1963 is a six-issue comic book limited series written by Alan Moore in 1993, with art by his frequent collaborators Steve Bissette, John Totleben, and Rick Veitch; other contributors included Dave Gibbons, Don Simpson, and Jim Valentino, published by Image Comics. The six issues hark back to the Silver Age of American comics (in particular, the early Marvel Comics), and feature spoof advertisements on the rear covers—in a manner to be repeated with a twist by Moore and Kevin O'Neill in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. The limited series is a term referring to a comic book series with a set finite number of issues. ... Stephen R. Bissette (also known as Steve Bissette) is a comics artist and publisher best known for working with writer Alan Moore and inker John Totleben on the DC comic Swamp Thing in the 1980s. ... John Totleben (born February 16, 1958 in Erie, Pennsylvania) is an American illustrator working mostly in comics. ... Rick Veitch is an American comic book artist and writer who has worked in mainstream, underground, and alternative comics. ... Dave Gibbons (born April 14, 1949) is a British writer and artist of comics. ... Don Simpson is a freelance cartoonist and comic book artist. ... The Guardians of the Galaxy as drawn by Valentino. ... A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... The limited series is a term referring to a comic book series with a set finite number of issues. ... Alan Moore (born November 18, 1953, in Northampton) is an English writer most famous for his influential work in comics, including the acclaimed graphic novels Watchmen, V for Vendetta and From Hell. ... Stephen R. Bissette (also known as Steve Bissette) is a comics artist and publisher best known for working with writer Alan Moore and inker John Totleben on the DC comic Swamp Thing in the 1980s. ... John Totleben (born February 16, 1958 in Erie, Pennsylvania) is an American illustrator working mostly in comics. ... Rick Veitch is an American comic book artist and writer who has worked in mainstream, underground, and alternative comics. ... Dave Gibbons (born April 14, 1949) is a British writer and artist of comics. ... Don Simpson is a freelance cartoonist and comic book artist. ... The Guardians of the Galaxy as drawn by Valentino. ... Image Comics Logo Image Comics is an American comic book publisher. ... Showcase #4 (September-October 1956), often thought the first appearance of the first Silver Age superhero, the Barry Allen Flash. ... An American comic book is a small magazine originating in the United States containing a narrative in the comics form. ... Marvel Comics is an American comic book line published by Marvel Publishing, Inc. ... Kevin ONeill can be Kevin ONeill, the comics illustrator Kevin ONeill, the basketball coach Kevin ONeil, the music drummer: see The Honeydrippers: Volume One. ... The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is a comic book limited series written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Kevin ONeill, published under the Americas Best Comics imprint of DC Comics. ...

Marvel parody

Moore's homage to Marvel clichés included fictionalizing himself and the artists as the "Sixty-Three Sweatshop", describing his collaborators in the same hyperbolic and alliterative mode Stan Lee used for his "Marvel Bullpen"; each was given a Lee-style nickname (Affable Al, Sturdy Steve, Jaunty John, etc.—Veitch has since continued to refer to himself as "Roarin' Rick"). The parody is not entirely affectionate, as the text pieces and fictional letter columns contain pointed inside jokes about the business practices of 1960s comics publishers, with "Affable Al" portrayed as a tyrant who claims credit for his employees' creations. Moore also makes reference to Lee's self congratulatory book "Origins of Marvel Comics" (and the interminable sequels) when Affable Al recommends that readers hurry out and buy his new book "How I Created Everything All By Myself and Why I Am Great". Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber on December 28, 1921[1]) is an American writer, editor, was the Chairman Emeritus of Marvel Comics, and memoirist. ...

Incomplete Status

The series has never been finished as originally intended. When first announced, the limited series was supposed to be followed by an 80-page annual, illustrated by Jim Lee, in which the 1963 characters were sent thirty years into "the future", where they met then-contemporary 1993 characters published by Image Comics. Moore intended to make a commentary on how the innocent superhero comics of the early '60's had changed for the worse by becoming "more mature" and "grim and gritty". (Moore has stated that his own work, Watchmen, is at least partially responsible for this trend.) For the 2008 film based on the comic book, see Watchmen (film). ...

