----- Original Message -----
From: Vanishing Mute <mute@>
Newsgroups: alt.fan.neil-gaiman
Sent: Saturday, April 29, 2000 9:03 AM
Subject: LOEG#5, for those who haven't heard yet...
nicked and twisted from www.comicon.com/splash
DC Publisher Paul Levitz ordered the complete print run of LEAGUE
OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN #5 destroyed yesterday. The
move was prompted by a reproduction of an actual
Victorian age
advertisement (see rsite) by the 'MARVEL CO.' for a
douche syringe. The ad copy includes the
word 'vaginal'. The SPLASH has received conflicting
reports whether Levitz' action was prompted
by the 'MARVEL' reference, use of the word 'vaginal',
or both.
Writer Alan Moore, who has retained his sense of humor
in the face of the pulping told the SPLASH that, "My parents raised
me as a gentleman and everyone at Marvel
should rest assured that I would never make reference
to any person there as a 'douchebag'."
Moore estimated the replacement second printing of LOEG
#5 would cost in the neighborhood
of $30,000, making it, "the world's costliest Penny
Dreadful." The book, already legendary for
late shipping, will again have its ship schedule pushed
back, although Moore has asked DC to
announce that this particular delay was not the fault
of the creators.
The pulping of LOEG #5 comes after a string of similar incidents at
DC, some of which made
sensational headlines. In 1999 Levitz refused to
publish an already printed ELSEWORLD's 80
PAGE GIANT that contained the double Eisner nominee
story 'SUPERMAN'S BABYSITTER' by
Kyle Baker because of a scene where SUPERBABY climbs in
a micro-wave oven. When a few
thousand copies escaped the destruction order and were
distributed in the UK, collector prices
hit over $300 a copy on e-bay.
Moore told the SPLASH he is "somewhat consoled" since
he possesses what he thought might
be the only surviving copy of the original first
printing of LOEG #5. But if reports of copies turning
up in dealers hands prove accurate, he can expect some
competition on e-bay, similar to the
ELSEWORLDS 80 PAGE GIANT phenomena. The first copy of
LOEG #5 "with censored ad
intact" appeared on ebay this evening, offered by a
seller in Baltimore, MD. Bidding was halted
an hour later with no explanation.
Further: Alan Moore, considered by many to
be the best and most bankable comics
writer in the English language, told the
SPLASH today that he is changing his name. "Please
inform everyone reading the SPLASH that I
am taking the necessary legal steps to
transform my last name to 'Marvel-Vagina'
Henceforth I will sign my work as 'Alan
Marvel-Vagina'."
Moore also told the SPLASH that he had just
received a message from artist Kevin O'Neill
bemoaning the fact that "the advert for the
'DC WANK ENGINE', planned for LEAGUE
OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN #6,
might not be acceptable now."
DC Publisher Paul Levitz ordered the complete print run of LEAGUE
OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN #5 destroyed yesterday. The
move was prompted by a reproduction of an actual
Victorian age
advertisement (see rsite) by the 'MARVEL CO.' for a
douche syringe. The ad copy includes the
word 'vaginal'. The SPLASH has received conflicting
reports whether Levitz' action was prompted
by the 'MARVEL' reference, use of the word 'vaginal',
or both.
Writer Alan Moore, who has retained his sense of humor
in the face of the pulping told the SPLASH that, "My parents raised
me as a gentleman and everyone at Marvel
should rest assured that I would never make reference
to any person there as a 'douchebag'."
Moore estimated the replacement second printing of LOEG
#5 would cost in the neighborhood
of $30,000, making it, "the world's costliest Penny
Dreadful." The book, already legendary for
late shipping, will again have its ship schedule pushed
back, although Moore has asked DC to
announce that this particular delay was not the fault
of the creators.
The pulping of LOEG #5 comes after a string of similar incidents at
DC, some of which made
sensational headlines. In 1999 Levitz refused to
publish an already printed ELSEWORLD's 80
PAGE GIANT that contained the double Eisner nominee
story 'SUPERMAN'S BABYSITTER' by
Kyle Baker because of a scene where SUPERBABY climbs in
a micro-wave oven. When a few
thousand copies escaped the destruction order and were
distributed in the UK, collector prices
hit over $300 a copy on e-bay.
Moore told the SPLASH he is "somewhat consoled" since
he possesses what he thought might
be the only surviving copy of the original first
printing of LOEG #5. But if reports of copies turning
up in dealers hands prove accurate, he can expect some
competition on e-bay, similar to the
ELSEWORLDS 80 PAGE GIANT phenomena. The first copy of
LOEG #5 "with censored ad
intact" appeared on ebay this evening, offered by a
seller in Baltimore, MD. Bidding was halted
an hour later with no explanation.
Further: Alan Moore, considered by many to
be the best and most bankable comics
writer in the English language, told the
SPLASH today that he is changing his name. "Please
inform everyone reading the SPLASH that I
am taking the necessary legal steps to
transform my last name to 'Marvel-Vagina'
Henceforth I will sign my work as 'Alan
Marvel-Vagina'."
Moore also told the SPLASH that he had just
received a message from artist Kevin O'Neill
bemoaning the fact that "the advert for the
'DC WANK ENGINE', planned for LEAGUE
OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN #6,
might not be acceptable now."