 |
| The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen IV |
© The Weirding, 2019
A rambling melange of pop-culture.
Showing posts with label alan moore. Show all posts
Showing posts with label alan moore. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 23, 2019
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen IV: The Tempest #6
© The Weirding, 2019
Friday, December 11, 2009
Spawn #10 (Cerebus) to be Reprinted After 15 Years!
 |
| Spawn #10 |
"It hasn't been reprinted since it first came out," SPAWN #10 writer and CEREBUS creator, Dave Sim, said. "I'm very glad that's all over with after 14 years. Todd sent me black and white scans of Spawn 10 which will be published in a Cerebus Miscellany volume someday and, hopefully, Spawn 10 will be included in any and all future collections if the Toddmiester decides to make that official McFarlane policy."
The SPAWN ORIGINS COLLECTION: DELUXE EDITION VOL. 1 HC features the artwork of Todd McFarlane, which laid the groundwork for the most successful independent comic book ever published. This limited edition hardcover includes classic SPAWN stories written by Sim, Alan Moore, Frank Miller, Grant Morrison, and McFarlane himself in one massive, slipcase collection. It will mark the first time Sim and McFarlane's collaboration has seen print since it first appeared in 1994!
SPAWN ORIGINS COLLECTION: DELUXE EDITION VOL. 1 HC (SEP090283), a 620-page full-color hardcover for $100 will be in-stores soon. A signed and numbered edition (SEP090284) will also be available for $150. Cerebus is ™ and © 2009 Dave Sim.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Alan Moore on Watchmen, Hollywood
 |
| Watchmen |
The answers are intelligent, numerous, and deep. At the essence of everything else Moore says, every point he makes, Alan Moore says that he does comic books. Put another way: you can't tell the stories he tells in any other medium, so why try?
I have to admit, my choice for a magnum opus out of the entire medium -- were we to choose -- isn't even Watchmen's direct competition in most peoples' minds (Dark Knight Returns), it would be Elektra: Assassin. But I digress. Still, I want to see Watchmen go over well on the big screen as much as anyone who read it -- but, I have to wonder if Moore is right.
Check out this interview to read more.
© C Harris Lynn, 2008
UPDATE: He was right. - 2018
Monday, January 01, 2007
Some Clarifications for the New Year
As I mentioned, my New Year's Eve was thoroughly uneventful. I drank a bit too much, listened to music a bit too loudly, counted down the new year with my neighbor, then crashed and slept in the new year. So when I got up today, I was reading over the blog and then Dave Sim's Blog & Mail, then sauntered on over to Eddie Campbell's (which is really funny, btw), and I got to thinking about some of the things I have said here and how they may have been misconstrued, so I wanted to take a moment to clarify a few things:
I don't dislike Alan Moore or Dave Sim. I don't dislike Matt Maiellaro or any of the ATHF staffers. I don't really know any of these people personally, even if I have met them (even several times, as in the case of Sim) or corresponded with them. I am not an all-out Frank Miller fanboy.
Okay, yes I am; I'll own that one.
I completely love everything Frank Miller does. He is one of the few people I can think of in whose presence I would literally just be awed -- starstruck, what have you. I am not saying I would perform oral sex, or sex of any kind, on or with him -- that's going a bit far. MAYBE some consensual heavy-petting, but it would take a few drinks to make that happen. Or at least the promise of a few drinks afterward. And then what if he didn't call? I'm just not sure I can handle that sort of rejection at this point in my life, but I digress...
I do think this season of Aqua Teen Hunger Force is exceptionally bad -- I mean downright awful -- and am really dismayed by that. This season is to ATHF what The Black Album was to Metallica; calling it a "nine-inch nail" is an understatement -- it's the death of the art behind the Product and not the Product, itself. I don't even bother to talk about the show with others anymore. I actually feel slightly insulted, which makes me question my priorities and so it has become a sort of albatross, which is really messed-up because like, how shallow am I? What else goes on in my life that I should have the luxury of obsessing over such a thing to such a degree?
I do think Alan Moore is overrated within the comics field. He is great -- of that, there is no question -- but I think that his name value exceeds the value of his work in most cases. He sells books simply by name power and, while that's great for him and I applaud his success, I find myself most often disappointed with his work. It's not a bitter disappointment, but more of that sort of, "That's it?! Is this the lead-in to a new series? Did I miss a page?" Some will say that I miss the point and am possibly incapable of ever "getting it" because they assume I are dum. And I guess that's fair, but that's my opinion of it. I don't think it's his fault; I don't think he set out to do it. I think the industry and the fans did it and I could use a break from it. Like 20 years ago.
I think Dave Sim one of the most incredible talents in the field. He excels in literally every department -- writing, pencils, inks, lettering, pacing, characterization, I could go on for days -- but the guy holds some major views, and a bit of an attitude on paper. Of all the creators -- in any field, really -- Sim is one of the few guys I'd enjoy literally just hanging out with. I've done so a few hours at a time at a few cons, but I was just a kid (really a kid -- like 12-13, around in there).
Still, he had a profound influence on me and my work -- he gave me encouragement, graciously signed all my Epics with his work, talked in-depth about the pieces and told me little inside bits like who this character's face was and so on -- even more now that I have so many of the Cerebus issues and have been reading them. And I will say this: Dave Sim is one of only two, maybe three, cartoonists who has ever made me literally laugh out loud -- full-on, wide-mouthed bellylaugh -- through sequential art alone: no dialogue, no captions, no text (probably some sound effects, but I don't recall), just the deliberate pacing and set-up through the images and sequence of events. (The other was Bill Watterston and I threw Jack Davis and Don Martin a bone there, because MAD cracked me up as a kid).
It gets hard to be critical of others' work sometimes, but it's not just out of pettiness or sycophant..y-ism? or anything like that. I truly love the things I talk about and they often move me, sometimes for the good, sometimes in the bowels. I usually try to remain objective about them, but specifically because I love them so much, I often develop a personal attachment to them. I need a girlfriend or at least a bike or a boat or something -- something to get me out of doors.
At any rate, I just wanted to clear those things up so we can all start our New Year brightly. I have resolved to make no resolutions and I'm sticking to it, so far. (Fingers crossed.)
I don't dislike Alan Moore or Dave Sim. I don't dislike Matt Maiellaro or any of the ATHF staffers. I don't really know any of these people personally, even if I have met them (even several times, as in the case of Sim) or corresponded with them. I am not an all-out Frank Miller fanboy.
Okay, yes I am; I'll own that one.
I completely love everything Frank Miller does. He is one of the few people I can think of in whose presence I would literally just be awed -- starstruck, what have you. I am not saying I would perform oral sex, or sex of any kind, on or with him -- that's going a bit far. MAYBE some consensual heavy-petting, but it would take a few drinks to make that happen. Or at least the promise of a few drinks afterward. And then what if he didn't call? I'm just not sure I can handle that sort of rejection at this point in my life, but I digress...
I do think this season of Aqua Teen Hunger Force is exceptionally bad -- I mean downright awful -- and am really dismayed by that. This season is to ATHF what The Black Album was to Metallica; calling it a "nine-inch nail" is an understatement -- it's the death of the art behind the Product and not the Product, itself. I don't even bother to talk about the show with others anymore. I actually feel slightly insulted, which makes me question my priorities and so it has become a sort of albatross, which is really messed-up because like, how shallow am I? What else goes on in my life that I should have the luxury of obsessing over such a thing to such a degree?
I do think Alan Moore is overrated within the comics field. He is great -- of that, there is no question -- but I think that his name value exceeds the value of his work in most cases. He sells books simply by name power and, while that's great for him and I applaud his success, I find myself most often disappointed with his work. It's not a bitter disappointment, but more of that sort of, "That's it?! Is this the lead-in to a new series? Did I miss a page?" Some will say that I miss the point and am possibly incapable of ever "getting it" because they assume I are dum. And I guess that's fair, but that's my opinion of it. I don't think it's his fault; I don't think he set out to do it. I think the industry and the fans did it and I could use a break from it. Like 20 years ago.
I think Dave Sim one of the most incredible talents in the field. He excels in literally every department -- writing, pencils, inks, lettering, pacing, characterization, I could go on for days -- but the guy holds some major views, and a bit of an attitude on paper. Of all the creators -- in any field, really -- Sim is one of the few guys I'd enjoy literally just hanging out with. I've done so a few hours at a time at a few cons, but I was just a kid (really a kid -- like 12-13, around in there).
Still, he had a profound influence on me and my work -- he gave me encouragement, graciously signed all my Epics with his work, talked in-depth about the pieces and told me little inside bits like who this character's face was and so on -- even more now that I have so many of the Cerebus issues and have been reading them. And I will say this: Dave Sim is one of only two, maybe three, cartoonists who has ever made me literally laugh out loud -- full-on, wide-mouthed bellylaugh -- through sequential art alone: no dialogue, no captions, no text (probably some sound effects, but I don't recall), just the deliberate pacing and set-up through the images and sequence of events. (The other was Bill Watterston and I threw Jack Davis and Don Martin a bone there, because MAD cracked me up as a kid).
It gets hard to be critical of others' work sometimes, but it's not just out of pettiness or sycophant..y-ism? or anything like that. I truly love the things I talk about and they often move me, sometimes for the good, sometimes in the bowels. I usually try to remain objective about them, but specifically because I love them so much, I often develop a personal attachment to them. I need a girlfriend or at least a bike or a boat or something -- something to get me out of doors.
At any rate, I just wanted to clear those things up so we can all start our New Year brightly. I have resolved to make no resolutions and I'm sticking to it, so far. (Fingers crossed.)
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
GorBLIMEY!
This comment got me to thinking earlier -- hey, you've got to do it sometimes, so why not today, right?
At any rate, I wanted to take a moment to make sure that I piss everyone off that I've yet to offend:
Alan Moore is overrated.
Yeah, I said it. You heard me. I'll say it again:
Alan Moore is one of the most overrated names in the industry.
Now, don't get me wrong, I like some of Moore's work - I like his work in general, in fact - but that's a far cry from his being the new Stan Lee or something, the Stephen King of comic books, or whatever. And I really think part of this urban legend stems from the fact that he is British.
Now, I love the English - prefer them, in fact, to us Americans - but let's be honest about this: no matter how bad the fare is, if it's done by English folks, it automatically gets a better rating than the same crap from American creators. Take sit-coms, for a perfect example:
I love Brit-coms - prefer them, in fact, to most American sit-coms - but let's be honest about this: most British sit-coms are no better than the American ones. A lot of them are worse. The only difference between, say, Are You Being Served? and Three's Company is that one's British. Keeping Up Appearances is about as mundane a sit-com as you can find on any dial, and yet it's a PBS staple. There are some absolutely brilliant Brit-coms, but the truly great ones can be counted on one hand. Let's think about it:
There have been some others along the way, but that about rounds out the list of the truly good British sit-coms. American TV has that beaten by a country mile, yet unless it's on HBO, it doesn't get much mention and it sure as hell isn't going to be shown on PBS! Those Brits have us beaten when it comes to dramas, though - hands down.
Still, this is true about everything to which the Brits turn their collective hand, with the exception of Jazz. Punk rock (Ramones, Dead Kennedys, Bad Brains -- the best, no question -- but they're sidenotes to crap like The Clash), heavy metal (granted, Black Sabbath literally invented the field, but it was done better by Americans), plain vanilla rock n roll, poetry... the list goes on and on!
At any rate, when it comes to comic books, I really think the Brits have the same sort of thing going. Alan Moore is good, no question, but he's no Frank Miller. I personally don't even think he's as good as Dave Sim (apt, as the two are good friends, but not exactly fair, since Sim is a Canadian, and we're largely concerning ourselves with the British and Americans), but unless you're talking about independents or their semi-famous discussion, you're not very likely to hear both names in the same conversation.
But Alan Moore is always talked about in reverential terms, often by the same people who talk about Gene Roddenberry in the same tones, and I just don't get it. What is it, exactly, that Moore has ever done that's so damn great? I don't mean really good, I mean GREAT? Because whatever it is, I guarantee you I can come up with three things Frank Miller has done that are simply, flat-out better - not just as good, but better!
And before you even start, just stop. Watchmen was good, but it wasn't the watershed comics event most fans make it out to be; that distinction would belong to Elektra: Assassin and there's simply no two ways about that. And who did Assassin? Who else? Watchmen wasn't even as good as Miller's venture that same year -- what was that one called... let me think, OH YEAH: Dark Knight Returns. V for Vendetta? Again, good, not great! You want a retro superhero in a dark future, try Ronin by... who else? And Ronin honestly wasn't even that good.
