The mystery of the original comic book "Sherlock Holmes"

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Before "Sherlock Holmes" a film opening on Christmas Day was a caricature. Sort of. Lionel Wigram, one of the producers of the film was a story of modern classic detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to be created. "I did not imagine as a fuddy Duddy Sherlock Holmes," Masterpiece Theater guy, "said the British homeland. Wigram found a story, but realized the treatment of" what was going to be insufficient. "He decided to tell his story Pizazz give a few comics, the atmosphere and setting. It's one thing to write that Holmes, a new bohemian and rock and roll has-image, how would do Wigram, but it's another for a piece of art, show that it embodies. Wigram named executive Gregory Noveck, DC Comics, and asked for help in finding an artist, and showed him the Noveck, John Watkiss, another Brit. Watkiss is a comic artist for "Sandman" designed, "Deadman "and" Savage Sword of Conan. "He also worked on Disney's Tarzan" and "Treasure Planet" films. Wigram used his own money, $ 5,000 of it to have Watkiss complex scenes. Wigram developed then connected in a strip form and published take a couple of his pitch. The end product is not exactly a comic book. There is no continuous panel or balloons, but beautiful cover pages with notes Moody casual history along the border. Wigram, the book showed Warner exec Dan Lin (who later became a producer the film), then the president of Jeff Warner "Robinov, who has the film finally go ahead." As he drew was that what I imagined, but better, "said Wigram, who is surprised that so many Hollywood types not the style of the leaflets, when do we prepare pitching ideas. "And when you compare the screen version of the pictures, Guy Ritchie, there is a direct connection. Watkiss deserves much credit and recognition for it." It was a DC, "Holmes" comic, perhaps with the pictures, maybe not, but the film project will be accelerated, and once and Ritchie and Robert Downey Jr. came on board, swept, Wigram and never had the opportunity to reconsider this idea .