Alan Moore: Portrait of an Extraordinary Gentleman

Quote
"Well, frankly, I was afraid wearing a monocle might make me look a bit odd." (Page 37)

Alan Moore: A Portrait of an Extraordinary Gentleman is a hodgepodge of various stories, articles, and drawings, all written by various members of the comic/science fiction world. All stories of course, revolve around the life and times of the famous Alan Moore, graphic novelist extraordinaire. The quote above was recalled by one Len Wein, the creator of Swamp Thing, and the one time editor in chief of Marvel Comics. Wein is telling the reader about the very first time he met Alan Moore, and what a character he was. Wein describes Moore's outlandish style, what with the unit of hair that covers his head and face, and his wacky thrift store clothes. Wein informs the reader that Moore had recently been to an optometrist who discovered that he had terrible vision in only one eye. Upon the suggestion of purchasing a monocle, Moore replied with the above statement. This interaction seems to me to sum up the personality of Alan Moore, seen throughout the novel.

Connections
Out of all of Alan Moore's crazy antics, there is one thing that I can personally relate to, and that is his work for promoting equality for all couples, including those of the same sex. Moore himself had a very interesting first marriage, which included a third party categorized as a 'mutual lover'. The threesome did a good amount of work promoting the equality that should be offered to same sex couples. As the co-president of my school's Gay-Straight Alliance, I could directly relate to this. I personally fight for equality concerning this particular issue, and finding out that Moore does as well gave me a direct way to connect to the man.

Reaction
When I first opened this novel, I had no clue what to expect. I was personally ready to find tales about the dark, stormy character that was Alan Moore. Was ready to hear authors and illustrators reminisce about the few times they met Alan Moore, and how strange and cryptic his demeanor was. I was quite surprised to hear about how seemingly cheery and joyful he was. I had really expected him to have a dark personality to match the darkness that seeps out of his books. Though Moore is far from what I was expecting, he is still quite a character. His life is full of strange quirks- see the third love partner I mentioned above. Overall, Moore's character interests me; he is by far the most interesting 'celebrity' I've ever had the opportunity to get to know.

Visual Representation
To the right is a photo of Alan Moore himself. Take into account the numerous rings on his fingers, the massive amount of hair that surrounds his entire face, and the almost ominous, all knowing look he is giving the camera. He portrait, to me, really sums up the book deemed his 'autobiography'. The look is eclectic, artistic, and a little bit mad. I feel as though Moore's look really encompasses what you would think the author of novels like From Hell and Watchmen would look like.

Questions
What is Moore's most recognizable work? Since he made his vow to leave the comic community for other activities, has he had any interaction with the comic world? Did his career as a magician ever take off? Does Moore really receive no money from the movies made out of his novels? The proceeds from this book are said to go to charities pursuing cures for Alzheimer's disease, why? Why that specific disease?

Reflection
It seems to me that Alan Moore has led a very interesting life thus far. From his three way relationship with his wife and a third party (who eventually both left him for each other), and his current pursuit of becoming a magician, it seems like he has had a very eclectic and interesting life. Many of the stories written for this compilation were good representations of said eccentricities. Yet some of them were quite dull, and cryptic. Speaking about things the reader may not have understood. I'd also like to point out that the previous owner of this book (I bought it used off of Amazon) left it in good shape, but in possession of a rank smell of body odour and cigarettes, making it very hard to read for long periods of time.

V For Vendetta by Alan Moore- An Analysis

Quote

"Anarchy wears two faces, both creator and destroyer. Thus destroyers topple empires; make a clean canvas of clean rubble where creators can then build a better world." (Moore, 222)

Alan Moore's epic graphic novel, V For Vendetta depicts a fictional totalitarian government that has taken over in the United Kingdom. This government is run by a fascist group called Norsefire, lead by Adam J. Susan. Susan and his cabinet have the entirety of the United Kingdom under their control; the control what their people hear, see, and do, maintaining perfect order through fear. V For Vendetta is the story of a vigilante, considered a terrorist by the government, known

simply as 'V'. V and his apprentice Evey are out to bring down Susan's government, and return the power to the citizens of the United Kingdom. The quote above is a line spoken by V to Evey, as he tries to explain to her his master plan. In my eyes, the quote really sums up the novel. It features the main goal of the text (to bring down totalitarian London) and projects what the characters hope will

happen after the novel is complete (a rebuild of the United Kingdom as a whole, where a democratic government is utilized).

Connections

When reading about the crazy government in V For Vendetta one of the first things to come to mind was the war between people and their government currently happening in Libya. Though no actual fighting takes place between the government and its people takes place in V For Vendetta, there are definitely parallels between the two situations. For example, one of the major laws brought up in V For Vendetta is that of censorship. According to the Freedom of the Press, Libya is the Middle Eastern country suffering from the most censorship. In both cases, parties have risen up against the governments with the hope of overthrowing said government, and returning the power to the people.

Another interesting connection I can make between V For Vendetta and my life is the concept of fear. In the novel, V teaches his apprentice, Evey (or simply Eve after a certain point in the book), to loose every connection between herself and the emotion known as fear. After this, she is able to function more freely as her true anarchistic self. This made me wonder, could the lack of fear make people more apt to try outrageous things? If fear what keeps most people in check? Keeping people from rioting and trying to overthrow any form of government, be it a country's leader, or the local board of directors at a school?

