Alan Moore Ripped Off Spider-Man?

[EddieChingLives]

I apologize for the click-baity title of this thread. I don't think it's a total concious rip-off. Maybe.

I get extreme joy trying to hunt down the things that inspired the people that inspire me.

When I was a kid, Star Wars seemed like a totally original concept.

I was too young to realize all of the combination of influences it took to get there, from comics, to Flash Gordon serials, to Akira Kurosawa films such as "Hidden Fortress."

So when I saw this page posted from @deanetts on Twitter from a Spider-Man comic from 1983, one does wonder if Mr. Moore read this issue.


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fe3BdY-W...jpg&name=large

Does this character look familiar from Watchmen? This page even has 3 panels up top like the 3x3 grid of Watchmen. Kudos to Bill Mantlo and Al Milgrom for this page. Although, legally the man in the hat and coat doesn't break in, he legally and lawfully is buzzed in by Peter. Was this due to the comics code perhaps?

Maybe it's a direct influence. Or maybe this is where comics were heading sub-conciously as the grittiness of Dirty Harry and Death Wish were flooding into comics.

Here's a later issue in 1984 where "The Man In The Crime-Master's Mask!" acts a little more like Rorschach. Mind you, Watchmen doesn't come out for another 3 years. I am not familiar with this story, as I was 5 years old and watching He-man and Transformers.


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FgPJiywX...pg&name=medium


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FgPJi15W...pg&name=medium


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FgPJiywX...pg&name=medium

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FgPJi2RXwAAeUCx?format=jpg&name=medium

On a random side-note, I also saw this image go around from @MarvelDailyArt and it got me wondering.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FgWQDOHX...name=4096x4096



Mr. Dean also posted this page from Kirby's Eternals Home and got me thinking.



Erik Larsen?
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fg5YB_EUYAApurO?format=jpg&name=large

Mr. Lucas?

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fg5n-TDU...jpg&name=large

[pell]

The Watchmen was a parody of comics, and its characters were parodies of existing characters. Rorschach was based on Ditko's independent character The Question, and probably a little on Ditko himself considering his known eccentricities.

[EddieChingLives]

Great point, Pell.

Ditko's noir work is amazing.

But look at this image of The Crime Master originally appearing in Spider-Man Writing The mask almost looks like Rorschach.


https://twitter.com/deanetts/status/...205568/photo/1

Perhaps Marvel was ripping off...er....inspired by The Question?

Perhaps that's why he hasn't appeared (to my limited knowledge) in any later versions of Spider-Man.

I'm not sure if it is inspiration or coincidence. For instance, I drew this page for UggaBugga's Awesome Storm Justice 41 web-comic.


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fg7h5qbV...g&name=900x900


Then I noticed an AMAZING Alex Toth archive found here:

https://pangolinbasement.blogspot.com/

And I came across this AMAZING Toth page!


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fg7hT7UV...ng&name=medium

[Smitty]

Rorschach is a smash up of The Question, the Crime Master and, most especially Mr A.

The Watchmen started out as Charlton characters until Giordano saw what was going to happen to them. Rorschach, Dr Manhatten and Night-Owl were originally the Question, Capt Atom and the new Blue Beetle, Ditko characters all. The Comedian was the Peace-Maker, not sure about the others.

Comics has always cribbed from earlier sources starting with Phillip Wylie's "Gladiator" aka the Man of Iron and his super strength, bullet proof skin and the ability to leap tall buildings in a single bound. I'd imagine when the Greeks invented Mt Olympus and it's inhabitants there was someone calling rip-off.

FWIW the Crime Master preceeds the Question by a couple of years and the reason he hasn't returned is he died at the end of his story arc.

[EddieChingLives]

Thanks Smitty.

Both you and Pell made me NEED to go down the Ditko rabbit hole!

Sounds like there's QUITE a few more things he brought to the table besides Spider-Man.

This thread is mainly an excuse so I can show off those incredible Crime-Master pages. A story from Spider-Man and featuring a cool character I've never heard anyone mention before. Those pages are SO good!

I really dig trying to find what influenced the legends. What lifted the comic art to the next level.

I've even glossed over how YoU changed the game when it comes to the evolution of the X-Men.

You played a big part of why as a Kid, those X-Men looked mysterious, dangerous and cool. When you were handed the baton from Dave you brought that clean cinematic Marvel look to that book. Fingerprints I can see in what Walt and Marc did later.

Looking at Wikipedia, I had no idea you designed the Mohawk version of Storm. Oh how I wonder what your influences were at that time. I missed the whole punk scene. Glad you didn't go with a Pat Benatar look. That Rogue design still holds up!

But oh what I'd give to see that Mr. T version of the Storm pitch.

[EddieChingLives]

Not sure if anyone saw this.

[Smitty]

At the risk of being a Smurf-faced McButtHead, lookie what's on my wall and not yours (nanner-nanner-nanner) a larger version can be found here



You can find Storm's Mr T, along with the story behind it, here

[EddieChingLives]

Wow! Christmas came early this year!

That’s a gorgeous Spidy page!

And you have an incredibly informative memoir blog recounting the magical momemts of legendary marvel moments including original art and concept sketches of the different Storm hair options?

Wow!! What a treasure!

I’m not worthy!

THANK YOU!!!

Your blog needs to be included in the Library of Congress or the Smithsonian!!!