Unfortunately, Moore was less than halfway through writing the script for the annual when Jim Lee announced that he was taking a year-long sabbatical from comic book art. Moore put the script aside, and after that year had passed, many things had changed. Rob Liefeld had left Image, which meant that some of his characters could not be used. Jim Lee was swamped with work and unlikely to be able to complete the work. The tide had changed, and superhero comics had begun to get less and less gritty, and Moore states his growing disinterest with writing superheroes. [1]

In 2007, Erik Larsen was asked about the status of the project, and explained "Alan had a falling out with one of the creators on the 1963 project and he did not want to re-open those wounds. That ship may have sailed, sorry to say." [2] Moore has publicly expressed much frustration with Jim Lee for selling Wildstorm comics (which owns Moore's America's Best Comics line) to DC (whom Moore had sworn to never work for again), but it is unconfirmed whether this is what Larsen was referring to. More probably, Larsen was referencing the fact that Alan had cut ties with Steve Bissette due to personal issues. Cover to The Savage Dragon (original miniseries) #1. ... Alex Ross cover to Americas Best Comics 64 Page Giant, featuring all of the characters created by Alan Moore for the imprint. ...

The comics also contained advertisements for "1963 1/2", which never surfaced either. It is unclear whether this was an alternate name for the annual, an alternate name for an ashcan edition (Horus was published as an ashcan), or another facet to the project which never came to fruition. Ashcan Ashcan is another word for Dustbin Ashcan is navy slang for depth charge The Ashcan School was a realist artistic movement at the beginning of the 20th century. ...

The Tomorrow Syndicate are the only characters to be featured outside of the original miniseries, having made an appearance alongside Big Bang Comics' Round Table of America, in an issue of Valentino's A Touch of Silver. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Characters

Issue one introduced Mystery Incorporated, a Fantastic Four surrogate featuring The Fantastic Four is a fictional American team of comic-book superheroes in the Marvel Comics universe. ...

• Crystal Man (based on Mister Fantastic)
• Neon Queen (based on Invisible Woman)
• Kid Dynamo (based on Human Torch)
• Planet (based on The Thing)

Issue two, No-one Escapes the Fury, featured The Fury, who was based on Spider-Man with elements of Daredevil), as well as Sky Solo, Lady of L.A.S.E.R., a female version of Nick Fury, agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards) is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero and member of the Fantastic Four. ... Susan Storm Richards is a fictional superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. ... This article is about the Silver/Modern Age Human Torch, Johnny Storm. ... The Thing (Benjamin Ben Jacob Grimm) is a fictional character, a founding member of the superhero team The Fantastic Four in the Marvel Comics universe. ... Spider-Man swinging around his hometown, New York City. ... Daredevil (Matt Murdock) is a superhero in the Marvel Comics Universe. ... For the French hip hop artist, see Nikkfurie. ... S.H.I.E.L.D. (originally an acronym for Supreme Headquarters, International Espionage, Law-Enforcement Division, changed in 1991 to Strategic Hazard Intervention, Espionage and Logistics Directorate) is a fictional counterterrorism and intelligence agency in the Marvel Universe that often deals with superhuman threats. ...

Issue three, an anthology comic called Tales of the Uncanny, featured USA, Ultimate Special Agent based on Captain America, and Hypernaut, who was based on Iron Man, with elements taken from Silver Surfer, Green Lantern and Swamp Thing Captain America, the alter ego of Steve Rogers,[2] is a fictional comic-book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. ... Iron Man (Anthony Edward Tony Stark) is a fictional comic-book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. ... The Silver Surfer is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby. ... For the DJ, see DJ Green Lantern. ... The Swamp Thing is a fictional character created by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson for DC Comics, and featured in a long-running horror-fantasy comic book series of the same name. ...

Issure four, another anthology comic called Tales From Beyond, introduces readers to N-Man, based on The Incredible Hulk, and Johnny Beyond, a beatnik version of Dr. Strange. The Incredible Hulk The Hulk, often called The Incredible Hulk, is a Marvel Comics superhero. ... Beatnik is a media stereotype that borrowed the most superficial aspects of the Beat Generation literary movement of the 1950s to present a distorted (and sometimes violent), cartoon-like misrepresentation of the real-life people and the spirituality found in Jack Kerouacs autobiographical fiction. ... Doctor Strange is a sorcerer, featured in Marvel Comics. ...

Issue five was devoted to Horus, Lord of Light, based on The Mighty Thor. It has been suggested that Ultimate Thor be merged into this article or section. ...

Issue six told the story of the Tomorrow Syndicate, based on the Avengers. This comic brought back Horus, Lord of Light, Hypernaut, N-Man, and USA, and also introduced The Imp, based on Henry Pym, and Imp-Girl, based on Janet Van Dyne The Avengers is an elite fictional comic book superhero team in the Marvel Universe. ... Dr. Henry Hank Jonathan Pym is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe, created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby. ... The Wasp (Janet van Dyne) is a comic book superheroine in the Marvel Comics universe. ...

External links

• The AMFS FAQ: 1963
• 1963 Annotations
• Interviews with 1963 creators (in their fictional roles)
• Comic book DB Page