Watchmen artist Dave Gibbons seems to have no trouble riding the wave of popularity his work has received thanks to Watch-Mania here at Comic-Con. In a press conference immediately following the panel discussion where clips of the film were shown, Gibbons and the cast seemed awestruck after seeing many of the images for the first time. One figure is notably absent from the frenzy surrounding the forthcoming film, the graphic novel’s author Alan Moore.

When asked about the apparent schism between Moore and Hollywood, Gibbons said, “It is very simple. Alan doesn’t take the moral high ground on this at all. There’s been some implication that [Alan has said], ‘Hollywood is impure, you really shouldn’t go there, Dave.’ No, it’s nothing to do with that at all. The fact is that Alan has had some very bad experiences with Hollywood, and he doesn’t care to repeat them. Now Alan is not a man who does things in halves. You or I might go, ‘Oh, well, if they want to make a film, that’s alright.’ Alan said, ‘No, I don’t want my name on it, and I don’t want any income from it. I don’t want anything to do with it at all.’ So, consequently he asked me to ask the movie company to send him a piece of paper that he could sign that would make both of those things happen. Which I was happy to do. …That’s what he wanted. He was extremely happy, he said, ‘Now I’ve had the piece of paper signed, I don’t care, I’m indifferent.’ I do speak to him from time to time, and occasionally I’d start to talk about Watchmen, and he’d say, ‘Well, I’m pleased you’re enthusiastic Dave, but I can’t really share it.’”

If Watchmen turns out to be as good as it seems to be (or as good as its source material), it would be a shame for Moore to not be a part of its success. Gibbons went on to say, “My personal feeling, and this is my first real involvement with Hollywood, [is that] it’s bad timing, because I think this is the one where they are going to do Alan justice, where they are going to give his work the respect and the reverence it deserves. And so I think that’s unfortunate. He may well have a change of heart about it. He’s a man of principle, and I admire him for that.”

Previous Alan Moore graphic novels that have been adapted to the screen include From Hell, and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.