Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: The Beatles Yellow Submarine
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE: 1959
WEBSITE:
CITY:
STATE: CA
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born 1959, in Lincoln Park, MI; married; wife’s name Kayre.
EDUCATION:Attended College for Creative Studies; Certificate of Illustration.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Cartoonist, writer, comics creator, editor. Worked as a technical illustrator for Artech, Inc., Livonia, MI, early 1980s; illustrator for Disney, creating promotional art for many movies; The Simpsons television show, Fox TV, illustrator; Futurama, television show, Fox TV, art director; Bongo Comics, Santa Monica, CA, cofounder, creative director, 1993-2012; Mad Magazine, Burbank, CA, executive editor, 2018–. Creator of comic books series, including “Roswell, Little Green Man” and “Dead Vengeance.” Has also scripted numerous “Simpsons” comics
MEMBER:National Cartoonists Society (president).
AWARDS:Eisner Award.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
A cartoonist, writer, comics creator, and editor, Bill Morrison has had a long and successful career, beginning as a technical illustrator in his home state, Michigan. Spurred on by the words of his supervisor at that job who told Morrison he could see a career in cartooning for him, Morrison and his wife moved to Southern California, where he found work in advertising, illustrating a number of posters for such iconic Disney films as The Little Mermaid, Bambi, Peter Pan, Cinderella, and The Jungle Book. Recruited to draw for the popular Fox TV show, The Simpsons, in 1990, he spent a number of years creating all things Simpsons related, including drawings for T-shirts, video games, posters, toy packaging, books, calendars, and limited edition prints.
Together with Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons, Morrison cofounded Bongo Comics in 1993, and served as its creative director until 2012, overseeing the Simpsons Comics, and others. He also worked again with Groening as creative director for the television show, Futurama. Morrison has also written and/or illustrated a number of comics, including the 2018 graphic novel homage to the famous rock group, The Beatles Yellow Submarine.
In 2018, Morrison also became the editor of MAD Magazine. Regarding that new position, Morrison commented in a statement quoted by Washington Post contributor Michael Cavna, “I don’t know anyone who loves and respects MAD as much as I do. … I’ll definitely have my work cut out for me, but I’m dedicated to upholding the high standards of absurd and irreverent humor that the public has come to expect from MAD.”
The Beatles Yellow Submarine
In The Beatles Yellow Submarine, Morrison writes and illustrates an adaptation of that 1968 animated film as a fiftieth anniversary tribute. The book, like the movie, tells how the rock group saves a magical land from the Blue Meanies, a bunch of music-haters. When these attack the peaceful folk of Pepperland, it is up to four Beatle look-alikes recruited by Admiral Fred and his Yellow Submarine to save the day. Speaking with online Syfy Wire contributor Jeff Spry, Morrison commented on how he came to do this fiftieth annivesary tribute: “I’ve been a Beatles fan since childhood. … There was Beatles music playing in my house nearly non-stop when I was a kid and into my teen years. I think it’s safe to say that it’s part of my DNA by now. I didn’t see Yellow Submarine when it was first released, but I guess I would have seen it when it first aired on TV. … I had begun a comic adaptation of Yellow Submarine 20 years ago for another publisher, but the project was shelved. In the interim, I had shown the pages online and to friends, and they developed a bit of notoriety. I met the Beatles’ licensing agent at San Diego Comic-Con a few years ago, and he had been shown the pages and wanted to put a deal together with a publisher to complete the project.”
In an interview with We Are Cult website contributor Paul Abbott, Morrison addressed the question of whether he felt any pressure working with such iconic images: “Sure, to some extent that was unavoidable. You think about something as iconic and beloved as the Beatles and you’re immediately aware that the fans are very passionate and discriminating, so you absolutely have to get it right. But I’m used to working with characters that are universally popular like The Simpsons and Disney characters, so I’m always conscious of the need to do them justice and create something that the fans will appreciate.” Speaking with Rogues Portal website writer Michael Farris, Jr., Morrison further noted in this regard: “The biggest challenge was to create an adaptation of the film in a form that doesn’t have sound or animation. I didn’t want it to be viewed as an inferior version of the film, so I had to bring something great to the book that the film doesn’t have. So I used graphic design to my advantage and ended up with something that I think looks like the Yellow Submarine film and a psychedelic poster had a baby. The greatest reward has been reading the reviews and comments of fans. It’s been very gratifying to hear how they’re loving it.”
Among such positive reviews is that of a Publishers Weekly contributor who noted: “Morrison splashes out several rainbows’ worth of pleasing colors for this happy ode to harmless psychedelia that perfectly captures the movie’s stoned punning and rippling anti-authoritarianism.” Similarly, a Kirkus Reviews critic felt that the “lyrical quality of the proceedings is beautifully retained by Morrison’s inspired paneling, where right angles are rare, favoring instead swooshes and circles and pages broken up by large, dazzling characters and ornate frames.” Xpress Reviews commentator Zach Berkley was also impressed, observing: “The hues here are even more dazzling and the images sharper, with subtle shading and highlighting giving them a bit more depth than the original. Overall, the psychedelic illustrations are glorious, with some resembling still frames from the film.” Further praise came from an online Geeks of Doom contributor who noted: “[The] perfect companion piece to the half-century-old film, The Beatles Yellow Submarine is a knock out of the park in many ways. There’s a reason why this graphic novel was such a sensation at this year’s Comic Con. Don’t be a Blue Meanie, go to your local comic shop or order your copy as soon as you can. Get your friends all aboard too, and full speed ahead!” Likewise, Scott Cederlund, writing in Panel Patter, commented: “A visual delight, The Beatles Yellow Submarine shows us the original transcendental pop stars who prove that all you need is love. Bill Morrison takes a 50-year-old movie and transforms it into a very modern comic book, translating music and motion into panels and dialogue balloons. This comic book shows us the best version of The Beatles and the aspirations of their music, proving that love, friendship, and peace is all that you need. And, as they sang in many songs, love really is all that you need.” And writing in Rogues Portal website, Farris concluded: “Calling this a must-have item for Beatles fans is an understatement. While the groundbreaking artwork and animation extravaganza was given to us 50 years ago, The Beatles Yellow Submarine graphic novel allows you to pause, observe, and truly appreciate the cultural icon that is Yellow Submarine.
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, May 15, 2006, Gordon Flagg, review of Innocence and Seduction: The Art of Dan DeCarlo, p. 14.
Bookwatch, June, 2010, review of The Simpsons Futurama: Crossover Crisis.
Kirkus Reviews, June 1, 2018, review of The Beatles Yellow Submarine.
New York Times, July 4, 2018, George Gene Gustines, “‘Yellow Submarine’ Graphic Novel Surfaces,” p. C3(L).
Publishers Weekly, April 5, 2010, review of review of The Simpsons Futurama Crossover Crisis, p. 52; July 16, 2018, review of The Beatles Yellow Submarine, p. 49.
Xpress Reviews, September 7, 2018, Zach Berkley, review of The Beatles Yellow Submarine.
ONLINE
Geeks of Doom, https://www.geeksofdoom.com/ (August 28, 2018), review of Beatles Yellow Submarine.
Inquirer Online (Philadelphia, PA), http://www2.philly.com/ (July 4, 2018), Michael Cavna, author interview.
News-Herald Online (MI), http://www.thenewsherald.com/ (October 6, 2016), “”The Art of Bill Morrison’ Coming to Historical Museum Saturday.”
Panel Patter, http://www.panelpatter.com/ (August 24, 2018), Scott Cederlund, review of Beatles Yellow Submarine.
Rogues Portal, http://www.roguesportal.com/ (August 28, 2018), Michael Farris, Jr., review of The Beatles Yellow Submarine; (September 6, 2018), Michael Farris, Jr. author interview.
Syfy Wire, https://www.syfy.com/ (August 10, 2018), Jeff Spry, “Exclusive: Bill Morrison Dives into Titan Comics’ New The Beatles: Yellow Submarine Graphic Novel.”
Washington Post Online, https://www.washingtonpost.com/ (June 26, 2017), Michael Cavna, “Simpsons’ Artist Bill Morrison Is the New Executive Editor of MAD Magazine.”*
We Are Cult, http://wearecult.rocks/ (September 5, 2018), Paul Abbott, author interview.
QUOTE:
I don’t know anyone who loves and respects MAD as much as I do,” Morrison said in a statement. “I’ll definitely have my work cut out for me, but I’m dedicated to upholding the high standards of absurd and irreverent humor that the public has come to expect from MAD.
