Do we worship celebrity recluses?

[terry78]

Guys like Alan Moore, Bill Watterson of Calvin and Hobbes fame, and John K.(not so much a recluse, but more of a "in my day" type guy), etc. They basically have created things that have gained pop culture and cult status, among a throng of fans that are literally psychotic to a point. When they give their opinions about something, I notice it's tended to be taken more to heart than others, especially if they give some brutally honest opinion about an entertainment medium, like Watterson who said that Jim Davis' U.S. Acres comic was an abomination.

 

[Leto Atrides]

I definitely think a big part of it is because people feel triumphant over finding something that's not necessarily in the public eye. People know about V for Vendetta, Calvin and Hobbes, etc., but not who is behind them. So people like to think they are therefore smarter or more inquisitive or whatever because they've dug deeper into the work when they know about him.

That and people just appreciating reactionary stuff. For example, pretty much every cartoonist knows Jim Davis sucks and hasn't written anything new in decades, but the rest of them have too much professional courtesy/class to bad-mouth another cartoonist like that. People still appreciate hearing someone say what no one else does though, even if it doesn't need to be said.

Don't get me wrong, I know it sounds like I don't like them. Alan Moore is one of top 3 comic writers and Calvin and Hobbes was a great strip (never big on Ren and Stimpy), but the cult of the other that surrounds them has always bugged me.

 

[Spider-Who?]

Calvin and Hobbes was a great strip (never big on Ren and Stimpy)

huh?

Bill Watterson had nothing to do with Ren and Stimpy.

 

[Leto Atrides]

Alan Moore, Bill Watterson, John K.. Covering all the people mentioned.

 

[Spider-Who?]

Oh, and yes, Bill Watterson is a genius. Calvin and Hobbes was beautiful.

I hear painting has taken place of his cartooning - although he's supposedly been working all alone on a C&H animated movie for the past couple years...

 

[Spider-Who?]

Alan Moore, Bill Watterson, John K.. Covering all the people mentioned.

gotcha. It was the structure of your sentence that confused me.

 

[Rando Aces]

cormac macarthy is recluse in a sense, has only done 1 television interview.

 

[Wilhelm-Scream]

For a recluse I sure have read a ton of Alan Moore interviews and promos for his new stuff. He was even on the Simpsons.
If you're want to talk comic books....Steve Ditko.

 

[chaseter]

I want to know why the media keep saying Britney's comeback and blah blah blah. Let her dying star fade out.

 

[Shoemeister]

Brian Wilson comes to mind, though granted he opens up from time to time.

 

[Wilhelm-Scream]

like a Venusian lilac

 

[terry78]

Haha, as I'm typing this, one of my coworkers, this guy with a semi-thick eastern european accent, was looking over my shoulder and said he's never going to see Watchmen because Moore doesn't endorse it.

 

[Sugarculted]

For a recluse I sure have read a ton of Alan Moore interviews and promos for his new stuff. He was even on the Simpsons.
If you're want to talk comic books....Steve Ditko.

Yeah, Alan Moore is just freakin' scary...he's not that much of a recluse. I hope a few of the Hypers on here have seen Jonathan Ross' documentary, 'In Search of Steve Ditko'. Damn good watch

 

[Wilhelm-Scream]

I was just reminded of it when I got the new Wizard magazine yesterday and must see it.

 

[guitarsingerguy]

For a recluse I sure have read a ton of Alan Moore interviews and promos for his new stuff. He was even on the Simpsons.
If you're want to talk comic books....Steve Ditko.

I couldn't believe he did that. Pretty damn funny what he told Bart in the comic shop though.

 

[bullets]

Haha, as I'm typing this, one of my coworkers, this guy with a semi-thick eastern european accent, was looking over my shoulder and said he's never going to see Watchmen because Moore doesn't endorse it.

I can understand that, but im seeing the movie anyway.

 

[Joker]

I think Alan Moore is a wonderful writer, but he's also an enormously pretentious dick.

 

[Leto Atrides]

Brian Wilson comes to mind, though granted he opens up from time to time.

He has some genuine mental health problems though, I don't know if it's the same as Watterson being reclusive or Moore worshiping a snake god in his hobbit hole.