Alan Moore Slams Comic Book Hero Worship

[Holografix]

"I said round about 2011 that I thought that it had serious and worrying implications for the future if millions of adults were queueing up to see ‘Batman’ movies,” Moore said. “Because that kind of infantilization – that urge towards simpler times, simpler realities – that can very often be a precursor to fascism.”

“Hundreds of thousands of adults [are] lining up to see characters and situations that had been created to entertain the 12-year-old boys – and it was always boys – of 50 years ago. I didn’t really think that superheroes were adult fare. I think that this was a misunderstanding born of what happened in the 1980s – to which I must put my hand up to a considerable share of the blame, though it was not intentional – when things like Watchmen were first appearing. There were an awful lot of headlines saying ‘Comics Have Grown Up’.

“I tend to think that, no, comics hadn’t grown up. There were a few titles that were more adult than people were used to. But the majority of comics titles were pretty much the same as they’d ever been. It wasn’t comics growing up. I think it was more comics meeting the emotional age of the audience coming the other way.”

https://www.indiewire.com/2022/10/watchmen-creator-alan-moore-warns-that-adults-infantile-love-of-superhero-movies-can-lead-to-fascism-1234770828/

[Lunar Fang]

Moore is an occultist, ceremonial magician, and anarchist.

Yeah I trust what he says while he's probably high on shrooms dressed as Gandalf trying to throw a fire ball at the people who enjoyed his works, all the while looking like Rob Zombie from wish.

[anrkyuk]

You should see some of the tosh that Neil Gaiman has spouted over the years, Alan Moore is a little high and mighty... and a tad preachy, but Gaiman is just an over-opinionated ♥♥♥♥.

[L1qu1dator]

Well good thing I never really liked comic book stuff that much.
And nowadays feel sick each time I hear about new Marvel or DC movie/game.

[anrkyuk]

L1qu1dator님이 먼저 게시:

Well good thing I never really liked comic book stuff that much.
And nowadays feel sick each time I hear about new Marvel or DC movie/game.

Shame there's some really good indie stuff, I personally very much enjoy the Vertigo Crime Series, Super Crooks By Mark Millar is hilarious, the James Bond graphic novels are also pretty good and some of the Futurama comics are pretty good for fans who can't get enough of Fry/Bender & co.

[Boblin the Goblin]

I love this logic or "Older people liking comics 'for kids' could lead to fascism."

Alan sounds like he needs to go touch grass.

[permanent name]

KittenGrindr님이 먼저 게시:

I love this logic or "Older people liking comics 'for kids' could lead to fascism."

Alan sounds like he needs to go touch grass.

I think he’s suggesting that there’s correlation, but not necessarily causation.

[Neurotic Panda]

makes some good points. grown adults obsessed over cartoons, super heroes , fairytales, etc. its honestly sad. stuff was made for kids and adults become obsessed with it. its like those dudes who buy the super special edition transformer camaros with autobot logos all over it. LMAO. you paid extra for a car with toy logos on it? and you are 50 years old???

adults in 2022. and people wonder why the world is sh*t and the illiteracy of our kids is literally skyrocketing.

[Devsman]

Oh man I've heard this guy's name before he must be right!

Sounds to me like Alan Moore didn't predict the future properly and is blaming people for proving he wasn't a prophet.

I do see where he's coming from to an extent though. Back when the first Toby McGuire Spider-Man movie came out, everyone (including me) was confused why they decided to shoot for the PG13 rating. We had a radio talk show that was really famous in my area where one of the hosts summarized it perfectly. "Sorry Timmy, you can't go see the Spider-Man movie because it's rated PG-13!"

Now I disagree that comic books are or ever were FOR kids, but there's no sense in cutting them from the audience completely. Not when it's a format that traditionally has no reason to exclude kids. I mean, how many comic book heroes even use guns? Or opt for lethal force at all?

All that said, I (unlike Alan Moore) understand that my opinion is only that, and if the box office demands no kids allowed in the next Superman movie, it is what it is.

[permanent name]

The establishment does kind of hate Moore and basically knighted him so that people would view his words in a pro-establishment context.

These words can be taken either way but people want to project themselves into it.

I think superheroes are fundamentally the same.

[linis]

Reminds me of a Microsoft Exec that insulted people who enjoy older PC games

[funewchie]

Isn't Allen Moore the clown that wrote V for Vendetta?

He wrote that pile of crap, and has the chutzpah to criticize my taste in entertainment?!

Gee sorry, Mr "I'm gonna ripoff 1984", but some of us deal with real-world crap all the time, and like to get away from it now and then.

What's next, Kojima whining because I play light hearted games instead of his ripoff of Escape from New York (but with giant robots)?

[permanent name]

It’s an inflammatory title and a few snippets from someone infamously long-winded and Intellectual.

It doesn’t matter what he says, one way or the other. People will hate it.

I assume nobody wants to talk about how superheroes are inherently fascist.

[Boblin the Goblin]

permanent name님이 먼저 게시:

It’s an inflammatory title and a few snippets from someone infamously long-winded and Intellectual.

It doesn’t matter what he says, one way or the other. People will hate it.

I assume nobody wants to talk about how superheroes are inherently fascist.

How?

[Alaskan Catfish Hike]

Neurotic Panda님이 먼저 게시:

makes some good points. grown adults obsessed over cartoons, super heroes , fairytales, etc. its honestly sad. stuff was made for kids and adults become obsessed with it. its like those dudes who buy the super special edition transformer camaros with autobot logos all over it. LMAO. you paid extra for a car with toy logos on it? and you are 50 years old???

adults in 2022. and people wonder why the world is sh*t and the illiteracy of our kids is literally skyrocketing.

Watching my friends go nuts over the latest marvel movie is not a pretty sight. They can’t understand why I wouldn’t want to dedicate my life to keeping track of all the plot lines.

[permanent name]

KittenGrindr님이 먼저 게시:

permanent name님이 먼저 게시:

It’s an inflammatory title and a few snippets from someone infamously long-winded and Intellectual.

It doesn’t matter what he says, one way or the other. People will hate it.

I assume nobody wants to talk about how superheroes are inherently fascist.

How?

Their only method of interaction with the world is through expressions of power. No power, no superhero.

That’s an inherently fascist viewpoint.