Simpsons’ artist Bill Morrison is the new executive editor of MAD magazine
By Michael Cavna
June 26, 2017
(used by permission of MAD magazine 2016)
BILL MORRISON, the Eisner-winning artist and National Cartoonists Society president, has just been named the new executive editor of MAD magazine.
The hire reflects a publication in transition. By next year, MAD plans to move its base of operations from New York to Burbank, as part of the recent move west by its publisher, DC Comics (which is owned by parent company Time Warner). MAD will be in the headquarters of DC Entertainment, which oversees DC superheroes and Vertigo comics.
According to DC, longtime executive editor John Ficarra and some of his team will continue to publish MAD from New York through December, then assist with the relocation.
[A MAD Tribute: Before there was ‘Daily Show,’ there was Al Feldstein’s magazine.]
Morrison will “begin to take on the day-to-day operations of the magazine, hire and direct a MAD editorial and creative team for both MAD magazine and MAD books,” the announcement from DC and Time Warner says, as well as guide MAD’s publishing schedule.
Morrison co-founded Bongo Comics Group with “Simpsons” creator Matt Groening, serving as Bongo’s creative director from 1993 to 2012, and drew the first Simpsons comic book.
“I don’t know anyone who loves and respects MAD as much as I do,” Morrison said in a statement. “I’ll definitely have my work cut out for me, but I’m dedicated to upholding the high standards of absurd and irreverent humor that the public has come to expect from MAD.”
MAD, one of American satire’s most storied institutions, was founded in 1952 by publisher Bill Gaines and editor Harvey Kurtzman. Its longest-running contributor is Al Jaffee, and the most published members of the “Usual Gang of Idiots” also include such fellow living legends as Mort Drucker, Dick DeBartolo and Sergio Aragones.
INTERESTS
Personal Interests
I grew up in the era of Batmania, and I still have a nostalgic fondness for pretty much all things Batman. I collect comic books in general, but mostly golden age and silver age comics from all genres; super hero, horror, science fiction, humor, war... I'm also into old cars and my wife and I recently bought a 1948 Buick Special Sedanet that I'm slowly restoring to it's showroom glory (or close to it). Basically, I'm into old things, mostly from the period of the 1940's and 1950's. I like toys, vintage clothes, advertising memorabilia, architecture, movies, music, anything from that period gets me excited. Style and design in general has never been better than it was mid-century, in my opinion.
Music: Rock - Lady Robotika! David Bowie, Jane Wiedlin, Todd Rundgren, Genesis, Alice Cooper, Kansas, Garbage, Ok Go, No Doubt, The Beatles, ELO, Mott The Hoople, Queen, Blondie, XTC, The Ramones, Elvis Costello, Yes, The Pretenders, The Go-Go's, Adam Ant, Roxy Music, Ian Hunter, Utopia, The Nazz, The Cars (New and old), Kasim Sulton, Kiss, Crowded House, The Shins, Tin Machine, Frank Black, Pixies, Squeeze, Sparks, The Pursuit of Happiness
Jazz/Swing - Mora's Modern Rhythmists, Benny Goodman, The Andrews Sisters, Artie Shaw, Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Harry James, Keely Smith, Louis Prima, Gene Krupa, Anita O'Day, Helen Forrest, Helen Ward, Lionel Hampton, Woody Herman, Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys, Freddy Martin, Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Kenton, Fletcher Henderson, Don Redman, Jimmie Lunceford, Spud Murphy
Movies - My all-time favorite is "It's A Wonderful Life". The short list also includes: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Winchester '73 (okay, pretty much any Jimmy Stewart movie), Gilda, Cover Girl, The Lady from Shanghai (just about any Rita Hayworth movie) Star Wars (all of the first three), Back to the Future (the trilogy), Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Batman Begins, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, Spider-man (I liked all three, except for that dorky scene in #3 where Peter Parker is dancing down the street and then the scene in the jazz club), A League of their Own, Office Space, That Thing You Do, The Right Stuff, The Longest Day, My Favorite Year, The Nutty Professor (Jerry Lewis version), Any Martin and Lewis movie, any early Jerry Lewis movie, the classic Universal horror movies (Frankensein, Bride of Frankenstein, The Wolfman, The Mummy, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, etc.) Hammer horror films, School of Rock, Lost in America, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Pinoccio, Peter Pan, Hot Fuzz, Shawn of the Dead, Baby Mama, Iron Man
Television - Madmen, 24, 30 Rock, The Office, Lost, South Park, The Simpsons (of course!) Futurama, Eureka, Reno 911, Spaced, Extras, Battlestar Galactica, Caprica
Artistic Heroes - Dan DeCarlo, Dick Sprang, Bob Oksner, Dave Stevens, Jim Steranko, Neal Adams, Bernie Wrightson, John Romita, John Buscema, Gene Colan, Al Capp, Robert Crumb, Will Eisner, Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, Wally Wood, Matt Baker, Will Elder, Jack Davis...(to be continued!)
CONTACT INFO
bill@littlegreenman.com
http://www.littlegreenman.com
MORE INFO
Gender
Male
Personal Information
I'm a cartoonist, working mostly in the field of comic books. My main gig is as Creative Director of Bongo Entertainment where we produce comics, books and calendars based on Matt Groening's TV shows "The Simpsons" and "Futurama". I also do occasional art and writing jobs for other companies when time permits.
I attended the Center for Creative Studies in Detroit Michigan (where I grew up) and graduated with a Certificate in Illustration (I tried to go for the degree, but I couldn't hack the academic classes on top of all my art assignments. Now I'm editing books and comics. Could've really used that English class!
I began my professional career drawing automobile parts for owners manuals and repair guides.
In 1983, I landed a job at B.D. Fox Advertising in Hollywood, California. I spent the next four years working on movie advertising campaigns and painted several movie posters, most for films you've never heard of. I also worked on many big name projects, but usually providing only concept sketches and comps (preliminary art).
From there I moved on to Willardson & Associates where I became one of the associates in the aforementioned studio name. Dave Willardson is a master illustrator and I learned a lot there. I honed my skills on a variety of advertising projects, but mostly I painted movie posters for Disney films.
In 1990, I began to get freelance assignments for "The Simpsons" merchandise from my old friend and colleague from B.D.Fox, Mili Smythe. Mili had moved on as well and was now Matt Groening's liason for Fox Licensing and Merchandising (a different Fox).
I was soon hired by Fox and drew The Simpsons (and other animated characters) for them during the day. Nights and weekends were spent working directly for Matt Groening on various Simpsons book and calendar projects.
In 1993, I helped Matt and Steve & Cindy Vance start Bongo Comics, where I've been ever since.
In 1996, I created my own comic book, "Roswell, Little Green Man".
"Roswell" made it to six issues before I put it down to help Matt Groening design characters for his new show, "Futurama". When the show was put into production, I became the "Art Director". (Mostly, I just designed characters and vehicles, but I did do some actual art direction when producer Mili Smythe went on maternity leave.
Somewhere in there I co-created another comic book called "Heroes Anonymous" with my former assistant Scott M. Gimple. H.A. is bout a support group for super heroes. We had it in developement at the Sci-Fi channel for a few years, but things went south.
I'm working on a mini-series with my wife called "Dead Vengeance" (the comic's name, not my wife's name!). It's very different from anything I've done in comics, but reminds me of some of my old movie poster work.
I'm also working on a new comic book with (and starring) my friend Jane Wiedlin that will premiere this year at Comic-Con International, San Diego! More on that as news develops!
QUOTE:
I had begun a comic adaptation of Yellow Submarine 20 years ago for another publisher, but the project was shelved. In the interim, I had shown the pages online and to friends, and they developed a bit of notoriety. I met the Beatles’ licensing agent at San Diego Comic-Con a few years ago, and he had been shown the pages and wanted to put a deal together with a publisher to complete the project.
I’ve been a Beatles fan since childhood. So there was Beatles music playing in my house nearly non-stop when I was a kid and into my teen years. I think it’s safe to say that it’s part of my DNA by now.
I didn’t see Yellow Submarine when it was first released, but I guess I would have seen it when it first aired on TV.
Exclusive: Bill Morrison dives into Titan Comics' new The Beatles: Yellow Submarine graphic novel
Contributed by
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Jeff Spry
Aug 10, 2018
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You might think you reside in a sweet pad, but it pales in comparison to the banana-colored submersible that the mop-topped lads from Liverpool call home in the classic Beatles tune "Yellow Submarine." The whimsical ballad was written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon, memorably sung by drummer Ringo Starr, and appeared on their 1966 album Revolver.
