More Doom and Gloom from Alan Moore

[Keyser Soze]

In an interview with Adi Tantimedh, posted on Bleeding Cool:

This is because I actually felt that the work we did on WATCHMEN was somehow special. I have got a great deal of respect for that work. I do not want to see it prostituted. This has always been my position. I don’t want to see it prostituted and made into a run of cheap books that are nothing like the original WATCHMEN which, anyway, wouldn’t work if it was dismantled. Those characters only work as an ensemble. A comic book about Doctor Manhattan would be really obtuse and boring. A comic book about Rorscharch would be really miserable. They only work together in WATCHMEN, although I’m sure there are perhaps people out there in the industry who would like to be the artist or writer on some WATCHMEN prequel or sequel simply to have their name attached to a successful property for once. When Dave Gibbons phoned me up, he assured me that these prequels and sequels would be handled by ‘the industry’s top-flight talents’. Now, I don’t think that the contemporary industry actually has a ‘top-flight’ of talent. I don’t think it’s even got a middle-flight or a bottom-flight of talent. I mean, like I say, there may be people out there who would still be eager to have their name attached to WATCHMEN even if it was in terms of “Yes, these are the people who murdered WATCHMEN”. I don’t want to see that happen.

SOURCE: http://www.bleedingcool.com/2010/09/09/alan-moore-speaks-watchmen-2-to-adi-tantimedh/

 

[Keyser Soze]

Some responses from other comic creators I've spotted via Twitter:

ROB LIEFELD

Alan Moore's interview over at @BleedingCool is HILARIOUS! Best quote " I'm not certain there is "top-flight" talent in comics.

"I'm not sure there is medium-level or even low-level talent in comics" Alan Moore over @BleedingCool

Been saying Alan Moore is a certifiable nut job for years. He continues to prove it over and over again.

Moore used to dangle Steve Moore and his other buddies over me in order to produce more Supreme work. Funny how kharma works Alan.


GAIL SIMONE

Alan Moore just came into my house and refused to work with my broom closet ever again. I didn't know he HAD worked with my broom closet!

I think it's very principled to slag off your artists in interviews. It's almost super-principled!

Weird. Now my broom closet has agreed to do a V for Vendetta prequel called V for AWESOME! It's a top-tier closet.


SKOTTIE YOUNG

Remember when the word CRAP was edgy & now it's normal and boring. That's how I feel about Alan Moores rants on comics. Get over it.

Ever had a friend w/ a girl that cheated on him & says he doesn't care but won't stop talking about it. Similar to Alan Moore interviews.

I understand his position. But his beef with DC is no reason to say there's no great talents left in comics.


ANDY DIGGLE

Maybe if Alan Moore spoke directly to DC Comics, even if it was just to tell them to go **** themselves...

...then he wouldn't have to play this elaborate game of Chinese Whispers, basing his opinion on mere paranoid supposition. Just sayin'.


CULLY HAMMER

Y'know, I actually agree with some of Alan Moore's criticisms of the comics industry and its practices, BUT...

...To then add that this business is currently *totally devoid of talent* is just a bit uncalled for, I think. Insulting, even.

'Cause that IS what he's said. Paraphrasing: "I don’t think contemp. industry has a top-flight, middle-flight or bottom-flight of talent."

That's what raised my brows in the 1st place. He hasn't current experience, yet no problem taking a dig at modern creators en masse.


JASON AARON

Maybe Alan Moore would like us better if we added more rape to our comics.


FRANK TIERI

My mom thinks I'm top flight talent so **** you Alan Moore.

 

[BrianWilly]

Hahahaha oh god wtf Moore. Seriously, just tell DC to not do it, then shut up forever.

 

[fifthfiend]

And yet he's pretty much correct.

Lol at Rob Liefeld having opinions of things.

 

[BrianWilly]

He's completely correct! Also, a complete ***hole! Which reminds me of...

...

...er, no one.

 

[fifthfiend]

 

[BrianWilly]

Actually, I even take back saying that he's completely correct. That "flight of talent" bull**** is just Scrubs levels of obnoxious.

