The Mindscape of Alan Moore

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Arts, Biography Documentary published by Others in 2003 - English narration

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An unconstructed voyage into the mind of one of the best loved writers working in comics today, The Mindscape of Alan Moore deals with the life and ideas of the occasionally reclusive author of comic book fiction.

Peering out from a thick full beard and lank, long hair which gets pushed from his face every few moments by a ringed hand, he is a mysterious figure for whom writing seems to be almost a hobby. His real interest is the art of magic and its implications and role in today's society.

Moore himself is a charismatic speaker; his lengthy diatribes to camera are hugely successful thanks to his distinctive Northamptonshire brogue and the frank honesty of his views. He comes across as a natural wit and, as his success in comics has proved, a compelling story teller. The stark honesty of his opening monologue as he tells how important emotional truth is in the art of writing is an effective starting point.

The biographical first half of the film sees Moore speaking about his roots in Northamptonshire (a region so prone to inbreeding that he remarks that even the dogs had cleft lips) and his graduation to working on some hugely prominent American comic book titles. This came after receiving awards from people in the UK with, as Moore playfully but probably accurately puts it, 'appalling social lives.'

Moore defends his medium, arguing that comics shouldn't always be about muscle bound men in tights, but can address any issues and themes the writer cares to depict. As an example of this he cites Swamp Thing, a DC Comic book which was about an 8 foot tall man-meets-foliage creature, who each issue would fight various similarly proportioned monsters. Needless to say, the book was struggling when Moore began writing for the title. He bravely wrote an entire issue devoted to sex and sensuality which, although a diversion from the accepted conventions, proved popular enough to signal an upturn in the comic's fortunes.