Clowes pockets 'Eightball'

Scribe adapting 'Death Ray' for bigscreen

SAN DIEGO -- Oscar-nominated scribe Daniel Clowes is adapting his Eisner-winning story "Death Ray" for Jack Black's Black and White shingle.

Black will produce and Clowes is writing a small role for him.

"Death Ray" was published in the most recent issue of Clowes' "Eightball" comic. Scribe plans to update the protagonist from a teenager to an older man who has to deal with having super powers while living a normal suburban life.

"I like the idea of him as a cranky 48-year-old man," Clowes said. "Using his powers to throw kids off his lawn."

No helmer is officially attached yet. "It's this guy Alan Smithee, he's really great," Clowes said.

Clowes is also developing an adaptation of Rudy Rucker's "Master of Space and Time," with helmer Michel Gondry, who owns the rights.

Clowes has just written a biopic about the three teenagers who set out to recreate -- shot-for-shot -- Steven Spielberg's "Raiders of the Lost Ark."

Clowes most recently wrote "Art School Confidential" for Sony Classics. He was nominated for an Academy Award with Terry Zwigoff for their screenplay "Ghost World."