still knows the
tlctcctiw oncc tht'cu oil a \xatcrlall in (icrntan). N that laxt commcnt ix a littlc ct’_\ptic. \kcll that‘x a motlc \loot‘c hax ctnplo} ctl throughout The [tactic onc that gcncratcx a grcat tlcal ol' hnmnnr \xhilc pt‘mitling lhc xcricx \\lllt a highl} litct'ar} hcnt.
'Ilit' /,(‘(l'\’ll(' (if I'.\II'(IHI'(/I'I1tll'\' (it'nl/wm'n ix Moot'c‘x tnoxt cclchratctl \Hit‘lx xincc 'I'lit' Hair/mun But it‘x jttxt nnc M a ntnnhcr ol titlcx hc'x hccn chttrning ottt l'or hix nun imprint. :\tncrica'x cht ('omicx. llou tlocx thix almoxt Stigma-old tnan tnanagc xi\ xcparatc comic lillcx ax \xcll protlttcing mnllimctlia c\cntx. xpokcn unrtl (‘l )x and thc occaxional hook (hix lit‘xl no\c|. lit/("c (if l'ilil't'. tlclailx lhtittxantlx tilt _\cat‘x til. hixtot'} nl' hix homctnun. Northhamptnni on an ongoing haxix'.’ Magic. matc. that'x him.
\\'hcn .\loorc tnrncd 4() in I‘M} hc annnttnccd hc \\;lx going to hccomc a tnagician. llc'x xaitl hc \\ ax itth ha\ing a laugh. but \xhcn c\cr_\nnc took him xcriottxl} hc had to acquaint himxcll qllickl} \xith thc occult artx. .\'o\\atla_\x tnagic ix a major part ol’ hix lil‘c: hc \\t)l‘xlilpx a xnakc god and tlcxcrihcx hix \\Ul'l(l\lL‘\\ ax hcing magic-oricntatctl. llc xccx tnagic and art ax tun xitlcx ol' thc xamc coin thoth crcatc xomcthing ont nl‘ nothing). and it'x magic that gchx him thc inxpiration antl L‘ltcl‘g)‘ It) hc xti prolil'ic. 'l‘hat xaitl. Mont'c hopcx to l‘inixh all hix mainxtrcam comicx \xriting h} thc cnd ol‘ thc _\‘car xo hc can lull} tlL‘tliL‘itlL‘ hlmxcll lt) hccnming a tnagician.
You’d hc ltil'gi\cn l‘Ul' thinking. ax man)‘ do. that Moorc i.x a madman or a mad gcnittx. But _\Ulhtl hc xttrprixctl. l)cxpitc hix rampant itnagination and \\ iltl \Vl/ill'kil'}. hc‘x a down-to—carth hlokc. Hc xtill li\'cx in hix homcton'n. ln thc .xamc tcrracc honxc. in tact. \xhcrc hc grc“ tip in xomcthing cloxc to powt't}. llc'x not a rcclttxc. although hix hotnc hax hccn tlcxcrihctl ax looking likc a .xtntlcnt xquat.
In appcarancc Moorc lookx likc. \\c|l. _\cx. a \Vl/ill'ti. llc'x tall and hig httilt \Vllll long-hc)ontl—thc-xhoultlcrx dark hair and largc hL‘dl'tl 10 match. Hix \‘UlL‘L‘ hax hccn dcxct'ilk‘tl ax ‘hihlical' in rcxonancc. But othcr than that hc'x a nortnal
hlokc. itnaginati\'c. lihcral. ma}hc. hut nortnal. Still. nonc ol'
that xtnpx thc rttmonr mongcrx. M} l‘a\ouritc ix that .\loorc can't rcttn'n to thc l'nitctl Statcx hccattxc hc‘x on thc (‘l.'\'x \Vlllltcd lixt thankx tn an nnlinixhcd cotnic xct'icx. lining/II to Light. which i.x hill of thc kintl nl~ grantl conxpirac} thcoricx \\ ith which 'I'lu' .\'-I*t'/t's madc itx namc.
.\loorc \\'l‘llc.\ ol't' thc Brought to Light al'lair ax mcrc \Vixhl'nl thinking. Anyway hc xa_\x thc norltl‘x too chaotic a placc l'or conxpiracicx tn thrixc. .'\.\kL‘Ll in onc intcr\ icu \\ hat he thought of hix rcputation ax a mad gcninx. hc rcplicd hc \Vonltln't mintl hcing tantaxixctl about it pcoplc \xcrc mnrc imaginatn'c.
'l‘hc Prohlcm. ol’ courxc. ix it'x not xo much .\loorc'x l‘cttilc imagination that l‘uclx thc t‘umonrx. nor hix ccccntric appcat'ancc or for that mattcr hix intcrcxt in magic. hut hix \Vixh l‘or privac}. llc docxn't gix'c man} intcrxicu x. .-\ct likc
DRUG GIBBOHS
‘THE SPANDEX REMAINED BUT THE HEROES HAD POT- BELLIES'
At least a dozen titles by Moore are being published this year - plus a movie adaptation of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen — before he gives it all up for magic
that iii a cclclMilixcxxctl ctillttrc antl c-\ct"\otic lrom totnnaltxtx to lan—hn}x \xill tlrcam tip xhit )ott \tottltln‘t licltcxc. \llti \\hcrc tlocx that |ca\c thc artixtfl’ lt \\Hlllti hc .t tcrtthlc xltatnc tm- xomconc ol \lnnt'c'x otttxtantling talcntx to lic knoun h} rttmnttr rathcr than [irnlcxxional tcptttatinn. \\ hat tlic licll tlocx it mattcr \\hcthcr or not .\lan \lootc tx a xt\ loot. hcattlctl tlt‘ttitl \thn unrxhipx a xnakc aml ix \xantctl h} thc (‘l \’ \Vhat‘x important ix hox an innnxator tn thc \ktillti ol cntmcx. at'gttahl} lhc lincxt talcnt \torking in thc mctlttttn.
Still. \tith rctit‘cmcnt l'rom comicx to tltc \korltl o1 magic immancnt thc \xantx to \\l'llc‘ a grimotr. a magtcian'x honki. hcxl cnlt‘} :\lan \lont‘c \xhilc hc xtill knon x thc xcorc.
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen goes on general release 17 Oct. A number of Moore titles have recently been published or will be soon by Titan Books. These include: The Absolute League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (£75, out now); Across the Universe: The DC Strories of Alan Moore (£12, 19 Sep); and Swamp Thing Reunion (21 Aug, £13).
THE LIST 7