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Not too much movie/tv news coming out with all the big announcements being saved for next week, but here’s an odd one: a book that got optioned when the author posted on Eddie Campbell’s blog? It’s true, as Don Murphy picked up the rights to The Flock, a novel by James Robert Smith about giant birds that…fight crime or something. It’s also said to be a graphic novel, although we couldn’t readily find the info on that.

Murphy, a producer on “Transformers” with Tom DeSanto and Lorenzo DiBonaventura, discovered Smith and his book by chance. Murphy was on the blog of Eddie Campbell, the artist of “From Hell,” an Alan Moore graphic novel whose big-screen translation was produced by Murphy.

Smith was posting comments critical of the film, putting Murphy on the defensive. Eager to find out more about the poster, Murphy discovered Smith had written a book. He quickly ordered it, expecting to hate it and ready to trash it. To his surprise, he fell for it.


You heard it here folks — the internet works. Now, where is Eddie’s cut?

1 COMMENT

  1. Hey, I read that book! Based simply on the cover. About half of it is told from the birds’ point of view, which is kinda weird, but they don’t fight crime so much as eat people. I believe the author also wrote for comics, but that this particular book wasn’t a comic…although maybe it will be now.

  2. I believe the author also wrote for comics, but that this particular book wasn’t a comic…although maybe it will be now.

    Perhaps not. From Mark Masztal’s blog:

    As most of you know that check in here at Barkings, I was working up some art for graphic novel adaption for James Robert Smith’s book The Flock. [. . .]

    Warner Bros. picked up the rights that squelched any graphic novel adaption, but I just recently read that Producers have finally been made public about The Flock movie.

  3. I did write for comics a bit in the late 80s, early 90s. Most notably at Steve Bissette’s TABOO and CLIVE BARKER’S HELLRAISER (Marvel/Epic). Mainly, I worked in the short story form until I started using the novel format.

    No graphic novel. Angry Films/WB wrapped up all such action in their film option.

    Nobody gets a cut (except for my agent who negotiated the contract), and Uncle Sam.