142: “Look, an open hatchway!”
c.1983 | age 14/15? Luke and Leia flee the stormtroopers — holy canted angles Batman! This’ll be a short post today. The «previous one was long, with lots of text and graphical content, but I don’t think many people even read it. It’s a good thing I’m not doing this project to be famous, admired or rich. I just enjoy the journey anyway.
I also need to devote much more time to job-hunting and my creative online portfolio website!
Art Notes
“No pictures—I look awful!” Don’t worry Leia, I doubt the blokes will be looking at your face that much.
Marvel Comic
The top panel draws almost totally from Howard Chaykin’s artwork, and Roy Thomas’ script in the Marvel adaptation. The text is almost the same.
Holy Canted Angles!
Today’s is more modern. Around 1982 or ’83, I was getting much better at the old drawing (diligent comics study you see?). And this is pretty dramatic stuff too. Cinematic canted angles and all! the first time I ever heard that expression was whilst watching the (appalling) Batman series of the ’60s. For a time in 1988, while I awaited my dad to finish work and pick me up after Art College in Dublin; I’d nip over to the flat of some friends. I’d have some tea and watch re-runs of Batman on their TV each day at 5 O’Clock, which was receiving the new (and also appalling) SKY Television.
You’d watch it knowingly, telling yourself how clever you were—because you were studying film—that it’s so good it’s bad. (Oh that old cliché. Aren’t some teenage students just… annoying?) My mate Stephen, who knew all about cinema, was a Citizen Kane fan and was more serious about it than me, was sort of ironically enjoying it too. He singled out the canted angles for praise. I’d never heard the expression before. Anyway, I’ve just looked it up on Wikipedia and would you believe, it says:
Dutch tilt, Dutch angle, Dutch shot, oblique angle, German angle, canted angle, Batman angle, or Jaunty angle
Gregg Toland was the cinematographer for CITIZEN KANE and many other wonderful films. He didn’t use Dutch angle all the time, but only when needed. (He had a touch more restraint than did the BATMAN crew.)
I loved the Batman TV show as a kid; later, I found it embarrassing. Now when I watch it I actually enjoy it for way it is, and unironically enjoy it, camp and all.
Hiya Rob,
Thanks for commenting! Greg Toland, eh?
I love the innovative creativity of old school camera people like him, and Jack Cardiff etc. When I watch ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ I feel that it was still harking back to that. Sadly we don’t seem to have many great ones left working n film—hence the very static TV look of ‘Crystal Skull’, I’m surmising.
I watched the Batman TV show for the first time ever when i was about 9 or 10 in 1978 or so. I had been VERY excited, waiting all day with John S to see it. When it came on and we sat down to watch it I did cringe quite a bit. I suppose I couldn’t appreciate the joke, but expected it to be every bit as serious as say, the Incredible hulk! What made it worse was that my dad was in the room.
Later, as a teen I could see the joke and quite enjoyed its silliness. Let’s face it, it probably had a style all of its own. I’m guessing it was pretty original. The closest thing I can think of to it—visually—might be musicals like West Side Story or Guys and Dolls. Very staged looking, theatrical.