Something of this sort does seem to be at work, with at least some of the criticism to which Moore responds in this interview; this is suggested by the lack of context to this criticism. I can’t help but feel as if Moore might have been manipulated — handed extracted quotes, to which he predictably responds with, among other things, no small amount of anger. If this is the case, Moore still ought to apologize, but a considerable degree of culpability lies with others as well. Not having been involved, I don’t know to what degree this is the case, and I have no evidence of it, outside of how in the interview Moore seems almost completely unaware of anything beyond the excerpts to which he responds.
Short version: Sequart’s Julian Darius realizes who Alan Moore was taking cheap shots at in his interview and, in trying to apologize, really tries to create a situation wherein Moore remains blameless. “I can’t help but feel as if Moore might have been manipulated.”
The full thing, which is worth reading, is here.
I’ve been interested in the ways in which people have reacted to the backlash to Moore’s comments. I’ve seen mention of the comics community “turning on” Moore, which doesn’t ring true to me on a number of levels, as well as commentary along the lines of “Well, he’s justified in being a dick because he’s Alan Moore,” which seems utterly ridiculous to me – no-one deserves that kind of free pass.
The idea that it’s more likely that Moore was “manipulated” feels like more of that. Even more defense of a man who neither deserves, nor needs, it. It’s strange seeing the amount of objectification Moore is getting from his fans over this. Instead of accepting that, hey, he’s a cantankerous old man who is filled with bile and has been for years – see, oh, every single friendship he has cut off for some perceived slight over the last few decades – he becomes some kind of character whose every trespass can be explained away as someone else’s fault, somehow.
Everyone deserves better.