Alan Moore retiring from comics

[Michael Anden]

I look forward greatly to all that Alan Moore does in the future, in whatever medium. However, it does seems evident to me that Alan Moore's issue with superheroes- the comics genre that made him famous, and possibly for what he will always be most well known- is a red herring: he had professed no issue with working on them to the best of his ability before all of his alleged legal, creative and financial wrangles with DC and Marvel. He knows that the two companies own the the very trademark on the term 'superheroes', and does all he can any time he is confronted with the issue to disparage the concept and its 'adherents'.

His indifference, hatred or otherwise to this former subgenre - one now utterly embraced by the general public (thanks in no small irony to himself) has apparently skyrocketed in diametric opposition to superheroes' popularity. Coincidence?

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

He's had a good innings---I remember him from the very late 70s, when he wrote and drew an underground comic in SOUNDS called Roscoe Moscow----he got 25 quid a week for that, apparantly.

[tony ingram]

I look forward greatly to all that Alan Moore does in the future, in whatever medium. However, it does seems evident to me that Alan Moore's issue with superheroes- the comics genre that made him famous, and possibly for what he will always be most well known- is a red herring: he had professed no issue with working on them to the best of his ability before all of his alleged legal, creative and financial wrangles with DC and Marvel. He knows that the two companies own the the very trademark on the term 'superheroes', and does all he can any time he is confronted with the issue to disparage the concept and its 'adherents'.

His indifference, hatred or otherwise to this former subgenre - one now utterly embraced by the general public (thanks in no small irony to himself) has apparently skyrocketed in diametric opposition to superheroes' popularity. Coincidence?

Alan has been saying for at least 15 years now that he can't really understand the popularity of superheroes with adut audiences and thinks the US industry is stagnating. I don't think he ever intended other writers to try to follow his lead the way they did in the wake of Watchmen, and I don't think his attitude has anything much to do with personal animosity to DC or Marvel.

[Michael Anden]

I look forward greatly to all that Alan Moore does in the future, in whatever medium. However, it does seems evident to me that Alan Moore's issue with superheroes- the comics genre that made him famous, and possibly for what he will always be most well known- is a red herring: he had professed no issue with working on them to the best of his ability before all of his alleged legal, creative and financial wrangles with DC and Marvel. He knows that the two companies own the the very trademark on the term 'superheroes', and does all he can any time he is confronted with the issue to disparage the concept and its 'adherents'.

His indifference, hatred or otherwise to this former subgenre - one now utterly embraced by the general public (thanks in no small irony to himself) has apparently skyrocketed in diametric opposition to superheroes' popularity. Coincidence?

Alan has been saying for at least 15 years now that he can't really understand the popularity of superheroes with adut audiences and thinks the US industry is stagnating. I don't think he ever intended other writers to try to follow his lead the way they did in the wake of Watchmen, and I don't think his attitude has anything much to do with personal animosity to DC or Marvel.

Although it seems that the reams of anti-superhero rhetoric did kick in just about when he had his falling out with DC around 2000. Not saying he he couldn't get enough of the chaps beforehand, but the scathing interviews and excoriating essays relating to the entire genre, its creative industry and fanbase weren't anywhere to be seen beforehand... unless you know different!

[starscape]

I used to know Alan through friends of friends when I lived in Northampton. Must have been mid-90s when I last spoke with him. We got to talking about comics and I said how much I loved Marvelman (still think it's his best work - maybe even comics' best work) and that it really conveyed the idea of an ordinary man inheriting superpowers. He was pretty dismissive about that by saying 'but they don't'. He had just lost all interest in super-powers. We were still hopeful the next Big Numbers was going to arrive then.

He did eventually go back to writing superhero stories but he did see enjoying stories written for children (as most comics were) as arrested development. It wasn't so much the ideas (he loved the genius of Kirby) but the way they were written (the Fantastic Four up against an enlarge-o-ray is mere kids stuff but coming up with a Negative Zone or a god that scours the skyways for planets to consume are mind-expanding concepts).

He also wasn't fond of the 'mature themes' work that was so born from his own. But then, Johnny Marr was never fond of the indie jangly guitar bands that followed the Smiths. Maybe a genius can't see why anyone would want to be part of a genre, rather than create a thing of genius. But not everyone can...

For me, I think he's a little over-critical. Despite the embarrasment of being named the Fantastic Four, led by a Mr Fantastic (Doctor, surely?), the FF had an amazing run of quality probably not seen in any other comic, whilst the likes of New Gods and the Silver Surfer read as good as they ever did. Okay, maybe the likes of Firestorm or early X-Men was simple escapism but I don't see anything wrong with that. To really appreciate them, I'd also say it's teen-stuff, rather than kids-stuff too.

[paw broon]

Having met Mr. Moore a few times - at aka, a couple of London cons (although we chatted in the lounge of a hotel round the corner from the con) and at Angoulême - actually the one for the inauguration for the Centre National de la Bande Dessinées - I have to say that we seldom talked about his work, so apart from interviews I've read, I wasn't sure how he felt at different times about his superhero creations. I'd have to have a ponder but I think starscape could be right in his estimation of Miracleman. And New Gods still stand up. Great entertainment.
Apart from all that, he was always very good to us at aka.