Patrick Meaney

{{unreliable sources|date=June 2016}} {{Infobox person | name = Patrick Meaney | image = Patrick Meaney portrait at WikiPortraits Studio at Sundance 2025 06.jpg | caption = Meaney at Sundance Film Festival 2025 | birth_place = Port Chester, New York, United States | occupation = Film director, screenwriter, comic book writer, producer, editor }} '''Patrick Meaney''' is a film director, screenwriter, producer, comic book writer, and editor, best known for his work as a director of documentaries about the world of comics books, including ''Grant Morrison: Talking With Gods'', ''Warren Ellis: Captured Ghosts'', ''She Makes Comics'' and ''Neil Gaiman: Dream Dangerously''. He also directed the horror film ''House of Demons,'' and his most recent film is the musical romance ''The Brink Of''.

==Career==

===''Grant Morrison: Talking With Gods''=== In 2008, Meaney was approached by Sequart to turn a series of blog posts about Grant Morrison's comic book series ''The Invisibles'' into a book. In the process of working on the book, they decided to approach Morrison with the idea of creating a documentary about his life and work.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Baldino|first1=Greg|title=Talking With Patrick Meaney - Greg Baldino and the Grant Morrison Documentary Director - Part one|url=http://www.bleedingcool.com/2010/10/15/talking-with-patrick-meaney-greg-baldino-and-the-grant-morrison-documentary-director-part-one/?+Rumors%29|website=Bleeding Cool|date=15 October 2010 |accessdate=26 May 2016}}</ref> He agreed, and filming began in 2009.<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Thill|first1=Scott|title=Counterculture Comics Hero Grant Morrison Gets a Biopic|url=https://www.wired.com/2009/11/grant-morrison-biopic/|magazine=Wired|publisher=Conde Nast|accessdate=26 May 2016}}</ref> In 2010, the film was completed and picked up for distribution by Halo-8 Entertainment. The film received critical acclaim from outlets like ''Variety'',<ref>{{cite web|last1=Harvey|first1=Dennis|title=Review: 'Grant Morrison: Talking With Gods'|url=https://variety.com/2010/film/reviews/grant-morrison-talking-with-gods-1117943812/|website=Variety|date=11 October 2010 |publisher=Penske Business Media LLC|accessdate=26 May 2016}}</ref> Wired,<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Thill|first1=Scott|title=Review: Talking With Gods Bows Down to Comics Immortal Grant Morrison|url=https://www.wired.com/2010/11/grant-morrison-talking-with-gods-review/|magazine=Wired|publisher=Conde Nast|accessdate=26 May 2016}}</ref> and ''Attack of the Show''.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Gore|first1=Chris|title=Avatar, The Last Airbender, Grant Morrison DVD Review|url=http://www.g4tv.com/videos/49862/avatar-the-last-airbender-grant-morrison-dvd-review/|website=G4TV}}</ref>

===''Warren Ellis: Captured Ghosts''=== While completing filming on ''Grant Morrison: Talking With Gods'', Meaney and Sequart began work on their next project, a documentary profile of Warren Ellis. The film was shot between 2010 and 2011, shooting with Ellis in London and picking up interviews in New York, Los Angeles and San Diego.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Baker|first1=Bill|title=Comics: Director Patrick Meaney on Warren Ellis: Captured Ghosts|url=http://www.themortonreport.com/arts/comics-director-patrick-meaney-on-warren-ellis-captured-ghosts/|website=The Morton Report|accessdate=27 May 2016}}</ref> The film featured numerous experimental interludes, including a muppet version of Ellis.<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Thil|first1=Scott|title=Exclusive: Meet Warren Ellis, Profane Comics Muppet|url=https://www.wired.com/2011/07/warren-ellis-muppet/|magazine=Wired|publisher=Conde Nast|accessdate=27 May 2016}}</ref> Respect Films again partnered with Halo 8 to distribute and the film premiered at the Napa Valley Film Festival.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Turner|first1=Monica|title=Documentary about comic book legend to premiere at Napa Valley Film Festival|url=http://www.starkinsider.com/2011/08/comic-book-legend-documentary-to-premiere-at-napa-valley-film-festival.html|website=Stark Insider|date=9 August 2011 |accessdate=27 May 2016}}</ref>

