41 replies to this topic

[zencat]

Okay, here's my vision. Four down and dirty tie-in paperback Bond originals filling the space between QOS and Bond 23. Don't get all canon and continuity freaky on me. These are not a part of the master plan IFP has for rooting Bond in Fleming's timeline and these will not interfere with those plans. These are books clearly tied in to the movie-Bond universe (and marketing), a collaboration between IFP and Danjaq, four stand alone original paperback adventures with action-oriented cover art clearly featuring Craig's Bond. You don't need a Sebastian Faulks to write these. Just writers who are good and fast and love Bond. If you are a Star Wars or Indy Jones fan, this is not at all a strange concept (check out this new Indy tie-in as an example of exactly what I'm talking about).

Give me four cool paperbacks in which Bond battles Quantum in some part of the world. Release two books a year that take us right up to Bond 23. Maybe sub-brand them The Quantum Files. This is my vision!

[[dark]]

Maybe...

I can't comment on the quality of the Star Wars/Indy tie-ins, but they've always struck me as a bit of a cheap cash-in (I know Star Wars has kind of evolved into a literary universe of its own). I can't imagine I'm the only one.

The difference between Bond, Indy and Star Wars is that Bond is a literary character in and of himself (particularly after IFP have worked hard to put the spotlight back on Fleming's timeline rather than the book/film Bond hybrids of the Gardner and Benson eras). The Indy/Star Wars books only exist because the films are popular. Arguably the same is true of Bond, but the Bond of the books is finally a standalone character once again.

I'm not doubting it could be fun (it really could), but I'd rather the two universes remained separate.

[zencat]

That's why I'm proposing paperbacks with Craig covers. They are very much movie tie-ins and are clearly separate for the lit Bond universe, just as the Find Your Fate books of the 80s where clearly separate from the Gardner series. Just because they are books doesn't automatically link them. It's all in how they are presented.

And, yes, it is all a little "cheap." But in terms of movie marketing, it's no less cheap than some of the toys and video games Danjaq cranks out between films. And with quality covers and stories written with some imagination, I think they could turn out to be something special. And I'm not kidding myself that these are Bond books meant to bring in new fans, etc. That's not their purpose. These are for kids and the hardcore who love Daniel Craig's James Bond and would love to experience some of his adventures between films that aren't video games.

[Loomis]

zencat,

Your vision mirrors mine precisely (except for one small detail, which I'll come to). I'd love to see book-Bond tie-ins for the Craig era (doubt it'll happen, though).

But here's where you and I park our cars in different (albeit neighbouring) garages: I'd like them not to be novels but graphic novels. The comic book arena is one that has royally stiffed James Bond, again and again, over decades. It's time to make that right.

You don't need a Sebastian Faulks to write these.

Damn straight. But only because Faulks (astonishingly, for such a brilliant writer) turned out to be quite possibly the worst Bond continuation novelist ever.

I'd honestly feel in safer hands with Lee Tamahori writing the next continuation novel (if there is one), the fact that I've no idea whether Tamahori has any writing ability being neither here nor there.

[zencat]

Graphic novels are also a cool idea, Loomy (they also do Indy and Star Wars tie-in graphic novels). But, ironically, I think it would be much harder and more expensive to pull off graphic novels in this way. They just take so much time. The purpose here is to fill in the gap between films. Have a Danny Craig Bond adventure in hand every six months. These paperback originals are a great way of doing it. And the super cool cover art works as our image fix.

And as to what [dark] said about them being a "cash-in." While that could be the perception of some, I don't think these paperbacks make enough money to be cash-ins (unless you do a zillion like Star Wars does). Like novelizations, they are considered a form of marketing. I don't think there's an expectation they'll make money. It's just a way to keep the "brand" in front of fans eyes. And, IMO, a classier way than 007 pajamas, etc., or a money pit like the FRWL video game.

