Alan Moore: Conversations

Conversations with Artists

by Eric L. Berlatsky (Editor)

British comics writer Alan Moore (b. 1953) has a reputation for equal parts brilliance and eccentricity. Living hermit-like in the same Midlands town for his entire life, he supposedly refuses contact with the outside world while creating his strange, dense comics, fiction, and performance art. While Moore did declare himself a wizard on his fortieth birthday and claims to have communed with extradimensional beings, reticence and seclusion have never been among his eccentricities. On the contrary, for long stretches of his career Moore seemed to be willing to chat with all comers: fanzines, industry magazines, other artists, newspapers, magazines, and personal websites. Well over one hundred interviews in the past thirty years serve as testimony to Moore's willingness to be engaged in productive conversation. Alan Moore: Conversations includes ten substantial interviews, beginning with Moore's first published conversation, conducted by V for Vendetta cocreator David Lloyd in 1981. The remainder cover nearly all of his major works, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, Swamp Thing, Marvelman, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Promethea, From Hell, Lost Girls, and the unfinished Big Numbers. While Moore's personal life and fraught business relations are discussed occasionally, the interviews chosen are principally devoted to Moore's creative practices and techniques, along with his shifting social, political, and philosophical beliefs. As such, Alan Moore: Conversations should add to any reader's enjoyment and understanding of Moore's work.

Genres: Comics, Nonfiction, Biography, Ebooks, Graphic Novels Comics, Comix, Writing

240 pages, Paperback

First published September 13, 2011

About the author

Eric L. Berlatsky is associate professor of English at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. He is the author of The Real, the True, and the Told: Postmodern Historical Narrative and the Ethics of Representation.

Reviews

[?0?0?0 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another must-own interview-with-artist book, this time it's Alan Moore. Moore speaks about writing, art, philosophy, magic, sex, history, politics, and pretty much everything else. The way he talks about what he does when writing a comic strip I can only imagine is very invaluable to those wanting to do the same thing and that's but one small part of what makes this a compelling read you don't want to end. So, if you're a fan of Mr. Moore's work, this "Conversations" book by Eric L. Berlatsky needs to be read. I just wish there was more on "From Hell" but the pages and pages devoted to "Lost Girls" makes up for it.

[Chris Neumann · Rating 5 out of 5]

A series of 10 in-depth interviews with Alan Moore. Concepts of comic creation, mythology, and magic are just some of the discussed topics. A great read for anyone interested in comic books or the history of the medium. Also, I read this book backwards, from the most recent interview to the very first interview in 1981. It gave an interesting take on the writer that he is now versus the writer that he used to be. Good stuff. And thanks, David!

[Nihal Vrana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first few interviews were not very good. It was due to the interviewers though, they seemed to be intimidated by him and tried to be "wise" with him. But the last three were amazing, particularly due to Moore's age at the time of the interviews and his "to hell with you" attitude as he was out of hte mainstream comics by then. They were wonderful.

Alan Moore has a big influence on me as a person, when I was 19 I spent 1 month of my life trying to understand how Watchmen was constructed. I remember spending a sleepless night in awe of From Hell. I wish I had the chance to meet with him in person, but this book at least provided me with a kind of an insight into his habits mostly, how he approaches to literature and his enthusiasm about what he does. If you are interested in his work, this book is worth checking.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Moore's work in comics, and his novel Voice of the Fire. But it's his interviews I've loved reading the most over the years, both in print magazines and the web. And now thankfully (hallelujah!) they are printed in book form. Great collection.

[Penny · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a book of interviews with Alan Moore. You know what you're getting into.

The editing is good.

[Woody · Rating 4 out of 5]

really something to have as a reference at hand over months or years. read in a library copy over the course of a year. will be buying for my own shelves in time. dense, funny, fascinating.

[Susan Bin · Rating 5 out of 5]

*icona pop voice* i dont care i love it