From here.
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.
Moore then shifts back to the argument about racism, and here again he sounds a bit like someone who’s new to public life. He recounts how a black woman approached Kevin O’Neill and confronted him about League‘s appropriation of the Golliwogg character. Lots of us have had such experiences, and they can be traumatic. Having someone yelling at you, apparently incapable of understanding that you’re a good person who means no harm, can be a traumatic experience. No matter how irrational the complaint, there’s something deeply upsetting about encountering such anger.
On Alan Moore’s “Last” Interview | Sequart Organization
“Apparently incapable of understanding that you’re a good person who means no harm.”
Three years ago Mishka Shubaly was an unknown 33-year-old working in a New York bar with a checkered past, a thing for rock ‘n’ roll and a talent for telling a wicked good story.
Today, it’s estimated that he’s sold more than 150,000 Kindle Singles generating roughly $200,000 in royalties. His fifth Kindle Single, “Beat the Devil,” his 73-page account of his battle with his addiction to rock ‘n’ roll, was just published. To date, all of his Kindle Singles have hit the best-seller lists.
Clearly, I need to start writing Kindle Singles.
(From here.)
BTW, seeing all this go down—and seeing the results, and this initial package—well, it burns my ass in one way. This is proof positive and absolute that corporate Marvel COULD do the right thing, by all its past creators, if it wanted to—Marvel chooses NOT to. MM will never have the enormous revenue streams the legacy of Jack Kirby has—but Marvel, for various reasons, ended up doing right by all concerned for this MM #1 to hit the shelves. Marvel COULD do right by ALL its seminal creators. THEY CHOOSE NOT TO.
It’s a CHOICE.
Never forget that. This is the clear, undeniable evidence, in our hands.
Stephen Bissette, talking about Marvel’s Miracleman reprints over on Facebook.
Due to editorial circumstances HAWKEYE will ship two upcoming issues out of its normal numbering sequence. HAWKEYE #16 will go on-sale 01/22/14, while HAWKEYE #15 will go on sale 02/19/14.
I know the reasoning behind this release, I just find it funny still that Marvel didn’t simply swap the contents of the two issues to avoid having to explain this over and over again.
Very very much liking this Fiona Apple track from an upcoming Starbucks compilation.
It’s a cover of a 1949 song by Austrian film composer Anton Karas, apparently. Can we get an entire album of Apple doing this, please?