Editor's note: Sharon Griffin, segment producer on the History Channel's recent comic-book documentary, Comic Book Superheroes Unmasked, touched base with The Fourth Rail following our review of the material. We asked if she'd care to discuss the project and her experiences. She agreed.
I had been working as a researcher for the History Channel for a year when I came up with the concept for Comic Book Superheroes Unmasked. Until that point, my routine was the same for every assignment. First, I created a "bible" -- a binder full of information, articles, suggestions for interviewees, interviewee contact numbers, lists of books, images, etc. ,for the show. The producer/director then used this data to format the program.
Once they agreed on a focus for the show, I contacted interviewees, ordered books, accessed images and footage, and found applicable headlines in newspaper archives.
Rumors were circulating that the History Channel wanted to make a concerted effort to reach a more demographically desirable audience. I remembered my brother's sacred super-hero comic book collection. When we were growing up, a glimpse of it was like viewing the Holy Grail. I was intrigued at how super-heroes still held allure for kids and adolescents, while other fads had come and gone. Wouldn't it be great to illustrate the universal appeal of the genre by timing a special about super-heroes to coincide with the much-hyped release of Spider-Man?
Research revealed that PBS was doing a documentary on comics and the Learning Channel already had produced a short documentary on the subject. I approached one of the partners about doing a show about the history of super-heroes, illustrating how comic-book heroes reflected the eras they were created in.
He was scheduled to pitch show ideas to Susan Werbe at The History Channel the next day. He was intrigued with my idea and pitched it first. Susan liked it and asked him to check out licensing issues. I was assured that if the project was given a green light, my position and involvement would be more than just research. I felt thrilled at the chance to advance as well as to be involved in something I felt passionate about.
One of the writers at the production company heard what I had accomplished and wanted to make sure that if this project went into production that I'd try to get him involved as well. He knew this subject backwards and forwards. Our clearance person did the ground work regarding licensing, and everything looked good to go except that we seemed to be losing steam.
In order to get Susan Werbe's final approval, the producer needed to submit an overall outline of the show, but he was too busy to sit down and focus on it. When the writer heard about the delay, he quickly volunteered to help. He listened to my detailed concept and composed an insightful report. I added my suggestions and the finalized version was presented to the partner and submitted to Susan. Ms. Werbe doubted Marvel and DC would agree to licensing, but the legal end of our company assured her things would be fine.
The writer added a slew of information and material. Combined with my research and vision, things were rolling. We discussed who would make excellent interviewees. I feel proud to have been the one to have discovered Bradford Wright and suggested he should be considered top choice. Both the writer and I agreed on many of choices, but my supervisor felt some of them were either too old or not "good on camera" (one of the reasons why there weren't any female interviewees in the show.)
Believe it or not, we had to fight hard for Eisner and a few others. By the time the interview choices had been decided upon and the research completed, I was taken off the project. They said my having the idea didn't guarantee that I could continue with the project -- it was what I could bring to the table that was really important at that point. Since I didn't have a vast collection of comics like the writer or extensive experience producing like my supervisor, I did what I had done for the other History Channel shows I worked on -- research. I did get my title upgraded from researcher to segment producer, though.
The History Channel wanted to complete the project to coincide with the release of Spider-Man, as I suggested, in the fall of 2001. Unfortunately, there was a glitch when it came to final negotiations. Since I was excluded from meetings by this point, I can only say what I heard second hand. Marvel was on board from the start, but in order to clear DC rights, we had to go through the powers that be at Time Warner. The process of connecting with the right people took so long that it was impossible to complete the project by the time Spider-Man was released.
Was this a strategic move on Time Warner's part? Who knows? All I know is that when I contacted Todd McFarlane's company, they couldn't have been more wonderful. They sent over all the issues of Spawn and were more than willing to arrange their schedules for interviews. Dark Horse Comics were much the same. Great people! Although Todd's products and the history of his company are mentioned in the program, he is never seen on screen. I don't know why, because by this time the production company had laid me off.
About a year later I was surprised to get a call from my supervisor asking me to fact-check the finalized script. I discovered the script had gone through several different versions. At one point, the focus was dramatically changed to focus on the history and development of major characters (the various looks, costumes, etc.) Ultimately, they returned to my original concept and explored how super-heroes reflected the society that spawned them.
Since they missed their Spider-Man deadline, the History Channel aired the show to coincide with The Hulk release. Several articles mentioned how "timely" the History Channel was -- unaware this idea had been in the works since before Spider-Man became such a phenomenon.
All told, it took over two years for my idea to reach air time. It was a long process with many stops/starts, ups/downs, negotiations/surprises, but I think the final outcome was well worth it. I have loved super-hero comics since I was a kid and still enjoy them today (ah, nostalgia). Most important, though, I am thrilled I had the chance to honor my brother by getting a show produced that he inspired and that now a few people out there know it was a woman who actually thought up this idea.
In a sense, for 15 short minutes, I get to feel like a super-hero.
