A place for those who "Trust the Fungus"

Bob Hoskins has been in 'loose' adaptations before "Super Mario Bros." Take for instance the 1981 pulp crime novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit? by Gary Wolf.



It was adapted seven years later as "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," which starred Bob Hoskins, who would later go on to play Mario Mario in the greatest movie ever made. But the book is extremely different from the movie Disney made.

The first part of the book has the character of Roger Rabbit, a reclusive funny papers character hiding in solitude, asking a Private Investigator (Eddie Valiant) to find the men who want to kill him. He (the Rabbit) is soon gunned down and murdered, and his last words are in a speech bubble above his head, but they've been redacted, or "censored."

It's up to Valiant to find out who censored Roger Rabbit in a story of murder and sex. Not exactly Disney material-- the movie's first draft was titled "Who Shot Roger Rabbit?" But as things progressed, they changed the funny papers characters to actual animated cartoons and removed the idea of whenever a Toon speaks a word bubble appears above their head with the text of their speech in it. The book is extremely gritty and dark, bleak and depressing as opposed to the cheery nature of the movie that's based upon it.

Personally, I think this book has a lot of artistic merit and would work well as a crime drama along the lines of "The Sopranos" or "Dexter." Something they'd show late at night on HBO. Has anyone read this forgotten masterpiece?

Funny you should mention, I actually it on my e-book. I would've gotten a physical copy but it's v ery rare to find. I actually really love this book. I love the mystery and I love how it's actually pretty complicated, I like how Eddie is pretty much the only sane man in the novel and I love the satirical yet still silly metaphors he makes!

I found the ending to be a little sad even though this is a pretty bizarre book with pretty bizarre characters.

I'm a huge fan of the film and find it fascinating how the central premise of the novel changed to dramatically in the adaptation. It's similar to how the Men in Black went from an organization that polices and exterminates paranormal and supernatural threats of any kind to focusing solely on aliens in the film series.

I've read that Gary Wolf liked the movie so much that when he wrote the sequel to the novel he opted to continue the film's version of events.

Redstar wrote:I've read that Gary Wolf liked the movie so much that when he wrote the sequel to the novel he opted to continue the film's version of events.

Sort of. The sequel "Who P-P-P-Plugged Roger Rabbit?" pretty much ignores the events of the novel, except that it mentions the events of "Who Censored Roger Rabbit" were a dream that Jessica Rabbit had and the sequel follows more of the movie's universe. So yeah, it is and it isn't a sequel, more of a "quasi-sequel" in the way "eXisTenZ" was a sequel to "Videodrome."

You know it's a real shame Gary Wolf decided to follow the movie timeline. Don't get me wrong, I love the film but the original Novel, while outlandish had its own unique charm about it and deserves a better and larger fanbase than it already has!

I downloaded a sample to my Kindle of the book. I like it. I'll have to nab the book later when I have the funds.

Interestingly enough, the first few of the more than forty drafts of the film adaptation of Gary Wolf's novel were significantly darker in tone, more like the book. In fact, at that point in time, the studio hired award winning musician Sting to write a song for the movie's then-tragic finale.

It was called "The Lazarus Heart," and in the end, they made a totally different movie and Sting wound up releasing the song he'd recorded years before for the movie in an album called "Nothing Like the Sun."

I'm so glad you made a topic for this! I read this book quite a long time ago when I was in middle school, I think. Our local library actually had it and I was extremely intrigued at the drastic departure from what ended up on film. I think it was probably one of the first things that made me appreciate the principals of adaptation and that different interpretations of things can be rewarding and fun. It definitely ties into my appreciation of the Super Mario Bros. movie.

I actually bought the sequel a few years ago, it's also signed by Gary Wolf. It does kind of retcon the events of the original like you guys mentioned before, but I do remember that it's still much more hard-edged than the film.

Phlibbit wrote:I actually bought the sequel a few years ago, it's also signed by Gary Wolf. It does kind of retcon the events of the original like you guys mentioned before, but I do remember that it's still much more hard-edged than the film.

I think Gary Wolf kind of pulled a Chuck Palahniuk, in that when he saw the film adaptation of his most famous book he felt that the book was inadequate compared to the movie, as Palahniuk felt after seeing David Fincher's "Fight Club."

I just finished the book a few days ago, and I need to say a few things...

First of all, this is one of the best novels I've ever read. Gary Wolf crafts a world that is both bizarre and believable. The characters are extremely vivid and the writing really reflects the era it was written during (the early 1980s).

I'm not going to waste time comparing it to its film counterpart, as there's little to compare on the surface (though I did find several things that were slipped into the film in minor details).

The book is incredibly depressing, and I needed a whisky and a cigarette after reading it, but that's a good thing-- it's rare that a book can move my emotions on a level like that.

The climax and "twist" seem a little rushed and abrupt, but the ending is fantastic.

This is the satirical literary equivalent to Chinatown, and it's a shame that Gary Wolf never made an sequel along the lines of The Two Jakes. He opted instead to go the children's book route, but that's okay.

If you haven't read it, read it.

I'm not sure I'd call it the best novel ever, more along the lines of best noir novel but that's just me. I personally thought the twist at the end was a little left field. I mean there was some foreshadowing but I never suspected that it was a genie, I mean seriously? a genie give me a break. Though I did rather like the ending and for some reason didn't find it that depressing, maybe it's because it involved the death of a cartoon rabbit but I never felt sad.

Besides, Roger wasn't exactly a good guy and whether or not he deserved his fate is at least debatable. Then again, lots of the characters here make this Roger look like a saint so there ya go.

