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eXistenZ: A Graphic Novel
David Cronenberg is the visionary director of the modern classic films "Dead Ringers," "Naked Lunch" and "The Fly." An interview with Salman Rushdie inspired him to make a film about an artist who finds herself on a hit list, and must go into hiding. Starring Jennifer Jason Leigh and Willem Dafoe, the Miramax film "eXistenZ" ( Silver Bear prize, 1999 Berlin Film Festival) is set in the near future, when game designers are worshipped as superstars, and players can actually enter games. "eXistenZ" is a breakthrough gaming system invented by game goddess Allegra Geller. When downloaded into humans through a bioport fitted into the spine, eXistenZ accesses their nervous systems, transporting them on a wild ride that will shatter the line that separates fantasy from reality. When anti-eXistenZ fanatics attempt to assassinate Allegra Geller, she is forced to flee into hiding. Her sole ally is a guard who is sworn to protect her. Allegra persuades him to play the game and draws them both into a phantasmagoric world where existence and eXistenZ begin - and perhaps will never end. This graphic-novel (comic-book) treatment of "eXistenZ" (based on David Cronenberg's screenplay) is by Sean Schoffield, who has drawn for Marvel and DC Comics. The illustrations of the novel are inspired directly from frames of the film. The images are darkly gorgeous, colored with a "Cronenberg" mood. Sean Schoffield has recently completed a series of "X-Files" adaptations for Topps Comics. Both Cronenberg and Scoffield live in Toronto.
112 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1999
86 people want to read
About the author
David Cronenberg
42 books247 followersDavid Paul Cronenberg is a Canadian film director and occasional actor.
He is one of the principal originators of what is commonly known as the body horror or venereal horror genre. This style of filmmaking explores people's fears of bodily transformation and infection. In his films, the psychological is typically intertwined with the physical.
In the first half of his career, Cronenberg explored these themes mostly through horror and science fiction, culminating in his visceral and emotional remake of The Fly (1986), with Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis, followed by Dead Ringers (1988), with Jeremy Irons in the lead role.
Cronenberg has worked with Lord of the Rings star Viggo Mortensen in A History of Violence (2005), Eastern Promises (2007), both crime thrillers, and period drama A Dangerous Method (2011), also with Michael Fassbender (Promotheus)and Keira Knightley, and Twilight star Robert Pattinson in Cosmopolis (2012) and Maps to the Stars (2014), also featuring Julianne Moore.
Consumed (2014) is the first novel by Cronenberg.
He is one of the principal originators of what is commonly known as the body horror or venereal horror genre. This style of filmmaking explores people's fears of bodily transformation and infection. In his films, the psychological is typically intertwined with the physical.
In the first half of his career, Cronenberg explored these themes mostly through horror and science fiction, culminating in his visceral and emotional remake of The Fly (1986), with Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis, followed by Dead Ringers (1988), with Jeremy Irons in the lead role.
Cronenberg has worked with Lord of the Rings star Viggo Mortensen in A History of Violence (2005), Eastern Promises (2007), both crime thrillers, and period drama A Dangerous Method (2011), also with Michael Fassbender (Promotheus)and Keira Knightley, and Twilight star Robert Pattinson in Cosmopolis (2012) and Maps to the Stars (2014), also featuring Julianne Moore.
Consumed (2014) is the first novel by Cronenberg.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 27, 2011
For those who don't know:
"Set in the near future, eXistenZ depict a society in which gaming designers are worshipped as superstars and players can actually enter inside the games.. The name of the game is eXistenZ – a technology so advanced that it uses biology to transport players into gaming experiences beyond the bounds of virtual reality. eXistenZ taps so deeply into players' fears and desires that it blurs the boundaries between reality and escapism." [from the inleaf and back cover]
Two point five stars from me, but that rounds up. I am rating this based on its quality as a stand-alone, that is, without considering that it's based on a film. eXistenZ: A Graphic Novel wears a more-or-less obscuring veil of surreality the whole way through, and while I don't consider that necessarily bad style for a graphic novel, it was rather hard to read. I managed to follow the action (not sure if I'd call it a plot, and the departure from that is admirable) only on what felt to me a basic level. Try as I did to determine what was going on, I was not always able to connect the relation of two side-by-side frames when they were split by a totally unwarned-of saccade from one scene to another. Fine in a movie; confusing in a book.
