New masthead image
I really like the new picture in the upper-right. I liked that the former image contained Niall, but that picture was way outdated. I think I may install an image rotator to go with the quote rotator.
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5 Responses to “New masthead image”
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December 16th, 2008 at 08h30
I like the new image, although any time I see a close-up of anyone who has wild hair and a beard, I immediately assume that it’s Alan Moore.
December 16th, 2008 at 10h07
Wow. OK. Alan Moore. I had to go to Wikipedia to find out who he is, and spent about an hour and a half using it as a jumping-off point for links (that somehow, although I can’t remember how, got me to William Hung.)
McGee’s First Law, as discussed before, is “Everything is more complex than it first appears, even when McGee’s First Law is taken into account.” Still, though, I am sometimes startled by the sheer amount of data and logic to parse in an unknown area. Comics are like that; I think, “Wow, it would take more than a lifetime of study to do this topic justice.” This classes it, in my taxonomic system, with constitutional law, string theory, and French poetry.
He sounds brilliant. And unstable. Unstable to the point that I am somewhat worried about characterizing him as unstable on a semi-popular blog.
A comics author influenced by Pynchon and described on Wikipedia as “a vegetarian, an anarchist, a practicing magician and occultist, and [worshiping] a Roman snake-deity named Glycon”? Hard to beat that.
Major thanks. Maybe I’ll buy a copy of Watchmen now. Further information and recommendations quite welcome.
December 16th, 2008 at 14h53
While Watchmen is fantastic, it’s a bit dated. It’s also a bit of a meditation on the superhero mythos, so if you’re not already immersed in comic books it might be a bit of a dull read. Also, you may notice that you’re already familiar with the plot, since a number of popular works (The Incredibles and the first season of Heroes, most recently) borrow a lot of plot points from it.
One of the nice things about Watchmen, and much of Moore’s work, is that Moore is obsessed with the comic book form, and doing things with comic books that are more or less impossible in other mediums. For example, in the issue Fearful Symmetry the reader reaches a point midway through (you’ll know when it is) where the issue suddenly begins to mirror itself, like a graphic palendrome. Doing that in a novel or a film without disrupting the narrative would be a major feat, if not impossible.
I’d say that the essential Alan Moore reading list is as follows, in no particular order: Watchmen, V for Vendetta, Batman: The Killing Joke, and Promethea. I also like Top Ten a lot, but it’s mostly superhero-humor, so a lot of the jokes only work if you’re already a genre reader. I didn’t particularly enjoy From Hell, but many, many Moore fans consider it to be one of his best works, and I have to admit that as a concept it’s probably his most ambitious work.
Dave might also be able to be of some assistance in gathering a list for you on this matter.
Oh, and I wouldn’t worry about the “unstable” Alan Moore coming to get you. He’s a bit of a recluse, and doesn’t get out much. Fellow comic book writer Warren Ellis once quoted him as saying “I don’t really leave Northampton much. In fact, I don’t really leave the house. In fact, I don’t really leave the living room… and truth be told, I stay on this side of the living room. The other side of the living room is a strange and different place, and it scares me.”
December 16th, 2008 at 15h19
Also worth mentioning is that Moore’s daughter, Leah Moore, worked on Comic Book Tattoo, which is a collection whose subject matter intersects with one of our long-time interests.
December 16th, 2008 at 15h56
I’ll agree with Mike’s suggestions, only I’ll bump Promethea up near the top of that list. Maybe TO the top. Just after Watchmen. Which may be a bit dated, but is still — especially if you’re not spoiled — double super extra worth your time.
Promethea follows.
Volume One of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen which (and I’m just judging based on previews here) was turned into the worst movie ever made, is nonetheless a damn fine book. Damn fine book. Volume 2? Also good.
I think Top Ten will work for you, Josh. While it can be a little in-jokey, I started reading it pretty early on in my comics-reading life, and most of it (uh, I think) got through anyway. While it, too, can sometimes feel just a bit dated, it can also be really funny.
I have not read his take on Swamp Thing, but many people swear by it.
Oh, and V for Vendetta is also very good. And stands alone in a single trade, which may make it better, as you’ll complete it with a single sub-$20 purchase. So I say my final list goes:
Watchmen
V for Vendetta (moved here for economy)
Promethea
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Top Ten
All his other stuff which is probably pretty great, but I haven’t read
Enjoy!