Sin City

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Sin City
Sin City Hard Goodbye.jpg
Cover of The Hard Goodbye showing Marv walking through the rain
First appearance Dark Horse Presents Fifth Anniversary Special (April 1991)
Created by Frank Miller
Publication information
Publisher Dark Horse Comics
Title(s)
Dark Horse Presents Fifth Anniversary Special
Dark Horse Presents #51–62
The Big Fat Kill #1–5
A Dame to Kill For #1–6
Family Values
Hell and Back (A Sin City Love Story) #1–9
That Yellow Bastard #1–6
FormatsOriginal material for the series has been published as a strip in the comics anthology(s) Dark Horse Presents  and a set of limited series, graphic novels, and one-shot comics.
Genre Crime fiction, neo-noir, thriller
Publication dateApril  1991  – 2000
Main character(s) Marv
John Hartigan
Gail
Dwight McCarthy
Nancy Callahan
The Roark Family
Wallace
Miho
Creative team
Writer(s) Frank Miller
Artist(s)Frank Miller
Reprints
Collected editions
The Hard Goodbye ISBN   1-59307-293-7
A Dame to Kill For ISBN   1-59307-294-5
The Big Fat Kill ISBN   1-59307-295-3
That Yellow Bastard ISBN   1-59307-296-1
Family Values ISBN   1-59307-297-X
Booze, Broads & Bullets ISBN   1-59307-298-8
Hell and Back ISBN   1-59307-299-6

Sin City is a series of neo-noir comics by American comic book writer-artist Frank Miller. The first story originally appeared in Dark Horse Presents Fifth Anniversary Special (April 1991), and continued in Dark Horse Presents #51–62 from May 1991 to June 1992, under the title of Sin City, serialized in thirteen parts. Several other stories of variable lengths have followed. The intertwining stories, with frequently recurring characters, take place in Basin City.

A film adaptation of Sin City, co-directed by Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller, was released on April 1, 2005. A sequel, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For , was released on August 22, 2014.

Publication history

Writer-artist Frank Miller rose to fame within the American comics industry with his 1981–1983 work on Marvel Comics' Daredevil , and the 1986 DC Comics miniseries The Dark Knight Returns , both of which exhibited subtle elements of film noir. [1] Miller's venture into the film noir genre deepened with his creator-owned series Sin City, which began publishing in serialized form in the Dark Horse Comics anthology series Dark Horse Presents #51–62. The story was released in a trade paperback and later re-released in 1995 under the name Sin City: The Hard Goodbye .

In a 2016 interview with the Kubert School, Miller explained his inspiration for Sin City thus:

I've been a fanatic for a long time for old crime movies and old crime novels. But it started with the movies. And the old Cagney movies. Bogart and all that. I loved just how the morals of the stories are. They're all about right and wrong. But in Sin City in particular I wanted them all to happen to in a world where virtuous behavior was rare, which greatly resembled the world I lived in. It's kinda like the old Rolling Stones song, where every cop's a criminal, and all the sinners are saints, where the lowlifes would often be heroic, and the most stridently beautiful and sweet women would be prostitutes. I wanted it to be a world out of balance, where virtue is defined by individuals in difficult situations, not by an overwhelming sense of goodness that was somehow governed by this godlike Comics Code. [2]

The film noir influence on the series' artwork [1] [3] [4] [5] is seen in its use of shadow and stark backgrounds. Black and white are the sole colors most of the time, with exception of red, yellow, blue, and pink, of which limited use is made in some stories to draw attention to particular characters. [1] [6]

The writing style also draws heavily on detective and crime pulp fiction. [3] [7] [8]

Miller's Sin City work challenges some conventions of comic book form. The letters of onomatopoeic words like "blam" are often incorporated into scenes via lighting effects, or are suggested by the negative space between panels, or are created by the outline of the panels themselves. This is especially evident in early "yarns," such as The Hard Goodbye, which were more experimental. [9]

On April 28, 2022, it was officially announced that Miller was launching the comic book publishing company Frank Miller Presents (FMP), with one of his initial contributions being a Western tale set in Sin City's past, titled Sin City 1858. [10]

Setting

An example of Frank Miller's use of high contrasts in Sin City Hard Goodbye.png
An example of Frank Miller's use of high contrasts in Sin City

