Posted in: Comics | Tagged: alex cox, avatar, Comics, frank miller, robocop

Frank Miller Vs Alex Cox On OWS… And Robocop

Published Sat, 19 Nov 2011 10:00:01 -0600

Last week, when the Frank Miller blog exploded across all known media (to the extent that he won't answer questions about it right now), film director and writer Alex Cox recalled in comments to a Guardian piece picking and choosing from Miller's past work to back up his curent stance;

"Miller was ever thus. I was asked to direct his script for ROBOCOP 2, and turned it down. Unlike the original ROBOCOP, which trod a path between right wing politics and left wing irony, Miller's script was reactionary and obnoxious, pitting its robot police hero against homeless people. No wonder he is so popular with the Hollywood one percenters."

Now, Miller's script for Robocop 2 would get stripped for parts, some of it ending up in Robocop 2, some in Robocop 3, most of it dropped somewhere in between. But a few years ago, Avatar Press published a comic book version of the Frank Miller screenplay, adapted by Steven Grant and Juan Jose Ryp, with covers by Frank. A work that the Guardian chose not to feature… possibly because it might interfere with the narrative.

And indeed, as Cox recalls, Robocop is pitted against homeless people, on the orders of OCP. But then rebels against them, as his programming conflicts with the orders – scenes that would then be reflected in the threequel, Robocop 3. Certainly the Frank Miller screenplay, as relected in the comic, defintely continues the right wing/left wing straddle that Alex Cox talks about.

And as these panels show, we see a Robocop rebelling against his orders to clear a building of homeless squatters…

…, and attacking those who are, legally, doing so, on behalf of OCP.

…rather violently at that..

…with OCP making plans to deal with the situation. And replace him.

Based on this comic, and this Frank Miller screenplay, it's clear where Robocop would be standing on the OWS protests… Frank Miller VS Frank Miller at all?

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