Nov 28, 2011

The Man Behind the Protest Mask

Alan Moore is a legendary creator of graphic novels; he created V For Vendetta, the graphic novel that was the inspiration for the film starring Hugo Weaving as V (Weaving gained fame for playing Agent Smith in The Matrix and Elrond in The Lord of the Rings). The most iconic element about the movie was, of course, the Guy Fawkes mask.

It's a mask which has become an icon of protest, worn first by members of Anonymous to protect their identities while protesting Scientology from its notorious lawyers and reprisals. Later it became a prominent fixture of the Occupy Wall Street protests.

The mask is trademarked by Time Warner, a huge entertainment corporation that has received some nice revenue from sales of the mask. However, it puts Time Warner is a tricky spot, as a product they license is used to protest corporations.

In an interview with the British newspaper The Guardian, Alan Moore talks about his creation becoming an icon of protest, and the mixed feelings he has with the big screen adaptations of some of his other works.


For a more comprehensive look at V For Vendetta, read V For Vendetta - An Analysis

Link to article

Link to official V For Vendetta website


Link to purchase V For Vendetta

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