Basin City, almost universally referred to by the nickname "Sin City", is a fictional town in the Western United States. The climate is hot and arid, although Sacred Oaks[ clarification needed ] is characterized as being heavily wooded. A major river runs through the city, which has an extensive waterfront. Usually twice a year, a major downpour comes, and the city is prone to heavy snowfall in the winter. Desert lizards and palm trees are common, while tar pits, desert areas, mountain ranges and flat farmland make up the landscape around the city.[ citation needed ]

The Basin City Police Department are more or less along the lines of paramilitary or SWAT, as they have to deal with incredibly high crime rates among criminals and civilians alike, which is why they have access to what most would consider "heavy weaponry" and full body armor. Those who make up the force have been described as commonly being lazy, cowardly and/or corrupt. Only a handful of the cops are honest, though frequently the wealthy of the city bribe the corrupt members of the police into performing their duty (usually as a result of some crime being committed or threatened against a member of their family).[ citation needed ]

During the California Gold Rush, the Roark family "imported" a large number of attractive women to keep the miners happy, making a fortune and turning a struggling mining camp into a thriving, bustling city. Over the years, as the Roark family migrated into other areas of business and power, these women ended up forming the district of Old Town, the prostitute quarter of the city where they rule with absolute authority. In addition, the people charged with governing the city, most of them from the Roark line, remained in power for generations, running it as they saw fit.[ citation needed ]

As the various yarns progress, the audience gradually becomes familiar with key locations in and around Basin City:

Characters

Individuals

Organizations

Because a large majority of the residents of Basin City are criminals, there are several organizations and cartels central to the stories who are vying for monopoly over the various criminal enterprises in the city. Listed below are crime syndicates, gangs and other low-lifes who figure heavily in the Sin City mythos.

The Basin City Police Department: So deep does corruption and criminality run in Basin City that even their police officers qualify as a gang of paid thugs, turning a blind eye to the affairs of those too poor to pay them off. Few among them are considered incorruptible; even the honest officers are unable (or unwilling) to curtail the criminal actions of the dishonest ones. Notable characters in the series who are police include Detective John Hartigan, his partner Bob, Lieutenants Jack Rafferty and Mort, Commissioner Liebowitz, and Officers Manson and Bundy from Hell and Back.

Roark family : A dynasty of corrupt landowners and politicians whose influence over Basin City has stretched as far back as the days of the Old West. Famous Roarks of this generation include a senator, a cardinal, an attorney general, and Roark Junior, 'That Yellow Bastard'.

The Girls of Old Town : Populating the region of Basin City known as Old Town is a group of women in the world's oldest profession, having made a truce with the cops to allow them to govern and police themselves. As of A Dame to Kill For, they were led by the twins, Goldie and Wendy.

Wallenquist Organization : A powerful crime syndicate led by Herr Wallenquist, a mysterious crime lord with a broad range of criminal enterprises to his name. Although they are one of the city's two "normal" criminal organizations, the Wallenquist management seems to be the most peaceful and forgiving of the various leaders. It is unknown which crime rings they hold.

Magliozzi Crime Family : The undisputed heads of the local Cosa Nostra, the Magliozzi family seems to be the purest example of "true" Mafia lifestyle. While they appear in only one story, it is hinted that the Mafia influence in Basin City's underworld is a lot larger than just their family and that there are more families.

Other groups that have been seen or mentioned in the comics include:

Tong gangsters: Mentioned, but not seen as of A Dame to Kill For. Miho's life was saved by Dwight when he secretly protected her during a fight with several Tong gangsters in a dark alleyway.

White slavers: Mentioned, but not seen as of A Dame to Kill For. Led by a man named Manuel, whose brothers were also involved. Were "taken care of" by Dwight prior to the events of A Dame to Kill For.

Irish mercenaries: Seen during The Big Fat Kill, most of them are evidently former IRA members, as implied by one of the mercenaries referring to his glee at blowing up a public house (British pubs were targeted by the IRA). All are killed by Dwight and Miho.

Sin City yarns

These are the individual stories, usually referred to as "yarns," set in Frank Miller's Sin City universe.

Collected editions

The stories have been collected into a number of trade paperbacks and hardcover editions. There is also a collection of art, The Art of Sin City.

