The Glory of Leaving It Undone

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Written by O'Brian Gunn

Is it ok to stop without finishing?

The Glory of Leaving It Undone

I don’t like loose ends. That’s one reason I like to review finished narratives over at Don’t Wake Me ‘Til It’s Done. Another reason is that I like to see characters and stories reach their full potential, which doesn’t always happen when a series has its legs cut out from under it before the final THE END. That said, there is the occasional satisfaction and sense of peace to be found in an incomplete narrative. Let’s marinate on this idea together, shall we?

It’s Better Than Going Downhill

Your social media feed has probably been set aflame by reactions to a certain popular show involving an iron throne, dragons, and a one-handed kingslayer. Think of what public opinion would be like had that show ended one or two seasons ago. Sure, there would have been a massive gnashing of teeth and angry reactions, much like there is now, but it would have been a different catalyst for the same reaction.

Sometimes, a series builds itself to such great heights that it’s hard to consistently sustain that upward mobility. There could be a behind-the-scenes shake-up that sees the departure of certain actors, writers, or directors, or there may be network politics at play. Either way, future seasons could become a drastic (and widely lambasted) departure from what audiences are used to. But that can’t happen if the series abruptly ends even when it’s doing everything right.

A Shift in Medium

Say that you’re enjoying a TV show when it’s canceled right when the last season ends on a cliffhanger (I’m lookin’ at you Angel). While this feels like a sword through the stomach, there’s a chance the series could be revived by a different medium. Both Buffy and Angel continue on in comic book form, and the same applies to Serenity.

Demons, puppets, and talking dogs from Angel: Smile Time (2008) #2.

The great thing about such medium shifts is that it allows both the creators and the fans to experience the story’s world in a new way. For all the advances we have in technology, some feats are easier to accomplish on the page rather than on the screen.

There’s also the matter of money. Some shows are simply too expensive to keep going long enough for the narrative to wrap up, putting them on the chopping block. It’s often less expensive to switch the show to a different medium, such as a book, graphic novel/comic book, or a combination of both. I’d even love to see a story finished via video game. That may be a barrier for fans who don’t have the console the game is on, but it would still make for an interesting idea. With that Thrones show ending with a season of feature film-length episodes, it could set a precedent for reviving once-canceled/unfinished shows and giving them a proper wrap up without drawing things out too much.

The Story Won’t End in Tears...The Bad Kind

Touching back on behind-the-scenes shake-ups, what if a show you once loved doesn’t just jump the shark, but throws in a coupl'a backflips and twisting somersaults along the way? The show, book series, comic book series, or what have you ends alright, but it ends in tears of anger and regret. In this day and age, no matter how great something is, we have a tendency to focus more on what was done wrong or poorly. Sometimes, we even like to pretend that later, less-than-stellar seasons don’t exist, much like I do with True Blood.

It Can Come Back

Sometimes, the scope of a creator’s vision outpaces the technology available at that time. Rather than try to make do with lackluster visuals or look into shifting mediums, the creator may decide to leave the story unfinished...but not forgotten.

A screenshot from Beyond Good & Evil (2003)

Known as “development hell,” some projects are left in limbo due to a lack of production funds. Video game sequels like Beyond Good and Evil 2, Shenmue III, and Team Fortress 2 took years upon years before seeing the light of day. Just looking at the difference in visuals between the original Beyond Good and Evil and the upcoming sequel shows that an extensive wait isn’t always a bad thing.

I don’t like seeing food or stories go to waste. A lot of passion, time, and hard work usually go into both. That said, sometimes, it’s a pleasure to admire a dish and imagine how divine it will taste rather than consume it and potentially be disappointed. But, on the other hand--

A screenshot from the upcoming Beyond Good & Evil 2…

Therapy Between the Lines - Comics and the Mental State

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Written by O'Brian Gunn

A few panels from All-Star Superman (2006) #10 - by Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely.