To capitalize on the song's fantasy narrative and immense popularity, an iconic animated feature was produced using a kaleidoscopic palette of vivid colors and crazy characters (like Blue Meanies, Apple Bonkers, Snapping Turks, Old Fred, and of course the Dreadful Flying Glove) in a trance-like odyssey starring John, Paul, George, and Ringo.
ys movie poster
The psychedelic images and concepts absorbed in the 1968 United Artists movie are often mistaken as the work of pop-art genius Peter Max, but the film was actually designed by German illustrator and art director Heinz Edelmann.
Screenwriter Lee Minoff developed the phantasmagoric story, which sees The Beatles recruited by the aged Captain of the Yellow Submarine to help him liberate Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and the undersea residents of Pepperland from the evil, music-hating Blue Meanies.
ys cover
To honor the achievement of director George Dunning's monumental animated feature and celebrate the 50th anniversary of its release, Titan Comics is releasing a deluxe graphic novel adaptation of The Beatles: Yellow Submarine written and illustrated by Bill Morrison. The newly appointed editor of Mad magazine, former Disney artist, and Bongo Comics co-founder gained notoriety through his wild comics for The Simpsons, and here he plunges inside a pop culture wonderland with reckless abandon.
The Beatles' Yellow Submarine submerges into comic shops and book retailers on August 28. This 128-page prestige edition is beautifully presented and retains all the zany action and trippy spirit of the landmark British film.
morrison
SYFY WIRE spoke to Morrison on this dream project to learn what his memories of the Yellow Submarine movie were, how The Beatles' music inspired his life and art, what readers can anticipate in this upcoming graphic novel adaptation, and how he fully immersed himself in the Fab Four's classic watery adventure.
After the chat, check out our exclusive page preview in the gallery below!
yellow sub 1
How did you come into this 50th anniversary Yellow Submarine project for Titan?
Bill Morrison: I had begun a comic adaptation of Yellow Submarine 20 years ago for another publisher, but the project was shelved. In the interim, I had shown the pages online and to friends, and they developed a bit of notoriety. I met the Beatles’ licensing agent at San Diego Comic-Con a few years ago, and he had been shown the pages and wanted to put a deal together with a publisher to complete the project. Titan was already working with him on their brilliant Beatles vinyl toys, so it seemed like a perfect idea to have them publish the Yellow Submarine graphic novel as well. Plus, they’re British, and ideally I think you want a British company publishing an official Beatles book, right? I’m not British, but with the last name Morrison I’m ancestrally from the U.K., so I guess that’s close enough.
What has The Beatles' music meant to you, and do you recall your first viewing of the pioneering film?
I’ve been a Beatles fan since childhood. I remember watching them on The Ed Sullivan Show and seeing A Hard Day's Night at a drive-in movie theater when it was first released. The first record album I owned was a Beatles album of sorts. It was Alvin and the Chipmunks Sing the Beatles Hits. So at age 5, while my older siblings played actual Beatles records day and night, I was playing the Chipmunks' version. But as I got older I developed a love for the real thing. I shared a room with my older brother and he had all the albums, and I used to play them when he was gone. So there was Beatles music playing in my house nearly non-stop when I was a kid and into my teen years. I think it’s safe to say that it’s part of my DNA by now.
I didn’t see Yellow Submarine when it was first released, but I guess I would have seen it when it first aired on TV. I assume that was in the early 1970s. But I do recall seeing all the toys and the original comic book back in 1968 and 1969. I thought it looked really cool, but for some reason I was unable to see the film in a theater.
yellow sub 2
What design elements of Heinz Edelmann's original psychedelic art and characters attracted and inspired you most?
You mean Peter Max, right? Ha! Just kidding! I’ve always loved the Art Nouveau movement, particularly the posters of Alphonse Mucha, and I love how Edelmann’s designs took that aesthetic and really went crazy with it. The designs of John, Paul, George, and Ringo are the most normal, by necessity, but when you look at Old Fred, Jeremy, the Blue Meanies, and their henchmen (especially the Snapping Turks and Jack the Nipper) you see Edelmann’s imagination just running wild. And then the characters in the Sea of Monsters are even another level of surrealistic and crazy! They’re all so much fun to look at and to draw!
How did you approach the cinematic material in a fresh way for this anniversary graphic novel adaptation, and what were the challenges and rewards?
The main challenge was to create a faithful adaptation of the animated film in a form that doesn’t have sound or motion. My initial thought after I accepted the job was "How do I do this in a way that isn’t just a lesser version of the film?" So I decided to look to graphic design as a way of giving the book an element that the movie doesn’t have. I was inspired by psychedelic poster design and tried to make the page and panel layouts as imaginative as the characters and backgrounds, without being too over-the-top and distracting.
yellow sub 4
Why does Yellow Submarine continue to hold such interest for cinephiles, musicians, and fans of experimental animation?
I think it’s probably because it still looks fresh and original because it didn’t have dozens of imitators. When someone does something unlike anything we’ve seen before, it’s exciting and new, but if it gets imitated ad nauseam, we tend to get tired of the look and we lump the original in with all the copycats. We forget that when the original came out, it was a revolutionary work of genius. Yellow Submarine never really had a wave of successful imitations, so it still looks unique. You can look at what came before in animation, and what came after, and there really is nothing like it.
Bill Morrison
Bill Morrison at the 2009 Comic Con in San Diego.
Bill Morrison at the 2009 Comic Con in San Diego.
Born 1959
Lincoln Park, Michigan
Occupation Bongo Comics artist and writer
Nationality American
Bill Morrison (born 1959) is an American comic book artist and writer, and co-founder of Bongo Comics (along with Matt Groening and Steve and Cindy Vance). He is the editor of MAD Magazine since early 2018 (beginning with the rebooted issue #1 dated June 2018), after the retirement of 30+ year editor John Ficarra and the magazine shifting offices to Los Angeles, California after decades in Manhattan (first on Madison Avenue and then on Broadway).[1][2]
He was the creative director of Bongo Comics from 1993 to 2012.
Morrison is a native of Lincoln Park, Michigan, a Downriver suburb of Detroit. He attended the College for Creative Studies.
Morrison is an Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America; he created the mural A Century of Values to celebrate the BSA centennial in 2010.[3]
At the beginning of his career in the early 1980s, Morrison worked as a technical illustrator for Artech, Inc. (Livonia, Michigan) before going to work as an illustrator for Disney, where he created promotional art for:
Lady and the Tramp
Cinderella
Bambi
Peter Pan
The Jungle Book
Robin Hood
The Rescuers
The Fox and the Hound
Oliver & Company
The Little Mermaid (including a controversial image)
“Roller Coaster Rabbit”
“The Prince and the Pauper”
The Rescuers Down Under.[4]
Subsequently he worked as an illustrator for The Simpsons and created his own comic Roswell. He also served as a director for Futurama.[5]
On the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of Yellow Submarine, The Beatles' 1968 animated feature film, Titan Comics published, on August 28, 2018, a hardcover comicbook illustated by Morrisson.[6]
QUOTE:
Sure, to some extent that was unavoidable. You think about something as iconic and beloved as the Beatles and you’re immediately aware that the fans are very passionate and discriminating, so you absolutely have to get it right. But I’m used to working with characters that are universally popular like The Simpsons and Disney characters, so I’m always conscious of the need to do them justice and create something that the fans will appreciate.
Yellow Submarine’ Graphic Novel: Bill Morrison Interview
5 September 2018 Paul Abbott Books, Music 0
❉ Paul Abbott talks to the writer and artist of Titan Comics’ 50th anniversary authorised graphic novel adaptation.
“I wanted to avoid creating a version of the film that fans would find inferior because of the lack of sound and animation, so I did things on the page utilizing graphic design that the film wasn’t able to do. The result is sort of like what if the Yellow Submarine and a psychedelic poster had a baby.”
Bill Morrison, the writer and artist behind the new Yellow Submarine graphic novel from Titan Comics has a long history of working with established and much loved comic and animation characters. Having worked as a promotional illustrator for Disney, he later founded Bongo Comics alongside Matt Groening and, as of this year, is the editor of the long-running and influential humour magazine, MAD. Bill provided We Are Cult with some thoughts on the processes and pressures of adapting Yellow Submarine for the page.
Tell us about your first contact with The Beatles’ music.
When I was about five, the first record album that I owned was a record of Alvin and the Chipmunks singing The Beatles’ hits. Then, like everyone else in America, I saw The Beatles on TV on The Ed Sullivan Show, and we all went nuts. We knew it was a big deal. I remember, growing up, having Beatles music on in the house all the time. Between my brother and my two older sisters, we had the whole catalog. It was probably in the ’70s that I saw Yellow Submarine on television for the first time.
