The Outhouse - The Greatest Comic Book Forum

by **J.M. Hunter** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 2:49 pm

That was a good interview with Alan Moore.
: I haven't read the OH thread yet but are people having an issue with it?
hmm..working my way through the thread and I really can't agree with the majority of the outhouse on this one.
: I didn't look at the 8 page interview as A.M. bitching or ranting. I thought it was an insightful, thought provoking interview about a creator and his principals. I'm siding with Alan Moore on this one and felt the interview and expanded explanations were refreshing and dare I say it, "sensible". Alan's also right about the current comic industry. I wasn't even that big of a fan of watchmen when I read it weird enough.

I'm also accepting his challenge as a comic creator of coming up with something original and substantial!

by **BlueStreak** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 2:53 pm

Rockman wrote:I've never seen nor heard of any lit classes using this book.

I know it happens, but I doubt it's very widespread.

Every college that I've worked at or travelled to used it in at least one course per quarter/semester. On top of that, I've sent out copies of Watchman to around 50 different college bookstores over the course of three years, which only increased marginally after the movie came out.

It's a pretty popular book to use in freshman/sophomore level college lit. classes.

by **Chris** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 2:55 pm

JMS wrapped this up about as well as can be said on facebook today:

I should point out that the discussion turns into this endlessly-repeating cycle. It starts with: Alan created these characters, he owns them, DC can’t do them. Then it’s pointed out that DC does own them. Then it becomes that the legalities don’t matter, Alan is the creator and he should have the right to control what’s done by and with his characters. Then you point out that Alan has profited mightily by using characters created by other writers, in ways the creators wouldn’t want, and they come back with well, they’re public domain, it’s legal for him to use them. They argue that Watchmen is a complete work, so his characters shouldn’t be used, and you point out that the characters he’s using from books by other writers were also complete, finished works, but somehow that’s different. So you point out that it’s just as legal for DC to use the characters as it is for Alan to use the ones he uses...and they go back to the creator wouldn’t want them used that way...round and round and round. And then today you get Alan’s explanation that he’s not borrowing these characters, which is bad, he’s stealing them, which is good. Which is specious, spurious and a distinction without a difference. It would certainly not matter one whit to the writers who originally created those characters.

“But what they would think doesn’t matter because he can legally use them.”

And further and further down the rabbit hole we go....

by **Chris** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 2:59 pm

avengingtitan wrote:Clearly you didnt read his Daredevil or his Reboot of Green Arrow.

Both critical and commercial successes. :smt102

by **Chris** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 3:01 pm

In regards to the literature debate and college courses and stuff..

I tend to agree that it ought to be considered literature.. but at the same time, just saying "it's been studied in college courses!" doesn't mean jack shit.

So has Jersey Shore, or whatever else.. there are college courses for just about every stupid thing these days.. :lol:

by **alaska1125** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 3:02 pm

Holland Oats wrote:JMS wrapped this up about as well as can be said on facebook today:

Ha! That sums it up nicely.

by **BlueStreak** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 3:06 pm

Holland Oats wrote:In regards to the literature debate and college courses and stuff..

I tend to agree that it ought to be considered literature.. but at the same time, just saying "it's been studied in college courses!" doesn't mean jack shit.

So has Jersey Shore, or whatever else.. there are college courses for just about every stupid thing these days..

That is true. I remember that there was a "Twilight" lit class the last quarter I worked at the bookstore. I didn't bother to order any of those in.

by **Timbales** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 3:11 pm

Holland Oats wrote:JMS wrapped this up about as well as can be said on facebook today:

by **Punchy** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 3:33 pm

JMS is a douche.

by **bkthomson** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 3:38 pm

I'll take gaiman over Moore any day.

by **habitual** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 3:38 pm

Punchy wrote:JMS is a douche.

How so?

He summed it up pretty well, better than you did of why he's a douche anyway....

Hab

by **habitual** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 3:40 pm

bkthomson wrote:I'll take gaiman over Moore any day.

I'm a fan of Gaiman, but, I think Moore is far more versatile.

Hab

by **Punchy** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 3:40 pm

habitual wrote:
How so?

He summed it up pretty well, better than you did of why he's a douche anyway....

Hab

Because he is.

If everyone else can spend the entire thread calling Moore crazy and saying he's weird because he has a beard, I can call JMS a douche.

by **habitual** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 3:41 pm

Punchy wrote:
Because he is.

If everyone else can spend the entire thread calling Moore crazy and saying he's weird because he has a beard, I can call JMS a douche.

So you have no explanation.

Hab

by **Punchy** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 3:43 pm

habitual wrote:
So you have no explanation.

Hab

No.

How about... the way he left The Twelve hanging, the way he left Supreme Power hanging, his general smug demeanour, his douchey willingness to tow the corporate line and condescend to both Alan Moore and the comics-reading public.