NIMONA - Serio Comics 14
NIMONA written, drawn, and originally self-published by ND Stevenson, then published by Quill Tree Books and HarperCollins
Yesterday I referenced the Oscar-nominated animated feature film adaptation NIMONA, which was based on
’s self-published webcomic before it was subsequently traditionally published as a graphic novel by HarperCollins.So I went back and re-read Stevenson’s NIMONA and then watched the Netflix film.
The fantastical story is about a shapeshifter (who foists herself as a funloving villainous sidekick on a disgraced but ethical knight) but it’s still both surprising and not surprising how much the project has shapeshifted over the years.
Not just in terms of the medium of publication.
From a high school idea of Stevenson’s repurposed while attending the Maryland Institute College of Art into a thesis there.
While also publishing it serially as a webcomic from 2012 through 2014 initially on Tumblr.
To an agent finding it and reaching out to Stevenson to sell the project to HarperCollins who published it in print form in 2015.
It was then such a bestseller and critical success it was translated into at least 16 other languages and adapted into an audiobook, which is rare for comics as you can imagine.
From there 20th Century Animation Fox bought the rights for a film adaptation.
But production was stopped after the studio was bought by The Walt Disney Company.
The film was said to be 70% finished and some of the filmmakers believed its subtle LGBTQ story and themes were the reason Disney, after issues in Florida, canceled it.
It was revived then by Annapurna Pictures who brought in DNEG Animation as a partner.
Finally, in June of 2023, Netflix distributed the finished film to much critical acclaim (93% on Rotten Tomatoes) and it’s now nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature which will be announced in two weeks on Sunday, March 10th.
Adaptation as Shapeshifting
I thought for this enthusiasm it might be fun to enthuse about the shapeshifting I noticed in the adaptation from book to film.
Because that’s also one of the goals of the SHOULD WE BUY A GUN? project.
Beyond finding a traditional publisher is to adapt it into a film.
Intro and Opening
One of the first major differences is the framing of the opening of the story and the introduction to the main characters.
In the book, Ballister is already considered a villain by himself and the kingdom when Nimona approaches him to become his sidekick.
In the film, however, he’s introduced as knight-to-be that’s a potential hero, so much so, that his name was even changed by the filmmakers from Ballister Blackheart to Ballister Boldheart.
The origin of his downfall is also reimagined.
Instead of not being accepted as a knight because he lost an arm when he won a battle against his best friend Ambrosius Goldenloin who responded accidentally or perhaps cruelly by shooting Ballister’s arm off.
In the film’s inciting incident it’s Ballister whose weapon goes off and kills the queen who is set to appoint him the first commoner to become a knight.
This framing plays with fans of the book’s understanding of the original but surprises them as a film audience so that they are not just viewing a shot-by-shot remake.
Queering not just subtextually
One of the other major changes in the film from the book is the markedly more textual queering of the relationship between Ballister and Ambrosius.
In the book, there’s a homoerotic undertone to their friendship and rivalry.
Which were likely a part of Stevenson’s celebration as a generational talent in comics.
But in the film Ballister and Ambrosius are much more pointedly a one-time couple.
This outspoken queering is interesting in terms of semiautobiographicalization as well, because ND Stevenson first wrote the webcomic and graphic novel as Noelle, before transitioning to ND Stevenson, and he now also goes by Nate.
What was left only hinted at in the 2010s is highlighted with a moment in the 2020s film that’s been focused on by critics and fans alike as a first in animated film for kids.
Nimona’s Shadow Work
Some of the other shapeshifting in the content are deeper explorations and changes to Nimona’s characterization as well as the resolution of her story.
The theme in both might be how the marginalized are shadowed by society and self as monsters.
And either harmfully internalize and externalize it or process and alchemize it for benefit.
But while the book ends with its title character suffering much more in her shadow.
The film instead gives Nimona more agency and a much lighter and heroic arc.
As you can see it also has some very fun meta-jokes about rewriting a book into a film adaptation woven into the dialogue ;)
The Character I Missed The Most Though
There was a minor character that I missed from the book that wasn’t in the movie.
Their idiosyncratic invention is not employed in the film’s plot, so their character was likely unnecessary.
But I strongly identified with their passionate and near-mad pioneer characterization.
And yet even as I sit here at 10:31 PM on a full moon Friday night huckstering you all a little bit again with my life’s work.
I do very much enjoy what I am doing and believe in what I am offering.
Nimona 2012?-2023, Should We Buy a Gun? 2013-2024?
If you’ve done the math it took at least 11 years for NIMONA to become a film.
Perhaps longer, because if you count the fact that Stevenson first started to develop the idea in high school, which would be at least 2009, it would be more like 14 years.
Some people have asked why SWBAG? has taken 10 years to make.
Sometimes it takes 10 years for something to shapeshift into something worthwhile.
And even if it might take more time to traditionally publish.
And even more time to adapt it into a film.
With unknown shapeshifting to come.
As for the now legendary NIMONA written, drawn, and originally self-published by ND Stevenson, then published by HarperCollins.
It’s available at Goodreads, indie retailers at Bookshop.org, from the Publisher, at Skylight here in LA, and from Amazon. And the film is streaming on Netflix.
Best of luck to it and the other animated films up for the Oscar!
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