What gave you the idea to adapt Yellow Submarine into a comic?
When the film was nearing its 30th anniversary in ’97 or ’98, I was given the opportunity to create an adaptation for Dark Horse Comics. I was really excited and I jumped at the chance. Originally, it was going to be a 48-page adaptation. I did an initial cover and 25 pages but then had to stop as the deal fell through. But now I’m finally able to pick it up again.
Did you feel any pressure dealing with such iconic designs and images?
Sure, to some extent that was unavoidable. You think about something as iconic and beloved as the Beatles and you’re immediately aware that the fans are very passionate and discriminating, so you absolutely have to get it right. But I’m used to working with characters that are universally popular like The Simpsons and Disney characters, so I’m always conscious of the need to do them justice and create something that the fans will appreciate.
Was there any consideration given to trying to find a way to show the musical moments, the Beatles’ songs, on the page?
No, even though this is an officially sanctioned Beatles book, we didn’t have the rights to use the song lyrics, so there was no way to include the songs.
Given that the script, character design and story already existed, in iconic form, what did you have to do to make it look effective on the page?
I wanted to avoid creating a version of the film that fans would find inferior because of the lack of sound and animation, so I did things on the page utilizing graphic design that the film wasn’t able to do. The result is sort of like what if the Yellow Submarine and a psychedelic poster had a baby.
Did you receive any guidance/guidelines, or feedback, from Apple Corps throughout the process of adapting the film?
Yes, but it was overwhelmingly positive. Apple Corps was very supportive and complimentary of what I did throughout the entire production. There were a few times when I had some song lyrics in the script and was told I had to take them out, but I completely understood. They were even supportive of the original dialogue and captions that I occasionally had to write in order to keep the story flowing and approved of it all.’
Have you got a favourite character from the movie? Or a favourite from your adaptation – one that you enjoyed drawing the most?
The villains are always the most fun to draw because they’re usually more expressive than the heroes, so the Blue Meanies were probably my favorite things to draw. But the creatures in the Sea of Monsters were also a lot of fun.
How do you think the Yellow Submarine film has aged over the years?
It’s definitely a film of its time but it does hold up. You can watch it and it doesn’t feel dated — especially if you have a nice crisp print of it. The colors are vibrant, the music’s great, the animation is wonderful. It definitely holds up really well.
I’m watching it over and over again for the graphic novel adaptation and it’s just fun — it doesn’t get old. There’s always so much to look at. I think it’s brilliant.
If the opportunity arose, would you want to head back to Pepperland to tell more tales of their Post-Meanie Attack world?
Yes, of course! If the fan interest was there, I’d love to make a return trip and maybe tell some back-story about the Blue Meanies and their world. We don’t really know where they come from or much about them at all, but there are a few hints in the film. Jeremy looks suspiciously related to the Meanies in the way he’s designed, and the Chief Blue Meanie reveals that his cousin was the Bluebird of Happiness at the end, so we could have some fun building on those things.
❉ The Beatles – ‘Yellow Submarine’ graphic novel written and illustrated by Bill Morrison. Inks: Andrew Pepoy. Colors: Nathan Kane. Lettering: Aditya Bidikar. Publisher: Titan Comics. Hardcover, 292mm x 190mm. 112pp, $29.99/£26.99. Published August 28, 2018. ISBN: 9781785863943.
❉ Paul Abbott runs Hark! The 87th Precinct Podcast, which takes a look at each of the books in series in turn, but usually turns quite silly. He also makes noises with his band in Liverpool, Good Grief, and spends the rest of the time thinking about Transformers, The Beatles, Doctor Who and Monty Python.
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ENTERTAINMENT
A new editor. A new home. But Mad magazine still takes sharp aim at Trump and Roseanne.
by Michael Cavna, Washington Post, Posted: July 4, 2018
Bill Morrison began having a delightfully Mad time of things one year ago this month, when he officially began his tenure at the legendary magazine. And since early this year, Morrison has begun to deploy his own sensibility to guide the comedy institution, as its first new top editor since the 1980s.
For roughly half of the six-decade-plus life span of Mad magazine, John Ficarra steered the ship manned by the "Usual Gang of Idiots," including such rock-star artists as Al Jaffee, Sergio Aragones, and Mort Drucker. But as Mad recently moved to California from its longtime New York home, Morrison — who cofounded Bongo Comics in Southern California with three fellow executives, including Simpsons creator Matt Groening — took over amid the larger range of changes.
Even in new digs, Morrison, who is also president of the National Cartoonists Society, appreciates the historic magazine's irreverent sense of itself, honed over nearly seven decades.
"Mad's mission has always been to shove our culture in front of a funhouse mirror and say, 'Hey, everyone, take a look at how ridiculous this is!' " Morrison told the Washington Post. "We don't feel a need to change that.
"We look at what's going on in the world, from politics to entertainment to fads," he says, "and when we see something that deserves ridicule, we go to work."
For the bimonthly magazine's third issue under Morrison, Mad wanted to hit a target-rich environment on its cover, gathering recent headline names that Morrison thinks particularly deserve ridicule.
In a preview of the cover exclusive to the Post — the issue will hit digital and physical shelves in August — a spoof of the Whac-A-Mole arcade game includes the heads of Roseanne Barr, Bill Cosby, President Trump, and Harvey Weinstein.
"We wanted to come up with a 'summer fun' cover and looked to things like beach parties, county fairs, and amusement arcades for inspiration," Morrison says of the cover illustrated by Mark Fredrickson. "Art director Suzy Hutchinson thought an image of [Mad mascot] Alfred playing Whac-A-Mole would be fun, and mocked up a surreal cover of Alfred whacking mini-versions of himself.
"Then," the editor says, "we turned on the news and decided that taking a whack at some notorious celebrities would be not only fun but therapeutic."
Part of Morrison's mandate is to expand the reach of the magazine, a onetime staple of baby-boomer adolescence that reached a peak print circulation of more than two million during the Watergate era.
"Our main goal is to broaden the readership and reach age and gender groups that don't currently read Mad," Morrison says. "We're making editorial choices designed to attract millennials and women, but without alienating our base readership.
"Also, our new 'Usual Gang of Idiots' have built careers in new media, and as we expand Mad's presence in the digital space — with more original content on our blog, the launch of our official Mad Twitch channel, and a Mad podcast — we're carrying Mad's voice beyond print," the editor says. (Mad says it does not make current digital and print readership numbers available.)
A half-year into his editorship, Morrison is cheekily optimistic.
"To use another summer metaphor: Now that we're finishing the third issue, I feel like we're still in the deep end of the pool, but now we're swimming along nicely," he says. "True, we're hanging on to big foam noodles, but only because they're funny."
Posted: July 4, 2018 - 12:21 PM
Michael Cavna, Washington Post
NEWSLETTERS
QUOTE:
The biggest challenge was to create an adaptation of the film in a form that doesn’t have sound or animation. I didn’t want it to be viewed as an inferior version of the film, so I had to bring something great to the book that the film doesn’t have. So I used graphic design to my advantage and ended up with something that I think looks like the Yellow Submarine film and a psychedelic poster had a baby.
The greatest reward has been reading the reviews and comments of fans. It’s been very gratifying to hear how they’re loving it.
Interview with Yellow Submarine Graphic Novel Creator Bill Morrison
September 6, 2018 Michael Farris Jr. 0 Comment
Interview with Yellow Submarine Graphic Novel Creator Bill Morrison
by Michael Farris Jr.
Last week, to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the groundbreaking film Yellow Submarine, Titan Comics released the official graphic novel, created by comics veteran Bill Morrison. Morrison is a comic-book artist, co-founder of Bongo Comics, has drawn promotional art for several Disney films and drawn artwork for The Simpsons, and is now the editor of MAD! Magazine. Rogue’s Portal reviewed the graphic novel, and now we’ve had a chance to catch up with Bill Morrison to ask him about the process of adapting the film, his favorite Beatles songs (and what his first “Beatles” album was), plus more!
RP (Rogues Portal): How did you get involved with the Yellow Submarine Graphic Novel project?
BM (Bill Morrison): It was twenty years ago today…not really, but almost… I was originally commissioned by another publisher to adapt the film as a 48-page comic back in 1998. The deal fell through and I was asked to cease work, but years later Titan obtained the Yellow Submarine license. The folks at Apple had seen my original pages from the 1990’s and asked me if I’d like to complete the project, and since I’ve been mates with the good people at Titan for years due to our work on Simpsons comics, I signed on immediately.
