The Doomed Journal

In December 1992-January 1993, Roger Corman produced the first ever live-action film version of Marvel's comic book, The Fantastic Four. Mark Sikes worked on that original film. Marvel bought the film up from Corman and co-producer, New Constantin Films. It has never been released anywhere in the world. Twenty years later Sikes and film director Marty Langford produced a feature-length documentary about the film. This journal is a day by day diary of the making of the documentary from conception to fund-raising and production as well as distribution and the eventual exhibition at San Diego Comicon. In addition to the diary is a full telling of the many roles Sikes played in the original production like casting assistant, projectionist, and even a night on screen inside The Thing costume for pick-ups! Anyone interested in how to make a documentary will enjoy this book. It will appeal to comic book fans and filmmaking buffs alike. No one should try to make a documentary without first reading this book. Why did Marvel refuse to let anyone see this film? How did Sikes and Langford complete principal photography without spending a dime of their own money? Why did Corman sell the film back to Marvel instead of releasing it? Where is the negative of the original film? When did the cast and crew learn that the film they had all worked so hard on was never going to see the light of day? And why did Academy Award-winning producer Roger Corman walk out of the screening of the documentary when it had its world premiere in Santa Monica, California? These questions and many more will be answered in...The Doomed Journal!