Lost Ant Man

On his newsletter, Tom Brevoort posted again the script that Moore wrote for his contribution to Heroes, a benefit book published by Marvel in the aftermath of the 9-11 attacks in 2001. We talked about it here. But this time he added something more:

I did later make an attempt to convince Alan to write FANTASTIC FOUR, unsuccessfully—he did have an interest in doing ANT-MAN, though I was never quite certain whether we could sell it in sufficient quantities to make it worth pursuing, and it never came together in any event. But I bet his Ant-Man would have been mind-blowing. - Tom Brevoort

You can read Brevoort's newsletter HERE.

The Ballad of Halo Jones stage productions

Flyer for Halo Jones Play, 1988

The Ballad Of Halo Jones has been adapted for the stage on a number of occasions. The first adaptation was performed by In The Red Theatre Company around the UK in 1988, the second one at the Edinburgh Festival in 2001, a third one at the Lass o' Gowrie in Manchester in 2012, then another in Leeds in November of 2012. 

 

You can get essential info HERE and HERE. Additional info here and here. Enjoy!

In The Red Theatre Company stage production programme (page 2)

Now we are all in Guernica

Tom Brevoort posted on Twitter the script that Moore wrote for his contribution to Heroes, a book published by Marvel Comics paying tribute to those who attempted to save lives on 9-11. See below.

The published art was by Dave Gibbons even if it's interesting to notice that the page wasn't written by Moore for Gibbons but for any artist who might be assigned.

 

More info here and here. 

Supreme and... Miracleman?

Excerpt from Kimota! The Miracleman Companion by George Khoury, published by TwoMorrows in 2001 (page 23).

Alan Moore: [...] I did have a vague idea that at one point, I remember talking to Rick Veitch: "Wouldn't it be cool if we maybe did a run of SUPREME where Supreme decides to journey to the absolute limits of reality?" Not just to the end of the universe but the limits of reality to try and find out about the nature of this strange form of reality that his universe existed with these constant revisions and the existence of Supremacy and things like that. And I got some mad idea--I don't know how I would have tied it in--that wouldn't it be cool if Supreme reached some place at the end of the universe and went into this room and there was Miracleman and maybe Rick Veitch's Maximortal and two or three other kinda clones of existing super-heroes, all trying to find the answer to the same problem, "Where are we? What are we?" That was the last time that I actually thought maybe it would be fun to have Miracleman turn up in a story. But that's never going to happen.

Source: Forgotten Awesome blog

ABC time: I'm potentially explosive

Excerpt from an interview by Brad Stone posted on CBR site on the 22nd October 2001.
The complete interview is available here.

CBR: Tell us about the conception of Top Ten [an NYPD Blue-like story about a police department of super-heroes in a city where everyone has supernatural powers.]
Moore: I remember being a kid in the early 60s. And Batman got a computer. He put in facts and got punch type. Mr. Fantastic, Man from Uncle, all these superheroes got computers. It was part of their super powers. Now everyone has computers. And soon we'll all be hovering, if forecasts are to be believed. Compared to where we were in 1960, we are all super heroes now, and we still can't solve our problems. We still have disasters even though we can sum up more computing power than even Isaac Asimov imagined. That's the appeal of Top 10. It's a fantastic city full of unbelievable people, what a modern urban city feels like.

I was a big fan of Homicide and NYPD Blue. And I was thinking about [comics about] superhero groups, why they don't work. But Steven Bochco seems to be able to handle huge casts of characters very well. So I was thinking it through. Why don't groups work? Hill Street Blues works. So what if you could have a superhero cop book - at that point the light came on. It can be really funny and you can talk about stuff you cant talk about in super hero books. Like the prejudice against robots. Joe Pi [a police robot] - I'm really pleased with him. It's fun playing against type.

In the next chapter, if there is one, they'll go to Tin Town. The robots are all wearing cogs around their neck. And we have Malcolm Ten as a robot with his own ideas on how machines are treated, and saying to Joe Pie, aren't you selling out your brothers?

What are the obstacles to producing more Top Ten?
Well Jim Lee's Wildstorm was bought by DC. It's always precarious. I don't work in harness, I'm obviously a valuable commodity in the comics world. If I start to feel squeezed, I rise up spitting black blood with snakes coming out of my mouth. I'm potentially explosive. I don't trust em. Anytime something could drop and offend me enough to pull the plug. I won't want to do it forever. But another 12 issues of top 10? You can't stop the thoughts and ideas from occurring. I want to find a way to get them out of my system.

