The Original Writer

Alan Moore was born on 18 November 1953 in Northampton, England, and is widely regarded as one of the most significant comic book writers in the English language. He began his career in the late 1970s writing for British underground and alternative fanzines, before gaining recognition with strips in magazines such as *2000 AD* and *Warrior*. This led to his groundbreaking work for DC Comics, where he became the first British writer to do prominent work in America. Moore revitalized the character Swamp Thing, penned the acclaimed Batman story *The Killing Joke* and the Superman tale "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?", and co-created the landmark series *Watchmen* with artist Dave Gibbons. He also wrote *V for Vendetta* and *The Ballad of Halo Jones*. Preferring the term "comic" to "graphic novel," Moore helped elevate the medium's respectability in both the UK and US. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, he left mainstream comics for independent work, producing the epic *From Hell* and the prose novel *Voice of the Fire*. He later returned to the mainstream with Image Comics and founded America's Best Comics, where he created *The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen* and *Promethea*. In 2016, he published *Jerusalem*, a 1,266-page experimental novel set in his hometown. An occultist and anarchist, Moore has woven these themes into his work and performed spoken-word pieces with The Moon and Serpent Grand Egyptian Theatre of Marvels. Despite his objections, several of his works have been adapted into Hollywood films. He has occasionally used pseudonyms such as Curt Vile and The Original Writer.