Credit: Warner Bros.If you happen to be a fan of DC, then you likely know the name Alan Moore. Moore is one of the most celebrated writers responsible for Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and Batman: The Killing Joke. However, Moore has been adamant about his distaste for his prominent works being adapted into live-action ventures and has now asked for the royalty checks to be given to Black Lives Matter.
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As stated, Moore has been outspoken for years about how DC has adapted some of his most prominent works. Though it’s no surprise that he is back to slam live-action adaptations, he is doubling down by stating why he has again chosen to berate DC.
In October 2022, Moore was interviewed and referred to the superhero genre of films and TV as “infantile” and a “precursor to fascism.” While we are unsure what he means by the second quote, we understand that many believe the genre to be created for kids. That is something that Moore has also reiterated. He added, “Hundreds of thousands of adults lining up to see characters and situations that had been created to entertain the 12-year-old boys — and it was always boys — of 50 years ago.”
The explosion of the MCU and DC films has certainly led to droves of fans of all ages coming together to enjoy what comics initially created; Moore has been plenty worried about the sheer fandom that his works have created. He is now refusing royalty checks from DC, asking they instead go to Black Lives Matter.
Alan Moore Refuses DC Checks, Donates Them to Black Lives Matter
"Watchmen" creator Alan Moore is no longer accepting royalty checks for films and TV series.
"I don’t feel, with the recent films, they have stood by… their original principles. I asked for DC Comics to send all of the money to Black Lives Matter.”https://t.co/EMJEnmghk5
— Variety (@Variety) September 13, 2023
In a new interview with The Telegraph, Alan Moore went back on his former royalty check plans. He initially would donate them to writers and creatives who had worked on the DC adaptations, but he is now pushing back against that. According to Moore:
“I no longer wish it to even be shared with them. I don’t really feel, with the recent films, that they have stood by what I assumed were their original principles. So I asked for DC Comics to send all of the money from any future TV series or films to Black Lives Matter.”
Again, we are unsure what Moore means by the films now following their “original principles,” but the man might be turned off by the current direction that the company has been in. Fans have been plenty critical of the DCEU era, and the story elements of the films have certainly taken a dip compared to the overt reliance on VFX.
Alan Moore donating the money to Black Lives Matter is quite honorable, as the organization for racial equality is a great cause to donate to. Moore lives a simple life in Northampton, England, and likely does not need the money generated from adaptations of his work. Watchmen and V For Vendetta were also highly successful, so we imagine the money he receives from both properties is significant.
Moore donating his money is excellent, even if some of his opinions are a tad unhinged. He has constantly compared the superhero genre to fascism, which is a giant leap. He also consistently thinks characters created in the 50s and 60s are being repurposed incorrectly. Moore added:
“Now they’re called ‘graphic novels’, which sounds sophisticated and you can charge a lot more for them. These innocent and inventive and imaginative superhero characters from the Forties, Fifties, Sixties are being recycled to a modern audience as if they were adult fare.”
Alan Moore will always be respected as one of the creators of the graphic novel, despite his penchant to slam that term. Watchmen is a masterpiece and was certainly not made with children in mind, at least to us. We salute the man for donating his money to Black Lives Matter, but the superhero genre has only made the superhero genre more accessible to people of all ages.
Related: DC Is Facing a Huge Superhero Problem That Will Reportedly Cost $1.1 Billion
DC might be in flux, but the company has produced highly emotional and thought-provoking content.
What do you think of Alan Moore slamming DC? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!