Photograph by Jonathan Worth.
British comic book writer Kieron Gillen (“The Wicked + The Divine”) has signed on as as editor in chief for the project, and is currently soliciting entries from amateur comic creators and artists who would like to contribute. Those who have their work accepted will find themselves being published alongside a writer widely considered one of the all-time greats of the medium: Alan Moore, along with wife and frequent collaborator Melinda Gebbie, will be contributing original content to the anthology.
This announcement comes in the wake of Moore’s 2016 announcement that he would be retiring from comics to focus on literature and film making. At a press conference for his novel Jerusalem, Moore said that his comic book days were numbered, and that he had “about 250 pages of comics left in me.”
Moore and Gebbie have previously collaborated on the critically acclaimed and controversial “Lost Girls” graphic novel for Top Shelf. The pair also collaborated on the “Tomorrow Stories” anthology series for America’s Best Comics / Wildstorm.
The fact that Moore is turning his attention to the Grenfell fire tragedy will not come as a surprise to many longtime fans. In England, the tragedy has triggered a highly charged political debate on the dangers of deregulation and funding cuts. Over the years, Moore has been an outspoken critic of austerity measures in regards to government funded libraries and other public services.
The 24 Panels comics project is slated for a late 2018 release date. Further information on this project, as well as information on how amateur creators can can submit their own work, is available at the 24 Panels blog: https://24panelsblog.wordpress.com
