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Comment by oldpersonintx | Hacker News Reader

I love Alan's work but he is also kind of an idiot on many issues

He rails against the interactions of fans and large conglomerates but he was happy to cash checks anytime his work went up for sale

Remember his big publicity stunt of declining his name to appear on the Watchmen movie credits? Yet he had no issue taking the payday from DC that started it all

I've read everything he has written including his novels...but, shut up Alan

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'Remember his big publicity stunt of declining his name to appear on the Watchmen movie credits? Yet he had no issue taking the payday from DC that started it all'

Because back then Comics book industry was not the same, he sold his story and rights to DC and the contract specified that if DC stopped selling the book after a period of time, the rights would revert back to him. Alas, he wrote Watchmen, it's never been out of print he has not been allowed to reclaim his own work.

A lot of his complaining about Movie/Comic book companies comes from the perspectivie of a creator who has lost control of his creations, and is doing what he can to protest that.

I guess he'd been hoping his audience (his readers) would have been more like the pigs on Manor Farm, and is a touch disappointed that the majority audience (his fans) are running around bleating the equivalent of 2 legs bad: "you're locked in here with me!"

So much of his point is that you should appreciate Watchmen for what it is, rather than worry about his association with it.

You thinking he should behave a certain way in response to your appreciation is more or less exactly what he thinks is ridiculous!

Honestly, he comes off as being contrary for the sake of being contrary, instead of the principled contrarian that he thinks he is.

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