Steve Gerber on Miracleman and Moore

Cover art by Garry Leach

Excerpt from the introduction written by American comic book writer Steve Gerber for Miracleman Book One, published by Eclipse in 1988.

[...] There is, however, a scene in this book that stayed with me since I first read it almost seven years ago, and a line in that scene that's equally unforgettable.
Mike Moran, having recently rediscovered his super-human abilities, is placed in the awkward position of having to explain to his wife Liz that is, in effect, a living cartoon. [...] When Liz reacts the only way any reasonable human being would, with involuntary giggles, you can hear those, too.
The voices are real, and so are the emotions. Poor Mike can barely believe the words he's speaking; poor Liz doesn't want to snicker, but can't help herself.
Finally, overcome with embarrassment and frustration, Mike explodes: "Damn you, Liz, you are laughing at my life!"
When I read that bit of dialogue, I knew Alan Moore was to become one of the most important writers in comics.
[...] What impressed me was that Moore had actually thought about the characters --- and understood them. [...]

Steve Gerber
Burbank, California
August 31, 1988