Alan Moore, the V for Vendetta movie, etc.

[hermionesviolin]

Hey, ghostintheshell [and/or anyone else], thoughts?

THE most vivid characters in Alan Moore's graphic novels are antiheroes of ambiguous morality and identity: costumed avengers like Rorschach, the disturbed street vigilante of "Watchmen," or the crusader known only by the letter V, who commits catastrophic acts of terrorism in the dystopian tale "V for Vendetta."

With inventions like these, and a body of writing that spans nearly three decades, Mr. Moore, a 52-year-old native of Northampton, England, distinguished himself as a darkly philosophical voice in the medium of comic books — a rare talent whose work can sell solely on the strength of his name. But if Mr. Moore had his way today, his name would no longer appear on almost any of the graphic novels with which he is most closely associated. "I don't want anything more to do with these works," he said in a recent telephone interview, "because they were stolen from me — knowingly stolen from me."

In Mr. Moore's account of his career, the villains are clearly defined: they are the mainstream comics industry — particularly DC Comics, the American publisher of "Watchmen" and "V for Vendetta" — which he believes has hijacked the properties he created, and the American film business, which has distorted his writing beyond recognition. To him, the movie adaptation of "V for Vendetta," which opens on Friday, is not the biggest platform yet for his ideas: it is further proof that Hollywood should be avoided at all costs. "I've read the screenplay," Mr. Moore said. "It's rubbish."

[...]

In 2001, the first film adaptation of one of Mr. Moore's graphic novels arrived in theaters. "From Hell," distributed by 20th Century Fox, was based on his extensively researched account of the Jack the Ripper murders, a 572-page black-and-white title illustrated by Eddie Campbell. Mr. Moore had no creative participation in the film, and happily so. "There was no way that I would be able to be fair to it," he said. "I did not wish to be connected with it, and regarded it as something separate to my work. In retrospect, this was kind of a naïve attitude."

[...]

But Mr. Moore does not seem likely to change his mind this time. For one thing, his schedule is almost entirely consumed with other comics projects, including a new volume of "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen," to be released in late 2006 or early 2007 by the American publisher Top Shelf Productions. This summer, Mr. Moore said, Top Shelf will also be publishing "Lost Girls," his 16-years-in-the-making collaboration with Ms. Gebbie, a series of unrepentantly pornographic adventures told by the grown-up incarnations of Wendy Darling of "Peter Pan," Alice of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and Dorothy Gale of "The Wizard of Oz." "I refuse to call it erotica, because that just sounds like pornography for people who've got more money," Mr. Moore said. "It would seem to be possible to come up with a kind of pornography that was meaningful and beautiful, not ugly."

Ms. Gebbie said she was more excited to see Mr. Moore finish his novel "Jerusalem," another years-long project that he estimates will total 750 pages when complete. "It's his story, his heritage, his blood ties and his amazing, wonderful system of beliefs," Ms. Gebbie said. "This book for him is an unfolding of his real, deep self."

But Mr. Moore suggested that his comic-book writing has already defined his identity. He recalled an encounter with a fan who asked him to sign a horrific issue of his 1980's comic "The Saga of the Swamp Thing"; the admirer then disclosed that he was a special effects designer for the television series "CSI: NY." "Every time you've got an ice pick going into someone's brain, and the close-ups of the little spurting ruptured blood vessels, and that horrible squishing sound, that's him," Mr. Moore said. "So that's something I can be proud of. This is my legacy."

Comments

[samfeasor.livejournal.com]

What sort of thoughts would you like? I'm really excited for the movie, even though it'll be an unfaithful adaptation. I hope they never adapt Watchmen, because I can't imagine perserving anything from that book in any meaningful way. But I could be wrong.

I think Alan Moore is an angry man that's always been a bit odd. But it's his right. It's his work, and I suppose he ought to be able to tell us how we can enjoy it. I get the sense he's the sort of fellow that wouldn't much like fanfiction, and I tend not to have as much respect for those people, despite the amazing things they create. That's conjecture, though.

Maybe I'll leave the movie going, "Alan Moore was right," but I don't think so. I think V looks pretty solid, if not completely faithful, as an adaptation. I didn't see From Hell, and I never read The League fo Extraordinary Gentlemen, so I can't say it's fair for me to compare. But look at the amazing movie that they turned Sin City into (or, earlier, The Crow). Frank Miller was just as wary as Alan Moore. Well, maybe not just as.

Anyway. I think you'll get most of my thoughts after I see the movie. 'Til then I'm generally excited, with a side of "oh, look at that eccentric Alan Moore getting all sorts of attention for hating the new movie."

[hermionesviolin.livejournal.com]

I guess mostly I was wondering whether it seemed like the movie was gonna do a good job adapting the original -- though I know you're excited about the movie. I hadn't heard of the story before you started talking about the upcoming movie. (I'm now on an ILL waitlist for the graphic novel.) And since I know basically nothing about Moore I guess I was sort of looking for a weigh-in on what he was saying -- which you did a good job of. And while I'm not much for page-to-screen adaptations, someone who was all "omg fanfic no" would definitely lose some serious points with me.

I hadn't realized From Hell (which I haven't seen) or The Crow (which I have) were graphic novels originally. I saw League not realizing either (it just looked fun) and I read the graphic novels afterward and there are definitely some major differences between the two but I actually really enjoy both (a serious rarity for me, and influenced I'm sure by the fact that I saw the movie first and am usually attached to the first way I experience a narrative).