The Devil You Know: Inside the Mind of Todd McFarlane
He is a legend to legions of fans. His fictional superhero Spawn has made him the most successful comic book artist in history.
He is driven, controversial, relentless in the pursuit of his dreams - yet lives a happy suburban life married to his childhood sweetheart, a level-headed beauty who helps him manage a multi-million dollar entertainment empire.
THE NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA PRESENTS
The Devil You Know: Inside the Mind of Todd McFarlane.
Filmmaker Kenton Vaughan profiles one of the most fascinating and innovative men in popular entertainment. The film charts McFarlane's progress from high school - a skinny baseball-addicted kid doodling in the back row of a Calgary classroom - to the apex of the industry, where he can afford to spend $3 million on a collectible baseball.
McFarlane's remarkable creative powers came together with a hard-headed business sense to transform Spawn - a tortured soul caught between good and evil - into an industry that encompasses comic books, toys, animation, video games and movies.
For years, he scratched out an existence in trailer parks, playing baseball and trying to crack the major leagues. When it became clear that an athletic career wasn't in the cards, McFarlane started sending art samples to comic book publishers. Over 700 rejection letters later, he landed a job with Marvel comics, and his work reinvented Spider Man.
But McFarlane's impact is most provocatively revealed through the loyalty and devotion of his fans - a place where inspiration can lead to obsession. The Devil You Know raises intriguing questions about fandom, as it follows two Spawn enthusiasts, and explores the fine line where art turns into business and fans turn into customers.
He describes himself as a man of inconsistencies and contradictions. Despite his public image as a hard-nosed businessman and warped-minded artist, McFarlane is a doting father and a devoted husband. His true love is baseball, not art. And it's not that he rejects the rules, he just wants to play by his own. The Devil You Know charts this enigmatic man and explores some of his most intimate thoughts.
2000, 76 min 59 s
National Film Board of Canada Production
© All Rights Reserved, 2007
