When I was a kid, I loved going to visit my cousins in Seattle. They were avid comic collectors and I would spend hours carefully thumbing through issues of Spiderman, Fantastic Four and other plastic-sleeved titles. Perhaps this is why I enjoy the trend of motion comics as promotion. It speaks to childhood nostalgia while cutting through the clutter.
Clever marketing campaigns engage audiences in unexpected ways that connect, often with a nod and a wink, to the property’s intrinsic nature. Or to poorly paraphrase Marshall McLuhen; the medium can be a major part of the message. Motion comics are a great way of exciting prospective viewers about an upcoming film or television show, even if the property is not animated. And they provide increased opportunities for graphic designers, artists to collaborate with studios and directors.
When I was a kid, I loved going to visit my cousins in Seattle. They were avid comic collectors and I would spend hours carefully thumbing through issues of Spiderman, Fantastic Four and other plastic-sleeved titles. Perhaps this is why I enjoy the trend of motion comics as promotion. It speaks to childhood nostalgia while cutting through the clutter.
Clever marketing campaigns engage audiences in unexpected ways that connect, often with a nod and a wink, to the property’s intrinsic nature. Or to poorly paraphrase Marshall McLuhen; the medium can be a major part of the message. Motion comics are a great way of exciting prospective viewers about an upcoming film or television show, even if the property is not animated. And they provide increased opportunities for graphic designers, artists to collaborate with studios and directors.
Recent examples include digital comics for THE CRAZIES, PARANORMAL ACTIVITY and “Remy’s Favorite Organ” based on the recently released action-thriller REPO MEN.
Helmed by REPO MEN director Miguel Sapochnik and written by “The Repossession Mambo” author Eric Garcia and comic book heavyweight Jimmy Palmiotti, the motion comic features voiceover by the film’s Jude Law as Remy. He discusses the ups and downs of his profession: repossessing artificial organs from delinquent clients. The episode was produced by Double Barrel Motion Labs partners, Andy Collen and Jeff Krelitz, in partnership with Universal Pictures.
I had the opportunity to interview Double Barrel Motion Lab’s Jeff Krelitz at SXSW where the motion comic was presented in 3D – bonus!
As Comic-Con draws near I have a feeling – um, thought bubble? – that there are plenty on the horizon.