[Quantumofsolace007]

I love it. BRILIANT idea and it's the kind of idea i've been pushing for. And i love loomis twis on things. The idea of 4 - 5 Graphic novels (i'm a batman fan so i love comic books and to see 007 comic books that are well done would be cool) esepcaily if they were drawn in craig's likenees as well as including liknesses of Dench and the man who plays Mr white.


and you have 4 -5 stories that have relations to Quantum and explain the gaps. if people are to hung up on the novel idea is think Graphic novels are the way to go.

I'm not going to deny it I love Craig's bond and to see more video games and novels with his bond as the focus is great.

[Loomis]

Graphic novels are also a cool idea, Loomy (they also do Indy and Star Wars tie-in graphic novels). But, ironically, I think it would be much harder and more expensive to do graphic novels. They just take so much time.

Yes. I was somewhat surprised to learn recently that "graphic novels" actually have scripts! Or at least that they can do, at a certain level. I believe Alan Moore (FROM HELL, WATCHMEN) firsts knocks out a sort of screenplay (incredibly detailed, judging by examples I found on the net) telling not only the story and dialogue but also advising the illustrator on how he wants things to look and how panels should "frame" the action.

And then, presumably, there are drafts, rewrites, meetings and so forth, and that's before the thing starts taking shape as an illustrated piece of work.

Mind you, Moore may be a special case. I gather he tends to do a phenomenal, Kubrickian amount of research and development. While other big names in the field (Frank Miller, etc.) may do likewise, it may be that "common or garden" graphic novels aren't quite so much of a production.

In any case, I'd love to see some original-story Bond graphic novels, done really well. I'm under the impression that the Bond comics and graphic novels are almost completely wretched.

Wouldn't it be cool if the world of Bond comics and graphic novels had its own masterpiece or two to rival THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS and WATCHMEN?

[zencat]

Wouldn't it be cool if the world of Bond comics and graphic novels had its own masterpiece or two to rival THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS and WATCHMEN?

Oh, it would be wonderful, and they sure seemed to be on that road in the 90s. But then it all went away.

[Loomis]

Actually, this reminds me: a few months ago, didn't someone do a "fanfic" graphic novel of CASINO ROYALE (the Craig film, not the Fleming novel) and put a few pages up here on CBn? It was astonishingly good stuff, indeed I'd easily have bought it as an official graphic novel tie-in (zen, has there ever been such a thing for a Bond flick?).

Anyone else remember this?

[[dark]]

Actually, this reminds me: a few months ago, didn't someone do a "fanfic" graphic novel of CASINO ROYALE (the Craig film, not the Fleming novel) and put a few pages up here on CBn? It was astonishingly good stuff, indeed I'd easily have bought it as an official graphic novel tie-in (zen, has there ever been such a thing for a Bond flick?).

Anyone else remember this?

Here it is, Loomis. Awesome stuff.

[zencat]

...I'd easily have bought it as an official graphic novel tie-in (zen, has there ever been such a thing for a Bond flick?).

Yes, there have been several; DN, FYEO, OP, AVTAK, TLD, LTK, GE.

[jaguar007]

I think that is a great idea Zen. Perhaps to make them feel more movie like, they could hire a screenwriter to pen them. Maybe someone with action/adventure experience like that bloke who penned the planned Sgt. Rock film!

[zencat]

Hmmm...yeah, that sounds like a good idea.

[Mr. Blofeld]

Actually, this reminds me: a few months ago, didn't someone do a "fanfic" graphic novel of CASINO ROYALE (the Craig film, not the Fleming novel) and put a few pages up here on CBn? It was astonishingly good stuff, indeed I'd easily have bought it as an official graphic novel tie-in (zen, has there ever been such a thing for a Bond flick?).

Anyone else remember this?

Here it is, Loomis. Awesome stuff.

Hey, he did some QOS sketches, as well! Fantastic stuff!