In 2016, Dark Horse Comics released an ambitious, oversized edition titled Frank Miller’s Sin City The Hard Goodbye Curator’s Collection. [11] This 15 x 21 inch book reprints the entire first storyline, scanned and reproduced exactly from the original art at 1:1 size. When referencing the production process in an interview with Michael Dooley for Print Magazine, editor/designer John Lind gave the anecdote “When Frank and I first reviewed some of the scanned pages from Sin City, he pulled one aside and said, ‘You can see details in some of the scans where you can tell what the humidity was like when I was lettering because you can see the smudging from my hand.’ That type of reaction represents the level of detail I'm working hard to achieve with the production. [12]

Trade paperbacks

NameContentsISBN
The Hard Goodbye Episodes #1–13 of 13 from Dark Horse 5th Anniversary Special and Dark Horse Presents issues #51–62 ISBN   1-59307-293-7
A Dame to Kill For Issues #1–6 of 6 ISBN   1-59307-294-5
The Big Fat Kill Issues #1–5 of 5 ISBN   1-59307-295-3
That Yellow Bastard Issues #1–6 of 6 ISBN   1-59307-296-1
Family Values 128-page original graphic novel ISBN   1-59307-297-X
Booze, Broads, & Bullets A number of one-shots ISBN   1-59307-298-8
Hell and Back Issues #1–9 of 9 ISBN   1-59307-299-6

Hardcovers

NameContentsRelease DateISBN
Frank Miller's Sin City Library Set Vol. 1The Hard Goodbye, A Dame to Kill For, The Big Fat Kill and That Yellow BastardDecember 2005 978-1-59307-421-0
Frank Miller's Sin City Library Set Vol. 2Family Values, Booze, Broads and Bullets, Hell and Back, and The Art of Sin CityJune 2006 978-1-59307-422-7
Big Damn Sin CityThe Hard Goodbye, A Dame to Kill For, The Big Fat Kill, That Yellow Bastard, Family Values, Booze, Broads and Bullets, Hell and Back, and The Art of Sin CityJune 2014 978-1-61655-237-4
Frank Miller's Sin City Vol.1: The Hard Goodbye Curator's EditionThe Hard Goodbye scanned from the original artwork in Frank Miller's archives and reproduced at full size. Introduction by Robert Rodriguez, with an afterword by Mike Richardson and an interview about the artistic process with Frank Miller.August 2016 978-1-5067-0070-0
Frank Miller's Sin City Vol.1: The Hard Goodbye Deluxe EditionEpisodes #1–13 of 13 from Dark Horse 5th Anniversary Special and Dark Horse Presents issues #51–62November 2021 978-1-5067-2837-7
Frank Miller's Sin City Vol.2: A Dame to Kill For Deluxe EditionIssues #1–6 of 6December 2021 978-1-5067-2838-4
Frank Miller's Sin City Vol.3: The Big Fat Kill Deluxe EditionIssues #1–5 of 5February 2022 978-1-5067-2839-1
Frank Miller's Sin City Vol.4: That Yellow Bastard Deluxe EditionIssues #1–6 of 6May 2022 978-1-5067-2840-7
Frank Miller's Sin City Vol.5: Family Values Deluxe Edition128-page original graphic novel June 2022 978-1-5067-2841-4

Adaptations

Films

A film adaptation of Sin City, co-directed by Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller, was released on April 1, 2005. A sequel, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For , was released on August 22, 2014.

Television

Dimension Films planned to develop a soft reboot of the series for television; Stephen L’Heureux who produced the second film was to oversee the series with Sin City creator Frank Miller. [13] The new TV series would feature new characters and timelines and be more like the comics rather than the films. [14] On November 15, 2019, Legendary Pictures bought the rights for the television series. [15]

Awards

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Miller</span> American writer, artist, and film director (born 1957)

Frank Miller is an American comic book artist, comic book writer, and screenwriter known for his comic book stories and graphic novels such as his run on Daredevil, for which he created the character Elektra, and subsequent Daredevil: Born Again, The Dark Knight Returns, Batman: Year One, Sin City, and 300.

<i>Sin City</i> (film) 2005 American crime thriller film

Sin City is a 2005 American neo-noir action crime anthology film directed by Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller based on Miller's comic book series of the same name. The film stars an ensemble cast led by Jessica Alba, Benicio del Toro, Brittany Murphy, Clive Owen, Mickey Rourke, Bruce Willis, and Elijah Wood, and featuring Alexis Bledel, Powers Boothe, Michael Clarke Duncan, Rosario Dawson, Devon Aoki, Carla Gugino, Rutger Hauer, Jaime King, Michael Madsen, Nick Stahl, and Makenzie Vega among others.