And how about your other super hero title, Tom Strong?
I wanted to do something sweet. It's lazy writing. Something about simplicity which seems to be what people enjoy. Surprisingly, I keep getting these bravery letters for putting in an interracial marriage. There aren't many mixed relations in comics. Since 1939, apart from the X-men, which was ambiguous, it hasn't happened. I hadn't thought about that. How shameful that is. How backward this medium is.

So the other title that seems to be very close to your heart is Promethea [which explores Moore's own fascination with magic and the land where ideas and myths take shape.]

Yes it's a thinly disguised magical rant, that you know you know that just happens to look a bit like a comic book. I'm really enjoying that.

The complete interview is available here.

A Chronology of Everything (almost)

Below, a timeline created by Alan Moore & Steve Moore for the Quality Universe, the shared universe for the Warrior's characters such as Marvelman, V, Alex Pressbutton, the Warpsmiths, and so on.

It was written some time between the SSI newsletter in 1981 and Miracleman n.16 in 1989 or later but it's possible that it was completed before October 1983 when it was mentioned (or something very similar) in Dreams of Empire Nightmares of Pressbutton, an illustrated article written by Pedro Henry and published in Warrior n.14.

[...] some time back I got together with the large and impressive Alan Moore to talk all this out (“Alan Moore", incidentally, is not a pseudonym for Pedro Henry).
Eventually we managed to write the entire history of the universe in under two pages, which we've been using ever since. This way, everything should tie in neatly together without you having to buy a separate book to find out which dimension each story's set in. We hope ...

[Pedro Henry (pseudonym of Steve Moore), Warrior n.14, October 1983]

The original text resurfaced for the first time in Kimota! The Miracleman Companion (2001) by the extraordinary George Khoury.

A CHRONOLOGY OF EVERYTHING (ALMOST)

by Alan Moore & Steve Moore

A "Quality Universe" Timeline by Alan Moore & Steve Moore

1400 - Renaissance of Firedrake activity on Earth (growing stronger over following centuries)

1700 - The Chronarchy (a race like Earth-2 Time Lords) attack the Warpsmiths of Hod. Warpsmiths wipe out all but a few of the Chronarchy with Death-Cats, the ultimate weapon provided by the Rhordru Makers.

1911 - Emil Gargunza born in Rio de Janiero.

1933 - The Qys (the race of body-changers - the Marvelman prototype race) become aware of Firedrake activity on Earth and launch expedition. Takes 15 years to reach Earth from Rigel (540 light years away).

1938- Gargunza starts working for the Nazis.

1940 - Mickey Moran born.

1941 - Dicky Dauntless born.

1944 - Gargunza defects to Allies.

1947 - Johnny Bates born.

1948 - Qys expedition crashes on Earth.

1952 - Project Zarathrustra (the Marvelman project) begins under Gargunza.

1954- Mickey Moran and Dicky Dauntless chosen for Proj. Z.

1956 - Johnny Bates chosen. Gargunza starts building Fate Computer.

1962 - Marvelman Family "released" by Gargunza. Fate completed.

1963 - Gargunza sussed, flees to Paraguay. Marvelman Family destroyed. Second Qys expedition arrives on Earth.

1966 - Mike and Liz Moran marry.

1982 - Marvelman reborn.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

 ALTERNATIVE REALITY ONE

1982 - Marvelman not reborn.

1988 - World War III.

1992 - Fascist take-over of Britain, controlled by Fate.

1997 - V debuts.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

1983 - Qys and Warpsmiths establish ambassadors on Earth. Marvelman's daughter born.

1984 - "Challenger Force" established, Silence built.

1985 - Return of Kid Marvelman.

1989 - Marvelman and Marvelwoman marry. Marvelman's son born.

2300 - Warpsmiths begin to take over Earth, providing more and more "advisors." Fate Computer "goes into hiding" and learns.

2350 - Marvelman descendants leave Earth, head off into space. Warpsmiths begin to purge Earth of super-heroes.

2400 - Warpsmiths take over Earth and reduce it to colony.

2450- Earthmen resentful, Chronarch agents stir up trouble.

2470 - Uprising on Earth (set up by Chronarchs). Large numbers of Warpsmiths come to Earth to settle trouble. Earth/Chronarch saboteurs damage Warp battery on Hod, marooning Warpsmiths on Earth. Qys attack and destroy Hod, using time-weapons provided by Chronarchs and urged on by same. Qys return home. Warpsmiths from Earth attack Qys homeworld with death-cats. Qys and Warpsmiths annihilated or reduced to negligible number.

2480 - Rhordru Makers clean up mess left by death-cats.

2700 - Remaining Chronarchs withdraw into the far-reaches of the time/space universe. Fate Computer comes out of hiding and uses all the knowledge and alien technology it's learned to help Earth recover and expand to nearby stars. No major alien races threaten Earth now.

