''The Cartoonist: Jeff Smith, Bone and the Changing Face of Comics'' is a 2009 documentary about the life and art of Jeff Smith, the creator of the ''

Bone A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, ...

'' comic series and described as one of America's greatest living cartoonists. The feature-length film is by American director Ken Mills and was produced by Mills James Productions. ''The Cartoonist'' has been released for international distribution on

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...

Synopsis

''The Cartoonist'' tells the inspiring story of Jeff Smith's creation of the epic comic book, ''Bone'', hailed by ''Time'' magazine as "one of the ten greatest graphic novels of all time". Fellow cartoonists

Scott McCloud Scott McCloud (born Scott McLeod; June 10, 1960) is an American cartoonist and comics theorist. He is best known for his non-fiction books about comics: ''Understanding Comics'' (1993), '' Reinventing Comics'' (2000), and '' Making Comics'' (20 ...

Colleen Doran Colleen Doran is an American writer-artist and cartoonist. She illustrated hundreds of comics, graphic novels, books and magazines, including the autobiographical graphic novel of Marvel Comics editor and writer Stan Lee entitled ''Amazing Fant ...

Harvey Pekar Harvey Lawrence Pekar (; October 8, 1939 – July 12, 2010) was an American underground comic book writer, music critic, and media personality, best known for his autobiographical ''American Splendor'' comic series. In 2003, the series inspired a ...

Paul Pope Paul Pope (born September 25, 1970, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American alternative cartoonist. Pope's work combines the precision and romance of European comics artists with the energy and page design of the manga tradition. Pope' ...

and Terry Moore, as well as friends, associates, experts and Jeff himself, share their stories of this worldwide phenomenon that began in small comics shops and is now found in bookstores, schools, libraries and the homes of millions of adults and children in 25 countries. In addition to discussing Jeff's early years, influences and philosophies, the film provides a look at a unique industry and art form that continues to change and evolve.

Release

''The Cartoonist: Jeff Smith, Bone and the Changing Face of Comics'' made its world premiere on May 22, 2009 at the

Wexner Center for the Arts The Wexner Center for the Arts is the Ohio State University's "multidisciplinary, international laboratory for the exploration and advancement of contemporary art". The Wexner Center opened in November 1989, named in honor of the father of Limite ...

on the campus of

Ohio State University The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best publ ...

. The premiere was part of the Visiting Filmmakers series, where rising stars and acclaimed masters come to screen their films and talk with Wexner Center audiences. The event was co-sponsored by Ohio State’s Cartoon Library & Museum.

Reception

The documentary was well received by critics. It was recommended as a "steller program" by ''

Booklist ''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is av ...

'', and others suggested that it may prove a useful resource for students researching the creative writing process. The film has been lauded as "essential viewing for comics fans", although one review described it as "more mash note than journalism".Starker, Melissa (May 20, 2009)
"Movie Review: The Cartoonist"
''Columbus Alive''.

References

External links

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Mills James Productions
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cartoonist Documentary films about comics 2009 films Documentary films about visual artists 2009 documentary films American documentary films 2000s English-language films 2000s American films