RP: What influence have the Beatles and Yellow Submarine had on you?
BM: I don’t know if it’s really possible to fully describe the influence the band has had on me, because they just permeated everything, from the time I was five years old to the present. I grew up listening to the Beatles because my older brother and two older sisters were Beatles fans from the very beginning and had all their records. The first record album I owned was also a Beatles album of sorts. It was Alvin and the Chipmunks Sing The Beatles’ Hits. I remember seeing the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show, and going to a drive-in movie theater to see A Hard Day’s Night. So they were a huge part of my cultural life growing up. I also followed their solo careers as I got older, so my teen years were dominated by albums like Band on the Run, Imagine, Ringo, Living in the Material World, etc.
I don’t know why, but I didn’t see Yellow Submarine until it was on television in the early 1970’s, but I recall seeing posters and other merchandise in 1968 when the film came out. It was all very groovy, and, as a budding artist, very inspiring!
RP: What was it like to adapt an iconic piece of animation and music history?
BM: It was a little daunting at first because I know how passionate and discriminating Beatles fans can be. I knew it had to be really excellent. But through most of the project I just tried to focus on hitting deadlines and keeping my creative energy high. My ultimate goal was to end up with a book that Beatles fans like myself would really love, so I figured if I please myself, my fellow fans will probably dig it.
RP: Since much of the film relies on music, how did you fill in the musical gaps that are inevitably left out of a graphic novel adaptation?
BM: I wrote bits of additional dialogue and narration to keep the story moving through those sections.
RP: What would you say was the biggest challenge in working on the book? What was the greatest reward?
BM: The biggest challenge was to create an adaptation of the film in a form that doesn’t have sound or animation. I didn’t want it to be viewed as an inferior version of the film, so I had to bring something great to the book that the film doesn’t have. So I used graphic design to my advantage and ended up with something that I think looks like the Yellow Submarine film and a psychedelic poster had a baby.
The greatest reward has been reading the reviews and comments of fans. It’s been very gratifying to hear how they’re loving it.
RP: I’m part of a younger generation that grew up on movies like Toy Story that rely on slick computer-generated animation. How would you encourage generations born after Yellow Submarine debuted to view it and draw inspiration from it? How would you say your graphic novel helps enhance that appreciation?
BM: 3-D animated film are very focused on reality and convincing the audience that they’re looking at real objects and characters. The rendering is so convincing now and everything has believable textures from hair and fur to fabric, grass, tree bark, etc. It’s usually brilliant, but the work of the artist who initially drew all that stuff tends to get obscured by the rendering. Yellow Submarine celebrates the drawing, and though the animation creates an illusion of life, you still know your looking at hand-drawn characters and backgrounds. I think there’s something really beautiful and pure about that, and with modern 3-D animated films, that’s getting lost. People are going back to hand-crafted artisan things in many areas today such as food and clothing, so I’m confident that young people will appreciate that aspect of the film and the book as well.
RP: In creating this graphic novel, you must have watched the film countless times. What moment or scene do you draw the most joy from?
BM: It would probably be the rescue of Jeremy and the final battle with the Blue Meanies. It was a lot of fun drawing the Beatles in the Sgt. Pepper uniforms.
RP: What other Beatles songs or albums aside from Yellow Submarine do you enjoy and have had an impact on your life?
BM: That’s tough, it’s all so great. I used to lean toward the later albums like Sgt. Pepper, The White Album and Revolver, but lately I’ve been more interested in listening to the earlier stuff, A Hard Day’s Night, Beatles For Sale, Help!… That’s probably because I took up drums a few years ago, so I like decoding Ringo’s drum parts on those poppier songs to see if I can play them. As for favorite songs, Hold Me Tight, Please Please Me, Help!, Think For Yourself, Savoy Truffle, Here, There, and Everywhere, I Want to Tell You…I could go on and on. Hey Bulldog is my favorite from Yellow Submarine though.
RP: Aside from buying the graphic novel adaptation, how else would you recommend fans of the Beatles celebrate the 50th anniversary of the film?
BM: First, find a screening in your area and see it on the big screen in 4K! Also, there’s some really fun merchandise out now, like the vinyl toys.
RP: Are there any future projects from you that we can look forward to?
BM: I’ve got my hands full running MAD Magazine at the moment, so if people want to see what I’m upto, they’ll have to pick up copies of MAD!
We hope you enjoyed this interview! You can pick up a copy of Yellow Submarine at your local bookstores or find it at Amazon.
Michael Farris Jr.
“The Art of Bill Morrison” coming to Historical Museum Saturday
Oct 6, 2016 Comments
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Award-winning cartoonist and illustrator Bill Morrison is being recognized with a special exhibit at the Historical Museum in his hometown of Lincoln Park. “The Art of Bill Morrison” will open on Saturday, October 15th and run through Friday, December 30th. Bill, a 1977 graduate of Lincoln Park High School and an Eagle Scout, began his career as a technical illustrator in Detroit, following his studies at Detroit’s College for Creative Studies, but his dream was to be a cartoonist.
When Bill decided that he had rendered his last diesel fuel pump, he moved to Southern California with his wife, Kayre. Bill began working immediately in motion picture advertising and painted dozens of movie posters, including many for Walt Disney Pictures, such as The Little Mermaid, Bambi, Peter Pan, Cinderella, and The Jungle Book.
In recent decades, Bill has spent most of his waking hours on various projects related to The Simpsons. For that iconic property he has created thousands of drawings for T-shirts, video games, posters, toy packaging, books, calendars, limited edition prints, etc.
When The Simpsons creator Matt Groening founded Bongo Comics in the early 1990s, Bill was hired on as art director and realized his cartoonist dreams when he drew the very first Simpsons comic. He quickly took on the role of Creative Director, editing Bongo’s entire output, in addition to writing and drawing stories and covers for the publication. Bill also worked with Groening on early character designs for the TV show Futurama and served as the series’ art director.
In addition to his work on The Simpsons and Futurama, Bill has written and drawn his own comic book series; the four-time Eisner Award-nominated Roswell, Little Green Man and co-created two other comic book series, Heroes Anonymous and Lady Robotika (the latter with Jane Wiedlin of the legendary all-girl rock band, The Go-Go’s).
Presently, Bill is tending to Bongo’s digital comics endeavors while also working on an ongoing series of limited edition Disney art prints published by ACME Animation Archives, writing and drawing his new series “Dead Vengeance” for Dark Horse Comics, and serving as the current President of the National Cartoonists Society.
The Lincoln Park Historical Society is pleased to be working with Bill on this upcoming exhibit, a retrospective of nearly four decades of his art career. The exhibit will run through the holidays, closing on December 30th. The museum’s regular hours are Saturdays and Wednesdays from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.; special holiday hours are Tuesday, December 27th through Friday, December 30th from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Bill Morrison will be in attendance for the exhibit’s opening public reception, scheduled for Saturday, October 15th from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the museum. Bill will speak at 7:00 p.m. on highlights of his successful career. He will be available to sign copies of the exhibit’s official poster, on sale at the museum along with his specially-designed T-shirt for the exhibit. All proceeds will benefit the Lincoln Park Historical Society.
Bill will also be appearing locally for a signing at Big Ben’s Comix Oasis, at 6711 Allen Rd, in Allen Park, from 12 noon to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday the 15th.
The museum is located at 1335 Southfield Road, one block west of Fort Street, in Lincoln Park. For more information, contact 313-386-3137 or lpmuseum@gmail.com;
website: www.lphistorical.org; or find us on Facebook.
— Lincoln Park Historical Society & Museum
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Morrison splashes out several rainbows' worth of pleasing colors for this happy ode to harmless psychedelia that perfectly captures the movie's stoned punning and rippling anti-authoritarianism.
