Deadpool has finally hit cinemas, towing a trailer load of action, anticipation and arsing around in its wake. What started as a Twitter campaign by star Ryan Reynolds soon mushroomed into a multi-milion dollar movie, buoyed by an offbeat marketing campaign. Is it a comedy? Is it a drama? Is it a chunk of change guaranteed in the bank for the studio? The multi-platform giant is certainly hoping for a "yes" to that last one. From posing seductively on a fireside rug to getting cheeky on the side of a bus with a kids' backpack, Reynolds has delighted in presenting this anti-hero as game for a giggle. Marry that to the extreme violence in the film and you have a strange brew indeed. The main selling point though seems to be the idea that Deadpool is a self-aware character, that he comments sarcastically on everything that happens around him. While the superhero cash cow dangles its udder over an expectant fanbase, a raft of publicity appearances depict everyone as being very pleased with their post-modern twist. Well I hate to break it to you guys, but what you're doing has been done before. Many times. So take off the gimp mask, stop your fooling, and pay attention to these key examples of figures not adversed to addressing an awestruck audience.
I am a journalist and comedian who enjoys American movies of the 70s, Amicus horror compendiums, Doctor Who, Twin Peaks, Naomi Watts and sitting down. My short fiction has been published as part of the Iris Wildthyme range from Obverse Books.
