As well as being a legendary writer and one of the all-time great comic creators, Alan Moore is also a practicing occultist. It was announced almost two decades ago that he would be distilling his knowledge in this esoteric area into a single accessible volume called The Moon and Serpent Bumper Book of Magic, made in collaboration with his friend and co-author, the late Steve Moore (no relation). Now the book finally has a release date.
Designed as "a clear and practical grimoire of the occult sciences," as well as a pictorial biography of many notable magicians, the 352 page hardback book will be published this October. It's a unique mix of writing, illustration, comics - including what seems to be Alan Moore's last works in sequential art following his retirement from the medium - and advice on how to perform rituals and cast spells.
It also contains work by a host of comics talent including the late Kevin O'Neill, Melinda Gebbie, José Villarrubia, Steve Parkhouse, John Coulthart, Rick Veitch, and Ben Wickey.
Originally the book was also to include a new tarot deck, but Moore told us when we interviewed him back in 2022 for his short story collection Illuminations (in a passage that was cut from the published article for length reasons) that the deck was no longer a part of the project, admitting that "it wouldn't have worked commercially for the book and also, I thought, I can't actually do anything that's better than the Thoth Deck, so that's out."
"One of the great honors of my publishing career has been to work with Alan Moore on so many monumental projects, like From Hell and Lost Girls," said Top Shelf editor-in-chief Chris Staros. "The Moon and Serpent Bumper Book of Magic represents an amazing capstone, created by Alan and Steve, and brilliantly brought to life by five unforgettable artists. It's been a privilege to watch those magical minds spend years building this grimoire, and I'm proud to join Knockabout in finally sharing it with the world."
The Moon and Serpent Bumper Book of Magic will be co-published by Top Shelf Productions & Knockabout LTD (UK) in October.
Looking for something new to read? Check out our list of the 25 best comics from 2023 here.
