"IF IT'S WORTH REACTING TO, IT'S WORTH OVERREACTING TO"

Some big Alan Moore news, if you'll allow me to geek out a bit about my favorite writer. Rich Johnston returned his Lying in the Gutters column to break the news about Moore effectively dissolving his relationship with DC (basically for the second time). Their relationship has always been spotty; Moore & aritst Dave Gibbons felt slighted when DC made so much money off of Watchmen in the '80s. There was a deal that the rights would revert to the creators after the work was out of print, but neither expected DC to keep it in print for 20 years (it's still one of their best-selling graphic novels). Also, buttons sold by DC at the time were listed under "promotional items" and not "merchandise," so they wouldn't be obligated to give a cut to the creators. Moore swore never to work with DC again. When he was about to launch a new line of comics (America's Best) in the late '90s under Jim Lee's Wildstorm Comics, things almost came to a head because DC bought Wildstorm, and Lee had to fly to England to smooth things over with Moore. Moore's instinct was to call it off, but he felt obligated to continue because some artists were already hard at work on stories and had turned down other jobs to do his comics. A system was set up so that Moore would never technically work for DC, receiving his checks from somewhere else, though effectively DC distributed America's Best. Since then 2 semi-scandals occurred: an issue of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen was pulped because of an authentic turn of the century ad that DC found offensive, and a short story wasn't allowed to be published because it featured L. Ron Hubbard, father of the lawsuit-happy Scientology religion. This was discredited when a story about L. Ron Hubbard was found in a DC-published anthology.

Looks like the final straw was the V For Vendetta movie. Moore always tried to separate himself from the film adaptations of his works: he didn't want to be involved, he was happy to just receive credit and the checks. But when he was sued (along with 20th Century Fox) by a screenwriter claiming the film LXG was a rip-off of his screenplay, he had to undergo a 10-hour deposition defending his own comic from the screenplay he had nothing to do with. In fact, the similar elements were ones the studio added that were NOT in the comic, such as Tom Sawyer and Dorian Gray. After that, he didn't want his name to be used, or to receive money from any movies; his share would be redistributed among the artists involved. But at the V For Vendetta press conference producer Joel Silver implied that Moore endorsed the film's script, when something more like the reverse happened (see the column for details), and Moore demanded a retraction and apology from Silver and Warner Bros., who own DC. It didn't come, and Moore basically said that was it; after my contractual obligations are complete, I'm leaving and taking League of Extraordinary Gentlemen with me (he and artist Kevin O'Neill own the property in full). They took it to Top Shelf, a small publisher who have done good by Moore for the last few years, publishing new editions of his Mirror of Love and Voice of the Fire, as well as handling the publication/distribution of From Hell.

Though I'm obviously biased, this is just ridiculous. I can see DC doing this to a lesser-known writer, but pissing off Alan Moore? I mean, not only is he possibly the greatest writer the medium's had, everyone KNOWS he can hold a grudge like nobody's business. DC just kissed off a whole lot of money.

Moore, in a rare case, spoke against the V For Vendetta script (presumably because it's the cause of so much trouble): "It was imbecilic; it had plot holes you couldn't have got away with in Whizzer And Chips in the 1960s. Plot holes no one had noticed.

They don't know what British people have for breakfast; they couldn't be bothered. 'Eggy in a basket,' apparently. Now the US have 'eggs in a basket,' which is fried bread with a fried egg in a hole in the middle. I guess they thought we must eat that as well, and thought 'eggy in a basket' was a quaint and Olde Worlde version. And they decided that the British postal service is called Fedco. They'll have thought something like, 'Well, what's a British version of FedEx... how about FedCo? A friend of mine had to point out to them that the Fed, in FedEx comes from 'Federal Express.' America is a federal republic; Britain is not."

He's also said that from now on he's not going to allow any work of his to be adapted into a film if he can help it.

A title was given for his next novel, "Jerusalem," which, based on its description, will not replace the previously-mentioned "A Grimoire" (perhaps only delaying it). Where his first novel "Voice of the Fire" took place entirely in his hometown of Northampton over a span of 10,000 years, "Jerusalem" will take place in the space of 3 or 4 blocks in Northampton where Moore grew up.

He's working on a graphic novel for Avatar Press.

He also proposed to his long-time girlfriend Melinda Gebbie (artist of Lost Girls) and she accepted.

And on the Alan Moore Fan Site you have a chance to ask the magus himself a question.

THIS YEAR IN ALAN MOORE BOOKS WILL KILL ME

Promethea Vol. 4 (already out)
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Vol. 2: The Absolute Edition (June)
Top 10: The 49ers (July)
Tom Strong's Terrific Tales Vol. 1 (August)
V For Vendetta HC (September)
Absolute Watchmen (October)
Lost Girls (December)
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Dark Dossier (sometime this year)

(not Alan Moore):
The Complete Calvin & Hobbes (October)

What can I say? He is my favorite writer. And C&H is my favorite comic strip.

DEVELOP

I've been using my LC-A less these last few months (hopefully this will be rectified). I developed a roll the other day and it's funny to see how many events are on it: the earliest pictures are New Year's Eve pictures, reunion dinner with my high school classmates, CD's exhibit at Saguijo, then there's our picnic at The Fort, Singapore visits 1 & 2, the HG shoot with Amanda Griffin/Georgina Wilson/Ronnie Lazaro, my quick jaunt in Malaysia, ending with the Camiling Story showing at UPFI.

STUFF

Hayao Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle, an adaptation of English author Diana Wynne Jones's fantasy book.

A new Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit trailer, less cheeky than the first.

