Canadian Distributor: Worldwide Distributor:
Avi Federgreen Garden Thieves Pictures Indiecan Entertainment [email protected] [email protected] www.gardenthieves.com 1-416-898-3456 1-202-253-4949
SYNOPSIS:
Rude Dude tells the candid story of iconic comic book artist Steve “The Dude” Rude, an impulsive and compulsive artist, who puts everything—fame, fortune, family and friends—on the line for his art. For nearly three decades, Rude worked in the comic book field, earning critical acclaim and winning every major comic book industry award. At the surface, Rude seems unstoppable.
This film chips away at Rude’s exterior and tells the story of a man who, at age 53, walks away from the career that made him a comic book artist celebrity to live a quieter life as a fine art painter. His battle with bipolar disorder prompts Rude to make this decision at the height of his career.
Throughout the film Steve’s family, friends, colleagues, students and fans speak about Rude’s legendary artistic talent and the important impact he made in comics. Rude is recognized as the quintessential “artists’ artist,” influencing countless artists in the comic book field. We see Rude as a mentor who teaches his students how to become better artists and to pursue their dreams.
Nevertheless, a very different picture of Rude is painted on the home front. Rude cannot take care of himself because of his illness. His wife, Jaynelle, works three jobs and takes care of Rude and their two children. The family is constantly living on-edge as they face financial difficulties and the unpredictable mood swings, which often are manifest with holes punched into the drywall throughout the house.
By the end of the film, Steve’s fine art begins to gain some traction as art galleries begin to accept some of his art and he begins to develop a new fan following. While the film may end, Rude’s story is far from over.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT: I went to Columbia University and graduated from the Film Division with an MFA in directing. I have directed numerous shorts and music videos, but this documentary RUDE DUDE is my first feature. I currently teach filmmaking in New York City. I decided to make this film because I have been a fan of Steve Rude for over twenty years, and when I was a teenager, I named my dog Horatio after the main character in Steve’s comic Nexus. The most important tonal decision I am making has to do with the Target Audience. This film will be accessible to non-comic book fans and will focus on the man, Steve, (who is an incredibly talented artist and who once upon a time worked in comics) versus the great comic book artist Steve “The Dude” Rude which will only interest his core fan base. Most documentaries about comic book artists are too focused on their core audience that they are impenetrable to non-fans. This film is for people who may have never read a comic book but who feel an emotional connection to a person giving their all to be great at something - and it is dedicated to the many, many talented people who struggle to find personal and professional success while grappling with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and other forms of debilitating mental illness.
Visual Style: Rude Dude continues a style I started exploring with my short film “Magritte Moment. “ In that film, I played with Color, black and white, and transitions to create a subjective visual style. Steve and his art are the only thing in color. All the interviews are in Black and white (except for Steve’s). This will visually show the contrast between Steve the brilliant artist and Steve the flawed human being. I also play with color by subtly de-saturating the color when Steve talks about his depression or expresses his frustration over his life. Steve’s artwork is multi-planed.
The film uses multiple formats. The primary format is High Definition, but the archival material is Standard Definition and Super 8. There is even some animation in the film from a Nexus animated pitch Steve put together over two years.
Tone: The story is totally objective. No narration. A fly on the wall/observational bio documentary. I show the Great aspects of Steve and the Worst aspects and let the audiences make up their own minds about how they should feel about him.
Steve “The Dude” Rude
Born in Madison, Wisconsin, Steve Rude’s career began in 1981 with his and co-creator Mike Baron’s groundbreaking “Nexus” comic series. This space saga catapulted Rude into the field of comics, where he became highly sought after by major publishers. During his first few years in the industry, Rude’s efforts led to numerous awards, such as the 1984 Russ Manning Newcomer Award, the Kirby Award for best artist in 1986, and numerous Eisner’s for artistic achievement. For over two decades, Rude has drawn hundreds of comic’s greatest iconic heroes, and has galvanized the art world as a comic magazine artist and illustrator.
Steve considers himself an art student. The desire to better his craft with each new project shows an expressive and caring approach. He holds deep appreciation for the illustrators who have come before. By studying the works of such masters as Andrew Loomis, John Gannam, Harry Anderson, Jack Kirby, and Russ Manning, Rude continues to perfect his talent. The result is an artist with the discipline and training of the grand illustrators from the 1930s to 1950s. Rude applies this knowledge to his true passion of modern comic books. Currently, Rude’s focus is on fine art paintings.
Producer/Director/Editor Ian Fischer
Ian Fischer is an award winning film director, producer, screenwriter and instructor. His multi award winning short films "Magritte Moment" and "Foet(Dir.Cut) have played in over one hundred film festivals around the world. He is currently in post production on a feature documentary called Superhero Nation, which is about Superheroes and why they are so popular in America.
Fischer earned his MFA in Film Directing from Columbia University and a BA from Tufts University. Fischer currently resides in New York City.
Rude Dude is Fischer’s first feature film.
Composer/Sound Designer Ross Williams An Australian born sound designer and composer, Ross Williams completed his Masters and Doctorate in Musical Arts at Rice University in Houston, Texas. Ross has composed and sound designed for theatre, multimedia and award winning independent feature and short films.
Cast:
Steve Rude Linda Reinhold David Breckman Mike Baron Mike Richardson Jaynelle Rude Alex Ross Joe Casey Brandon Rude Dave Gibbons Alex Wald Jessica Rude Neal Adams Josh Olson Dorothy Rude Adam Hughes Gary Martin Tom Rude Paul Gulacy Michael J. Marten David Phillips Paul Pope Milton Griepp Todd Borenstein Brian Stelfreeze John Davis Eric Nesheim Mike Allred Glenn Greenberg Kent Steine Bill Reinhold Richard Bruning Andrew Turk
Production Credits:
Presented by: Fischtick Productions LLC
Producer/Director/Editor: Ian Fischer
Composer/Sound Designer: Ross Williams
Cinematography: Frank Ramos