In the end though I still stand by my opinion that Who Censored Roger Rabbit is in fact, a great book and deserves to be looked at more.

1upmushroom wrote:Besides, Roger wasn't exactly a good guy and whether or not he deserved his fate is at least debatable.

Roger is definitely not a good guy in the book, in fact, judging by the ending, I'd say he's the book's main antagonist.

Yeah, which is why I didn't feel sorry for him when he died. In fact, the only real character I sort of liked in this whole story was Eddie Valiant and he wasn't that great of a guy either.

1upmushroom wrote:Yeah, which is why I didn't feel sorry for him when he died. In fact, the only real character I sort of liked in this whole story was Eddie Valiant and he wasn't that great of a guy either.

Eddie Valiant in the book, was, for lack of a better description, a total bastard in the book. He's a nihilistic alcoholic who smokes constantly and comes close to having sex with Jessica Rabbit-- a toon, mind you, several times in the story.

Hey, he's a man after my own heart and was definitely my favorite character. I think he was an anti-hero, as opposed to Roger, who was an anti-villain.

This seems like the most appropriate place to discuss the film adaptation and news of the sequel, so rather than creating a new topic I'll make it official. Hope you don't mind, Serum!

Robert Zemeckis has said in a recent interview with MTV that plans for the sequel are moving forward with a script completed and ready for Disney's review/approval. The Toons will also be created through traditional 2-D animation rather than CG or motion capture!

It would be done just like the first one. It would look the same way, but we would present it in 3-D in its release. I would do all of the animation hand-drawn; 2-D, but using 3-D tools. It wouldn't be like Pixar 3-D. It wouldn't look like that… this would again be another period movie.

You know what's sad though? Bob Hoskins in an early interview said that he'd reprise his role in a sort of "eh, why not?" Atittude. Now however doesn't seem to be an option for that.

If Michael J Fox can fight it, so can Bob. Or maybe they could do a scene where Bob's character is locked in an insane asylum because of the toons, Roger Rabbit just drove him bonkers.

It will be interesting to see what direction this film goes if and when they decide to go through with it.

And although Hoskins is supposed to be retired, I have a feeling he'd do whatever he could if the price was right and if someone like Zemeckis asked nicely. Then again, it all depends on how severe his condition is as well.

Personally, this universe feels like one that doesn't necessarily need the Valiant character to have a story to tell. I don't feel that Hoskins is absolutely inherent to a sequel or new story as much as, say, Murray would be for a Ghostbusters sequel. If the talent is right and the animation up-to-par I believe this could become a new classic.

I know the sequel doesn't really need Bob Hoskins to reprise his role let alone Eddie Valiant at all, but to see Bob Hoskins eager to go back to Toon Town again and then to have that possibility taken away so quickly is a bit disappointing. Though who knows? Maybe Bob will return in the sequel, only time will tell.

Here's hoping the sequel gives us a much broader look at Toontown and shows us what-all has happened in the years since. Maybe Eddie became its mayor...

I do know that the place has a lot of unexplored territory. About the only thing I can think of is Chinatown = the anime district. MIyazaki only in this case--Disney, remember?

Gary Wolf has announced through an interview with Wicked Local that he is working on a third "Roger Rabbit" novel, tentatively titled "Who Wacked Roger Rabbit?"

Q: Had you always planned on doing a third Roger Rabbit book, and is there anything you can tell us about it?

A: My fans have been asking me to do a third Roger Rabbit novel for years, ever since the early ‘90s when the second Roger Rabbit novel, “Who P-p-p-plugged Roger Rabbit?” came out. I finally decided it’s time.

So, here you go, p-p-p-p-people! It’s my much-anticipated, long-awaited third Roger Rabbit novel —“Who Wacked Roger Rabbit?”

My first two Roger Rabbit novels, “Who Censored Roger Rabbit?” and “Who P-p-p-p-plugged Roger Rabbit?” introduced and developed the unique concept of “Toons” co-existing with humans. In “Who Wacked Roger Rabbit?” Eddie Valiant, his fuzzy sidekick Roger Rabbit, Baby Herman, and Roger’s va-va-voom mate, Jessica, continue their madcap Toonian adventures.

Redstar wrote:Gary Wolf has announced through an interview with Wicked Local that he is working on a third "Roger Rabbit" novel, tentatively titled "Who Wacked Roger Rabbit?"

I'd heard Wolf had planned two novels regarding Roger Rabbit awhile back, one entitled "Who Jumped Roger Rabbit" and the other called "Who Tells Roger Rabbit," but I hope that he would continue the story of Eddie Valiant from the original novel's continuity, although it doesn't look like he's going that route...

Gary Wolf has stated on this blog that a Roger Rabbit/Mickey Mouse crossover film entitled "The Stooge" is currently being developed for pitch to Disney.

This movie, which will be all animated, has nothing to do with the sequel to Who Framed Roger Rabbit. They are totally different concepts and projects. It’s not a case of making one instead of the other. In an ideal, rabbit-centric world, Disney will make both.

The Stooge development producer Erik von Wodtke came up with the story and wrote the treatment. He showed it to me hoping that I would see how special it was and would be interested in coming in on the project. With that, he did succeed. I love the idea of a Mickey Mouse and Roger Rabbit musical buddy comedy. This is a co-star pairing made in cartoon heaven. Two iconic cartoon characters playing off one another in a story that has the heart and emotional soul of films like Wall-E and Toy Story. What Disney fan wouldn’t want to see that?