For three decades comics fans and creators have looked to Alan Moore to map out the state of the art of the medium. In works such as Watchmen, V for Vendetta and From Hell he has redefined the possibilities of the genre, attracting literary plaudits and a mainstream audience far removed from his cult origins. Such is his standing in popular culture that some of the biggest names in Hollywood vie to adapt his books for cinema. Now, in anticipation of his 60th birthday, Moore aficionado Lance Parkin goes in search of this extraordinary gentleman, and reveals a writer quite unlike any other working today.
