The first time I attended San Diego Comic-Con in 1994, the first comic book professional I met there was Dave Stevens, who was already a big hero to me for his work on THE ROCKETEER comic books. It was the beginning of a good friendship, but sadly one that didn’t last as long as I would have liked… Dave passed away in 2008 as the result of Hairy Cell Leukemia, taken from us all far too soon. In the years that followed I had the good fortune to become friends with his sister Jennifer Stevens Bawcum, and other industry pros who shared a love and respect for his work and unique personality. At this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, director Kelvin Mao premiered a special documentary called DAVE STEVENS: DRAWN TO PERFECTION, featuring rare footage of Dave at work, imagery of his stunning artwork, and exclusive interviews with some of his fellow comic book and film industry luminaries. Until now, the only way to have seen this doc was to attend the screening at SDCC 2022. But the fine folks at Samuel Goldwyn Films have obtained the rights to it, and will be releasing it on demand starting December 2nd, though if you’re a physical media junkie like myself, a special Blu-ray release is now being offered by way of a Kickstarter program, and it promises to be worth the investment. Check out the trailer below.
In addition to the Blu-ray, the Kickstarter campaign is also offering some exciting tiers that feature items like an exclusive t-shirt, ballcap, full-size 27×40 movie poster, and (perhaps the most exciting item) a one-shot comic book illustrated by superstar comic artist (and friend of Dave’s) Adam Hughes featuring colors by the wonderful Laura Martin… oh, and stickers! This is the perfect gift idea for any Dave Stevens fan, and it’s hitting ever-so-appropriately on the 40th Anniversary of THE ROCKETEER. Check out the campaign description below.
Dave Stevens: Drawn to Perfection is an authorized feature-length documentary that paints a portrait of a truly unique artist as told through the lens of his close friends, collaborators, fans, and family along with archival footage, audio, photos, and lots and lots of amazing Dave Stevens artwork.
In 1982, Dave’s iconic character The Rocketeer soared into the hearts of comics fans everywhere, and it was important to us from the start to complete the film in 2022 to celebrate the 40th anniversary.
Over the last two years, we have conducted 35 interviews, shot over 80 hours of footage, scanned thousands of photos and artworks to create a 99 minute film which will be released by Samuel Goldwyn Films for download and rental on Dec 2.
Now through the magic of Kickstarter, we are asking for YOUR help to do a physical release of the film on Blu-Ray.
Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff. 