The artwork here demands mention, and adulation. Scoffield takes the graphic novel through his illustrations to a level of realism I've never encountered in a graphic novel. It's very movie-like which, I gather, is the aim. And it's undeniably gorgeous. Gorgeous, as well as appropriate. It evokes the shadowy world of 'virtual?... or... reality?' with almost chilling efficiency; we can't make out everything that's happening, and we're not sure if the characters inside the frames can, either. Again, though, I have to say that the close-ups and the extreme shading in many frames are frustrating to me. You're in a world with quite a few objects foreign to our own: bioports, Pink-fones, Game Pods and so on. There is a handy glossary of these in the beginning. But in the course of the story, I find myself needing to jump a few frames ahead to learn what exactly an earlier frame depicts, and that took away from my own enjoyment.
Altogether, this is one of those rare times when you need the movie as a starting place to enjoy the literary version. I have not seen Cronenberg's film, and I know I would have found this to be a far richer reading experience if I had.
"Set in the near future, eXistenZ depict a society in which gaming designers are worshipped as superstars and players can actually enter inside the games.. The name of the game is eXistenZ – a technology so advanced that it uses biology to transport players into gaming experiences beyond the bounds of virtual reality. eXistenZ taps so deeply into players' fears and desires that it blurs the boundaries between reality and escapism." [from the inleaf and back cover]
Two point five stars from me, but that rounds up. I am rating this based on its quality as a stand-alone, that is, without considering that it's based on a film. eXistenZ: A Graphic Novel wears a more-or-less obscuring veil of surreality the whole way through, and while I don't consider that necessarily bad style for a graphic novel, it was rather hard to read. I managed to follow the action (not sure if I'd call it a plot, and the departure from that is admirable) only on what felt to me a basic level. Try as I did to determine what was going on, I was not always able to connect the relation of two side-by-side frames when they were split by a totally unwarned-of saccade from one scene to another. Fine in a movie; confusing in a book.
The artwork here demands mention, and adulation. Scoffield takes the graphic novel through his illustrations to a level of realism I've never encountered in a graphic novel. It's very movie-like which, I gather, is the aim. And it's undeniably gorgeous. Gorgeous, as well as appropriate. It evokes the shadowy world of 'virtual?... or... reality?' with almost chilling efficiency; we can't make out everything that's happening, and we're not sure if the characters inside the frames can, either. Again, though, I have to say that the close-ups and the extreme shading in many frames are frustrating to me. You're in a world with quite a few objects foreign to our own: bioports, Pink-fones, Game Pods and so on. There is a handy glossary of these in the beginning. But in the course of the story, I find myself needing to jump a few frames ahead to learn what exactly an earlier frame depicts, and that took away from my own enjoyment.
Altogether, this is one of those rare times when you need the movie as a starting place to enjoy the literary version. I have not seen Cronenberg's film, and I know I would have found this to be a far richer reading experience if I had.
July 14, 2019
Interesting watercolor depiction of actual screen grabs from the film itself - it sadly takes away all of the sick, twisty humor of the motion picture. Strange project!
January 20, 2021
This is an odd disturbing mix of gaming and genetic manipulation, with odd twists and turns, and not particularly pleasant. It is distinctive, but besides novelty, little to find to recommend it. But I am sure that it could be a powerful experience for some.
June 15, 2018
I love this movie. I liked the stylization of the story in this graphic retelling but something was missing to show the frantic blurring confusion necessary for the tale.
March 12, 2012
eXistenZ is not the best of Cronenberg's films (although I recommend the Canadian DVD release with multiple commentaries and documentaries over the bare bones US release). The book has the feel of one of the Richard Anobile photo-books of classic films that were popular in the 70s. The artwork here is the big problem. While Sean Scoffield may be an excellent artist elsewhere, here his work looks like photoshopped images manipulated with a paint-simulation filter. Some images are realistic, others are lost in a blurring of detail.
December 18, 2009
One of my favorite movies in a not-so great graphic novel adaptation. As a graphic novel the story feels incredibly rushed and doesn't have the intensely creepy feeling of the movie. Only for big fans of eXistenZ.
March 11, 2016
I'm not honestly sure what to say about this book. It sure is different.
February 28, 2009
Dont even bother... the movie is bad enough and that only takes 1 and 1/2 hrs.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews