Chester Brown on Alan Moore and Watchmen

Watchmen n.3. Cover art by Dave Gibbons.

Excerpt from The Comics Journal n. 135 (April 1990). The complete interview is available here.

SCOTT GRAMMEL: CBG has pointed out as proof of comics’ maturity that we have hardcover collections of Watchmen and Dark Knight, and paperback collections of Chaykin’s Shadow, and the like. I’m wondering if you find any worth in the current vogue for high-gloss superheroes.

CHESTER BROWN: I like some of it. I like Alan Moore’s stuff. He’s a good writer, and I’m glad he’s moved beyond that stage, that he’s doing his own stuff now. But I read Watchmen and enjoyed it.

GRAMMEL: Do you think it proved that comics are art?

BROWN: I don’t think he proved it. I mean, wasn’t it proved before him?

GRAMMEL: But it’s now being taught in university classes. Didn’t you see that in CBG? [Laughter.] Which only goes to show that they’ll have classes in everything.

BROWN: Yeah, I know.

GRAMMEL: What did you think of the art in Watchmen?

BROWN: I liked it. Dave Gibbons is talented. He draws well.

GRAMMEL: Didn’t you feel claustrophobic reading it? It was so tight.

BROWN: No, I liked it fine.

The complete interview is available here.