Steve Rude, who is a genuinely acclaimed super hero artist (including being a father of hero "Nexus" a.k.a. Horatio Hellpop) provides the one line that the filmmakers indicate sums up his life and to which many of us in the documentary "Rude Dude," which tells the tale of the rocky road that Rude has traveled during his adult life, can relate. Rude comments near the end of the film that he is not living in the right world and that all but a select few of the individuals in this one understand him.
This sentiment is reminiscent of the classic line from the MTV animated comedy series "Daria" in which the titular high school outcast states "I'm too smart and too sensitive to live in the world the way that it is today." Moving closer to home, this sensibility comes through in a panel in which a despondent Nexus realizes that he is alone.
This upside to this sense of alienation (no pun intended) is that it helps create Nexus and other awesome super heroes. Two of numerous examples are that The Doctor and Superman are the sole survivors of their destroyed planets until the writers need another Kryptonian or Gallifreyan for dramatic effect.
The following clip, courtesy of YouTube, of a promo. for an animated Nexus series shows how Rude expertly combines old school scfi animation with a more modern style and humor.
Your chance to learn more about Rude and his art comes on October 7, 2014. This is the date that Garden Thieves Pictures makes the film available on DVD and VOD.
The following clip, courtesy of YouTube, of the "Rude" trailer provides a sense of how the film portrays the complex subject of this documentary.
The plethora of talking heads in the documentary includes Rude's wife, brother, and mother and his many collaborators and publishers. We also hear from comic art experts who discuss the talent/work of Rude and sympathize with his struggles.
Aside from being introduced to Nexus and learning of the challenges related to keeping him in the public eye, viewers are treated to spectacularly colorful and vivid art work that Rude has created of better-known superheroes. These spandex-clad champions of justice include Superman and Wonder Woman.
The story of Rude extends well beyond the impact of his comic art on his personal life and vice versa to include his efforts to establish a career as a painter. These well-drawn artworks range from tasteful bikini-clad models to a very Norman Rockwell style illustration of his rambunctious but charming children. On a related note, Rude shares how his daughter comes to be in the wake of a period in which he could not conceive (of course, pun intended) of having another child.
All of this boils down to the likable Rude being a good subject for a documentary based on achieving professional success while maintaining artistic integrity.
Anyone with questions or comments regarding "Rude" is welcome to either email me or connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.
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