[Thunderball302]

Okay, here's my vision. Four down and dirty tie-in paperback Bond originals filling the space between QOS and Bond 23. Don't get all canon and continuity freaky on me. These are not a part of the master plan IFP has for rooting Bond in Fleming's timeline and these will not interfere with those plans. These are books clearly tied in to the movie-Bond universe (and marketing), a collaboration between IFP and Danjaq, four stand alone original paperback adventures with action-oriented cover art clearly featuring Craig's Bond (that is critical). You don't need a Sebastian Faulks to write these. Just writers who are good and fast and love Bond. If you are a Star Wars or Indy Jones fan, this is not at all a strange concept (check out this new Indy tie-in as an example of exactly what I'm talking about).

Give me four cool paperbacks in which Bond battles Quantum in some part of the world. Release two books a year that take us right up to Bond 23. Maybe sub-brand them The Quantum Files. This is my vision!

i'm all for you idea!

first - i really don't want to see the paperback idea scrapped for a series of graphic novels. graphic novels take a long time to produce and you need a good writer and a good artist.

there are Indy novels - Star Wars and Star Trek novels and Jack Bauer/24 novels - why not Bond novels in the Craig continuity?

2 novels a year by one or two writers - there are a ton of good writers out there that already work in this genre - novels based on a movie/tv series. a known best selling writer isn't going to work on a series like this - not enough money nor do they have the time.

i'd look to the Indy novels that came out in the '80's-'90's (and were just re-released) as what could be produced. the Indy novels were all readable - some were very good - some only average - but overall it was a good series.

i don't want to see Craig's picture on the covers - but getting the artist that sis the Indy covers to draw Bond like Craig would work for me.

[sharpshooter]

I love your idea, zen. My priority would be graphic novels, but paperbacks would be fine. Maybe they could also fill in the apparent gap between CR and QoS, with Bond tracking down Mr. White.

[Bill]

Not a bad idea.

Interesting to see how they would fit into the Bond literary canon, if at all. Not that they would need to, but I always found it interesting that the novelizations of TSWLM, MR, LTK, GE, TND, TWINE, and DAD still can be slotted into continuity with the books AND films, with some issues. For example, Christopher Wood's two novelizations are excellent, with TSWLM serving as a sequel to FRWL in its own way, and given that the only similarity between the orginal novel and film are the title, there is no problem fitting the novelizatiom of TSWLM in with both the film and book series. MR and LTK are a little more problematic, given the repetition of characters in both the literary and cinematic efforts, especially Drax. However, John Gardner appears to want to fit his novelization in with the novels, as why else have Leiter maimed twice?--and the passages of Bond NOT using the PPK along with the memory of the note left on Leiter as opposed to seeing it for the first time in the context of the events of Licence To Kill (I am working from memory here--I am on vacation and do not have my copy of LTK handy to double check that is the case)The Brosnan novelizations, with passages such as Bond lying about attending Cambridge and getting his first in Oriental Languages there, both in TND, both clearly show an intent to make both books and films part of the same continuity.

The reboot of the series with CR does seemingly make such a task all the more difficult. Zencat is absolutely right in that these books need not be part of any other series, just continuity to the Craig films. However, if that is the case, I would be a little disappointed. Indeed, if done correctly, new Bond novels as he suggested here could serve to reconcile the Craig series with the previous twenty films in a way that the filmmakers never had time to do on screen. That would be tremendously cool. Besides, anything has to be better then Devil May Care!

Bill

Edited by Bill, 22 December 2008 - 09:42 PM.

[Thunderball302]

Not a bad idea.

Interesting to see how they would fit into the Bond literary canon, if at all. Not that they would need to, but I always found it interesting that the novelizations of TSWLM, MR, LTK, GE, TND, TWINE, and DAD still can be slotted into continuity with the books AND films, with some issues. For example, Christopher Wood's two novelizations are excellent, with TSWLM serving as a sequel to FRWL in its own way, and given that the only similarity between the orginal novel nd film are the title, there is no problem fitting the novelizatiom of TSWLM in with both the film and book series. MR and LTK are a little more problematic, given the repition of characters in both the literary and cinematic efforts, especially Drax. However, John Gardner appears to want to fit his novelization in with the novels, as why else have Leiter maimed twice?--and the passages of Bond NOT using the PPK along with the memory of the note left on Leiter as opposed to seeing it for the first time in the context of the events of Licence To Kill (I am working from memory here--I am on vacation and do not have my copy of LTK handy to double check that is the case)The Brosnan novelizations, with passages such as Bond lying about attending Cambridge and getting his first in Oriental Languages there, both in TND, both clearly show an intent to make both books and films part of the same continuity.

