Magic for... inspiration?
Though I can't seem to find it, I remember the jist quote by comic book writer Warren Ellis a few years ago about his colleagues that practiced magic: some guys keep caves under their houses to impress the girls, some do it because they actually believe in it.
One of them who believes in it is Alan Moore, the English writer who, in a bad mood 20 years ago, defined a generation of grimmer and grittier comic books, wrote what is likely the field's best single work ("The Watchmen") and created commercial characters/properties like John Constantine, "V is for Vendetta" and "The League of Extraodinary Gentlemen" that have been adapted as movies in the last half-decade -- some better than others.
Moore is an gnostic who worships a Roman snake god and regularly records a series of worship/magic acts as performance art with a group known as The Grand Egyptian Theatre of Marvels. Here's an interview he did about one of his pieces when it was released on CD.
As far as how it may have affected his comic book work: He created and wrote six years worth of stories based on his beliefs about life, art and magic called "Promethea," the last issue of which came in psychedelic poster form.
(I believe Armageddon was involved.)
So the simple question I pose to you: what's more interesting, magic fiction or magic nonfiction?
And does anyone have anymore examples?
One of them who believes in it is Alan Moore, the English writer who, in a bad mood 20 years ago, defined a generation of grimmer and grittier comic books, wrote what is likely the field's best single work ("The Watchmen") and created commercial characters/properties like John Constantine, "V is for Vendetta" and "The League of Extraodinary Gentlemen" that have been adapted as movies in the last half-decade -- some better than others.
Moore is an gnostic who worships a Roman snake god and regularly records a series of worship/magic acts as performance art with a group known as The Grand Egyptian Theatre of Marvels. Here's an interview he did about one of his pieces when it was released on CD.
As far as how it may have affected his comic book work: He created and wrote six years worth of stories based on his beliefs about life, art and magic called "Promethea," the last issue of which came in psychedelic poster form.
(I believe Armageddon was involved.)
So the simple question I pose to you: what's more interesting, magic fiction or magic nonfiction?
And does anyone have anymore examples?
posted by Nick Beadle at 2:39 AM
3 Comments:
I would say they're both equally interesting and equally amusing. However, I find magical nonfiction to be much more aggravating, too. At least with fiction, you know (or at least hope, I guess) that the writer doesn't actually believe these events are taking place. With nonfiction...Well, you don't have that luxury. And you can usually safely discuss fiction, whereas discussions about magical nonfiction tend to get into "stepping on toes" areas, because you're attacking someone's religion (even if you aren't). I guess talking about nonfiction to someone other than the participants could be just as interesting and safe a topic as fiction, though.
Magic nonfiction as in his "Promethea" stories? Hmm, I think I'd find that much less interesting than magic fiction. Like Tara said, there's more freedom with magic fiction to be politically correct than with magic nonfiction. That would definitely take out the reading pleasure for me. 'Sides, I'm a fiction girl, through and through; I choke at condidering magic nonfiction a genre..
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