<i>That Yellow Bastard</i> Comic book limited series

That Yellow Bastard is a six-issue comic book limited series and the sixth in the Sin City series. It was published by Dark Horse Comics in February–July 1996. It follows the usual black and white noir style artistry of previous Sin City novels, with the exception of yellow on Roark Junior late in the story.

<i>The Big Fat Kill</i> Five-issue comic book limited series

The Big Fat Kill is a five-issue comic book limited series published by Dark Horse Comics in November 1994–March 1995.

<i>A Dame to Kill For</i> 1993–1994 comic book series by Frank Miller

A Dame to Kill For is a comic book limited series written and drawn by Frank Miller and first published by Dark Horse Comics in 1993. It is the second story in Miller's Sin City series, and the first to be published in miniseries format. It has since been reprinted in graphic novel format in four separate editions.

<i>The Hard Goodbye</i> Comic book by Frank Miller

"The Hard Goodbye" is the first story in the American Sin City Comics series. It was serialized, as "Sin City", in the comics anthology Dark Horse Presents by Dark Horse Comics and named "The Hard Goodbye" in the trade paperbacks. It was created by Frank Miller, and led to a metaseries that has been adapted into a movie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dwight McCarthy</span> Fictional Character, Sin City Universe

Dwight McCarthy is one of the principal characters in Frank Miller's Sin City universe. He appears in A Dame to Kill For, The Big Fat Kill, Family Values, The Babe Wore Red and That Yellow Bastard. He is the character that appears the most in all the Sin City yarns. He was portrayed by Clive Owen in the 2005 film, and by Josh Brolin in the 2014 prequel.

John Hartigan (<i>Sin City</i>) Fictional character

Detective John Hartigan is a major protagonist in the Sin City series of graphic novels, written by Frank Miller. He is the central character in That Yellow Bastard, and has a small cameo in Just Another Saturday Night. Miller has announced he will be the main character of another story, set before That Yellow Bastard.

<i>Sin City: A Dame to Kill For</i> 2014 film directed by Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For is a 2014 American action crime anthology film and follow-up to the 2005 film Sin City. Directed by Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller, the script is written by Miller and is primarily based on the second book in the Sin City series by Miller, A Dame to Kill For.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nancy Callahan</span> Fictional character from Sin City

Nancy Callahan is a fictional character from the graphic novel series Sin City, created by Frank Miller, based on "Dirty" Harry Callahan by Harry Julian Fink and R. M. Fink. She first appeared in "The Hard Goodbye" before becoming a more prominent character in later stories, most notably That Yellow Bastard.

Marv (<i>Sin City</i>) Fictional character from Sin City

Marvin "Marv" is a fictional character in the graphic novel series Sin City, created by Frank Miller. In the 2005 film adaptation and its 2014 sequel, he is played by Mickey Rourke. He first appears in The Hard Goodbye and follows with appearances in A Dame to Kill For, Just Another Saturday Night, and Silent Night. He makes a brief cameo in Blue Eyes.

Miho (<i>Sin City</i>) Fictional character

Miho (ミホ) is a character in Frank Miller's Sin City graphic novel series. In the film adaptation of Sin City, she is portrayed by Devon Aoki. Jamie Chung replaces Aoki in the 2014 expansion, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For.

The Roark family is a fictional dynasty from Frank Miller's graphic novel series Sin City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ava Lord</span> Fictional character

Ava Lord is a fictional character in Frank Miller's Sin City universe, the title character in the graphic novel A Dame to Kill For. An ex-lover of Dwight McCarthy, she manipulates men with her good looks and an innocent facade for her own personal gain or amusement. An expert liar, she is considered a goddess by Manute, her towering manservant, and a "manipulative bitch" by Dwight. She represents the classic femme fatale, acting as a foil to Dwight's hard-boiled antihero.

The Girls of Old Town are fictional characters in Frank Miller's Sin City. Within the universe of Sin City, they are a group of self-governing prostitutes.