Don't misquote me, Alan Moore is a definitive talent within the entire field, and it's unfair to compare anyone to Frank Miller whose only true, living, peer is Stan Lee (and time and history will prove me correct on this) -- really, Miller is second only to that cat what did The Yellow Kid (whose name escapes me, presently), and that's only because that was the first real comic strip. But Moore is not The Voice of Comicdom, as many have asserted for 20+ years now.
Although, I freely admit, I would love to interview Moore one day, just because he really is infinitely fascinating and the amount of research and effort he puts into his work is evident in them all.
UPDATE: I realize GeoCities hasn't been around in more than a decade, but I left the link JIC in reroutes to an archived form. - 2018
At any rate, I wanted to take a moment to make sure that I piss everyone off that I've yet to offend:
Alan Moore is overrated.
Yeah, I said it. You heard me. I'll say it again:
Alan Moore is one of the most overrated names in the industry.
Now, don't get me wrong, I like some of Moore's work - I like his work in general, in fact - but that's a far cry from his being the new Stan Lee or something, the Stephen King of comic books, or whatever. And I really think part of this urban legend stems from the fact that he is British.
Now, I love the English - prefer them, in fact, to us Americans - but let's be honest about this: no matter how bad the fare is, if it's done by English folks, it automatically gets a better rating than the same crap from American creators. Take sit-coms, for a perfect example:
I love Brit-coms - prefer them, in fact, to most American sit-coms - but let's be honest about this: most British sit-coms are no better than the American ones. A lot of them are worse. The only difference between, say, Are You Being Served? and Three's Company is that one's British. Keeping Up Appearances is about as mundane a sit-com as you can find on any dial, and yet it's a PBS staple. There are some absolutely brilliant Brit-coms, but the truly great ones can be counted on one hand. Let's think about it:
- Monty Python's Flying Circus
- The Office
- Coupling
- Little Britain
- Father Ted
- Absolutely Fabulous
There have been some others along the way, but that about rounds out the list of the truly good British sit-coms. American TV has that beaten by a country mile, yet unless it's on HBO, it doesn't get much mention and it sure as hell isn't going to be shown on PBS! Those Brits have us beaten when it comes to dramas, though - hands down.
Still, this is true about everything to which the Brits turn their collective hand, with the exception of Jazz. Punk rock (Ramones, Dead Kennedys, Bad Brains -- the best, no question -- but they're sidenotes to crap like The Clash), heavy metal (granted, Black Sabbath literally invented the field, but it was done better by Americans), plain vanilla rock n roll, poetry... the list goes on and on!
At any rate, when it comes to comic books, I really think the Brits have the same sort of thing going. Alan Moore is good, no question, but he's no Frank Miller. I personally don't even think he's as good as Dave Sim (apt, as the two are good friends, but not exactly fair, since Sim is a Canadian, and we're largely concerning ourselves with the British and Americans), but unless you're talking about independents or their semi-famous discussion, you're not very likely to hear both names in the same conversation.
But Alan Moore is always talked about in reverential terms, often by the same people who talk about Gene Roddenberry in the same tones, and I just don't get it. What is it, exactly, that Moore has ever done that's so damn great? I don't mean really good, I mean GREAT? Because whatever it is, I guarantee you I can come up with three things Frank Miller has done that are simply, flat-out better - not just as good, but better!
And before you even start, just stop. Watchmen was good, but it wasn't the watershed comics event most fans make it out to be; that distinction would belong to Elektra: Assassin and there's simply no two ways about that. And who did Assassin? Who else? Watchmen wasn't even as good as Miller's venture that same year -- what was that one called... let me think, OH YEAH: Dark Knight Returns. V for Vendetta? Again, good, not great! You want a retro superhero in a dark future, try Ronin by... who else? And Ronin honestly wasn't even that good.
Don't misquote me, Alan Moore is a definitive talent within the entire field, and it's unfair to compare anyone to Frank Miller whose only true, living, peer is Stan Lee (and time and history will prove me correct on this) -- really, Miller is second only to that cat what did The Yellow Kid (whose name escapes me, presently), and that's only because that was the first real comic strip. But Moore is not The Voice of Comicdom, as many have asserted for 20+ years now.
Although, I freely admit, I would love to interview Moore one day, just because he really is infinitely fascinating and the amount of research and effort he puts into his work is evident in them all.
UPDATE: I realize GeoCities hasn't been around in more than a decade, but I left the link JIC in reroutes to an archived form. - 2018
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)