Alan Moore

I remember reading Watchmen as a kid, and being blown away by how mature and complex this superhero story was. I realized eventually that the man behind this creative take on the superhero, was Alan Moore, one of the best comic book authors of the 20th century. What's striking about his work are his very serious approach to handling some of the most silliest looking characters. The juxtaposition of such adult content being applied to colorful heroes that fight crime, is something that film and video games are doing today with these characters. But it's hard to look at where superheroes are today, without paying tribute to Alan Moore. He seems like someone who would despise these types of stories, so reading his work is very interesting. Thanks to Alan Moore and Frank Miller, the characters that I enjoyed growing up, I am still able to enjoy far into adulthood.

Underground Comics

Comics that emerged during the 60s and 70s through independent publishers contained new material. I enjoy the focus and purpose of these stories, with its depictions of counter culture, and questioning of societal norms. My favorite stories from this era are from Harvey Pekar's American Splendor. He's so blunt and to the point, that there's a rhythm to his words. I find Pekar's outlook on life very interesting, and entertaining to say the least. This movement gave new life to comics, where most adults found comics to be childish and simple, these new stories were very adult, and complex in ways. Though this style wasn't considered mainstream at first, its elements have trickled down into mainstream media, and even into popular comics and action and superhero stories of today.