Persepolis was an amazing graphic novel and animated feature film by Marjane Satrapi that recounted her experiences in Iran as a child during the Islamic revolution.
Now, some talented artists and fans of the original have taken the characters and style of Satrapi’s original and placed them in the world of the most recent unrest in Iran.
The result is striking and effective, much like the original.
As one would hope, Satrapi does not seem to be crying copyright violation or trying to have this blatantly derivative work taken down from the web. Perhaps this is only because Satrapi supports the message. Perhaps it would be a different story if her style and characters were used by those backing the Supreme Leader to spread propaganda.
Either way, you can be sure if someone in the US made a graphic novel depicting Mickey Mouse overthrowing the government you can bet Disney would be all over it.
I have written a fair amount about what I see as the complete obsolescent concept of a “premium movie channel” like HBO or Showtime but that hasn’t stopped Paramount Pictures, MGM and Lionsgate from teaming up to launch EPIX, a premium movie channel that I predict will fail faster than Middle East peace negotiations. According to the NYT:
The channel has engendered its fair share of skepticism in the media world, partly because of questions about consumer demand for another movie channel and because, increasingly, viewers have more options for how to consume video. Cable executives say privately that they have little interest in carrying the channel, which could partly be a negotiating ploy. But it does not appear that they are remotely close to a deal with any of the major cable companies.
I honestly can’t understand the thinking behind this move. Instead of focusing on how to bring their films to the widest possible audience in the broadest number of formats at the lowest price, these studios are trying to get consumers to pony up more cash for a basically broken system that forces them to watch films on the studio’s terms instead of their own.
Can you say “Epix FAIL”?
There is no question that YouTube is THE place for people around the world looking to spread their message through video. User-generated videos of major news events like the earthquake in China or the protests in Burma have made YouTube the go-to site for the news that doesn’t make it to the mainstream channels.
So, it should come as no surprise that governments are now taking to YouTube to spread their own message.
According to various news reports, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) created its own YouTube channel carrying videos that include black-and-white aerial footage of attacks on Hamas weapon sites, and clips of Hamas terrorists loading rockets into trucks. (via)
Who knows what effect this will have on global public opinion but it is fascinating to see what has happened now that the power to distribute your message to the world is no longer limited by heavily controlled access to the masses.
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June 30, 2009 6:47 am | 
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