He's portrayed a comic book character ("Ghost Rider") and a writer ("Adaptation"), and now he's taking his kid along for a new adventure that combines the two roles.
Nicolas Cage and his son, Weston, 16, are the latest in a long line of celebrities delving into the pages of the comic book industry. Rosario Dawson, directors John Woo and Guy Ritchie, Cyndi Margolis, Rob Zombie, Dave Stewart (of the Eurythmics) and, most recently, porn star Jenna Jameson are just a few of the celebrities who have either created or lent their name (or likeness) to a comic book property. Hollywood writers-creators such as Kevin Smith and Joss Whedon are also helping to blur the line between the film and comic book mediums.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Thursday August 02, 2007 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 0 inches; 25 words Type of Material: Correction
Bejeweled weaponry: An article in Tuesday's Calendar section about Comic-Con collectibles misspelled the name of the cartoon character from "ThunderCats": It is Lion-O, not Lionel.
Backstage during the pop culture convention that ran Thursday through Sunday in San Diego, Cage spoke about his longtime obsession with comics and working with his son to produce their new comic book, "Voodoo Child."
"I've always enjoyed comics as an art form. If you have an idea, and you want to get it out there to the people -- create a comic book," Cage said. "It was exciting to work with Weston on this. We trust each other and we have a mutual respect for each other, and you need that when working on any project."
The Cages' comic book centers on an interracial adolescent boy resurrected a hundred years after being killed in a hate crime in New Orleans. The book touches on issues of racism, religion and even post-Katrina politics.
The main character, Gabriel, becomes a super(natural) hero, though he is, according to writer Mike Carey, "a living shadow." Plans are in motion to bring the comic book to the big screen as soon as possible, under the banner of Cage's Saturn Films.
Spotlight on a comic character
Judd Apatow, the mayor of comedy, wants the world to know about stand-up comedian Charlyne Yi. Why else invite Yi onstage for Sony's "Superbad" panel in front of a room full of 6,000 fans and media? She's not even in "Superbad."
And unless the personal practices of Paul Wolfowitz at the World Bank were the inspiration, being "Superbad" costar Michael Cera's girlfriend alone wouldn't seem relevant enough to earn Yi a spot on the overflow dais, alongside Apatow regulars Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Jonah Hill, producer Shauna Robertson and newcomer Christopher Mintz-Plasse. (Although Yi did have a memorable part as a stoner in Apatow's "Knocked Up.")
