Dave Gibbons Deems ‘Before Watchmen’ Not Canon

Posted Saturday, July 28th, 2012 10:00 am GMT -4 by 0

Everyone knows that Alan Moore is not a fan of the prequel series ‘Before Watchmen’. He hasn’t exactly been shy about expressing his distaste for the project. But what of the other half of the duo that created arguably one of the greatest graphic novels ever created, Dave Gibbons? The artist hasn’t exactly given DC Comics his blessing, but he hasn’t exactly outright said he was against it, did he?

Recently, while he was being interviewed at the GameCity Nottingham Festival, Gibbons spoke about ‘Watchmen’ and all the spin-offs from the original like the video game, the movie, and the prequels. About an hour and seven minutes into the video, when asked about his roles in all of the above, he said:

“I didn’t have a lot of input in it. To me anything to do with the movies – as far as I’m concerned, what Alan and I did was the Watchmen graphic novel and a couple of illustrations that came out at the same time. Everything else – the movie, the game, the [laugh] prequels – are really not canon. They’re subsidiary. They’re not really Watchmen. They’re just something different.”

Well then, I’m sure that’s not something the head honchos at DC want to hear.

For the whole interview, which also includes Gibbons expressing his jealousy of Alan Moore for being on ‘The Simpsons’ and his desire to have Watchmen legos, you can check it out below, courtesy of Bleeding Cool:

What do you think about Dave Gibbons stance on ‘Before Watchmen’? Do you see them as part of canon or are you siding with one half of the creative team that first brought us ‘Watchmen’? Or are you with Alan Moore and are choosing to boycott the whole thing entirely? Let us know in the comment section below.

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  • http://www.facebook.com/Nyarlathotepp Boras Konstantinos

    I’d rather buy any new Image series or mini that’s out there, like debris for example, rather than go for books that narrate a story that’s already been told in a more brief and cohesive way. Also some new marvel books like the new captain marvel seem to be more decent… And that pretty much says it all.

  • JasonMBowles

    Gibbons and Moore need to get over it.  It’s a comic book, not the constitution!  And there’s a giant, green squid in it.  An that godawful pirate mess.  It’s not perfect.  Yes, at the time it elevated comics to another level, but seriously, they act like they’re gods and everyone else in comics are mere mortals messing with “their creations” which they didn’t even create whole cloth.  I’ll take ANYTHING by Darwyn Cooke over Alan Moore these days.  Look at what a wreck League of Extraordinary Gentlemen has devolved into.

  • ZMoellers

    Honestly, I see where they’re coming from. This WAS their creation, this WAS something they put so much into. I can get why they don’t want the story to be dragged out into prequels like this, they probably don’t want to see it get ruined or they might even feel that the story has already been told.

    However, I can also understand why many of us want the prequels. In a way, the story wasn’t fully told. Watchmen, while being a phenomenal comic, is also one that deserves to have a little more said about it. Let’s hear about the heroes that died before the story began. Let’s hear about what life was like for the heroes growing up. And in the end, what is cannon, anyway? Written by the original authour? Then, what about all the Star Wars books and the like? Something that’s official? Before Watchmen is being released by DC. If that’s not official, what is?

  • Midas68

    The writer of this article is Deaf to logic,
    Lloyd and Moore are not on opposite sides of the fence like you suggest.

    Sell outs are a Dime a Dozen and the reason Moore had the integrity to bring what was considered lowly juvenile comics for kids into Maturity. Where adults did not have to hide there heads if they were coming out of a comic store.

    This alone made Moore a God of the Nerds.  With Watchmen being nominated for major awards(that wasnt in the comic field)  Being named one of the 100 best novels of the century by Time Magazine.
    Being the most complicated and mature work the field had ever produced. The Biggest Selling Comic Book ever Made etc etc

    This makes your rubber stamp of stupidity seem totally moronic.
    If your going to do a article on comics. leaving the question open weather  Watchmen being one of the greatest Graphic Novels is not debatable. It has already earned the right to be considered one of the greatest. This is not even a question amongst people who know anything at all about the field.  If it is the best is the question.  And along with Maus most critics and Fans will tell you it is the best. 

    So when a artist doesn’t sell out and is outspoken to the company that milked more money from him then any other artist (beside what Stan Lee did to Kirby). yet fill there is more they can squeeze out of his creations even if he finds it disgustingly capitalistic.  I think its disturbing to have people side with the Conglomerate as opposed to the Artist.
     
    Sorry If I don’t pander to lower basement thinking.