The Beatles Yellow Submarine
Publishers Weekly. 265.29 (July 16, 2018): p49.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
The Beatles Yellow Submarine
Bill Morrison. Titan Comics, $29.99 (112p) ISBN 978-1-78586-394-3
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of George Dunning's 1968 animated fantasia, Yellow Submarine, this pop-Dali adventure tells the full story of how the Beatles saved a magical land from some music-hating no-goodniks. The people of Pepperland lived lives "overflowing with wonderful things" due to all the peace, love, and music filling their park-like paradise. But when the Blue Meanies (to whom music is like "acid rain") launch an assault of "anti-music missiles" and color-annihilating "splotch bombs," it's up to Lord Admiral Fred to man the Yellow Submarine and seek help. Landing in Liverpool, Fred meets four Beatle-like moptops with a penchant for quippy dialogue and assisting strangers. They embark on an trippy, cross-dimensional odyssey; meet little blue wordsmith Jeremy; and ultimately return to Pepperland to play "a groovy tune" and vanquish the Blue Meanies. The art style is designed to mimic the original, and just what one would imagine: wavy lines, proto-Terry Gilliam coilaging, and a Hippie Britannica visual scheme that resembles a mural made by Peter Max after spending too much time on Carnaby Street. Former Disney and The Simpsons artist Morrison splashes out several rainbows' worth of pleasing colors for this happy ode to harmless psychedelia that perfectly captures the movie's stoned punning and rippling anti-authoritarianism. The breezy tribute takes one strange trip down memory lane for the band's myriad fans. (Aug.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"The Beatles Yellow Submarine." Publishers Weekly, 16 July 2018, p. 49. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A547266843/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=d490ce13. Accessed 30 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A547266843
QUOTE:
he lyrical quality of the proceedings is beautifully retained by Morrison's inspired paneling, where right angles are rare, favoring instead swooshes and circles and pages broken up by large, dazzling characters and ornate frames.
Morrison, Bill: THE BEATLES YELLOW SUBMARINE
Kirkus Reviews. (June 1, 2018):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Morrison, Bill THE BEATLES YELLOW SUBMARINE Titan Comics (Adult Fiction) $29.99 8, 7 ISBN: 978-1-78586-394-3
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the animated film of the same name, comics and animation veteran Morrison (DC Meets Looney Tunes, 2018, etc.) presents a graphic novel adaptation of the Beatles' psychedelic journey to a utopia under siege by belligerent "Blue Meanies."
Pepperland is a paradise of lovely, positive people, Technicolor foliage, and musical appreciation. That appreciation isn't shared by the Blue Meanies, a collection of maniacal, six-fingered humanoids with bodies like storm clouds and boots made for stomping. The Meanies, along with an assortment of nightmarish henchmen, launch an assault on Pepperland, silencing the music and rendering the citizenry frozen statues. One man escapes into the titular yellow submarine (Pepperland is at the bottom of the ocean, though the physics of that never come into play) and recruits musicians John, Paul, George, and Ringo to help! As they descend the depths, the group encounters a boxing tyrannosaur, meets a squirrely genius "nowhere man" and wrestles with time itself. But plot is secondary in this mind-bending adventure, where striking imagery and unbridled imagination deliver a treat on each page. The book faithfully follows the original film, from the iconic designs by Heinz Edelmann to plot points and cheeky wordplay (though some beats don't land as well removed from the animation, feeling a bit rushed and working more as homages than standing on their own). If anything, the graphic novel has a more robust look than the film, thanks in large part to colorist Nathan Kane. Here, functional narration replaces the film's musical numbers, though the lyrical quality of the proceedings is beautifully retained by Morrison's inspired paneling, where right angles are rare, favoring instead swooshes and circles and pages broken up by large, dazzling characters and ornate frames.
A gorgeous tribute to a classic work of pop art.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Morrison, Bill: THE BEATLES YELLOW SUBMARINE." Kirkus Reviews, 1 June 2018. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A540723377/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=4bc0e7c5. Accessed 30 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A540723377
The Simpsons Futurama: Crossover Crisis
The Bookwatch. (June 2010):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2010 Midwest Book Review
http://www.midwestbookreview.com/bw/index.htm
Full Text:
The Simpsons Futurama: Crossover Crisis
Bill Morrison, Editor
Abrams
115 W 18th St., New York NY 10011
9780810988378, $24.95 www.abramsbooks.com
The Simpsons Futurama: Crossover Crisis is a Simpsons comic guide any collector simply must have. It's not just that full-color cartoon drawings pack the book, or that it blends two very different shows--The Simpsons and Futurama--but it provides a fine series of interactions and concludes with a first-edition collectible comic book in the back pocket. Packed in a gorgeous full-color slipcase, it's a collector's winner.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"The Simpsons Futurama: Crossover Crisis." The Bookwatch, June 2010. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A228661908/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=46b77480. Accessed 30 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A228661908
The Simpsons Futurama Crossover Crisis
Publishers Weekly. 257.14 (Apr. 5, 2010): p52.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2010 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
The Simpsons Futurama Crossover Crisis
Ian Boothby and James Lloyd. Abrams, $24.95 (208p) ISBN 978-0-8109-8837-8
Two classic animated series are brought together in a comic that offers many surprises, including how well it all works when transported to a new medium. Although both sources are the creation of cartoonist Matt Groening, the broadcast runs of each series referred to the other as works of fiction within their own universes, perhaps seeking to avoid the temptation of an attention grabbing crossover. And yet somehow this assemblage ably accomplishes just such a task while remaining faithful to the source materials. When Futurama's crew from the Planet Express delivery service become trapped in the fictional world of a Simpsons comic book, they must escape from Springfield. But shortly afterward they open a rift that brings the Simpsons characters into the Planet Express world, where the fictional characters must be rescued and returned to the pages of their comic book. Boothby's writing excels at letting each universe and the characters in them maintain their subtly distinct identities even when they blend. The overarching story for the book is designed to easily allow opportunities for affectionate references to comics, to science fiction, and to notable works of fiction. While the Simpsons comics included in the collection are not as strong, the crossover story takes what could have been a simple throwaway gag and instead crafts a funny, intricately detailed story. (Apr.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"The Simpsons Futurama Crossover Crisis." Publishers Weekly, 5 Apr. 2010, p. 52. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A223749381/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=fe561ded. Accessed 30 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A223749381
Morrison, Bill. Innocence and Seduction: The Art of Dan DeCarlo
Gordon Flagg
Booklist. 102.18 (May 15, 2006): p14.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2006 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Full Text:
Morrison, Bill. Innocence and Seduction: The Art of Dan DeCarlo. July 2006. 208p. illus. Fantagraphics, $34.95 (1-56097-710-8). 741.5.
The venerable line of comic books featuring teenager Archie Andrews and his pals is drawn in a house style intended to make it nearly impossible to distinguish any of its many illustrators. Every so often, though, someone breaks out of the pack. Dan DeCarlo, for instance, who came to be known for his sexy-yet-wholesome renditions of Archie's girlfriends Betty and Veronica, acclaimed examples of the comics cheesecake that fanboys call "good girl art." After laboring over the characters for 40 years, DeCarlo was abruptly fired when he sued the publisher for the rights to an Archie spin-off he created. This coffee-table tribute tome assembled and annotated by Morrison, an illustrator best known for his work on the Simpsons comic-book line, chronicles DeCarlo's long career, from cartoons he drew for his wife, whom he met while stationed in France during World War II, and through early non-Archie comic-book work, short-lived newspaper strips, and men's-magazine gag cartoons--risque then, quaint now--featuring showgirls, gold diggers, and secretaries. Plenty to peruse for partisans of pop-cult pulchritude.--Gordon Flagg
Flagg, Gordon
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Flagg, Gordon. "Morrison, Bill. Innocence and Seduction: The Art of Dan DeCarlo." Booklist, 15 May 2006, p. 14. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A146691541/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=ade54a92. Accessed 30 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A146691541
QUOTE:
The hues here are even more dazzling and the images sharper, with subtle shading and highlighting giving them a bit more depth than the original. Overall, the psychedelic illustrations are glorious, with some resembling still frames from the film.
Lennon, John & Paul McCartney & Bill Morrison & others. The Beatles Yellow Submarine
Zach Berkley
Xpress Reviews. (Sept. 7, 2018):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Library Journals, LLC
http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/reviews/xpress/884170-289/xpress_reviews-first_look_at_new.html.csp
Full Text:
Lennon, John & Paul McCartney (text) & Bill Morrison (text & illus.) & others (illus.). The Beatles Yellow Submarine. Titan Comics. Aug. 2018. 112p. ISBN 9781785863943. $29.99. MUSIC
The Fab Four climb back aboard the yellow submarine to save Pepperland from the Blue Meanies in this celebration of George Dunning's 1968 classic animated film's 50th anniversary, faithfully adapted into the graphic form by Morrison (cofounder, Bongo Comics; editor, Mad magazine). While it's not the same without the musical numbers, the characters fans love are still here, and the story plays out as most remember it, with music, love, and John, Paul, George, and Ringo winning the day over the fun-hating forces of the Blue Meanies. And if the story feels a little disjointed or nonsensical, that, too, is in keeping with the source material, as the narrative has always played second fiddle to the bright colors and iconic artwork. The hues here are even more dazzling and the images sharper, with subtle shading and highlighting giving them a bit more depth than the original. Overall, the psychedelic illustrations are glorious, with some resembling still frames from the film.
