If you think of Thor when you hear the phrase “motion comics,” think again. Sure Thor is a motion picture based on a comic that’s based on a myth, and sure it’s pure fun to watch, but the world of motion comics is a whole other rodeo.
Take The Angel: Motion Comic from writer/artist/creator Dean Haspiel (artist on The Quitter and The Alcoholic) and animator/director Daniel J. Kramer. There’s no buff, P90x-sculpted actor battling ice monsters and his own arrogance in order to save the planet. But there is am ambient score by Moby (“The Silent Bridge”) guiding you through a fluid, mesmerizing series of image, text and sound that’s more about brain than brawn. If Thor is Black Sabbath, then The Angel is, well… Moby.
The Angel is based on the original comic by Haspiel and it portrays the emotions of a cosmic being as he mourns a lost love and discovers the bridge to a better tomorrow. It’s heartbreaking and poetic, with text like, “after a small, galaxy-sized battle in my heart…” Call it a tone poem, if you wanna get fancy. Do yourself a favor and check it out. It’s too bad the powers that be don’t play things like this before flicks like Thor – comics aren’t all made by Marvel and DC, you know.
Dean Haspiel’s “THE ANGEL” from Daniel J. Kramer on Vimeo.
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