The comics industry saw its golden era in the latter half of the twentieth century before the medium underwent a transformation from ink on paper to pixels on silicon. The industry embraced the change by creating amazing content for all the new avenues that opened up with digitization and moved on to the digital stage. The artists who have created, imagined, inked and lettered the comics earlier have adapted to the new way of creation and continue to delight fans and enthusiasts with their work. With fond memories of the old-school tools of pencil and brush, a group of seasoned professionals give a rare insight into the colourful and fantastical world of comics.
Director Jason Gares takes us along to meet twelve masters from the realm of the comics industry at the Wizard World Comic Con event. We get a glimpse of their creative talent and hear about their experiences in the industry. When these artists tell us about how they entered the industry in the first place, we learn that their experiences have been as diverse as their talent. Some have joined the industry because of a chance encounter with a stranger while others have known, the moment they laid their eyes on their first comic book, that this is what they wanted to do, their entire life.
‘Beyond the Comic Panels’ is a very informative watch for aspiring artists who have their eyes set on the industry. It is a rare opportunity to hear the masters talk, about life, experiences in the industry, favourite tools of the trade and other things. They also advise on how to be successful in the industry, to continuously improve one’s craft, to get due recognition for one’s work and to demand a fair financial compensation due for the work done. For the lovers of comics, the documentary is a blast into the glorious bygone era of comic books. It gives rare insights into the workings of a world that has remained an enigma in the young minds that have enjoyed their creations.