 

[fifthfiend]

Far be it for Moore to disparage an industry whose leading lights are Geoff Johns, Brian Bendis, and Mark Millar

 

[Mystirious]

;_;

I wanted to write a Johnny DC Watchmen comic called Tiny Rorscach

Now my feelings have been hurt

 

[hippie_hunter]

Yet again, while I love Alan Moore's work, I find myself finding the man to be a completely self-absorbed asshat. I too feel that there shouldn't be any prequels, sequels, or spin-offs to Watchmen, but he really doesn't have to insult pretty much every comic book writer out there and act like he (and very few others) is the only good one.

 

[fifthfiend]

;_;

I wanted to write a Johnny DC Watchmen comic called Tiny Rorscach

Now my feelings have been hurt

hahaha, holy ****

 

[fifthfiend]

"Who watches the Watchmen?"

"The TINY WATCHMEN"

 

[WompuM]

Yeah, dick move. I like how he claims there hasn't been anything of value in 25 years.

 

[BrianWilly]

That reminds me of someone in particular, as well.

 

[Mister J]

His qualms over it all are well-known, but the snipe against pretty much anyone working today is *****etastic, even for Moore.

Lol at Rob Liefeld having opinions of things.

Seriously.

 

[C. Lee]

I would say he had delusions of Godhood...but he would get mad because I said "delusions"....and then never work with me again.....

 

[Mystirious]

"Who watches the Watchmen?"

"The TINY WATCHMEN"

 

[CrimsonMist]

LOL at the Liefield comment. Pretty funny how "Moore and his buddies" produced GOOD Supreme work.

I thought the dig at all the talent working in comics sucking was kinda *****y, though.

However, I really agree with him about having "top-flight comic talent" coming up with their own original ideas, or doing something like Watchmen or Miracleman to other characters, rather than making them do sequels and prequels and spin-offs on Watchmen. Or perhaps I should say that they should do their own "Watchmen" to characters instead of revisiting an old property. I say this because Moore himself has participated in in writing several stories tying into Will Eisner's The Spirit, along with other creators in "The New Adventures of The Spirit" in the 90's, and The Spirit has been perpetuated through time since creation.

And what he said about a Dr. Manhattan solo book being boring or Rorschach's book being too miserable are probably right. And I don't trust many of today's talent doing them, anyway, either because I'm fond of their writing or because I think they lack the nuanced writing that Moore had. I can read a comic. And it'll be me. Reading a comic. Then I can read an Alan Moore or Neil Gaiman comic. And it'll be me. Having an experience. Because they can write and they can write very well.

That, and I really don't have an interest in seeing a Watchmen spin-off written by Grant Morrison(yea. that's right. and that Multiversity thing sounds even more superfluous[this is my one exception to the "Do your own Watchmen!" idea]).

And from what little i've read by Johns, I could give even less of a crap if Johns did a Watchmen tie-in.

but that's just me.

 

[yenaled]

To be fair, the top-tier of comic talent isn't going to be writing any Watchmen stuff.

I doubt Grant Morrison, Mark Waid, Ed Brubaker, Joe Kelly, Greg Rucka, even Geoff Johns are sitting there going MAN I WISH I COULD WRITE SOME WATCHMEN SPIN-OFF COMICS.

 

[Frankenmation]

Alan Moore reminds me of John Kricfalusi (creator of Ren and Stimpy) in a way: both of them feel the urge to take a large steaming dump on comics/animation from the past 25 years (in John K's case its more like 40 years) yet they don't seem to want to actually make something to prove that they can do better.

Someone needs to make an Alan Moore meme with the words "Haters gonna hate".

 

[fifthfiend]

Alan Moore reminds me of John Kricfalusi (creator of Ren and Stimpy) in a way: both of them feel the urge to take a large steaming dump on comics/animation from the past 25 years (in John K's case its more like 40 years) yet they don't seem to want to actually make something to prove that they can do better.

In the last ten-ish Alan Moore wrote League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and Supreme: Story of the Year; both were absolutely fantastic.

Oh, and Promethea, and a bunch of Tom Strong comics. I haven't read those, but everyone who has says they were fantastic as well.

...Also some porn starring Wendy from Peter Pan, but ****, they can't all be winners.

 

[Frankenmation]

Oh whoops, forgot about those. I haven't read the latter yet.

 

[fifthfiend]

I was going to be so much meaner to you about that than I ultimately decided to be.

 

[Frankenmation]

Awww, I'm crushed.

 

[Mystirious]

...Also some porn starring Wendy from Peter Pan, but ****, they can't all be winners.