Watchmen author Alan Moore says fandom can be a "grotesque blight" that "poisons" society

Comics legend Alan Moore is known for not holding back with his opinions. He's not afraid to speak his mind, and vent about the industry he worked in for many years. Despite his graphic novels being adapted into hugely successful movies, most notably Watchmen and V for Vendetta, he wants absolutely nothing to do with them. In fact, he's even disowned many of his beloved works, believing their messages have been skewed by Hollywood interpretations.

So what's the latest thing Moore is mulling over? Fandom culture. Writing in The Guardian, he opines that fandom culture is “sometimes a grotesque blight that poisons the society surrounding it with its mean-spirited obsessions and ridiculous, unearned sense of entitlement.”

Moore likes to ramble. He continues by discussing how the industry has become a "different animal" than what it used to be. Comics, he believes, have moved on from their working class origins:

"An older animal for one thing, with a median age in its late 40s, fed, presumably, by a nostalgia that its energetic predecessor was too young to suffer from. And while the vulgar comic story was originally proffered solely to the working classes, soaring retail prices had precluded any audience save the more affluent; had gentrified a previously bustling and lively cultural slum neighbourhood. This boost in fandom’s age and status possibly explains its current sense of privilege, its tendency to carp and cavil rather than contribute or create. I speak only of comics fandom here, but have gained the impression that this reflexive belligerence – most usually from middle-aged white male conservatives – is now a part of many fan communities."

Moore writes positively about fandom as well, particularly when it inspires creativity among fans, but he seems to be bothered by older fans who treat creative work as artifact that cannot be questioned or changed. He cites examples of that kind of thing in other fandoms, such as Pokémon: "My 14-year-old grandson tells me older Pokémon aficionados can display the same febrile disgruntlement," he writes. "Is this a case of those unwilling to outgrow childhood enthusiasms, possibly because these anchor them to happier and less complex times, who now feel they should be sole arbiters of their pursuit?"

I'll say one thing for Moore: he's completely true to his word. He is totally distanced from adaptations of his books, including the latest animated Watchmen series. He retired from writing comics in 2019. Nowadays, he's focused on novels, with his latest, The Great When, out now!

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