The Crow is a comic book series created by James O'Barr. The series was originally written by O'Barr as a means of dealing with the death of his girlfriend at the hands of a drunk driver. It was later published in 1989 and became an underground success, with some movie studios seeking the rights. It was adapted into a film in 1994, directed by Alex Proyas and starring Brandon Lee. The movie gained instant notoriety even before its release when Lee was accidentally killed during filming. The Crow character has since become a cult icon of modern Goth culture, mostly fueled by the success of the first film.