San Diego Comic-Con kicks off this week, and the little convention that started back in 1970 (when Richard Nixon was president and Black Sabbath released their first album!), is now a cultural behemoth. There’s a lot to take in at Comic-Con, from the buzzy Hollywood panels, to the costumes, to the thousands of comic books on display by indie artists and sellers. It can be hard to weed through the massive array of booths and panels for available properties, so SSN has done the legwork for you, picking eight properties with both big and small screen potential.
Take a peek at our list and let us know what gems you discover while making your way through the madness.
Rai
Author: Matt Kindt
Publisher: Valiant Comics
Synopsys: It’s 4001 A.D. Led by an artificial intelligence called “Father,” the nation of Japan has emerged from the Pacific and into geosynchronous orbit with the ravaged Earth below. With billions to feed and protect, it’s fallen to one lone guardian to enforce the law of Father’s empire—the mysterious folk hero Rai. They say he can appear out of nowhere; that he’s a spirit, the ghost of Japan. But when the first murder in a thousand years threatens to topple Father’s benevolent reign, Rai is forced to confront the true face of a transformed nation, and his own long-lost humanity.
SSN Insight: Bestselling writer and artist Kindt has been nominated for four Eisner and six Harvey Awards (he’s won once). Rai is the kind of hero tailor-made for a big-budget franchise, and everybody loves a good revenge tale. Looper’s Rian Johnson would be perfect for this if he weren’t tied up with Star Wars. Snowpiercer’s Bong Joon-ho could also be a good fit.
Pop Manga: How to Draw the Coolest, Cutest Characters, Animals, Mascots, and More
Author: Camilla D'Errico
Publisher: Watson-Guptill
Synopsis: The renowned artist and comic creator’s guide to drawing her signature Japanese-style characters, Pop Manga is both a celebration of creativity and an indispensible guide sure to appeal to manga diehards and aspiring artists alike.
SSN Insight: This one may not have big screen potential, but imagine it as a fun half-hour reality show where D’Errico gives pop manga drawing lessons interspersed with actual animation; a 21st century Bob Ross aimed at tweens and teens. Make it sleek and cool rather than Disney-ish, and it’s perfect for MTV.
Confessions of the Very First Zombie Slayer (That I Know Of)
Author: F.J.R. Titchenell
Publisher: Jelly Fish Press
Synopsis:The world is Cassie Fremont’s playground. She has no homework, no curfew, no credit limit, and travels the country with her friends, including a boy who flirts with death just to turn her head. Life is just about perfect, except she has to fight ravenous walking corpses every time she steps outside; bludgeon her crush to death with a paintball gun; and find one of her missing friends in the practically impassable wreckage of Manhattan. Still, Cassie’s an optimist. More prone to hysterical laughter than hysterical tears, she’d rather fight a corpse than be one, and she won’t leave a friend stranded when she can simply take her road trip to impossible new places. A skillful blend of effective horror and unexpected humor, this diary-format novel is a fast-paced and heartwarming read.
SSN Insight: This sounds a bit like Buffy the zombie killer. Cassie is a strong, relatable heroine and there’s a lot you could do with this story, and in the right hands this could work as a feature or series. It might be an interesting change of pace for a director like Gillian Robespierre (Obvious Child) or Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wildflower).
Southern Bastards
Author: Jason Aaron, Jason Latour
Publisher: Image
Synopsis: Craw County, Alabama, is home to Boss BBQ, the state champion Runnin’ Rebs football team, and one rough place to live. When you’re an angry old man like Earl Tubb, the only way to survive a place like this is to carry a really big stick. From the acclaimed team of Jason Aaron and Jason Latour, who previously worked together on Scalped and Wolverine: Japan’s Most Wanted, comes a southern fried crime series that’s like Dukes of Hazzard meets the Coen Brothers .
SSN Insight: This new release sounds like something right up Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, or the Coen Brothers' alley. One part No Country For Old Men, and one part Django Unchained, the series is violent, tense, and funny; with creators Aaron and Latour citing Elmore Leonard, William Faulkner, and Frank Miller as influences. Another great director for this would be Jeremy Saulnier, who wrote and directed the ultra-violent, bitingly funny thriller Blue Ruin, which was released by Radius-TWC this spring. He has a feel for the South and a handle on both the violence and noir aspects this would require.
Stone Cove Island
Author: Suzanne Myers
Publisher: Soho Press
Synopsis: When a catastrophic hurricane devastates the quaint New England resort community of Stone Cove Island, everyone pulls together to rebuild. When 17-year-old Eliza Elliot volunteers to clean out the island’s iconic lighthouse, she stumbles upon a handwritten letter. On first glance, it hardly makes sense, but the longer Eliza studies it, the more convinced she becomes that it’s an anonymous confession to a 30-year-old crime—the unsolved murder of a local teen named Bess Linsky. Soon Eliza finds herself in the throes of an investigation, and as Stone Cove Island fights to recover from disaster, the locals are plunged back into a nightmare they believed to be long over.
SSN Insight: This has the murder mystery aspect of ABC Family’s hit Pretty Little Liars, but feels more gothic and eerie. It could be a creepy teen big-screen thriller with someone like Elle Fanning as Eliza. Diablo Cody could also bring something interesting.
Demeter
Author: Becky Cloonan
Publisher: Self-published
Synopsis: A fisherman’s wife tends to the garden and the animals while her husband is at sea, where secrets buried under the waves begin to bubble to the surface and reveal a secret treachery and forgotten truth.
SSN Insight: Cloonan is no stranger to gothic love stories and this time she turns the Greek myth on its head. Demeter earned her an Eisner nomination for best single issue or one-shot, an award she won last year for her book The Mire. She’s the first female artist to draw the main Batman title, and she’ll return to DC Comics this fall to co-write Gotham Academy. This could be a sophisticated, stylized feature along the lines of Sin City, but with more romance and a powerful female lead.
For more, check out SSN's exclusive Spotlight with Becky Cloonan.
Famous Last Words
Author: Katie Alender
Publisher: Scholastic
Synopsis: Willa is freaking out. It seems she's seeing things—a dead body in her swimming pool, frantic messages on her walls, a reflection that’s not her own. It's almost as if someone, or something, is trying to send her a message. Meanwhile, a killer is stalking Los Angeles and reenacting famous movie murder scenes. Could Willa's strange visions be linked to these unsolved murders? Who can she confide in? There's Marnie, her new friend who may not be totally trustworthy; the ridiculously handsome Reed, who seems to get Willa; and super-smart Wyatt, who's unhealthily obsessed with the Hollywood Killer. All Willa knows, she has to confront the ghost in her house or she just might lose her mind, or her life.
SSN Insight: This one has Hollywood history, mystery, murder, and romance—perfect ingredients for a fun thriller. You could go dark and scary, or make it more tongue-in-cheek and light.
Quantum and Woody
Author: James Asmus
Publisher: Valiant Comics
Synopsis: Once upon a time, Eric and Woody Henderson were inseparable—adopted brothers, best friends, brilliant minds. Years later, they’re estranged siblings, petty rivals, and washed-up failures. But when their father’s murder leads them into the throes of a life-altering scientific accident, Eric and Woody find themselves with a whole new purpose, and a legitimate reason to wear costumes and fight crime. Go big or go home, folks! Quantum and Woody are coming!
SSN Insight: These guys are billed as the “world’s worst superhero team,” so you know the movie version wouldn’t be Batman dark. You could team James Franco and Jonah Hill in the feature version, or else it could be a good fit for Adult Swim.