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When I was a kid many of the comics I read were miniseries, and a large portion of those were adaptations of movies. I remember reading the comic adaptations of Return of the Jedi, Buckaroo Banzai, Swamp Thing (hey, it counts) and Transformers: The Movie. I'm fairly certain I read others, but those are the ones that stuck out in my mind. As I got older it seemed as though adaptations of that nature vanished. I don't know if it was a lack of awareness on my part, a rift between the two industries of just some kind of disinterest in such projects.
Still, over the years a variety of movie and TV related projects would pop up from time to time. The questions always seemed to be though if the stories were considered "canon" or not. Were we getting a story that was supposed to be an extension of the stories and characters that we were familiar with already or were we getting some writer's personal take on those characters? Considering that sometimes we find ourselves in a position where stories about comic characters are retconned out of a canon existence, it's not an easy question to answer.
Right now we seem to be entering a kind of "second age" of comics and movies/TV mixing with each other. At least it seems like a "second age" for my lifetime. I'm not sure what initiated this second age, but it seems to be working. In fact, it seems to be working very well. With people like Jeph Loeb, Joss Whedon, J. Michael Straczynski, and Paul Dini having a variety of roles between the mediums of comics and TV over the years, and finding success with the roles and properties they are involved with, I think we're at a point where screens (big and small) and comics being connected is almost "healthy." Perhaps a better word might be "symbiotic." Also, I know there are many more people that are crossing over between the mediums than the few I mentioned. Those guys just happen to be people whose work I am more familiar with and tend to find interest in.
I will admit that I have a vested interest in this kind of stuff happening. It makes my "geek" side feel more accepted. Being someone who reads comics doesn't seem as out of the ordinary when movies based on comic book characters are raking in huge amounts of cash at the box office, not to mention the fact that one of the best reviewed movies by critics this year is one based on a comic character. Reflecting back on the older bastardizations of Captain America, the Punisher and the Fantastic Four (I still shudder) it's easy to see the respect and interest factor have come a long way. Bigger name directors and bigger name actors (I won't say they're necessarily "better" as that's a personal view for all of us) are getting attached to these comic-to-movie adaptations. That tells me something is going on.
Then look at how people like those I mentioned earlier can now cross over between the mediums without receiving nearly as much disdain from those who already work "on the other side." Imagination is imagination. Having experience in one does not mean you cannot learn to succeed in the other. Frankly I'm happy that these opportunities are popping up for so many people who I've come to appreciate in their "original" medium. Heck, look at Virgin Comics. They're practically staking a huge amount of their money on people who are established as non-comic related writers, directors, actors and musicians to come up with ideas for new comics. Now, I'll say that I'm a bit biased as I do read a number of series from Virgin Comics, but most of what I have read is good, and what I haven't enjoyed in story I have enjoyed in concept.
Still, I must wonder if we will hit the point of having too much of a good thing. Will this current fascination with comics jumping to the screen and writers/creators jumping mediums reach a peach and suffer a backlash of negativity. You know, something similar to the affect the speculators had on the comic industry years ago. I would be stupid not to acknowledge that such a thing could happen. Then, I'd be right back where I am in seeing my main hobby getting pushed back to the outskirts of "normalcy." Which of course wouldn't really upset me as there are SO many other things about me that lend to my existence being there daily (but that's a personal story for another place).
For now I will sit back and enjoy seeing my main hobby being accepted, seeing the heroes I care about receiving the recognition I believe they deserve (as voted via dollars), and the writers and creators that have entertained me for so long pushing the envelope in opportunity for themselves and others (I would hope). Perhaps this medium mixing shows that on a larger scale people having the opportunity to move beyond what they believe are their limits, or what others see as their limits, can serve something greater. Sure, this is just entertainment but let's be honest, people. In today's day and age entertainment is something many of us need at some time. I don't know about you, but when I look for entertainment I want something good, not something that is thrown out because nothing better could be found (that's what Sci-fi's Saturday night movies are for). I could be cynical and say that Hollywood and the comic industry were both finally out of ideas and had to tap a new source, but I really do believe the potential has always been there. It just happens they looked towards each other and found some good.
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