Atomic Fangirl

Wonder what you missed?  Wonder no more — here’s some quick & dirty points from some of Sunday’s panels.

The Fifth Beatle: Exclusive Film Presentation!

Vivek J. Tiwary and moderator Patrick Reed discussed Tiwary’s graphic novel The Fifth Beatle, and read scenes from the upcoming film.  It was a chill, laid-back panel that discussed Brian Epstein‘s story, and the differences between writing comics and writing for film.  Tiwary also spent a lot of time signing books and chatting with fans at the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund booth, which is pretty awesome.

• Tiwary “couldn’t surrender” Epstein’s story, as Epstein was “my historical mentor”.  “I think I have a responsibility to [telling Brian’s story honestly].”  However, Tiwary understood that “all the best art is collaborative”, and while he’ll still be writing the screenplay and serving as producer, the search is on for a director who can do the story justice.
• About keeping the graphic novel under 150 pages: Tiwary wanted to make a book that someone would see at an airport store.  Something that could easily be read during a flight, so people who didn’t know the story would “give it a shot.”  Otherwise Epstein’s struggles and the uplifting message if his life would only be seen/read by folks who were already interested in The Beatles and/or graphic novels.
• Decisions on what to keep and what to leave out of the graphic novel were made in order to keep the graphic novel accessible.  However, there will be scenes added to the film to address the story of Pete Best (the Beatle who was later replaced by Ringo Starr).
• Speaking of Pete Best, Tiwary says The Beatles “…should have had the guts to do it themselves…but they were teenagers.”  Most likely the artists were scared, and Tiwary didn’t shy from this point in the band’s history.  In fact, he wanted to show that The Beatles were only human, and “not gods”.
• In addition to Best, there will be many more performance scenes.  The Fifth Beatle is the first film that secured the rights to the Beatles music.  I’m looking forward to seeing recording studio nitty-gritty as well as “practical sequences” at the Casbah Coffee Club and the Cavern Club.
• Hopefully the set design and cinematography will be “as surreal as the comic”, but there will be some changes.  For example, the “Templesmith vampire” look of Elvis’ manager Colonel Parker will be jettisoned, as it’s “too fantastic.”  But there will be more of the “matador” theme throughout.

Outside of The Fifth Beatle, Tiwary has an idea for a children’s book based on the “how to write pop songs” from the band The Misfits.  I’m already looking forward to that.