===''The Image Revolution'', ''She Makes Comics'' and more===

From 2012 to 2015, Meaney worked on several additional documentary projects for Sequart. ''The Image Revolution'', which chronicles the tumultuous founding of iconic indie comics publisher Image Comics was acquired for distribution by Shout Factory in 2015, and released in January 2016.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Villordsutch|title=The Image Revolution picked up by Shout! Factory|url=http://www.flickeringmyth.com/2016/01/the-image-revolution-picked-up-by-shout-factory/|website=Flickering Myth|accessdate=27 May 2016}}</ref> The film was praised by outlets like Latino Review, who called it "one of the best documentaries of the year".<ref>{{cite web|last1=El Mayimbe|title=Exclusive Clip from HOT Documentary The Image Revolution|url=http://www.latino-review.com/news/2013/12/exclusive-clip-hot-documentary-image-revolution|website=Latino Review|accessdate=27 May 2016}}</ref> Concurrently, Meaney produced the documentary exploration of women in the comics industry, ''She Makes Comics'', with director Marisa Stotter. The film was selected by the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con Film Festival, where it won the Best Documentary Award.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Phillips|first1=Mike|title=She Makes Comics Wins Best Documentary Award at the Comic-Con International Independent Film Festival|url=http://sequart.org/magazine/59001/she-makes-comics-wins-best-documentary-comic-con-sdcc-film-festival/she-makes-comics-2015-cci-ff-award/|website=Sequart|accessdate=27 May 2016}}</ref> The film was acquired for distribution by XLRator Media and was released in summer 2016.<ref>{{cite web|last1=MacDonald|first1=Heidi|title=She Makes Comics to be distributed by XLRator|url=http://www.comicsbeat.com/she-makes-comics-to-be-distributed-by-xlrator/|website=The Beat|date=11 March 2016 |accessdate=27 May 2016}}</ref>

As a director, he created the short form documentary, ''Comics in Focus: Chris Claremont's X-Men'', which was expanded for feature release in 2018.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Martinez|first1=Phillip|title=EXCLUSIVE: First Look At Extended Chris Claremont's X-Men Documentary|url=http://www.player.one/chris-claremont-xmen-documentary-trailer-poster-preview-123393|website=Player.One|date=23 January 2018 |publisher=Newsweek|accessdate=28 January 2018}}</ref>

Meaney also contributed a short story, "The Green" to the Occupy Comics anthology, and reunited with editor Matt Pizzolo and Black Mask Studios for the four issue comic book miniseries ''Last Born'', with artist Eric Zawadzki.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Truitt|first1=Brian|title='Last Born' a whole new world of character drama|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2014/05/18/last-born-comic-book-series-exclusive/9248839/|website=USA Today|publisher=Gannet|accessdate=27 May 2016}}</ref>

===''Neil Gaiman: Dream Dangerously''=== In 2016, Meaney completed a long in the works documentary on iconic fantasy author Neil Gaiman. The film chronicles Neil on his final signing tour, and explores Gaiman's passion for writing, as well as the challenges of balancing embracing the opportunities available to him as a successful writer and creating the stories that fans love.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Kopian|first1=Steve|title=Speaking Dangerously: Patrick Meaney on his career and Dream Dangerously, his masterpiece on Neil Gaiman|url=http://unseenfilms.blogspot.com/2016/05/speaking-dangerously-patrick-meaney-on.html|website=Unseen Films|accessdate=27 May 2016}}</ref> The film was released in July 2016 by Vimeo on Demand.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Busch|first1=Anita|title='Neil Gaiman: Dream Dangerously': Exclusive First Look|url=https://deadline.com/2016/05/neil-gaiman-dream-dangerously-documentary-first-look-1201762438/|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=26 May 2016 |accessdate=27 May 2016}}</ref>

