Watchmen homage by Gabriel Hernández Walta

Art by Gabriel Hernández Walta.

A "self-commission" drawn by the amazing Gabriel Hernández Walta paying homage to Watchmen. His Twitter page, HERE.

Swamp Thing by Spugna

Art by SPUGNA.

Above, a lovely Swamp Thing by Italian young wizard, comic book artist and illustrator SPUGNA (a.ka. Tommaso Di Spigna).

For more info about Spugna: Tumblr - Blog

On ratings system and censorship

Excerpt from The politics and morality of rating and self-censorship, the editorial written by Alan Moore as guest for the Comics Buyer's Guide, published the 13th February 1987. The piece was reprinted in The Comics Journal n. 117, September 1987.

Alan Moore: [...] I believe a ratings system, or indeed any kind of censorship, to be akin to shooting oneself in the foot in the fond hope that this will make people feel too sorry for you to shoot you in the head. It seems to me both impractical and spineless, genuinely demeaning to the medium, its audience, and the people who work within it.
I have worked long and hard for this medium, this industry, and it deserves better than this. If any person or publisher seeks to negotiate a surrender of truce with the book burners, they are at liberty to do so, but not on my behalf. Not without telling me first.
Since I cannot be a party to this kind of behavior, with the conclusion of the work that I am actually contracted to do, I shall be producing no work in the future for any publisher imposing a ratings system upon its creators and readers.
Frankly, I don't even know if I could write comics of the type that must surely follow the introduction of these measures. It would seem hypocritical to feed young readers stories of courage and heroism while working in an industry apparently incapable of same. Or perhaps the comics will adjust their notions of bravery accordingly:
"Superman? It's an ultimatum from Luthor. He says he wants to destroy the whole of America! What shall we do?"
"No sweat, Lois. We'll nuke New Jersey and hope he goes away satisfied."
In closing, I'm sorry if the above sounds bitter or angry or accusatory or arrogant. Given my state of mind while writing, it may indeed be all those things, but I'm reluctant to say goodbye to a mainstream industry that I've enjoyed working in with words that leave such an unpleasant taste.
I have enjoyed, over the last few years, the wonderful creative freedom that your American industry offers, the welcome support of editors and publishers and a very appreciative, very mature, and intelligent readership. I'm sorry if these current developments mean that I'm going to have to say goodbye to much of that, but to me it feels necessary. Looking like a shrill, over-reactive prima donna is something I can live with. Compromising my integrity to appease a bunch of political thugs is something I can't.
As many CBG correspondents have helpfully pointed out, this leaves me with one clear course of action: I have some stout and stylish footwear upon my feet, and I know where the door is.
In the end, these may be the only "rights" that any of us can truly depend on.

More content here: TCJ n. 118 interview.

Marvelman by Mark Buckingham

Art by MARK BUCKINGHAM.

Above, a great Miracleman sketch that the fantastic MARK BUCKINGHAM drew for me during Bristol Con 2003 in the special plate he created for the event.
Grazie, Mark! :) Kimota for all!

Promethea by José Villarrubia

Art by José Villarrubia.

Above, a fantastic Promethea sketch that José Villarrubia drew for me during Bristol Con 2002.

Villarrubia is a stunning multi-talented artist, well known in the comic book industry for his amazing work as colorist. With Alan Moore, he has produced two illustrated books, Voice of the Fire and The Mirror of Love, both published by Top Shelf Productions.

Alan Moore by Mark Buckingham

Art by MARK BUCKINGHAM.

Above, the awesome portrait drawn by the amazing MARK BUCKINGHAM as contribution to the sold-out  Alan Moore: Portrait of an Extraordinary Gentleman (2003, Abiogenesis Press, page 87) to celebrate Moore's 50th birthday.

On technology, Kindle and iPad

Alan Moore in Promethea n.30.
J.H. Williams III (artist), M. Gray (inking assist), J. Villarrubia and J. Cox: colors.

Excerpt from The Honest Alan Moore Interview – Part 1 (here also Part 2 and Part 3), 2011:

Alan Moore: I’ve got very little connection to technology at all. I’m pretty Amish in most of my approach to technology. Anything after the horse and buggy, I’m a bit suspicious of. I can see that for some people having a Kindle would be a real benefit. I can also see the state of my home, which is pretty much surrendered to books. Me and Melinda, we make our living space around the books. But I kind of like that. I wouldn’t prefer in a million years to have all of them – and I’m pretty sure I couldn’t have all of them – downloaded on a Kindle. Because they’ve got an artefact value. I’ve got first editions that have got beautiful illustrations or are signed; it’s all part of the mystique of books to me. Perhaps people would argue that that’s not necessarily relevant, but I think our emotional attachment to an object is a part of all this.

Like I say, I’m not against electronic books per se. I don’t think they’re the downfall of civilisation or the end of literacy. I just tend to have quite a lot of faith in the book itself as the publishing world equivalent of a shark. Sharks have not evolved in millions and millions of years simply because they haven’t had to. They were pretty much perfect to start with. And I feel the same way about books. I doubt that published books are going to go anywhere any time soon.

I can see that the people actually producing technology, such as Kindle and iPad, these are always the people who are telling us that we have to have these things. And being the type of creatures that we are, a fair number of us will naturally fall into that, will perhaps assume that as a status symbol it’s much better to be seen reading a Kindle than a dog-eared paperback. Although I will note that the last two or three times I’ve taken train journeys, everybody around me was sitting round reading a dog-eared paperback. I tend to think that for most people the idea of the book, with its easy portability, where you can turn the corner of a page down, where you are basically working with ordinary, reflected light rather than screen radiance, I think that the book will end up as the reading method of choice.

Check The Honest Alan Moore Interview – Part 1 - Part 2 and Part 3

Call & Response by Carla Speed McNeil

Art by Carla Speed McNeil.

Below, "Call & Response", the amazing 3-page story (I looove it!) created by the great American cartoonist and comic book artist CARLA SPEED McNEIL as contribution to the sold-out Alan Moore: Portrait of an Extraordinary Gentleman published in 2003 by Abiogenesis Press.

For more info about the artist, visit her site HERE.

 

Art by Carla Speed McNeil.