Sketches in Trauma: Restructuring the Mind Through Comics Creation

Mental health issues and trauma have started to become part of public discussion, something we can talk about openly both in real life and online without fear (mostly) of being seen as irreparably broken, shattered, hollowed out, or cast aside. Taking this one step further, comics and graphic novels have started to include characters and narratives that touch on trauma and mental health, which has done wonders for starting a discussion and helping readers and creators alike come to grips with facets of their own lives that have been impacted by trauma and mental health issues. Reading such narratives is one thing, but to create them from deeply personal experience, and do so in a way that’s wholly authentic, and share them with others is an act of courage. And it can be quite therapeutic, too.

Examples of the Graphic Memoir.

The Graphic Memoir

David Small’s Stitches, Tom Hart’s Rosalie Lightning, Miriam Katin’s We Are on Our Own, and Shigeru Mizuki’s Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths. These are a few examples of graphic memoirs, personal stories brave creators were willing to share with both friends and strangers alike. In Stitches, Small recounts the loss of a vocal cord and how his radiologist father gave him cancer. Hart shares his experience of losing his young daughter, and Katin revisits her escape from the Nazi invasion of Budapest after she and her mother faked their deaths. Rather than keep these mental turmoils to themselves in private, the creators instead chose to not only root them up, but do so through a public forum.

Batman is ready to listen.

Graphic Medicine

Comics artist, physician and writer, Dr. Ian Williams is the creator of Graphic Medicine, a movement that explores utilizing sequential art to revisit trauma with the intent of allowing creators to reframe troubling experiences. While one can visit a therapist to verbally discuss and attempt to make sense of sources of mental anguish, using words may not have the same effect or catharsis as using images and a narrative structure. So, in a way, comic book artists and writers able to see their words woven into images can provide themselves with a source of therapy.

Digging a bit deeper into this concept, narrative therapy is focused on the stories surrounding a mental health issue. Such stories are constructed from cultural, familial and social influences. Narrative therapy acts as a catalyst to externalize something that’s been internalized. Over time, a person can have difficulty differentiating him or herself from trauma/mental illness or a mental health issue. While an individual may identify as being anxious or depressed, narrative therapy is a way to separate the Self from the Experience. Creating comics is a way to unpack the mental suitcase, which can help people realize they’ve been “carrying around another’s luggage” by mistake, claiming it as their own.

Which Came First?

Her smile seems genuine…

It’s common for creative individuals to be perceived as emotionally and psychologically sensitive, the old “tortured artist” trope, which can make creative types particularly vulnerable to mental illness and trauma. That said, you also have to consider that those with mental illness are often attracted to art and literature. Art therapy is a common treatment for those with mental illness. So, which came first: Art, or mental illness?

Either way, there’s no denying the emotional and psychological power of art. Even if you aren’t going through or trying to suss out a recent or deep-rooted tragedy, you can use art to plunge deeper into your current state of mind. Humans are multifaceted beings. As such, individual emotions can become twisted and chained together in a miasma that can only be properly (or improperly) sorted out by sitting with whatever we’re feeling and drawing, writing, inking or painting it out. That way, we have a more intimate overstanding of the roots that lead to the present fruit, as well as the psychological nutrients that allowed that fruit to thrive in the first place. Sometimes, a shallow comprehension just won’t do with us creative types; we’re skin-divers.

There’s no longer a heavy stigma on going to therapy or vocalizing your need or desire for therapy. Whether they realize it or not, comic artists and writers, professional and otherwise, can have a therapy session every time they sit down to create. Rather than write/create what you know, it seems as though it’s more productive to write/create what you feel.

The All-New, All-Indie Cinematic Universe

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Written by O'Brian Gunn

Avengers: Endgame puts a cap on more than a decade of Marvel cinematic stories.

With Avengers: Endgame finally unleashing its cinematic might on the world and bringing a conclusion to phase three the MCU, now’s the perfect time to reflect on what was and what could be. Rather than focus on the MCU or the DCEU, let’s ponder the possibilities of a smaller, independent comic book universe.