VERDICT Not for everyone, but fans of the Beatles and their "Yellow Submarine" will be excited to see this work on the shelf. [Previewed in Jody Osicki's "Graphically Speaking," LJ 6/15/18.]--Zach Berkley, Moline P.L., IL
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Berkley, Zach. "Lennon, John & Paul McCartney & Bill Morrison & others. The Beatles Yellow Submarine." Xpress Reviews, 7 Sept. 2018. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A553628222/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=ee06a768. Accessed 30 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A553628222
'Yellow Submarine' Graphic Novel Surfaces
George Gene Gustines
The New York Times. (July 4, 2018): Arts and Entertainment: pC3(L).
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 The New York Times Company
http://www.nytimes.com
Full Text:
''Yellow Submarine,'' the 1968 animated fantasy inspired by the music of the Beatles, is returning to theaters on Sunday for a limited time to celebrate its 50th anniversary. After that milestone comes another: the Aug. 28 release of a ''Yellow Submarine'' graphic novel, by the cartoonist Bill Morrison.
Mr. Morrison, a co-founder of Bongo Comics, whose titles include ''The Simpsons,'' and the editor of Mad Magazine, has been working on the project for 20 years. Just before ''Yellow Submarine'' turned 30, he began writing and drawing an adaptation of the animated film for Dark Horse Comics. ''I got about 25 pages done before they called me and asked me to stop because the deal fell through,'' he said. Was it the work of the Blue Meanies, the music-hating creatures from the film?
If it was, they didn't prevail. Last year, Mr. Morrison was approached by Titan Comics, which acquired the rights and asked him to finish the book. When he initially took on the project, he said, ''as a fan of the film and a fan of the Beatles' music, I didn't really understand why a Beatles fan would want to read a faithful adaptation.
''I had to figure out a way to bring something unique that the film could not,'' he continued. Mr. Morrison generally eschewed the typical rectangle-shaped panels of most comic book layouts for pages that are more like free-flowing collages inspired by psychedelic posters from the 1960s.
The 128-page hardcover book, which has a cover price of $29.99, was a team effort. Mr. Morrison credits his wife, Kayre, who watched the film with him over and over, ''making sure we got the dialogue right.'' He also worked with Aditya Bidikar, the letterer; two inkers, Andrew Pepoy and Tone Rodriguez; and a colorist, Nathan Kane, a colleague from Bongo, who applied watercolor techniques inspired by the film's backgrounds. ''He brought a level of art to the pages that aren't really in the pencils and inks,'' Mr. Morrison said.
This is a more complete version of the story than the one that appeared in print.
CAPTION(S):
PHOTO (PHOTOGRAPH BY TITAN COMICS)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Gustines, George Gene. "'Yellow Submarine' Graphic Novel Surfaces." New York Times, 4 July 2018, p. C3(L). General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A545262795/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=b4c4a75c. Accessed 30 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A545262795
QUOTE:
perfect companion piece to the half-century-old film, The Beatles Yellow Submarine is a knock out of the park in many ways. There’s a reason why this graphic novel was such a sensation at this year’s Comic Con. Don’t be a Blue Meanie, go to your local comic shop or order your copy as soon as you can. Get your friends all aboard too, and full speed ahead!
Comic Review: The Beatles Yellow Submarine By Bill Morrison
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Stoogeypedia By Stoogeypedia | Tuesday, August 28th, 2018 at 4:00 pm
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The Beatles Yellow Submarine
Hardcover | Kindle
Written and illustrated by Bill Morrison
Inks by Andrew Pepoy
Colors by Nathan Kane
Lettering by Aditya Bidikar
Titan Comics
Release date: August 28, 2018
Yellow Submarine, the animated, trippy, visually eclectic and highly memorable film which starred The Beatles and is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, has been given the graphic novel treatment, and it’s a fun and colorful whimsical ride on paper as much its film counterpart.
Written and illustrated by Bill Morrison, founder of Bongo Comics, well known for its Simpsons adaptations, The Beatles Yellow Submarine takes the best elements of the original cinematic release and adds a vibrancy and clearly long-rooted passion for the intrinsic subject matter.
Upon its 1968 release, Yellow Submarine was originally considered a sort of contractual obligation, as The Beatles owed United Artists one more film. They had already sufficed the deal with the live-action releases A Hard Day’s Night and Help. For the third release, it was agreed upon to make an animated feature, which took the psychedelic milieu that was prevalent during the Beatles’ tenure at that time, which began with the albums Revolver and crystallized with Sgt. Pepper and Magical Mystery Tour. Faith in the animated feature was relatively low; Al Brodax, who was instrumental in bringing The Beatles to Saturday Morning TV during the mid 1960s, was also brought on to helm Yellow Submarine. The Beatles themselves regrettably underestimated the power and value of the theatrical animated project and didn’t even lend their voices to the production, instead using soundalikes, (some of whom voiced their characters on the ABC Saturday morning cartoon) and only relegated themselves to a memorable albeit short live-action appearance at the very end of the film.
In the years and decades that followed, the Yellow Submarine film has become a steadily important benchmark in the Fab Four’s career, and is definitely a high level signpost in their storied history. Currently in the 21st century, there has been scores of pop cultural minutiae released for consumers, everything from t-shirts and hats, stationery and posters, even a semi-recently released LEGO set, all adorning the colorful patchwork of the characters and the narrative that made up Yellow Submarine.
And now, there is this authorized release, a graphic novel from publisher Titan Comics, written and illustrated by Mr. Morrison, which serves a few purposes right off the outset to the die-hard faithful Beatlephiles, but also provides a nice introduction to the film itself for many latest generational Beatles newbies. Taking the best visuals and storyboards from the film, but integrating it into a highly readable and visually choice comic book style, the beauty of the adaptation lies in the fact that there is (like the film itself) more to see than to absorb. Arguably, the story itself has always taken a backseat to the visual presentment and that’s not to take away from the wonderful narrative, in which The Beatles find themselves attempting to rescue the metaphorically and literally imprisoned residents of Pepperland from The Blue Meanies, using and utilizing many surreal facets and characters to aid them during their journey, spearheaded by their travels in the yellow submarine. Of course, there are loads of messages within that one can glean from, whether intentional or not, dealing with being adverse to authority figures, government intervention, and absolute autonomy and hierarchy, even commenting on the then-current Vietnam War. Most of the messages in today’s 2018 world ring loud and clear, if not truer than ever.
Along with inker Andrew Pepoy, colorist Nathan Kane, and letterer by Aditya Bidikar, Morrison weaves a wondrous mélange of color and staging throughout, taking the cues set forth by the film’s designer, the late Heinz Edelmann, who pretty much pioneered the late ’60s/early ’70s design style in pop culture, something that artist Peter Max would take on full aplomb in the wake of the film in 1968, so much to the point that even to this day, most people wrongly assume that it was Max’s style which permeated Yellow Submarine. Mr. Morrison applies all these artistic facets and the result is an incredible, although static due to the comic book medium, first-rate adaptation. Panels are stuffed with so much rainbow-laden ebullience, you almost wish most graphic novels would get out of the “dark” tones already and follow this example. And even though there is the obvious limitation of having no music to guide the reader as the film did so brilliantly, one still hears the music in a sense whilst reading the story, as if visual takes on aural in a new sense. The biggest concern for all must have been knowing that when this project was undertaken, there would be the deficiency of music, but somehow, through the surefooted sensibility of Mr. Morrison’s truly organic and sincere approach to this material and a third eye sense of knowing how to satisfy the reader, regardless of their passion for The Beatles and their music, the end result is laurels all around, a truly rousing, coruscating success.
Now a perfect companion piece to the half-century-old film, The Beatles Yellow Submarine is a knock out of the park in many ways. There’s a reason why this graphic novel was such a sensation at this year’s Comic Con. Don’t be a Blue Meanie, go to your local comic shop or order your copy as soon as you can. Get your friends all aboard too, and full speed ahead!
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’ Yellow Submarine comes this fully authorized graphic novel adaptation.
The Beatles are recruited by the Captain of the Yellow Submarine to help him free Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and the world of Pepperland from the music-hating Blue Meanies.
