Cowboys & Aliensis a 105-pagegraphic novelcreated byScott Mitchell Rosenbergand written byFred Van LenteandAndrew Foley,with art byDennis Caleroand Luciano Lima. It was released by American publisherPlatinum Studiosin 2006.
| Cowboys & Aliens | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Date | December 2006 |
| Page count | 105 pages |
| Publisher | Platinum StudiosComics/HarperCollins |
| Creative team | |
| Writers | Fred Van Lente Andrew Foley |
| Artists | Dennis Caleroand Luciano Lima |
| Colorists | Andrew Elder |
| Creator | Scott Mitchell Rosenberg |
| Original publication | |
| Language | English |
| ISBN | 978-1582407241 |
| Chronology | |
| Followed by | Cowboys and Aliens: Worlds at War |
Publication history
editPlatinum Studiosfounder & chairman Rosenberg came up with theCowboys & Aliensconcept in 1997. Rosenberg and European rights agentErvin Rustemagićhad tried to sell the film rights to theWestern comicTex,but were not finding success. Instead, Rosenberg's employee Greg Noveck came up with a title:Cowboys and Aliens.Rosenberg had Noveck and another employee, Paul Benjamin, work up a film pitch, including character designs.
Using theirone-sheet,Rosenberg and Rustemagić (represented byWilliam Morris Agency) got film rights interest from such studios asUniversal Pictures,DreamWorks Studios,Fox Family Films,Columbia Pictures,Walt Disney Entertainment,andParamount Pictures.[1]In May 1997,Universal PicturesandDreamWorks Studiosacquired the rights toCowboys & Aliens,which was described as a "graphic novel in development."[2]
By the mid-2000s, with the project inturnaround,[1]Rosenberg commissioned writersFred Van Lente&Andrew Foleyand artistsDennis Calero&Luciano Limato create aCowboys & Aliensoriginal graphic novel, which was published in December 2006 by Platinum Studios Comics.
Controversy
editIn order to make theCowboys & Alienscomic appear to be a big seller, Platinum Studios priced the 105-page book at the low cost of $4.99 (when most graphic novels were $10 and up). Platinum attempted togame the systemin various other ways, including using a business arrangement with the popular publisherTop Cow Productionsto listCowboys & Aliensin Top Cow's section of theDiamond Comic Distributorscatalogue. They also gave certain retailers huge bulk discounts on the book, all of which counted toward sales numbers. Based on these inflated numbers,Entertainment WeeklylistedCowboys & Aliensas a top seller for the month, which prompted Universal/DreamWorks to move the film project forward again.[1]
Plot synopsis
editIn theSouthwestern United Statesin aretro-futuristicversion of the 1870s, gunslingers Zeke Jackson and Verity Jones are hired to protect a caravan that is heading to Silver City,Arizona,to work at a silver mine. They are ambushed byApache Indiansin the desert and the two groups witness the crash-landing of an alien spaceship. Its inhabitants, led by Commander Rado Dar, exterminate some of the Indians, allowing Zeke and Verity to escape, as the aliens set out to conquer the planet Earth. While the aliens regroup and destroy a nearby fort, Zeke and Verity arrive at Silver City with the settlers, only to discover that, aside from a handyman named Alan Cross (the original founder and mayor of the city), most of the town's inhabitants left after it was discovered that the silver mines were empty.
The cowboys are attacked by aliens riding in flying motorcycle-like vehicles and are chased to a cliff, where they are rescued by Apache Indians led by Chief Medicine Crow and the warrior Warhawk, who ambush the aliens. The two groups decide to join forces in order to defeat the aliens, and scavenge the fallen ones for weapons. Zeke steals a microwave-emitting pistol, Verity steals an energy whip, Warhawk steals X-Ray goggles and the other Indians steal explosives that they attach to their arrows. A blacksmith uses the scraps of the motorcycles to forge anti-gravity horseshoes that allow the Indians to ride on flying horses.
The humans also receive the assistance of Commander Dar's assistant, Ra Chak Kai, who has switched sides and falls in love with Zeke. She reveals that the aliens (who call themselves The Caste) have taken over Silver City and are building a communication device that will allow them to call in troops from their homeworld to enslave the entire Earth. Verity and Warhawk also fall in love. Cross offers to lead a decoy group on a frontal attack against the aliens, allowing a second group led by Zeke to infiltrate the city through the empty silver mines and attack. Cross betrays them, in hopes of being spared by the aliens. The humans are captured, including Cross, who, despite his treachery, is thrown in with the other human prisoners and is killed by Verity. The captured humans are set for execution at dawn, just as the beacon is about to send its transmission, but the rest of the Indians arrive on their flying horses and defeat most of the aliens. Zeke and Kai kill Commander Dar while Verity and Warhawk deal with his second-in-command and destroy the aliens' communications tower. As the humans celebrate their victory, Kai is secretly revealed to be part of a race of shapeshifting aliens that have organized a resistance against the Caste warlords. For their bravery, the humans are added to the list of races with the strength needed to stand against the Caste.
Film adaptation
editJon Favreaudirected the screen adaptation fromUniversal Pictures,Paramount Pictures,andDreamWorks Studiosof the comic, starringDaniel Craig,Harrison Ford,Olivia Wilde,Sam Rockwell,Noah Ringer,Paul Dano,Ana de la Reguera,andClancy Brown.The film was produced byRon Howard,Brian Grazer,writersAlex KurtzmanandRoberto Orci,andScott Mitchell Rosenberg.Steven Spielbergand director Favreau acted as the film's executive producers.
Zeke Johnson's name was changed to "Jake Lonergan" in the film.
The film was released on July 29, 2011 and grossed $174 million worldwide.[3]
Webcomic sequel
editCowboys and Aliens: Worlds at War(orCowboys & Aliens II)[4]is a 2007 online-only extension of the graphic novel. It is written by Alana Joli Abbott.
See also
edit
Notes
edit- ^abcJohnston. Rich. "The Secret Story Behind Cowboys And Aliens,"Bleeding Cool(July 29, 2011).
- ^Fleming, Michael."D'Works, U lasso 'Cowboys',"Variety(May 20, 1997).
- ^Cowboys & AliensArchived2014-08-30 at theWayback Machine.comingsoon.net.accessed July 30,2 011.
- ^"Cowboys and Aliens: Worlds at War/Cowboys & Aliens II webcomic".Archived fromthe originalon 2010-05-28.Retrieved2008-09-02.
References
edit- Cowboys & Aliensat the Comic Book DB (archived fromthe original)
External links
edit- Official website
- Cowboys & Aliensinfoat Blue Corn Comics
- Cowboys & AliensNewsat Comics2Film
- Cowboys & AliensatIMDb
- Local graphic novelist generating big buzz,Edmonton Sun,September 7, 2009
- Noah Ringer has been cast in Cowboys & Aliens-Variety
- Interview with theCowboys and Aliens IIcreative team