The reboot of the series with CR does seemingly make such a task all the more difficult. Zencat is absolutely right in that these books need not be part of any other series, just continuity to the Craig films. However, if that is the case, I would be a little disappointed. Indeed, if done correctly, new Bond novels as he suggested here could serve to reconcile the Craig series with the previous twenty films in a way that the filmmakers never had time to do on screen. That would be tremendously cool. Besides, anything has to be better then Devil May Care!

Bill

***Besides, anything has to be better then Devil May Care!***

here, here! what a disappointing book that was!

with these orginal paperback tie-ins - like the Indy ones - you can get some real gems - the writers writing these kind of books usually are pretty good writers and have a real feeling for the characters.

this idea has me very excited - but i have no reason to have any hope that something like this would ever happen!

[quantumofsolace]

I'd buy them.

[David Schofield]

While IFP Glidrose have much to answer for on lit. Bond - allowing Gardner to go on so long, employing Benson at all, letting Devil May Care see the light of day - at least their efforts TRIED to keep a link to Fleming's original, but showed that even they need a heavier, more Fleming-aware hand to edit and guide.

Four paperbacks based upon the Craig cinematic creation? With potentially graphic novel sensibilities. And no regard for the Fleming canon?

Sounds like self-indulgent fan fiction. And we know how bad that can be.

[[dark]]

Four paperbacks based upon the Craig cinematic creation? With potentially graphic novel sensibilities. And no regard for the Fleming canon?

Sounds like self-indulgent fan fiction. And we know how bad that can be.

Perhaps if Devil May Care was an epic flop, IFP would potentially investigate a project like this. But it wasn't. On the contrary, it repositioned James Bond as a literary force to be reckoned with. They don't need to be associated with the films, especially if there's little money in it for them.

Like I said, a potentially fun idea (especially with the ongoing Quantum arc), but the chances of it happening are remarkably slim.

[zencat]

Interesting to see how they would fit into the Bond literary canon, if at all. Not that they would need to, but I always found it interesting that the novelizations of TSWLM, MR, LTK, GE, TND, TWINE, and DAD still can be slotted into continuity with the books AND films, with some issues.

The idea bogs down if you try to fit them into the literary canon. These need to be completely free of the literary Bond, both past and present. The only continuity they'd need to connect with is the Craig films and each other. You shouldn't even think of these as "Bond novels." They are strictly movie tie-in adventures. Merchandise. A bit of fun that isn't meant to connect to or supplant any plans IFP has for the literary Bond.

i don't want to see Craig's picture on the covers - but getting the artist that sis the Indy covers to draw Bond like Craig would work for me.

Yes, that's what I was thinking. Nice poster-like illustrations featuring Craig in action. Just like the Indy covers, which are beautiful.

You know, they did a few Lara Croft paperback originals a while back, but they used the videogame Lara on the cover. I really wish they would have used Indy-like illustrated covers featuring Angelina Jolie's Lara (or even a more photo real Lara like in the graphic novesls). I would have bought those in a second!

[Jace]

I worked as a script writer on a fun graphic novel anthology project last year. I teamed up with a talented artist and we finished our 3-5 page story in about a month. It would be very fun to write Bond short stories for a graphic novel project. And I also love the idea of quick movie tie-in novels. The process is much easier to write the story, I find, than firming up and developing sequential artwork. I'm intrigued by Quantum.

