Veteran actor John Cusack has revealed why he’s moved away from moviemaking to another form of entertainment.
Cusack, 60, is known best for his roles in movies like 1986’s “Stand by Me,” 1997’s “Grosse Pointe Blank” and “Con Air,” 2000’s “High Fidelity,” 2001’s “Serendipity,” 2007’s “1408,” and 2009’s “2012.”
However, he has (for the time being, at least) moved away from Hollywood. Having written it, he now wants to focus on promoting his first graphic novel, “Momo.”
The star explained his reasons for doing so in a recent chat with Variety at 2026’s San Diego Comic-Con.
John Cusack Enjoys the Artistic Freedom of Writing a Graphic Novel
GettyIn his chat with Variety, John Cusack explained that he enjoyed the relative artistic freedom that writing a graphic novel gives him compared to when he’s acting in movies.
The actor told the publication, “Well, I always thought they were the closest things to film, really. You know, they’re shot… you’re picking out shots and they’re so cinematic, so, um, I thought… I wanted to tell a story, but I didn’t want to negotiate telling a story, really.”
Cusack added, “And when you ask somebody to put, like, $20 or $30 million into a bank account [for a movie], they want to have an opinion, you know, and they’re afraid and all that stuff.”
He concluded, “This was just like, I wrote it, and I said, ‘I like the story,’ and then I got this beautiful, wonderful artist, Ignacio Noé, to do the illustrations. And so nobody edited anything I wrote or that he drew. And, um, so it’s really, um, a piece of work that was just done by two people [who] did a great job putting it out. But it was just me and Ignacio’s story and that doesn’t happen today, so it’s kind of an anti-algorithm thing. Like there’s no… there’s no committee and there’s no, um, there’s no computer up in Seattle that’s poll-testing it.”
It’s a fair take. There’s no doubt moviemaking involves a lot of outside input and interference. It must, therefore, be extremely creatively liberating to move away from that and do everything your own way.
As for “Momo,” there’s no doubt it sounds very exciting.
‘Momo’ Is a Pulp Sci-fi Book Filled With Mystery & Humor
GettyJohn Cusack’s debut graphic novel “Momo” certainly sounds like an intriguing read.
According to its Amazon listing, the plot of the book is this: “Two fugitives form an uneasy alliance on a mission tied to none other than Jackie Gleason—yes, that Jackie Gleason—and quickly find themselves in way over their heads.”
It goes on, “What follows is a surreal collision of pulp sci-fi, occult mystery, and dark humor, packed with bizarre encounters, buried secrets, and forces far beyond their control. As reality starts to crack and loyalties fray, one thing becomes clear: this trip could save the world… or end it in spectacular fashion.”
It’s available to order now, but won’t be released until Tuesday, September 29. Make sure you get your order in quickly.
As for Cusack’s movie career, he has no upcoming acting roles in the pipeline. Who knows, maybe a second graphic novel will arrive soon?
John Cusack’s filmography info was courtesy of IMDb.