Finally, I'd like to connect V For Vendetta to the world itself. This fictional

totalitarian government came about after a nuclear war that left most of the world disheveled. Isn't nuclear war what people are fearing will soon take place between the world's major nations? If a nuclear war were to break out, would we be plunged into a world filled with fascist governments and brooding anarchists?

Visual Representation

The image to the right is from page 236 of V For Vendetta. These panels portray V speaking to one of Susan's many wingmen, asking him to question what V really means to him as well as the

government. What V is trying to say is that, even if his physical body is destroyed, his very being will not be destroyed. Instead, his ideas and plan will live on through the people of London, and therefore he will never die.

Questions

Would a figure like V rise if any country were to find themselves in the position portrayed in V For Vendetta? Should V be considered a hero? Or do his vicious deeds that include the execution of several people make him a villain? V's true identity is never revealed in the novel, should it have been? Is it truly important who was behind his actions? Or is it more important that the actions were done? Would a city like London really be able to get itself back up on its feet after a disaster like this? Or would the city simply be thrown into chaos without a government?

Reflection

I thought that this graphic novel was fantastic. The thought of a totalitarian United Kingdom was so fascinating. It was a topic that had so much potential, and I believe Moore took advantage of all of it. Another great thing about this novel was the art. I appreciated the use of color in this novel; something that my last read lacked. The drawings were bright and precise, and made it much easier to understand what was going on than the dark, scribble-y pictures in From Hell.Once again, the main drawback of the novel was the lack of clarity concerning the characters. Though it was much easier to keep characters straight in this novel, it still got rather confusing trying to keep the various names and faces straight. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the graphic novel medium. It is a magnificent accomplishment in its industry. I would also encourage those looking to get into or try graphic novels to read V For Vendetta, for it is a great introduction to how great and meaningful the medium can be.

Moore, Alan, and David Lloyd. V for Vendetta. New York: Vertigo, 2005. Print.

From Hell by Alan Moore- An Analysis

Quote

"Laws are like cobwebs, for if anything trifling or powerless falls into them, they hold it fast, but if a thing of any size falls into them it breaks the mesh and escapes." -Anacharsis (c. 600 BCE)

Anacharsis, the philosopher, is quoted at the beginning of chapter twelve of Alan Moore's From Hell, the graphic novel nearing six hundred pages chronicling the life and times of the world's most infamous serial killer: Jack The Ripper. The quote is referring to the novel's floundering police characters who can't seem to figure out who is brutally slaughtering women around Victorian London. A crime so large and vicious, it has simply broken free from the webs of law enforcement, spilling out into society where the public can become involved in the investigation. Society hears the news of this mass murderer, and soon enough there are posers, pretending to be the same serial killer. Authors writing into the police pretending to be the killer (it was even in a fake letter that Jack The Ripper got his name). And finally, people insisting that they can help with the investigation.

Connections
Once again Alan Moore has proven to us all that the graphic novel/comic book medium can be used as a serious method of storytelling; something that can also be seen in his previous works such as Watchmen. Though in this story, Moore brings another rare aspect to the table: a graphic novel that does not feature a superhero, or a character that strives to bring out the best in society. Though, there is some heroic perspective, seen through the eyes of Detective Abberline, the officer in charge of solving the case, the majority of the novel follows Sir William Gull, also known as Jack The Ripper, a psychotic individual who takes an assignment too far and begins murdering innocent women. This concept was very interesting to me, because I am so used to reading texts in which the protagonist is the good guy.

Nowadays if you were to approach anyone on the street and ask them to name the first serial killer that came to their mind, you might hear answers like Ed Gain, Charles Manson, and perhaps even the Zodiac Killer. But the name that you would likely hear the most is Jack The Ripper. A serial killer most people know for his name, but not always for his actions. Before I read this novel, I couldn't tell you much about Jack The Ripper, besides the fact that he was a serial killer from the eighteen hundreds that murdered prostitutes. And of course now I could tell you much more. I found that learning about Jack The Ripper through the graphic novel medium was vastly different then reading up on him online or through one of the many studies of the anonymous killer. The graphic novel allowed me to connect to characters and gave me a better, more vivid understanding on what were believed to be the hallucinations of Jack The Ripper. At times during the novel I even forgot that what I was reading was suppose to be based on a true story.

This novel clearly portrays the fact that the general public is fascinated by brutal happenings. In chapter six, page eighteen, a scene is depicted where a group of people have gathered around the cleared murder scene to gawk. It seems to me that the human race has always been drawn to public spectacles of violence. In the days before the rise of television, this fascination can be seen on occasions like the one in From Hell, where groups would come to see "live coverage" of murders and the like. Today, it's easily seen in the brutal acts of violence portrayed on every television channel through crime shows and violent movies.

Visual Representation
The drawing to the right is an image taken directly from the pages of From Hell. It depicts Sir William Gull and his coachman Netley pulling up next to a lone woman walking on the street. This ominous picture captures the darkness and evil undertones that run throughout the novel. Alone, it can also sum up the majority of the novel by showing Jack The Ripper and one of his many helpless victims.

Questions
How true is this story? Why is society so obsessed with violence? Do things like this happen in our government often, if ever? How would this play out if it happened today? Would this novel be considered creative non-fiction? How much of the meaning in this novel would change if the pictures were different?

Reflection
I thought that this was a brilliant graphic novel. Its complex plot and dark (and at times hard to understand) drawings easily kept my attention throughout the entire book. The one thing that got rather difficult was keeping the characters straight. The drawings of certain characters were to similar to those of others, and there was way to many names to keep straight.