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rickklaw's review
4.0
Sometime in the late 80s, the already legendary Malcolm McLaren, musician, impresario, visual artist, performer, clothes designer and boutique owner, contacted Alan Moore about working on a movie project. After discussing several ideas (including Surf Nazis which featured an aboriginal hero with the ability to summon waves and an Oscar Wilde in the Wild West tale that somehow morphs into the story of a 19th century female performer in the mode of the 20th century Madonna), they settled on Fashion Beast, an amalgamation of the life of Christian Dior and "Beauty and the Beast," both the fable and the haunting Jean Cocteau adaptation. Moore completed the screenplay but it was never filmed. Avatar publisher William Christensen discovered a copy of the screenplay and asked to convert the story into a comic.
Writer [a:Antony Johnston|12863|Antony Johnston|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1263977433p2/12863.jpg] converted the story into a more comics-friendly format and [a:Facundo Percio|2879832|Facundo Percio|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1354586250p2/2879832.jpg] handled the art chores. The artist deftly enhanced the lurid and at times disturbing near future tale.
After losing her job as a coat checker at a trendy club, the androgynous Doll literally stumbles into a modeling job for a reclusive designer. Moore and McLaren delve into the warped perceptions of the fashion industry, while society literally crumbles. The fears of Thatcher's conservative late 80s England sadly still resonate with the 21st century reader. The reality of a decaying society with the poor being crushed under the weight of the super rich and privileged remains a very real reality.
The graphic novel reads much like a typical 80s Alan Moore piece, complete with the obvious tropes and in your face symbolism. And much like that decade's work, the compelling Fashion Beast toys with ideas and concepts that simultaneously thrill, terrify, and intrigue.
Writer [a:Antony Johnston|12863|Antony Johnston|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1263977433p2/12863.jpg] converted the story into a more comics-friendly format and [a:Facundo Percio|2879832|Facundo Percio|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1354586250p2/2879832.jpg] handled the art chores. The artist deftly enhanced the lurid and at times disturbing near future tale.
After losing her job as a coat checker at a trendy club, the androgynous Doll literally stumbles into a modeling job for a reclusive designer. Moore and McLaren delve into the warped perceptions of the fashion industry, while society literally crumbles. The fears of Thatcher's conservative late 80s England sadly still resonate with the 21st century reader. The reality of a decaying society with the poor being crushed under the weight of the super rich and privileged remains a very real reality.
The graphic novel reads much like a typical 80s Alan Moore piece, complete with the obvious tropes and in your face symbolism. And much like that decade's work, the compelling Fashion Beast toys with ideas and concepts that simultaneously thrill, terrify, and intrigue.
pivic's review
4.0
This book was thought of by [a:Malcolm McLaren|308308|Malcolm McLaren|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1270928559p2/308308.jpg], the utter svengali as far as punk rock comes to mind; the man who at least orchestrated the Sex Pistols and Bow Wow Wow, and changed a bit of music history simply by being in the background.
I don't know how much of this story he really contributed to, but in [a:Alan Moore|3961|Alan Moore|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1304944713p2/3961.jpg]'s introduction - yes, there is one! - Moore claims that McLaren asked a comic store proprietor which artist is considered the best thing in comics, to which the young man answered "Alan Moore, left hand of God". Moore writes that if he ever should write an autobiography, this will be its title.
Speaking of God, it's suitable to have it in mind when thinking of the fashion industry: braggadocio, better-than-thou and unspoken rules and hierarchies. It's all in this book, wonderfully illustrated by [a:Facundo Percio|2879832|Facundo Percio|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1354586250p2/2879832.jpg]. I don't think I've ever seen computer-generated colours better used prior to this book.
This is a collection of 10 issues of a magazine that was supposed to be a film to begin with. Still, it's here as a graphic novel, one tome, and it's good. Despite the very sits-in-a-tower-ishness of the book, it's not hard to think of real-life examples that make it seem painfully real, e.g. the film "The September Issue" and [a:Tim Gunn|93162|Tim Gunn|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1206730504p2/93162.jpg]'s "[b:Gunn's Golden Rules: Life's Little Lessons for Making It Work|11986969|Gunn's Golden Rules Life's Little Lessons for Making It Work|Tim Gunn|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1333423442s/11986969.jpg|10334815]", where very few people run the lives of many. And in this book, that's really the case, borderline on fascism; Moore admits that this book, much like his "[b:V for Vendetta|5805|V for Vendetta|Alan Moore|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1343668985s/5805.jpg|392838]", is based in an England where Margaret Thatcher rules (or possibly John Major) and hence, the Dark Ages is still the case despite what some people may feel about it.
I shan't say much about the book's contents. A person is thrown into a hyper-superficial world where one creator runs The fashion house that rules, while people on the streets literally run hungry and amok; very French revolution. Or Britain under Thatcher, if you don't mind.
Percio's drawing is impeccable, and suits this book marvellously. Moore's writing is simple yet effective, and I have no qualms with envisioning the rôle of McLaren as the hurt man behind the mask, so to speak. All in all, enthralling and a philosophically simple, yet effective, read.
I don't know how much of this story he really contributed to, but in [a:Alan Moore|3961|Alan Moore|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1304944713p2/3961.jpg]'s introduction - yes, there is one! - Moore claims that McLaren asked a comic store proprietor which artist is considered the best thing in comics, to which the young man answered "Alan Moore, left hand of God". Moore writes that if he ever should write an autobiography, this will be its title.
Speaking of God, it's suitable to have it in mind when thinking of the fashion industry: braggadocio, better-than-thou and unspoken rules and hierarchies. It's all in this book, wonderfully illustrated by [a:Facundo Percio|2879832|Facundo Percio|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1354586250p2/2879832.jpg]. I don't think I've ever seen computer-generated colours better used prior to this book.
This is a collection of 10 issues of a magazine that was supposed to be a film to begin with. Still, it's here as a graphic novel, one tome, and it's good. Despite the very sits-in-a-tower-ishness of the book, it's not hard to think of real-life examples that make it seem painfully real, e.g. the film "The September Issue" and [a:Tim Gunn|93162|Tim Gunn|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1206730504p2/93162.jpg]'s "[b:Gunn's Golden Rules: Life's Little Lessons for Making It Work|11986969|Gunn's Golden Rules Life's Little Lessons for Making It Work|Tim Gunn|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1333423442s/11986969.jpg|10334815]", where very few people run the lives of many. And in this book, that's really the case, borderline on fascism; Moore admits that this book, much like his "[b:V for Vendetta|5805|V for Vendetta|Alan Moore|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1343668985s/5805.jpg|392838]", is based in an England where Margaret Thatcher rules (or possibly John Major) and hence, the Dark Ages is still the case despite what some people may feel about it.
I shan't say much about the book's contents. A person is thrown into a hyper-superficial world where one creator runs The fashion house that rules, while people on the streets literally run hungry and amok; very French revolution. Or Britain under Thatcher, if you don't mind.
Percio's drawing is impeccable, and suits this book marvellously. Moore's writing is simple yet effective, and I have no qualms with envisioning the rôle of McLaren as the hurt man behind the mask, so to speak. All in all, enthralling and a philosophically simple, yet effective, read.
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