Kevin (<i>Sin City</i>) Fictional character

Kevin is a fictional character in Frank Miller's graphic novel series Sin City, featured prominently in The Hard Goodbye. He is a mute, cannibalistic serial killer who preys on the titular city's prostitutes, The Girls of Old Town. He is protected by the powerful Cardinal Patrick Henry Roark, who also acts as his accomplice. Kevin lives at the Roark family farm, and uses the basement as an execution chamber for his victims; after he kills and eats them, he stuffs and mounts their heads on the walls like hunting trophies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Schreck</span> American comic book writer and editor (born 1955)

Robert "Bob" Schreck is an American comic book writer and editor. Schreck is best known for his influential role as editor and marketing director at Dark Horse Comics in the 1990s, co-founding Oni Press, and for his subsequent stint as editor for DC Comics. He is currently the Deputy Director of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goldie and Wendy</span> Fictional character

Goldie and Wendy are fictional identical twins in the graphic novel series Sin City, created by Frank Miller. In the 2005 film adaptation, they are played by Jaime King. They are blond, dark-eyed femmes fatale.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Sims, Chris (May 26, 2011). "8 of the Best Noir Comics: Crime Does Pay". ComicsAlliance. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
  2. ↑ "Frank Miller Full Video" Archived 2019-11-16 at the Wayback Machine . Kubert School Media. YouTube. June 29, 2016. 36:36 mark.
  3. 1 2 Robinson, Tasha (December 5, 2001). "Frank Miller" Archived 2017-08-19 at the Wayback Machine . The A.V. Club .
  4. ↑ Fortune, Drew (August 25, 014). "Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller talk new and old Sin City" Archived 2016-12-24 at the Wayback Machine . The A.V. Club.
  5. ↑ Clayton, James (August 22, 2014). "Sin City and the eternal, seductive allure of film noir" Archived 2019-12-21 at the Wayback Machine . Den of Geek!
  6. ↑ "Booze, Broads and Bullets" Archived 2021-02-03 at the Wayback Machine . Google Books. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
  7. ↑ Howe, Sean (August 20, 2014). "After His Public Downfall, Sin City's Frank Miller Is Back (And Not Sorry)". Wired . Archived 2015-01-22 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ↑ Suderman, Peter (March 29, 2016). "Frank Miller gave us the best Batman — and the worst" Archived 2017-04-03 at the Wayback Machine . Vox.
  9. ↑ Arnott, Luke (Fall 2008). "BLAM! The Literal Architecture of Sin City". The International Journal of Comic Art. 10 (2): 380–401. Archived from the original on 2012-08-17. Retrieved 2012-12-10.
  10. ↑ Kit, Borys (April 28, 2022). "Frank Miller Launches Independent Publishing Company, New 'Sin City,' 'Ronin' Comics in the Works (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter . Los Angeles, CA: MRC Media & Info & Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on April 29, 2022. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Frank Miller's Sin City: The Hard Goodbye Curator's Collection". Artist's Edition Index. 2016-08-29. Archived from the original on 2020-01-30. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
  12. ↑ "How Frank Miller's Sin City Got the Deluxe Treatment". Print Magazine. 2017-12-04. Archived from the original on 2020-01-30. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
  13. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (2017-05-31). "Frank Miller's 'Sin City' TV Series Enlists Glen Mazzara, Len Wiseman & Stephen L'Heureux". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on 2018-04-02. Retrieved 2018-03-27.
  14. ↑ "'Sin City' TV Series in the Works with Glen Mazzara and Len Wiseman". Collider . 2017-05-31. Archived from the original on 2018-09-03. Retrieved 2018-03-27.
  15. ↑ "Legendary Close to Deal with Frank Miller for 'Sin City' TV Series". 15 November 2019. Archived from the original on 2020-08-02. Retrieved 2021-01-27.
  16. 1 2 3 "1993 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award Nominees and Winners". Hahnlibrary.net. Archived from the original on 2012-07-23. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
  17. ↑ ER. "International Miscellanea: 1993 UK Comic Art Awards," The Comics Journal #161 (August 1993), p. 40.
  18. ↑ MT. "Newswatch: 5th UK Comic Art Awards," The Comics Journal #168 (May 1994), p. 44.
  19. 1 2 "1995 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award Nominees and Winners". Hahnlibrary.net. Archived from the original on 2014-10-10. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
  20. ↑ "1996 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award Nominees and Winners". Hahnlibrary.net. Archived from the original on 2013-09-22. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
  21. ↑ "1995 1996 Comics Buyers Guide Fan Awards". Hahnlibrary.net. Archived from the original on 2018-03-01. Retrieved 2018-01-31.
  22. ↑ "1996 Harvey Award Nominees and Winners". Hahnlibrary.net. Archived from the original on 2012-02-20. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
  23. ↑ "1998 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award Nominees". Hahnlibrary.net. Archived from the original on 2015-09-05. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
  24. ↑ "1998 Harvey Award Nominees and Winners". Hahnlibrary.net. Archived from the original on 2014-04-28. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
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