cover image Magic Words: The Extraordinary Life of Alan Moore

Magic Words: The Extraordinary Life of Alan Moore

Lance Parkin. Aurum Press, $29.95 (432p) ISBN 978-1-78131-077-9

Lance Parkin (Ahistory: An Unauthorized History of the Doctor Who Universe) gives us a fascinating and comprehensive biography of one of the living masters of comic book writing, Alan Moore. Few stones go unturned in this survey of his life and career with detailed accounts of the creation of everything from major works like Watchmen and V for Vendetta, to some predictive juvenilia created while Moore's talent was forming (illustrated excerpts included). The man himself, a famously eccentric curmudgeon with mystic tendencies, is a captivating character even apart from his work. Moore's story can't be told without mentioning some of his famous disagreements with co-creators, editors, publishers, and filmmakers; Parkin's protocol is to share both known sides of the arguments. This is an essential book for any serious comics fan. Though Alan Moore and his career take center stage, his interactions with and influence on his cohort of British comics writers provide a microcosm of how the comics medium underwent a quantum leap in maturity in the %E2%80%9880s, with long-term effects that remain even in media beyond comics. Agent: Jessica Papin, Dystel & Goderich Literary Management. (Dec.)