2891 - Fate reveals itself to a lady of the back-streets on Sirius planet. Fate makes her Empress Selene I, sets up a puppet Empire over all the Terran Worlds; a Theocratic Matriarchy. "First Empire" (23 Empresses, 2 Emperors) grows rapidly, later regarded as "Golden Age." Sirius planet renamed "Capitol." Empire expands to take in most of Western Spiral Arm of the Galaxy.

3600 - The Rhordru Makers, feeling threatened by Fate, give it an electronic nervous disease which slowly eats through its circuits, over thousands/millions of years, finally sending it crazy. Fate withdraws from interaction with humans for some time while attempting to cure disease. It manages to stay it considerably, but can't cure it completely. Unguided, First Empire goes into decline, due to unwieldy size and advancing decadence.

3802 - First Empire breaks up; partitioned into two major states (remnant of Selenite Empire and a confederation called the "Helix of Yi") plus minor breakaway states. Helix of Yi remains stable; Selenite Empire fragments further.

3940 - Start of civil wars.

3980 - Selenite Empire falls. "Capitol" burned by Helixiaca (a major cultural crime). Fate goes underground and out of sight.

3990 - "Second Empire," grown out of Helix of Yi, gains control of 80% of human worlds.

4123 - "Depravity" the sin world established.

4470 - Collapse of Second Empire, when chief seats of government decimated by alien plague; barbarism and chaos; billions slaughtered.

4530 - Ektryn the War Woman born Naglfar.

4562 - Ektryn encased in silver.

4580 - Dendrellian assassins formed.

4800 - Barbarism ends; numerous local states, ranging in size from 1 to 100 star systems, all independent but loosely confederated in that they are all human; free travel, free trade; "Merchant Princes" are powerful figures; money talks. After barbarism, live-and-let-live...

5057 - Axel Pressbutton born.

5076 - Mysta Nystralis cloned.

5086 - Mysta destroys Dendrellian assassins.

5087 - Pressbutton eaten alive by Vegan Green Fungus.

5089 - Mysta and Pressbutton meet on Crmuz.

5094 - Mysta and Pressbutton part company.

5096 - Foobl's bar established on the planet Barfo.

5103 - Pressbutton meets Dingbunger & Mupdook on Zutzbas.

5104 - Pressbutton and Mysta meet again on Depravity.

5105 - Pressbutton parts company with McGurk, Dingbunger, etc.

5111 - Pressbutton and McGurk killed on Zilchtron.

MILLIONS OF YEARS LATER...

Crippled Fate Computer sets itself up on Earth in Castle Core, where the disease rapidly eats its brain.

War with the Wur.

Castle Core flips out and cuts off Earth from rest of universe.

Jay Verlane arrives on Earth with Fylar...

The Magician by Eddie Campbell

Art by Eddie Campbell.

Above, a mesmerizing little sketch portrait of Moore by Eddie Campbell. 

If I remember well it was drawn during the first edition of Romics convention, in 2001. In that occasion Campbell won the Romics D'oro award.

So... this is the first entry in my collection of Bearded portraits.

DAILY MOORE [11]

Art by Melinda Gebbie.
From: Glory n. 1.
First edition: 2001, Avatar Press.

Alan Moore by Marcello Albano

Art by Marcello Albano.

Above, a portrait of Alan Moore by Italian comic book writer and artist Marcello Albano.

Marcello was a friend of mine, a gentleman, a great soul, a musician and a real comics lover and expert. He suddenly passed away in 2017 and... I miss him a lot.

In the past days I found two CDs and letters he sent me in 2001 full of his works and drawings. One of the CD cover is the Alan Moore portrait you can see above. It is dedicated to my old comics site Ultrazine.

Marcello was an admirer of Moore's works with a huge interest for esotericism. He also contributed with a short text to the Alan Moore: Portrait book (read here) I co-edited in 2003.

Jay Stephens: ABC and Alan Moore

Art by Jay Stephens.

Above an illustration by Canadian cartoonist JAY STEPHENS featuring several characters from Alan Moore's America's Best Comics; also below a short homage text by Stephens.
The pieces were both published in May 2001 on Ultrazine.org special dedicated to Moore. 

       I was fifteen years old when WATCHMEN hit comics like an ice age. Now there would always be a before and an after. By that time, my friends and I had graduated to reading Love and Rockets, Mr.X, and Yummy Fur, but we still managed to find time for our old favourites, the superheroes. Suddenly, we were struck by a single comic that gave it to us all at once. The comic that blew up the genre. WATCHMEN.
    
