenile delinquency. Gaines retaliated by converting one of his titles Mad into a satirical magazine which specialized in skewering all aspects of uptight society. Joel Eisenberg has written the screenplay Ghoulishly Yours, William M Gaines.

[Cmonster]

This will ROCK. Landis is the man.

SC

[B-Lister]

cannot wait.

John Goodman would be PERFECT as Gaines.

so would Bruce Vilanch.

[cjefferys]

Awesome news. I'm a huge EC fan, and Landis seems like the kind of director who would do a nice job with something like this (you know the guy has to be a big EC fan himself).

[palitoy]

Yeah, I need to see this.

[WannabeMego]

Oh Yeah!!!

Al Feldstein, renowned as the creative brain trust behind the legendary E.C. line of comic books, has signed on as Creative Adviser in Joel Eisenberg and John Landis' upcoming feature film, "Ghoulishly Yours, William M. Gaines."

Feldstein, who started with E.C. publisher William M. Gaines as an artist, ultimately wrote and edited most of their titles, including “Tales From The Crypt.” In later years, he became editor of “Mad.”

Says Feldstein, "I am truly enthusiastic to be associated with ‘Ghoulishly Yours, William M. Gaines’ as the film's creative adviser. This film will be about the most exciting editorial and artistic creative period in comic book history, which was then followed by the most devastating, self-destructive and self-castrating period in its history. As E.C.'s major creative force, I am truly hopeful and optimistic that, finally, the whole truth will be told."

The biographical film, written by Eisenberg, will revolve around the banding together of an anti-establishment group of comic book creators, led by a reluctant Gaines and his cohort Feldstein, as they produce their controversial, yet hugely popular, line of comic books. Their notorious titles later led Gaines to voluntarily face Senate subcommittee hearings in defense of his industry, which was widely condemned for perpetuating juvenile delinquency.

Article Link: Feldstein Creative Adviser On Ghoulishly Yours, William M. Gaines.

[Brazoo]

Oh man - I was just talking about how Landis deserves a big comeback last week because I watched the special edition of American Werewolf in London!

Also Gaines is a personal hero of mine. This is amazing news!

[Brazoo]

This will ROCK. Landis is the man.

SC

He's the most influential filmmaker with the least amount of artistic recognition in modern movies. It's basically criminal.

[The Toyroom]

Cool! Who will play Wertham?

[Brazoo]

The dad from Alf

[ctc]

Neat!

I'd love to see something along the lines of "Tales of the Rat Fink" though. Seems more appropriate.

Don C.

[samurainoir]

Neat!

I'd love to see something along the lines of "Tales of the Rat Fink" though. Seems more appropriate.

Don C.

Wasn't there a Big Daddy documentary a couple of years back?

[ctc]

>Wasn't there a Big Daddy documentary a couple of years back?

Yeah; that's the one. He's narrating his own life, and there are weird little animated bits.... It's very good.

Don C.

[palitoy]

OK, I think Don's right, Gaines deserves a documentary more than a biopic.

Oddly, I'd love to see a biopic of Forrest Ackerman, I'm not really a big fan but I think it would be fun to watch somebody like Paul Reubens play him.

[samurainoir]

>Wasn't there a Big Daddy documentary a couple of years back?

Yeah; that's the one. He's narrating his own life, and there are weird little animated bits.... It's very good.

Don C.

I've been meaning to check that out. It's a fascinating cross-polination with the Hot Rod culture.

I've been slowing discovering the Rat Fink comics that came out in the nineties. They are not easy to find!