Alan Moore: Portrait Of An Extraordinary Gentleman [Paperback]

Gary Spencer Millidge (Author), Smoky Man (Author), Leah Moore (Author), Jose Villarrubia (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 29, 2003

Alan Moore: Portrait of an Extraordinary Gentleman contains comicstrips, illustrations, essays, articles, anecdotes and other pieces contributedby top American, English, and international comics creators paying tribute tothe master of comic book writing, Alan Moore (creator of Watchmen andFrom Hell), as he celebrates his 50th year.Over a hundred contributors include Neil Gaiman, Will Eisner, BillSienkiewicz, Dave Gibbons, Denis Kitchen, David Lloyd, Jim Valentino, SergioToppi, Bryan Talbot, Steve Parkhouse, Mark Millar, Howard Cruse, James Kochalka,José Villarrubia, Sam Kieth, Dave Sim, Oscar Zarate, DJ Paul Gambaccini,and novelist Darren Shan, to name just a few. The book jacket will feature a newphotgraph by Piet Corr and other features will include interviews, biographies,and new and rare photographs.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Abiogenesis (December 29, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 094679006X
• ISBN-13: 978-0946790067
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,804,598 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Happy birthday Mr. Moore, July 8, 2003

By 

Stefano Bardi (Milano, MI Italy) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alan Moore: Portrait Of An Extraordinary Gentleman (Paperback)

Ladies and gentlemen, this is the funniest and most beautiful tribute ever made to an author! I have never seen anything like this in centuries! I think that the basic idea of the whole project is strongly related with being an Alan Moore fan, which is a thing that a lot of the autohrs involved in the book share. But there's more to it: that means that even though every contribution is not perfect, neat and amazing, love, respect and passion are always granted in every inch of this work. Every artist/writer that has participated has done its best, even in a simple way, to say: Happy birthday Mr. Moore.

If you're expecting me to cite my favourite contributions you are wrong: too many and too beautiful, and right now I can only remeber one of those that Moore will appreciate more: Will Eisner's one!

In a few words: a must-read for all Moore's fan over the globe, buy it and you won't be disappointed.

P.S.: I was almost forgetting to say that in the end of the volume there is a complete bibliography, which can be considered a stand-alone motivation to buy it.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A fair tribute, worth it for some..., July 22, 2004

By 

Rob O "destruktolux" (AR United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alan Moore: Portrait Of An Extraordinary Gentleman (Paperback)

...but not for others. I do feel that the book was a little too long--a few too many single page tributes that just seemed the same ("I first read Alan Moore when I...;" "Alan Moore changed the way I...;" etc., etc.). I feel like this book would have been a better service if the articles had been kept down to people with some legitimate statement on Moore's work or their personal involvement. An excellent example of this is Steve Bissette's essay in which he outlines his dealings with Moore from the Swamp Thing run, on through Taboo, into their falling out over a hornets' nest of problems in the early nineties. The article is not entirely "in tribute," but it does good service to the fans by being informative on a subject frought with rumor and speculation. I'm sure Moore was probably surprised, if not chagrined, to read it.

The Dave Sim article is excellent (I'm working on reading that right now as a matter of fact). It's daunting but highly rewarding: Sim is easily the most undervalued comics interviewer, for a multiplicity of reasons that aren't worth going into here. The more scholastic articles by Jose Alaniz, in my book you can take them or leave them. There doesn't seem to be much appreciable about what he's written about that a cursory reading of the same texts (especially the "Best of all Tailors" chapter of From Hell) couldn't provide. I'm sure they're of some value to someone, but that doesn't really include me.

Also, the book is co-produced by Italian, English and American people/companies, hence the inclusion of a lot of nameless Italian artists (and a couple of writers). I'm sure that's of massive significance to the Italian comics community, but it's pretty far removed from everywhere else. Still, it doesn't muddle up the book too much...and the pictures are nice...

Altogether, I would neither characterize the book as entirely without merit, save the interviews, nor would I characterize it as a 100% tour de force production. It's a good book for hardcore Moore fans (or wanna-be hardcore fans, with a decent but incomplete bibliography in the back). My advice, if you don't have a copy of Watchmen (which you SHOULD), From Hell, V for Vendetta, and a good Swamp Thing or two, buy those first and then enjoy this book.

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Greatest Geniuses of our time..., November 9, 2006

By 

Thomas S. Ingle "Tom the Magnificent" (Hell, Kentucky) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Alan Moore: Portrait Of An Extraordinary Gentleman (Paperback)

Alan Moore is one of the greatest writers of our time. With Comic book titles, graphic novels, book titles and movies under his belt, it can easily be said that he will go down in history as one of the greats. Now, inside this volume, Alan Moore's friends, co-workers, associates and confidants give their side of what they feel Alan Moore represents to them. How many people have been inspired to create their life's work because of him? How has he influenced other outstanding authors? What kind of person is he and does he realy practice magick? All of these questions and more are addressed in this excellently penned and highly Visual edition of "Alan Moore: Portrait of an Extraordinary Gentleman" by Spencer Millidge. This one is definately a keeper!!!