Heroes Manufactured

The Smurfs were created in 1958 by the Belgian comic author Peyo (Pierre Culliford, 1928-1992) and they are one of Belgium's most recognized exports. From Brussels to Los Angeles, via Dubai, a journey into the tiny world of the famous little blue people, from the story of the creation of the original comic to the account of their huge global commercial exploitation.

In the spring of 1984, a strange new comic book sat beside cash registers in select shops, too big to fit in the racks, and too weird to ignore. Eastman and Laird's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles presented a completely original breed of super hero. It was too bizarre, too crazy. It broke all the rules and should never have worked. Until it sold out. Again and again and again. For 30 years. Now, peek under the shell and see how this so-called "happy accident" defied every naysayer to become one of the most popular and beloved franchises in the world.

Lost Heroes is the story of Canada's forgotten comic book superheroes and their legendary creators. A ninety-minute journey to recover a forgotten part of Canada's pop culture and a national treasure few have ever heard about. This is the tale of a small country striving to create its own heroes, but finding itself constantly out muscled by better-funded and better-marketed superheroes from the media empire next door.

Legends of the Knight weaves together the stirring true stories of individuals who have overcome devastating obstacles, unselfishly given to the community, and embraced their inner superhero because of their love of Batman. Through the deeply personal tales of Batman fans, writers, and filmmakers, this feature-length documentary explores the power of heroic stories and encourages viewers to find their own unique path to heroism. Funded by over 1,100 people from around the world, Legends of the Knight is a return to our childhood dreams of being a hero. Put on your cape, and be inspired!

Documentary on Astérix's illustrator Uderzo, led by Antoine de Caunes with interviews from various French celebrities.

Chris Claremont’s X-Men takes an in-depth look at Claremont’s monumental run. Using high-profile interviews, the film explores the behind-the-scenes development of notable characters like Wolverine, Storm, and Phoenix, as well as the challenges of creating art within a corporate system.

A survey of the artistic history of the comic book medium and some of the major talents associated with it.

A long overdue documentary that tells the story of 2000AD, the unsung cult hero of the comics industry. This film will celebrate and pay respect to the comic and explore its importance and influence on contemporary pop culture.

Todd Loren, whose scandalous series of unauthorized comic book biographies of rock stars enraged and sometimes charmed his subjects, provoked numerous lawsuit threats from the likes of Bon Jovi, Guns N Roses and Skid Row, and eventually led to a landmark First Amendment case, all before he was savagely murdered in 1992. Includes first hand accounts from many of the artists and writers who were inspired and exploited by Loren, along with interviews with Alice Cooper, Mojo Nixon and more.

The film observes the events surrounding the sudden decrease of sales of comic books in the US in the early 90's, followed by the surge of webcomics on the Internet.

The documentary tells why Donald Duck hit Europe like a bomb after the Second World War, creates a loving psychogram of the drake who’d love to be successful and eventually examines the question how our on self-optimization focused society deals with failure.

Documentary that examines the popularity of super-hero comic books.

Director and Writer Eric Dow ("Honor in the Valley of Tears") brings us his second documentary as he goes behind the scenes of the fan fiction short film, "Batman: Dead End." In the winter of 2003 commercial director Sandy Collora and some of his friends set out to make a low-budget short film for his demo reel. What they wound up actually doing was making one of the most elaborate, most watched, most talked about and most controversial short films ever made: Batman Dead End. Considering the amount of press and admiration Batman: Dead End garnered,

Marvel's first editor in chief, pop culture icon Stan Lee, and Marvel's current editor in chief, Joe Quesada, talk about the past and future of the company's stable of super-heroes in a lively discussion helmed by filmmaker Kevin Smith.

COMIX is a feature documentary on comic books, the comic book world, and the phenomenon surrounding them. It is told through the thoughts and images of some of the greatest talent in the comic book industry like Stan Lee, Frank Miller, Neal Adams, Mark Waid, Marc Silvestri, and John Romita Jr., among many others. COMIX also has tons of interviews with the fans, many in full costumes, as they share their love for the art form, and who have made comics the phenomenon that it is today.

This new documentary film recognizes the comic book as a true art form, as indigenous to American culture as jazz. It presents comic books as reflectors of a changing America from the 1930's to today, and it hails comic book superheroes as modern-day mythological figures. “THE LEGENDS BEHIND THE COMIC BOOKS” captures for posterity the living artists and writers from The Golden Age of Comic Books (1938-1951) and The Silver Age of Comic Books (1956-1973). Insightful comments are provided by the creative geniuses who were there at the beginning, including…