Continuing with the Alan Moore mayhem, here's a short trailer for the documentary on him, The Mindscape of Alan Moore (I hope they come up with a better title).

And we haven't had Milkman Dan recently, so

The biggest independent film of the year comes out today. I really do hope it's good.

Is George Lucas a slut? Inquiring minds want to know. It seems that so long as you're willing to pay truckloads of cash, Darth Vader/Anakin will endorse your product, from soda-pop beverages to candy. Have you seen the cute yellow M&M standing with a lightsaber beside the Sith Lord? Does it not occur to the corporate suits that they are tying up with a film whose main character SUCCUMBS TO EVIL AND THE TEMPTATIONS OF POWER AND RUTHLESSLY MURDERS PRETTY MUCH HIS ENTIRE BROTHERHOOD!?!? Now have some candy, kids. They're yummy.

This is now out in the US:

And because everyone's always wondered what a dog would look like dressed as Princess Leia in her slave gear (also for Lia who is leaving to watch Bloc Party!):

Please, PLEASE, PLEASE! Go to Saguijo sometime soon to catch the 4-man exhibit Kantutan Sa Ulan, featuring new work by RA Rivera, Jun Sabayton, Lyle Sacris, and Vincent Van Gogh in a surprise participation. Quite possibly the most electrifying exhibit you may see this year, flying in the face of all conventions, making you question what is art, and what is hanging on your walls; it is a treat for the funny bone, the heart, the soul, the spirit, the mind, the head, and your brain, too.

URGENT!

Tomorrow (Tuesday, May 17) Erwin Romulo's CAMILING STORY will be shown at the UP Film Institute, 5 PM, free of charge.

And for a bit of the funny, here is the best quote of the year! Well, today, at least:

"Last time I met her we were in a restaurant together - she slammed the menu down and screamed, 'I hate reading! Someone tell me what's on the menu!' I mean, I'm blonde but c'mon."

-- Pamela Anderson on Paris Hilton

Is it not the best? That story is good enough, but that last line! C'mon!

I spent half the afternoon trying to catch up on unread LJ posts. Boy was that wrong. So much pain and anguish! I thought it was just the heat. My feeling now is I want to stab out my eyes like that girl in the diner in the first Sandman book (Preludes & Nocturnes). I think people are too obsessed with love. I think it’s media manipulation and peer pressure to a large extent. I mean, love is great, but I don’t think it’s everything. And maybe the romantics will pounce on that sentence but would you tell someone who’s never known love to just end it because their life wasn’t worth living without it? Or are these just more signs of my growing older? When I was younger, did I think love was everything? (thinks, answer: no. Actually gave up on love around 16, 17.) I wish there was more art that affirmed that you could lead a perfectly happy life even while being single. That you are not nothing without someone else to make you feel better about yourself, or to acknowledge you, or to notice you.

Wait, what? Am I making any sense?

Gweilo’s Hour tonight at 9 on NU. Listen if you’re bored, some good songs planned.

Tomorrow at Gweilo’s Eastwood, some bands are playing. Perhaps you are interested in music, yes? Try The Extra Special, Citric Maple, another band whose name I forgot, and The Sabaytones are playing.

Laughter, oh, it is good.

Click.

MORE MOVIE GUNK

That's Portman sans locks as Evey. And the unknown who was going to play V (James Purefoy) has been replaced by Agent Smith/Elrond himself, Hugo Weaving. God, V's going to be an insufferable boor, isn't he? Also, Stephen Fry is playing The Voice, who he described in a recent interview as a voice of opposition to the fascist regime, which prompted Warren Ellis to write that he expects Watchmen to be a fucking musical (The Voice in the graphic novel is the government's PR machine, a consummate liar and sexual deviant).

Speaking of Watchmen, its greenlight was turned off due to recent executive shuffling at Paramount and a recently-struck deal with Marvel Comics. I think its status now is that the producers and director (Paul Greengrass, for those keeping track) now have to re-pitch the entire project to new suits, and they have several things going against them: a) it's not a Marvel property, b) there are no known characters, c) no sequel potential, d) it's a bit of a downer, and e) the budget's somewhere around $100 million. Rumors circulating around the time were John Cusack as Nite Owl, Sigourney Weaver as one of the Silk Spectres (I forget which), and Jude Law has said he wants to play Ozymandias (Law is a big Watchmen fan). But nothing may happen, which wouldn't bother me at all.

Possibly my favorite photographer, David LaChappelle has directed a film called Rize. I also want to see Kontroll. Looks interesting.

I guess Goblet of Fire and Chronicles of Narnia will be fighting it out this holiday season, and it occurred to me the other day that this summer, both George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, who basically invented the summer movie, both have monster summer movies coming out. Hm.

Hello!

Yes, I’ve been back from Singapore for a while now. Yes, I’ve been slightly busy. Also, Hotmail screwed with me, so I missed out on a lot of messages, and had to reactivate my account with many mailing lists. If I’ve not mentioned it already, all email to me should now be sent to my Gmail address; I’ve all but given up on Hotmail’s terribly piss-poor service. If you sent me something that needed a response and didn’t get one, you should probably re-send it. Sorry.

Lots to talk about, and hopefully I will get to them, but for now let’s just get to what you go to Mindfuel for! :)

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (teaser trailer; Gambon is really great as Dumbledore)

The Chronicles of Narnia (teaser)

Batman Begins (trailer 4) --> YES.

George A. Romero’s Land of the Dead (Asia Argento makes sense)

Joss Whedon’s Serenity

Jet Li in Unleashed

Save The Green Planet looks like a laugh.

A funny behind-the-scenes clip from the set of King Kong (which is done shooting! Holy shit!)