===''House of Demons''=== In 2018, Meaney released his first narrative film, House of Demons. The film follow fours estranged friends who spend a weekend in a remote cabin that used to be home to a Manson Family like cult. The film features numerous popular personalities from the geek world, and was acquired for distribution by Sony Home Entertainment/Smith Global Media.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Barkan|first1=Jonathan|title=NEWSExclusive: Sony Enters a House of Demons; Release Date, Box Art, and Trailer Inside|url=https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/261680/exclusive-sony-enters-house-demons-release-date-trailer-inside/|website=Dread Central|date=18 December 2017 |accessdate=28 January 2018}}</ref>

In 2021, Meaney released Syphon, a comic book mini-series for Image Comics, co-written with Mohsen Ashraf.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Johnston |first1=Rich |title=Patrick Meaney, Jeff Edwards, Mohsen Ashraf's Syphon at Image Comics |url=https://bleedingcool.com/comics/patrick-meaney-jeff-edwards-mohsen-ashrafs-syphon-at-image-comics/ |website=Bleeding Cool |date=12 April 2021 |access-date=15 April 2021}}</ref> The series received positive reviews,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Syphon #1 Reviews |url=https://comicbookroundup.com/comic-books/reviews/image-comics/syphon-(2021)/1 |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=ComicBookRoundup.com |language=en-US}}</ref> and won the Ringo Award for fan-favorite hero.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2022 Ringo Awards – Ringo Awards |url=https://ringoawards.com/2022-ringo-awards/ |access-date=2024-06-13 |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2024, his film ''The Brink Of'' was released.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Legacy |first=Spencer |date=2024-03-15 |title=Exclusive The Brink Of Trailer & Poster Preview the Romantic Music Movie |url=https://www.comingsoon.net/?p=1604007 |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More |language=en-US}}</ref> This music romance featured seven original songs,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gates |first=Taylor |date=2024-04-17 |title=REVIEW: The Brink Of |url=https://fanversation.com/2024/04/16/review-the-brink-of/ |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=FANVERSATION |language=en-US}}</ref> and received a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Brink Of {{!}} Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_brink_of |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=www.rottentomatoes.com |language=en}}</ref>

==Works== ;Documentaries: *''Grant Morrison: Talking With Gods'' - Director/Producer/Editor (2010) *''Warren Ellis: Captured Ghosts'' - Director/Producer/Editor (2012) *''The Image Revolution'' - Director/Producer/Editor (2014) *''She Makes Comics''- Producer/Co-Editor (2014) *''Comics in Focus: Chris Claremont's X-Men'' - Director/Producer/Editor (2014) *''Neil Gaiman: Dream Dangerously'' - Director/Producer/Editor (2016) *''Chris Claremont's X-Men'' - Director/Producer/Editor (2018)

;Narrative Film: *''House of Demons'' - Writer/Director/Producer/Editor (2018) *''The Brink Of'' - Writer/Director/producer/Editor (2024)

;Comics *''Last Born'' - Writer (2014) *''Syphon'' - Co-Writer (2021)

;Non-Fiction: *''Our Sentence is Up: Seeing The Invisibles'' - Writer (2010)

==References== {{reflist}}

==Further reading== * {{cite journal |last=Hamblin |first=Sarah |date=Fall 2012 |title=Review: Canonizing the Superhero: Patrick Meaney's ''Our Sentence is Up: Seeing Grant Morrison's The Invisibles'' |jstor=23416370 |journal=Studies in Popular Culture |volume=35 |issue=1 |publisher=Popular Culture Association in the South |pages=139–142}}

==External links== * {{official website|http://www.patrickmeaney.com}} * {{IMDb name|id=2732479}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Meaney, Patrick}} Category:People from Westchester County, New York Category:Wesleyan University alumni Category:People from Mamaroneck, New York Category:Living people Category:American comics writers Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Film directors from New York (state)