Comics 2 Film reports that a recent guerilla marketing campaign for next summer’s Batman movie was not welcomed by all:

Now, Superfist, our man on the ground in Chicago, has gotten an earful of reaction from two of his local comic shop guys about the the recent Joker campaign for ‘The Dark Knight’. This campaign had guerrilla marketers placing Joker cards in comic shops in various cities, which were meant to lead fans to a website that revealed Heath Ledger in Joker makeup.

However, the uninvited presence of the cards and, in some cases, sidewalk graffiti, has not gone over well with all comic shop owners.

They might be annoying to some, but man, whoever this (obviously well-paid) marketing firm is has gotten hype for Dark Knight fired up to an incredible degree already. I’m already sick of the movie, for chrissakes, and it’s not out for another year.

Which raises the question: do films really need this elaborate year-in-advance hype and promotion? Is it going to sell more tickets? The people they’re marketing to are predisposed to seeing the movie, anyway. I don’t welcome it, personally — for example, I’d rather The Joker be a complete mystery until the minute I see his giant face revealed on the screen. I enjoy the surprise and the not knowing, which I understand is somewhat ironic considering the general nature of this blog. But maybe it’s just me.

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