Now Moore Than Ever, Part 3

By: Stephanie Crawford
Date: Monday, February 18, 2002

For those of you who are interested in spandex-clad superheroes, don't think Moore is all about 'chick stuff.' Moore has a Batman project in the works, as well as something regarding a certain well-known wall-crawler we all know and love. Moore waxes enthusiastic about working with DC's BATMAN.

"It's fun, it's different for me because I do have to work to their criteria, I need to listen to their input, and I don't mind doing that," says Moore. "I can learn a lot from these guys. It's more of a writing assignment where we put me in a box and see how creative I can be in a plain white room, how would I decorate it? And that's fun. I enjoy that. I'm having a good time with it. I've finished the first script. It's a one-shot Batgirl Special written by Steven Grant, illustrated by Bill Sienkiewicz. The story is Barbara Gordon, formerly the old Batgirl, talking to the new Batgirl about the Joker. I am illustrating all the flashback scenes in the story. The collaborative process on this one is tricky and very interesting, because the two artists are not in the same studio. I'm moving on now, but I'm also now talking to these guys so much, I'm doing a few other things too, drawing some pages in a Batgirl/Batman book, things like that, just to be a part of the Bat-family, meld in a little more. And I'm actually talking to DC very seriously about some other things. So who knows what the future will bring?"

In this season of the Spider, everyone is interested in all things webby, and Moore is no exception.

"I'm [working on] ULTIMATE MARVEL TEAM-UP #14, due out in early April, written by Brian Michael Bendis. I am penciling with inks done by Walden Wong. The plot centers on the Black Widow meeting the new Spider-Man. This is the first time we will have met the Black Widow in the Ultimate universe, so my design of her is the defining template for future stories, which makes it exciting for me."

Moore's previous foray into the world of superheroes wasn't as successful as STRANGERS or his upcoming work in the Batman and Spider-Man franchises.

"I was disappointed about the end of LADY SUPREME only in that it didn't continue. It was a learning experience for me. That was my first venture out in writing for somebody else and my first try at a superhero comic that was published en masse. My learning curve on it was very sharp, the series was ended abruptly when I was still gaining momentum. It's a shame, but I learned a lot, and I learned it all on someone else's dollar, so that's always a good thing. And it helped prepare me for my jobs afterwards."

One of the most interesting parts of the business for many comic book writers is the convention scene. Moore is no stranger to conventions, and he remarks on how they differ from his day-to-day.

"You know those things where you sit on the stool and people throw balls at the target? It's like that," says Moore. "Working in the studio alone for several months on end is like a deprivation tank. Then boom, you take a short plane ride, you go somewhere, and you're surrounded by people nonstop for 72 hours, and I'm not used to it. My throat gets hoarse because I'm not used to talking so much, and everything's a blur after the first day. I'm a people person, but I usually like to take them one at a time. A convention, I'll meet 600 people in one day, go out to dinner with a lot more, then I go to bed, wake up, and do the same thing again the next day. Then when it's over I catch a plane home, and it's totally quiet here in the studio, so I'm living my life in extremes. But it's fun."

"I don't know, everyone has a different way of handling it. Paul McCartney tends to really like being famous; George Harrison was really bothered by it. I guess I'm more the George Harrison type. I don't want to be famous or a celebrity because there are a lot of disadvantages to it, I just want to be able to write and sell my books. My goal wasn't to be a big fish in a little pond. So I don't let it go to my head. I'm just a comic book writer. No big deal."

So, what does the future hold for Terry Moore? Rumor has it that it's BIG. Very BIG. Unfortunately, like many projects, it's very hush-hush right now, and Moore is properly mysterious.

"Yes. Big new project. Big big big big big. I have something BIG coming, but I can't talk about it. So don't ask me. Say no more. That's the end of it," Moore laughs.

But fans of STRANGERS IN PARADISE can relax. Moore has every intention of continuing with his greatest creation.

"I see it growing into maturity," says Moore. "The way I see it, my characters have changed, grown and matured, and you can never back off from that, what's done is done. There is a lot of interesting territory to explore in their new lives, so I certainly haven't lost my interest in it at all. Also, the SiP cast has grown significantly. There are a lot of people around the edges, some of whom are very interesting like Molly and Casey, so I see characters like Casey coming more to the fore and getting more page time so we can see where she's coming from. I think anyone who is able to get into the Francine/Katchoo circle is a special person, and is worth looking into a little bit. Beyond that, I see SiP theme parks all over the world, their own hamburger chain, and maybe a sport drink or two," laughs Moore.

Despite some attitudes that comics may be losing out to digital media, Moore remains optimistic about the future.

"People talk about [comics] losing to electronic media, but we've had electronic entertainment for quite some time, and comics are still here. I think that bodes well for the future. It's a unique experience to hold a comic book in your hands. It's a lot more fun than an e-book, or trying to flip through pages on the Internet. It's still the fastest way for a writer to get his material out to the most people, writing anything he wants. Name me another medium where you can do that. If you want to write novels, you've got a real problem. If you want to make movies, you've got a big problem. If you want to make a TV show or be a writer on a TV show, you've got a big problem. You want to write short stories or magazines? You've got a big problem."

"But if you want to take your story and do it in comic book format, you can take it to a printer and have it out to the public within two weeks, and everyone in the world has access to it. There's not another medium that does that."