[Thunderball302]

Interesting to see how they would fit into the Bond literary canon, if at all. Not that they would need to, but I always found it interesting that the novelizations of TSWLM, MR, LTK, GE, TND, TWINE, and DAD still can be slotted into continuity with the books AND films, with some issues.

The idea bogs down if you try to fit them into the literary canon. These need to be completely free of the literary Bond, both past and present. The only continuity they'd need to connect with is the Craig films and each other. You shouldn't even think of these as "Bond novels." They are strictly movie tie-in adventures. Merchandise. A bit of fun that isn't meant to connect to or supplant any plans IFP has for the literary Bond.

i don't want to see Craig's picture on the covers - but getting the artist that sis the Indy covers to draw Bond like Craig would work for me.

Yes, that's what I was thinking. Nice poster-like illustrations featuring Craig in action. Just like the Indy covers, which are beautiful.

You know, they did a few Lara Croft paperback originals a while back, but they used the videogame Lara on the cover. I really wish they would have used Indy-like illustrated covers featuring Angelina Jolie's Lara (or even a more photo real Lara like in the graphic novesls). I would have bought those in a second!

the Indy covers are very beautiful and very movie poster-like. i'd love to see these proposed Bond covers the same.

i have never played a Tomb Raider game - but i like the character and i bought those books - i think that three were issued - they are packed away somewhere - i would have liked to see a Jolie image on the cover done in the movie poster/Indy cover style.

[Solex Agitator]

A splendid idea. I sincerely hope you are pitching this idea to the powers that be, Zencat!

[zencat]

A splendid idea. I sincerely hope you are pitching this idea to the powers that be, Zencat!

No, no, no...that's not my place. This is just fanboy dreaming with my fellow fanboys (and girls).

[Thunderball302]

While IFP Glidrose have much to answer for on lit. Bond - allowing Gardner to go on so long, employing Benson at all, letting Devil May Care see the light of day - at least their efforts TRIED to keep a link to Fleming's original, but showed that even they need a heavier, more Fleming-aware hand to edit and guide.

Four paperbacks based upon the Craig cinematic creation? With potentially graphic novel sensibilities. And no regard for the Fleming canon?

Sounds like self-indulgent fan fiction. And we know how bad that can be.

they did let Gardner go on a few books too many - Benson was a mistake, they could have gotten someone else (that being said i am a fan of the benson books - but i can understand why people don't like them) - but if Gardner and benson had the support that Devil May Care did - and DMC is very disappointing.

DMC - i don't like how it is set in the '60's with an ageing Bond - let Fleming's Bond stay in the '60's - with the problem with terror and pirates and rogue states today - there is more than enough for Bind to do w/i the Cold War!

[Thunderball302]

Four paperbacks based upon the Craig cinematic creation? With potentially graphic novel sensibilities. And no regard for the Fleming canon?

Sounds like self-indulgent fan fiction. And we know how bad that can be.

Perhaps if Devil May Care was an epic flop, IFP would potentially investigate a project like this. But it wasn't. On the contrary, it repositioned James Bond as a literary force to be reckoned with. They don't need to be associated with the films, especially if there's little money in it for them.

Like I said, a potentially fun idea (especially with the ongoing Quantum arc), but the chances of it happening are remarkably slim.

i don't understand the entire IFP/DMC thing.

as i understand it - it was a big hit - even though i didn't like it i will buy the next one.

that being said - why did they pick Faulks? to make a splash? since he doesn't write in the thriller genre and he said from the get-go that he was one and done - i can't believe that IFP didn't have a second author lined up to pick up the series if it was a hit - so they could have a new novel out in '09.

[Dainshdude118]

FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA!!!!!!!!

He's a fantastic artist and would be the only person I would want to draw it.

[Jace]

I just checked out his website- great artist! I especially liked the b&w pieces based on classic sci-fi movies. He captured an eerie Val Lewton meets the Twilight Zone kind of tone. I think a Bond anthology of b&w short stories (ala Batman Black and White) would be really fun.