Presenting, for what appears to be the first time ever, “Cliffhanger,” by Craig Miller based on a screenplay script by Lon Casler Bixby.

Buddy Saunders recalls: “Craig was my first employee at Lone Star Comics, coming to work for me back in 1977. In those days, the Lone Star Comics “warehouse” was my two-car garage, and Craig would join me to pull comic orders after he completed classes at UTA. Craig continued to work for Lone Star, off and on, right up to the end of his life.”

During 1986-87, at the height of the post-TMNT b/w explosion, “Renegade Rabbit” was created by Craig Miller and, throughout its five-issue run, commented on the state of comics at the time.

Lon Casler Bixby writes:

Yes, I am the author of “Cliffhanger.”  I originally wrote it as a screenplay and made it into a short film.

A bit of history: I had known Craig Miller from college. We were classmates at the University of Texas at Arlington. I knew his love of comics and illustration. So after I made the film, I approached Craig and asked him if he would be interested in doing the artwork and turning my story into a comic. He was enthusiastic about it and before too long we had the comic finished.

He was involved in the comic industry and had contacted a few companies about getting it published. We finally found one that was going to publish it (sorry, I cannot remember their name), and everything was set – and then it wasn’t. At the last minute, they had decided not to, or had closed doors, or something… I just remember that for whatever reason it fell through and Craig and I were very disappointed about it. As far as I know, he had tried a few more times to get it published, but with no luck, the comic was shelved.

After that, Craig and I followed our own paths and lost touch.

Years ago, I had included “Cliffhanger” as part of a screenplay anthology. I shopped the screenplay around, it never sold, and once again the story was shelved.

Now, back to the other day – yes, remarkably, I was thinking about “Cliffhanger” again, and actually pulled it out of the files to read (and possibly rewrite) – in the hopes of including it in a novel of short stories that I will soon be working on.

The comic version is very close to the screenplay – I think the screenplay has a little more dialogue (maybe a line or two) – but other than that, they are the same. As mentioned – it’s just a short. It’s actually a tale that has been around for a long time – when I was trying to come up with an idea for a short to write/direct/produce (in college, we did it all) my dad told me the story and suggested I make it into a short film.

What about the film? Heartbreak. Back then, student films weren’t what they are today… For Cliffhanger, I had (for the time) a huge production. A couple nights in a gully in a Texas pasture, motorhomes, rented studio equipment, and I even had to get a utility pole installed in the middle of nowhere. I had horses brought in, full crew, shot on 16mm… and my main actor actually broke his ankle sliding over the edge of the cliff. After hours in the emergency room, he was a trooper, and came back to the set to finish out the shoot. Then, after two hard nights of filming, I took the film to the lab… and disaster hit.

We never did find out what was the cause, but all the rolls that we shot and developed came back “black.” That was it. It was like the entire movie was shot with the lens cap on. I laugh now, but it was terrible… I had no more time, nor money left to reshoot.  So I made the film, but there was nothing to see. But somewhere in a box, I do have some production stills.

“Cliffhanger” p 01 (1984)
written by Lon Casler Bixby (1959-)
art by Craig Miller (1959-2012)
12 x 18 in., ink on board
Coppola Collection

“Cliffhanger” p 02 (1984)
written by Lon Casler Bixby (1959-)
art by Craig Miller (1959-2012)
12 x 18 in., ink on board
Coppola Collection

“Cliffhanger” p 03 (1984)
written by Lon Casler Bixby (1959-)
art by Craig Miller (1959-2012)
12 x 18 in., ink on board
Coppola Collection

“Cliffhanger” p 04 (1984)
written by Lon Casler Bixby (1959-)
art by Craig Miller (1959-2012)
12 x 18 in., ink on board
Coppola Collection

“Cliffhanger” p 05 (1984)
written by Lon Casler Bixby (1959-)
art by Craig Miller (1959-2012)
12 x 18 in., ink on board
Coppola Collection

“Cliffhanger” p 06 (1984)
written by Lon Casler Bixby (1959-)
art by Craig Miller (1959-2012)
12 x 18 in., ink on board
Coppola Collection

“Cliffhanger” p 07 (1984)
written by Lon Casler Bixby (1959-)
art by Craig Miller (1959-2012)
12 x 18 in., ink on board
Coppola Collection

“Cliffhanger” p 08 (1984)
written by Lon Casler Bixby (1959-)
art by Craig Miller (1959-2012)
12 x 18 in., ink on board
Coppola Collection

“Cliffhanger” p 09 (1984)
written by Lon Casler Bixby (1959-)
art by Craig Miller (1959-2012)
12 x 18 in., ink on board
Coppola Collection

“Cliffhanger” p 10 (1984)
written by Lon Casler Bixby (1959-)
art by Craig Miller (1959-2012)
12 x 18 in., ink on board
Coppola Collection

“Cliffhanger” p 11 (1984)
written by Lon Casler Bixby (1959-)
art by Craig Miller (1959-2012)
12 x 18 in., ink on board
Coppola Collection