In a recent interview with a UK website, Watchmen co-creator Dave Gibbons dropped an interesting hint about which project he would like to work on once Watchmen hits theaters.
Dave's answer: he would like to get another one of his comic book creations up on the silver screen: Martha Washington, a character he and Sin City creator Frank Miller co-created in the early 90's.
Frank Miller also seems intent on getting Martha Washington adapted for the screen, as he mentioned in a recent interview with MTV News:
“It’s just a matter of finding the right venue, because ‘Martha Washington’ isn’t a movie, it’s a series,” [Miller] said. “It would have to be like 12 episodes to fit the whole story in. I would not let it be truncated.”
The epic story Frank is referring to began with Give Me Liberty, a four-issue comic book miniseries he and Gibbons created in 1990 about a young African-American girl named Martha Washington, born into a dystopian future where America has splintered into warring extremist factions. Martha is born and raised in "The Green," a prison-like urban enclosure (based on Chicago's Cabrini-Green housing projects) from which few inhabitants ever escape.
Over the short (but dense) course of the series, Martha flees a mental institution with help from her friend, Raggy Ann, a "living computer" built by the government; she enlists in PAX, a future version of the military; goes on to help PAX save the world from extremist groups and other worldly threats; all while trading sabers with her evil nemesis, the corrupt, Lt. Moretti.
Give Me Liberty was a popular independent comic at its time of release, helping to establish independent (and adult-themed) comic book publisher, Dark Horse Comics. The original four-issue miniseries also spawned several sequels, including Martha Washington Goes to War (1994), Happy Birthday Martha Washington (1995), Martha Washington Stranded In Space (1995), Martha Washington Saves The World (1997-98), and Martha Washington Dies (2007).
According to Dave Gibbons, now is the time for Martha Washington to make the jump from page to big screen--with help from Frank Miller, of course.
"There was a series I did with Frank Miller called Martha Washington, which in fact is longer than Watchmen, it's about 500 pages. Frank's enjoying a certain amount of success in Hollywood and I wouldn't be surprised if something happens with that. I think that would make a great movie...Martha Washington is a war story but it's quite satirical and I think has a strange resonance with what's happening in the world today."
Well, Dave, I wouldn't put all my eggs in the Frank Miller basket until the first (non)returns for The Spirit come back. (If that latest trailer is any indication, Frank might soon be taking a hit in the Hollywood clout department.)
I'll be the first to admit that despite my extensive fanboy knowledge of all things comic book, I have never read any part of the Give Me Liberty series. But this news has certainly made me curious. What about you--have you read any of the Martha Washington saga? Do you think it would make for a good film? Sound off and let us know.
Source: Digital Spy UK & MTV News