In hindsight it's no longer my favourite work of Alan Moore's (though it still holds up very well). Anybody with a sharp knife can cut something to pieces. Elegantly, meticulously, it doesn't ultimately make a difference. Diced is diced. A good surgeon, however, learns to use a sharp knife with great skill to repair and heal. To build instead of destroy. It is the fantastic surgical skill that Mr. Moore has displayed recently that so impresses me.
       
FROM HELL is a stitched together work of art the likes of which comics had yet to behold, and the incredible ABC books... who among us had NOT uttered the phrase " It's all been done.", in connection to superheroes? Proven wrong again by one of the medium true masters.
He's no longer tinkering with the bowels of corpses, but constructing strange, new Prometheans that walk and breathe with life of their own. And it is a thing of wonder to behold.
       
Thank you Alan Moore.

Jay Stephens
[December 2000]

A matter of passion

Alan Moore by  Spanish artist Mario Rivière.

Below, a short piece I wrote for the Alan Moore Special published in August 2001 on Ultrazine.org (the site is not reachable anymore).

A matter of passion

In a recent interview [originally here; the link is not available anymore] answering a "what is comics for you?" question, Mr. Alan Moore said: "Comics is for me an art form which is of tremendous importance but which is largely marginalized, is seen as unimportant. The more I look at comics, the more interesting they become. It strikes me that comics are perhaps the original human art form, that a sequence of pictures telling a story has got to be one of the oldest forms of language, whether you're talking about Egyptian hieroglyphics or Chinese ideograms. [...] There's still such a lot that could be done with comics, still new forms that can be achieved and imagined. I've been doing them for twenty years; I'm nowhere near reaching the limit of what comics can do. [...] Even if the spotlight of public attention moves away, that won't faze me in the slightest. It's still a form I can see potential in, it probably sounds arrogant but that's the only person I'm interested in. If I can see the potential there, there's potential there, it doesn't matter if other people can't see it. In fact, I'd probably rather I was the only one who could see it; there'd be more for me, all the more unbroken ground. [...] I cannot imagine a point in the future where I will completely abandon comics for another media. I think there's enough there for me to continue working with different combinations of words and images for the rest of my days. It's a boundless ocean that I could get lost in; I would really like to see a few more people taking the plunge."

Among these words we can find the key to understand.
The starting point to comprehend the true power of the best writer comic art has ever had.
In these words all becomes clear and we can feel, as a tangible thing, the passion Mr. Moore has for the comics medium. This passion is the natural propelling force he uses to imagine words and worlds.

It's passion that feeds technique and structure, that gives him the input to ideate anomalous comics masterpieces such as Watchmen, V for Vendetta, From Hell.

It's passion that makes him happy to play with minor toys such as Supreme or Mr. Majestic breathing in them a shining life.

It's passion that moves his respect for the audience and the artists. It's this passion that gives him the impulse to put on paper thousands of words to describe a single panel.

And again it's this inextinguishable feeling that guides Mr. Moore in the deep waters of comics ocean while all the others stay around the coasts.

Long life to the long-haired bearded Genius and... long life to comic art!

smoky man, August 2001

Jim Starlin on Alan Moore

Page from Supreme - The Return Vol.1 No.2. Art by Jim Starlin.

Below, a short text written by comics legend JIM STARLIN, published online in August 2001 as contribution to the Ultrazine.org Alan Moore Special (the site is not reachable anymore).

I think of Alan as arguably the best writer of comics today.

I've always admired the way he's structures a story and his characterization.

I've only had one opportunity to work with Alan [on Supreme - The Return Vol.1 No.2, Awesome Entertainment, 1999 - editor's note] and that went badly because of the unprofessional behavior of the publisher.

I sincerely hope that someday I'll be able to collaborate with him on another project.

But in the meantime I'll just look forward to reading whatever his fertile mind produces, like all other comic fans. [Jim Starlin, August 2001]

Page from Supreme - The Return Vol.1 No.2. Art by Jim Starlin.

AM Portrait: Rorschach and Ladytron

Art by Stefano Raffaele

From Alan Moore: Portrait of an Extraordinary Gentleman: Rorschach (plus Alan Moore, above) and Ladytron (plus Moore and some elements from V for Vendetta and Watchmen, below). Respectively from page 172 and page 238 of the sold-out book I co-edited with Gary Spencer Millidge in 2003.
Both illustrations have been drawn by acclaimed Italian artist STEFANO RAFFAELE and posted on this blog with the artist's permission. Raffaele has worked for the most important Italian, American and French comics publishing houses. In recent years he has often collaborated with writer Christophe Bec on series like Pandemonium, Sarah and Under. He also wrote and drew the horror-romance Fragile.

Art by Stefano Raffaele