Alan Moore, the enigmatic master comics writer, occasional cartoonist, and poet; the musician, songwriter and practicing magician was born in Northampton, in Central England, on November 18, 1953. His father, Ernest was a brewery worker, and his mother, Sylvia, a typist (Moore deftly wrote of his mother, her life and her death in the performance piece The Birth Caul, which so impressed Eddie Campbell that he independently interpreted it in comics form in 1999).
An autodidact, young Alan had little need nor use for formal education, and never finished intermediary school.
He was not without ambition, however, and by age 17, Moore had already begun to display the prolific literary output that has been a hallmark of his career, writing, editing, illustrating – and almost certainly, reproducing, stapling, and distributing – his own fanzine, The Embryo. Billed as "fiction and poetry," the aptly named Embryo displayed nascent bits of all the talents which would eventually coalesce into a storied creative career. Of course, Embryo also featured comics, which, unlike those for which he is best known, Moore drew himself.
As the 1970s progressed, Moore’s work began to focus more narrowly on comics writing, though he continued to perform in bands, contribute self-drawn cartoons to the magazine Sounds and prose to Doctor Who Weekly.
His way with a story and fresh ideas began to find voice through teamings with....
