Alan Moore

[Sleazer]

We all know this guy didn't allow his name on the film...but is it true he doesn't take any financial kickback from the flick either, to protest Hollywood's lack of respect for the work of others?

If so, that's kinda cool. He still seems like a bit of a cunt about it, though.

No doubt the flick has sparked up a ton of sales for the novel, so I hope he's turning a good chunk of that money away, too.

[anarky]

He told the studio to give Dave Gibbons (the artist) any royalties otherwise due to him. Apparently his hatred for Hollywood stems from the rigmarole surrounding an attempt in the late 80s to make a film version of Watchmen, and his frustration to an insane number of changes made to the story before it finally petered out. He also hates DC Comics for its treatment of supposedly creator-owned works from the same time (V for Vendetta and Watchmen chief among them) and his lack of control over how they're handled now. His disdain for DC is such that, around ten years ago, when he was doing a successful creator-owned universe of books for Wildstorm and learned DC was buying out Wildstorm, he brought Armageddon upon the universe so that there was an in-universe explanation for why he was abruptly ending the stories and to make it so DC couldn't touch any of the properties. He's pretty non-hypocritical on the whole thing from what I've seen, but sometimes a bit overboard.

[Senor JabbaJohnL]

It seems to me, from what I've read, that he just likes the medium of comics better than film, and doesn't really want to have anything to do with the movies based on his stuff. I don't know, but I don't think there's any "hatred" involved.

[Sleazer]

Thanks nark, interesting background on the story. That's cool of him to hook up Gibbons.

[Diabolical]

It seems to me, from what I've read, that he just likes the medium of comics better than film, and doesn't really want to have anything to do with the movies based on his stuff. I don't know, but I don't think there's any "hatred" involved.

There is definite hatred. He was pretty pissed that Hollywood bastardized From Hell. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen didn't help things either.

[Senor JabbaJohnL]

Huh. From what I've read, it seemed that he was able to just distance himself from the films, since it didn't change the comic or anything. One of the articles was published before From Hell came out, so, I don't know.

[vynsane]

I've never watched any of the adaptations of my books. I've never wanted to, and there's absolutely no chance of me doing so in the future. So I haven't really suffered through them, although there has been a certain amount of irritation and outrageous behavior on the part of the comic industry and the movie industry that I have suffered through. But I've gone into this at bitter and ranting length elsewhere. I'm sure that people can look up the relevant articles have they a wish to.

My books are still the same books as they were before they were made into films. The books haven't changed. I'm reminded of the remark by, I think it was Raymond Chandler, where he was asked about what he felt about having his books "ruined" by Hollywood. And he led the questioner into his study and showed him all the books there on the bookshelf, and said, Look—there they all are. They're all fine. They're fine. They're not ruined. They're still there. And I think that's pretty much the attitude I take. If the books are as good as I think they are, then they are the things that will endure. And if the films are as bad as I think they are, then they are the things that will not endure. So, I suppose we'll see at the end of the day, whenever that is.

i like the part that i bolded... it's funny and a good attitude to take. i think he's far more pissed at DC than he is at hollywood.

rest of the article at wired. it's a good read.

[JON]

Okay, finished. That was pretty cool. I thought the ending was a bit silly, with the alien and all. I've heard about the movie ending, and it seems better to me. The book's just felt kinda tacked on, as if to say, "well, we gotta wrap this up, somehow." Still, I liked it. I definitely want to see the film now, for several reasons: mild spoilers:

Jackie Earle Haley is the coolest cat on the planet.
Malin Ackerman's fine ass.
A big blue dong on a movie screen is just too funny to pass up.
Phillip Glass music backs up the Manhattan origin.
I wanna see that watch on Mars.

[jjreason]

It's definitely meant to be "out there", Ozymandias needed something uniquely horrible to galvanize humanity against the threat of the atomic bomb. What better than a massive hunk of seafood?

[Diabolical]

What better than a massive hunk of seafood?

Framing Dr. Manhattan.

[RoIIo Tomassi]

Alan Moore discusses why Beyond Before Watchmen will suck balls and you're an asshole if you buy it, you fucking dickweed assmunch shithead.

Read all about it. And read about why Alan doesn't talk to Dave Gibbons anymore. His bearded homeless anecdotes are priceless!

[vynsane]

i can't even read that because it's the longest article in the smallest font on the blandest website i've ever seen.

[Tom Foolery]

Say what you will about Alan Moore, but at least he has the integrity to distance himself from adaptations of his properties he disagrees with and not sniff around Michael Bay's stool, groveling like a little bitch for a paltry Consulting Credit and a shitty paycheck.

[jjreason]

Topic necrod for your enjoyment.

I'm reading Moore's Miracleman for the first time as it's being re-released by Marvel right now. It gets handed over to Neil Gaiman eventually, and I understand that he is on board to finish off the stories that got cut off when Eclipse comics went tits-up in the mid 80s. If you haven't seen this series, or might consider buying in just because it's Alan Moore - now's the time. It's typical 1980's Moore which means awesome fucking awesomeness. Issue 3 hits the stands on Wed (Feb 26) and it's quite possible your LCS will have the first 2 still in stock.

EDITED: Forgot to mention that this exists if you don't want to spend any money & read the whole thing (that Gaiman will eventually finish), or just want to read a bit of reasonably interesting comic book history about how this character came about.

[Tom Foolery]

If you read Marvel's Solicitations every month (and I do) they credit Moore as "The Original Writer" instead of just saying his name.