While I’m in seven unique flavors of love with the MCU (and leaning more into the DCEU with their last few movies), I have to admit that I’m feeling...not quite burnt out, but wondering “what else ya got?” We’re in a golden age of TV, and comic book properties have never been more popular, both on and off the screen. That’s both a blessing and a curse; a blessing because we get to see major and crowd-favorite superheroes brought to life off the panels of a comic book, but a curse because there’s levels of monotony and “playing it safe” to nearly every comic book property.

Watching Marvel’s Legion can be a mind-expanding experience.

I can’t even keep up with the number of shows based on comic books currently available on different platforms. I usually check out previews for them, maybe even sample a few episodes. To me, most of them usually have the same formulaic feel to them, albeit with the occasional slight remix. That’s why Noah Hawley’s Legion has long been one of my favorite comic book-based shows, and one of the few I make an attempt to keep up with.

If it premieres on HBO, everyone will watch The Watchmen.

Based on Marvel’s Legion/David Haller, the show focuses on David and his struggles with his mental health and reining his powerful psychic abilities under control, all while making sense of the source of his schizophrenia. One thing I adore and appreciate most about the show is how frakkin’ experimental, bizarre and innovative it is. It’s not afraid to leap outside the normal narrative box and take a deep dive into what it would be like to be a telepath.

With HBO bringing the beloved Watchmen to the small screen (and looking more and more intriguing with every preview I see), now’s the perfect time for a cinematic universe based on a smaller, lesser-known comic book property. One of the great things about this is the fact that this indie cinematic universe doesn’t have to focus on superheroes per se. Or if it does, maybe a different type of superhero (physically or mentally disabled superheroes) or an approach to superheroes that audiences aren’t used to seeing (focusing on sidekicks or retired superheroes).

Indie comics aren’t intended to please the masses like DC, Marvel and other major publishers/film studios. By concentrating less on satisfying everyone (and the revenue that comes with it), indie creators can focus on telling the stories they want to tell, stories they want to read, stories that explore a popular narrative in a unique way. For instance, David Yarovesky & James Gunn are adding a horror twist to the superhero origin story with the upcoming Brightburn film. Imagine a cinematic universe similar to the Alien franchise where superpowered beings could be turned into zombies or possessed by demons and became threats to the world and the very people they once protected. The movies could explore the initial contagion/possession, how the heroes cope with friends becoming enemies, how the villains are also impacted by the possession/contagion and the origins or the possession/contagion, and how to contain or resolve the possession/contagion. I’m more than ready for the super-horror genre.

If Brightburn can bring the scares, we may see a new wave of super-horror films.

How many times have Hollywood executives gutted creativity or pumped the brakes on a creator’s ideas for a movie in development? What would the MCU look like today if Joss Whedon had been able to freestyle rather than have little choice but to stick to the Marvel’s curated list of dance moves and beats? While there’s no airtight guarantee this won’t happen with an indie cinematic universe, it’s fair to say there’s less of a chance of this occurring. With less interference and fewer cooks in the kitchen, there’s a better chance of getting the diversity we crave in stories, POV and characters (especially characters).

Something else to think about with an indie cinematic universe is how such movies will be marketed and advertised. Movie trailers (often) give too much of the plot away. Indie creators can implement creative marketing strategies that still serve to build hype and get the word out, but do so in a way that doesn’t spoil the movie-going experience or give audiences a false impression of the overall tone of the movie. Even if indie creators have a sizeable marketing budget, they may still have the freedom to try something new, and the knowledge necessary to pull it off.

There are rumblings of lesser-known comic books being made into TV shows and movies. For instance, Valiant Comics’ Bloodshot is supposed to debut on the silver screen in 2020. Hopefully, this is the beginning of a trend, one that ushers in a breath of fresh air that tests the boundaries of creativity and shows that creation is the original and one of the most powerful superpowers.

Bloodshot from Valiant Comics is slated to make his big-screen debut in 2020, launching a new Valiant Cinematic Universe. (art by Arturo Lozzi)