The music-loving, underwater paradise of Pepperland has been overrun by the music-hating Blue Meanies and their leader, Chief Blue Meanie. They turn the people of Pepperland into living statues by dropping apples on them and imprison the Pepperland’s guardians, Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band inside a soundproof blue glass globe, before confiscating all the music instruments in the land. Pepperland’s mayor sends aging sailor, Young Fred out in the fabled Yellow Submarine to find help. He travels to our world where he stumbles across the Beatles and begs them to help him free his world. They agree and head back to Pepperland, teaming up with Jeremy The Nowhere Man along the way to help overthrow the evil Blue Meanies through the power of music and love.
QUOTE:
A visual delight, The Beatles Yellow Submarine shows us the original transcendental pop stars who prove that all you need is love. Bill Morrison takes a 50-year-old movie and transforms it into a very modern comic book, translating music and motion into panels and dialogue balloons. This comic book shows us the best version of The Beatles and the aspirations of their music, proving that love, friendship, and peace is all that you need. And, as they sang in many songs, love really is all that you need.
So We Sailed Up To the Sun-- a review of Bill Morrison's The Beatles Yellow Submarine
by Scott Cederlund August 24, 2018
Using the Beatles John, Paul, George, and Ringo as its heroes and the album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band as its holy book, The Beatles Yellow Submarine creates its own mythology. Bill Morrison’s new comic adaptation of the 50-year-old movie is a lot like the post-Sgt. Pepper’s albums by the Fab Four; it’s lovely on a surface level but is puzzling for anyone who’s more of a fan of the pre-1967 Beatles. Sometimes you want the pop sensibility of “Love, love me do/ You know I love you” but what you really need is the unfathomable mystery of “Nothing you can do/ But you can learn how to be you in time.” In the same way, Morrison’s loving recreation of Yellow Submarine reads a lot like the work of any other Beatles fan trying to create an ode to his own idols while creating a comic that’s as mysterious and veiled as the original song that inspired both the movie and the comic.
The story of the movie of Yellow Submarine is even odder than the original song’s lyrics. A group of Blue Meanies attacks the candy-colored Pepperland, trapping the group Sgt. Peppers in some kind of status bubble. Pepperland’s mayor commands an old captain named Young Fred to find another quartet to save his magical land. And I think from there you can guess who Young Fred finds. For as weird as Pepperland appears, the world of the Beatles is no less strange; if anything, it’s darker and even more absurdist than Pepperland. For instance, after finding Ringo, Young Fred and the drummer go off to find the other three parts of this quartet. But Ringo has his own Frankenstein’s monster who, after chugging down some formula out of a test tube, transforms Shazam-like into everyone’s favorite Beatle Johns (unless you’re one of those weirdos who think that Paul is the best or a contrarian to says “George” when asked to name your favorite (at least we can all agree that Ringo isn’t even the best drummer in the Beatles, can’t we?).).
This adaptation then follows the Beatles and Young Fred on their journey into the eponymous yellow submarine and through lands filled with all kinds of light-hearted creatures and cryptic danger. It almost feels like the story is there just to be able to give us all kinds of Beatlemania puns and references. This story is heavily steeped in Beatles’ lore as it makes them into superheroes. The Beatles, four lads from Liverpool, become this dimensional fighting force, riding to defend the attacked people and meeting their own Pepperland analogs (Sgt. Pepper’s band) while saving the day. And unlike most heroes, John, Paul, George, and Ringo don’t fight with their fists but with their words and wit. This is a comic where the heroes are lovers and really not fighters even if there are one or two bonks to the Blue Meanies’ heads in these pages. The true forces for good at work use words and music as their weapons.
Morrison has the unenviable task of turning a musical into a comic. It’s impressive how well he uses the language of comics to create the impression of rock and roll. Morrison’s artwork follows the animated model of the movie but, free from the restrictions of a movie screen’s rigged frame, Morrison allows the story to flow out of the characters, building each page around the unique interactions of the Beatles with one another and with their unreal environment. There’s never anything that you could say takes place in the “real” world so Morrison draws trippy and organic pages that make you believe in the reality of The Beatles Yellow Submarine. This is a world of Blue Meanies, magical realities, and dimension-traveling toy-like submarines.
The fun of the book reveals itself through the Beatles themselves. These are the imagined versions of the quartet, probably closer to what we want them to be than to what they were in the 1960s. You can’t help but read this book without hearing their voices in your head. Mythologized and idealized, this band lives in a Peter Max-inspired world where everything is poppish, bright and musical. Their dialogue has a singsong quantity to it. Even their clothes demonstrate each Beatles’ unique character, from George’s stoic brown jacket to John’s poofy shirt, Ringo’s striped jacket or Paul’s impeccably tailored jacket and pants. This is part of how we want to remember the Beatles, as four blokes who joked and got along as they made the world a better place.
A visual delight, The Beatles Yellow Submarine shows us the original transcendental pop stars who prove that all you need is love. Bill Morrison takes a 50-year-old movie and transforms it into a very modern comic book, translating music and motion into panels and dialogue balloons. This comic book shows us the best version of The Beatles and the aspirations of their music, proving that love, friendship, and peace is all that you need. And, as they sang in many songs, love really is all that you need.
We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
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Calling this a must-have item for Beatles fans is an understatement. While the groundbreaking artwork and animation extravaganza was given to us 50 years ago, The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine Graphic Novel allows you to pause, observe, and truly appreciate the cultural icon that is Yellow Submarine.
The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine Graphic Novel Review
August 28, 2018 Michael Farris Jr. 1 Comment
The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine Graphic Novel
Publisher: Titan Comics
Writer, Artist: Bill Morrison
Colorist: Nathan Kane
Review by Michael Farris, Jr.
50 years ago, the world was introduced to the animation and musical masterpiece that is The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine film. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the film, Titan Comics has released the official graphic novel adaptation of Yellow Submarine, thanks to Bill Morrison.
The book tells the story of the Fab Four being recruited to help the Unearthly Paradise Pepperland against the Blue Meanies who restrict all music, fun, and love. On the journey in the fabled Yellow Submarine, John, Paul, George, and Ringo face age fluctuations, encounter strange beasts, meet a strange friend in Jeremy Hillary Boob, Ph. D, and rescue Pepperland with their doppelgangers in Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
When presented with this book, there are two questions that immediately come to mind: Why do we need a graphic novel adaptation of a movie in the first place, and what’s done about the music in the film?
To answer the first question, it turns out there are quite a lot of reasons. For one thing, the film’s animation and art spends lot of time sharing the stage with the music to the point where you might find yourself focusing on one aspect over the other. Here, we have a masterful tribute to Heinz Edelmann’s artwork from the film that allows you to appreciate the psychedelic pop art that’s half a century old. Having this in book form allows you to fully take in the art. Here, you can linger and discover new things you might not have before.
Speaking of discovering new things, the other part that makes this book a must-have for Beatles fans is that all of the puns, double entendres, and inside jokes in the film’s dialogue are all here and they are readable. It is far less likely that the clever figures of speech will go over your head. It made all the scriptwriting from the movie that much more enjoyable and easier to absorb.
As for the music that’s left behind at the expense of having the story in book-form, there is an answer to that too. Being a graphic novel, you have the art, but the art doesn’t move. This is where Bill Morrison shines. Morrison is a comic book artist, co-founder of Bongo Comics, has drawn promotional art for several Disney films and drawn artwork for The Simpsons, and recently he has added editor of MAD Magazine to that list of experience.
So how does he make a non-musical, non-motion picture work? I’d argue it’s the panel layouts. He is able to capture entire scenes on a page or two and the design of how the story flows is something to behold. The way the story moves from page to page almost makes it more enjoyable than the film itself. He presents a variety of boxes to wavy borders to lightning shaped gutters that make this graphic novel a trippy ride in a yellow submarine. At one point, Ringo even turns the page for you.
And honestly, if you’ve really got to have the music (like I did), you can play the album in the background and fully immerse yourself in the 50th anniversary of art and music history.
Verdict: Buy it.
Calling this a must-have item for Beatles fans is an understatement. While the groundbreaking artwork and animation extravaganza was given to us 50 years ago, The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine Graphic Novel allows you to pause, observe, and truly appreciate the cultural icon that is Yellow Submarine.
Michael Farris Jr.
Michael is a Virginia-born Idaho convert and a huge fan of sci-fi. He took time off from comics and sci-fi during the dark years of being a teenager and trying to impress girls, but has since married an amazing woman with whom he regularly can geek out and be himself. He's also a drummer, loves metal music, and can always be found in a melancholy state while watching all things DC sports.