Check out: ‘Stripped’, a love letter to comics

STRIPPED

My good friend Dave Kellett has been working for the last four years on a labor of love: a feature-length documentary film about the art and practice of comic strips.

Stripped features dozens and dozens of interviews with cartoonists like Bill Amend (FoxTrot), Stephan Pastis (Pearls Before Swine), Kate Beaton (Hark! A Vagrant), Ryan North (Dinosaur Comics), Patrick McConnell (Mutts), Lynn Johnston (For Better or For Worse), Matt Inman (The Oatmeal)…tons and tons of cartoonists from newspapers, the internet, the past and the present. Even I’m in it!

In fact, he also scored the first-ever audio interview with Bill Watterson of Calvin & Hobbes…Who also was so impressed with the finished film that he illustrated the poster (above)!

The film will be released on iTunes on April 1st, and on other digital venues and on DVD after that. Here’s what Dave says on the film’s official site:

GET THE FILM!

– It’s available now on iTunes: We’re shooting to be the #1 film on iTunes for ONE DAY! Wanna help? Pick up the film on or before April 1st! (The goal isn’t as impossible as you may think: The day our pre-orders launched, we temporarily shot to #6).

– Don’t like or can’t use the U.S. iTunes store? The film will be available worldwide April 2nd via VHX (DRM-free), DVD (DRM-free), and in the U.S. via Google Play.

– Join us at the premiere! It’s at the MASSIVE, awesome Cinerama Dome in Hollywood: March 26, 7PM. Tickets here!

I’m looking forward to the premiere in Hollywood next week, where Dave will also be hosting a Q&A after the screening with some of the cartoonists in attendance.

But I couldn’t wait…I watched an advance copy of the film! I meant to wait for the premiere, but it started autoplaying in my browser and I just got sucked into it. It’s super great, a really sweet and inspiring love letter to the artform of comics — but also a frank and interesting discussion about the current state of publishing, and where the comics both have been and may be going.

If you’ve ever opened the Sunday comics on the kitchen table or living room floor, I think you will really enjoy this film.

Here’s the trailer:

…But I think the first couple minutes of the film will really give you a sense of the tone and voice of the movie. Here’s a clip from the very beginning of Stripped.

If you’re near L.A., consider coming out for the premiere! Otherwise, it’s pre-orderable on iTunes now!


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