Comic Book Couples Counseling Podcast · Brad & Lisa Gullickson

Jacob Phillips and Chris Ryall: Making Megalopolis with Francis Ford Coppola

October 3, 2025·1 hr 15 min·5 clips

Chris Ryall describes getting an email from Francis Ford Coppola asking him to help create a Megalopolis graphic novel.

This episode of Comic Book Couples Counseling features hosts Brad and Lisa Gullickson interviewing writer Chris Ryall and artist Jacob Phillips about creating the graphic novel adaptation of Francis Ford Coppola's film *Megalopolis*. The conversation explores the unique process of adapting Coppola's ambitious cinematic vision into a comic book format. Coppola personally emailed Chris Ryall in 2021 to initiate the project, describing his desire for a "sibling" to the film, not a direct echo. Ryall brought Jacob Phillips on board as the artist, drawn to his impressionistic style for rendering the nebulous city of New Rome. Phillips worked primarily from Ryall's script adaptation, using concept art and set stills as visual references but was granted significant creative freedom. Francis Ford Coppola was directly involved in the process, encouraging the team to add scenes and alter dialogue to better suit the comics medium. The graphic novel presents a more sincere and idea-focused version of the story compared to the film, with the hosts noting the comedic "Go back to the club" scene plays very differently on the page. A central challenge was visually depicting the cinematic concept of "stopping time" within the static panels of a comic, which Phillips addressed using a distinctive color wash technique. Coppola revealed a childhood love for comics like *The Phantom*, Jack Cole's *Plastic Man*, and the obscure character *The Heap*, demonstrating a genuine familiarity with the medium. The episode has a conversational and analytical tone, blending behind-the-scenes anecdotes with critical discussion of adaptation choices. Listeners interested in the craft of comic book creation, film-to-comic adaptations, or the specific work of Coppola, Ryall, and Phillips would find this episode compelling. Those seeking a straightforward film review or who have no interest in *Megalopolis* may want to skip it.

As heard by us

A thoughtful look at translating Megalopolis into comics without turning it into a dead copy.

Comic Book Couples Counseling spends this stretch on how Megalopolis becomes comics, and the strongest material is the focus on the visual approach.

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Why you'd press play

You want the creative detours behind making Megalopolis feel drawable.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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