It is a bit of an understatement to say that Watchmen creator Alan Moore has a complicated relationship with his groundbreaking 1986 graphic novel – as he once revealed that he is so at odds with the legacy of his work, that he refuses to even have a copy of the book in his home.

In an interview from Film4 Frightfest 2014, Moore reiterated how it is “just too painful” for him to have a copy of Watchmen in his house, as he prefers to focus on the work he’s currently doing, rather than his past accomplishments.

The writer’s dislike of the superhero genre and fans of his work has become a focal point of his interviews in the years, since abandoning the comic book industry altogether, in favor of a career writing prose.

Alan Moore Doesn’t Own Copies Of Watchmen, Or Any Of His Famous Titles

He Disavows His Legendary Comic Work

In 2014, Alan Moore was preparing to release his first novel, Jerusalem. Nevertheless, while doing press appearances for the book, he found himself fielding questions about his prior work much more than he would’ve liked. In a red carpet appearance at Film4 FrightFest, he took a dismissive stance toward his career in comics, stating:

I’m proud of all of my work apart from that superhero stuff I did that everybody else likes. I don’t have any copies of that in the house anymore. I can’t stand to look at it. It was just too painful, too many lost friendships.

As readers familiar with Moore’s complicated, confrontational relationship with comic books will know, Moore’s disavowal of his most famous works is part of a larger rejection of the industry, and the superhero genre as a whole.

When Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons created Watchmen, the writer had an agreement with DC that, once the book was out of print, rights to the characters would go to him. Unfortunately, the series proved much too popular and the publisher has kept it in print ever since. In fact, despite being almost forty years old, Watchmen remains one of the best-selling American comic books on the market. To add insult to injury, one of Moore’s proudest creations after he departed the company, Tom Strong, wound up being purchased by the company through its acquisition of Wildstorm.

Alan Moore Has Nothing But Harsh Words About Watchmen

& Superhero Stories In General

In the years following Moore’s exit from the comic book industry, he has made no secret of his feelings towards his creations. Whether it is describing adult comic book fans as emotionally immature, or deriding fans of his iconic vigilante Rorschach, few writers have distanced themselves from their work in as brutal a fashion as Alan Moore. While the writer continues to command a great deal of respect for his contributions to the medium, many readers question whether his response is proportional, or even fair.

The impact and influence of Alan Moore on the comic book industry continues to be felt today. Not only do many writers style the tone and direction of their stories after the author’s best work, but his characters have played a vital role in modern DC history. Many readers fully empathize with his feelings over the Watchmen rights, but it also seems clear the writer has moved on. Having made a home for himself in prose, where he appears to be more content, Alan Moore has been left unable to have what many view as his magnum opus in his own home.

Source: RCN TV, Film4 Frightfest 2014 coverage