You Can Buy Alan Moore's Magical Keyboard

The Wooster

King Snap
Jul 15, 2008
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You Can Buy Alan Moore's Magical Keyboard


A keyboard reputed to belong to comic-writing genius and perpetually grumpy wizard Alan Moore has turned up on Ebay.

I've had a go on the keyboard," says the eBay listing [http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/280787579400?ssPageName=STRK%3AMESCX%3AIT&_trksid=p3984.m1554.l2649#ht_1518wt_1139], "and in doing so, felt the power of Alan surging through it. It immediately inspired me to write a fifteen chapter novel, comparable to the Russian Masters, which took no less than four and a half hours, without even stopping for a toilet break."

It's signed too.

Moore, notable for A: looking like an angry wizard from the cover of a 1980's fantasy novel [http://forbiddenplanet.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/Alan%20Moore%20at%20GOSH.jpg], and B: being one of the best writers in comic book history, is most recognized for Watchmen, but he also wrote From Hell, V For Vendetta, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and Batman: The Killing Joke, amongst others. That's not mentioning the massive number of dead or dying series he took over and revitalized - Marvelman, I'm looking at you.

The listed keyboard is a Microsoft Basic Keyboard 1.0A [http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Basic-Keyboard-1-0A/dp/B0016NLWB6]. It's heavily used - the Q key appears to mark the beginnings of some kind of terrible cigarette graveyard and, according to the list of cons helpfully presented by the seller, the keyboard may not, in fact, work. The current bid stands at 245 English pounds.

The seller, artist Elke Pollard, claims Moore gave her the keyboard after she told him she was strapped for cash as she painted his portrait [http://www.elkepollard.com/portraits/portrait01.htm]. While the picture on the right obviously reeks of authenticity, there's no absolute guarantee the keyboard actually belonged to Moore. That being said, the sixth picture in the listing does appear to be the same keyboard, as held by Moore's wife, Melinda.

Unfortunately, Pollard missed an excellent opportunity for a totally relevant Rorschach reference: "The international customers will look up and shout 'Will it arrive before Christmas?'... and I'll look down, and whisper 'no.'"

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Matt9102

New member
Aug 14, 2011
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I feel like I'll be the odd one out in this one, but who wants a used keyboard because some famous guy owned it? I never got that stuff like "I have a lock of a celebrities hair lolololol sell on ebay for 200 bucks" but its an old keyboard. At 250 pounds. Nobodies gonna believe you if you show it to them.
 

Desworks

New member
Nov 18, 2009
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That's almost worth the price for the awesome item description alone. Cigarette burns are simply a happy bonus!
 

tombman888

New member
Jul 12, 2009
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It looks exactly like my keyboard in every way. Cept mine has more buttons up the very top.
 

Proverbial Jon

Not evil, just mildly malevolent
Nov 10, 2009
2,093
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Wow, if it were not for the verbose and hyperbolic item description, I doubt this item would actually generate any interest.

I get the idea of owning something from someone you admire. However, if this were something like a notebook or just about anything more relatable to his actual works I feel it would garner more merit as a purchase. This... this does not. I mean, have you seen the state of it?
 

MurderousToaster

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Aug 9, 2008
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People keep nagging me for spending £105 on my Razer BlackWidow Ultimate. Next time somebody does, I'll just show them that some guy spent > £250 on one of the cheapest keyboards in existence because Alan Moore used it.
 

HardRockSamurai

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May 28, 2008
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...clearly Alan Moore tried to eat this keyboard between paragraphs...
 

Xan Krieger

Completely insane
Feb 11, 2009
2,918
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Looking at the pros and cons as a pro
"There are no computer viruses as it has never been connected to the internet."
It's a keyboard, keyboards don't freakin get viruses.

"Fag ash."
I lol'd, I know that's what british people call ciggarettes but it sounds like he burned a homosexual and put his ashes on the keyboard.

"Sleek all-black casing with fetching violet coloured ps 2 connector."
So it's an old keyboard.

"DNA between the keys ? you may be able to clone your very own Alan!"
If we could do that there's 1,000 other people ahead of Alan in line of people I'd like to clone.

Can't wait to see how high the bidding goes.
 

JMan

New member
Jun 18, 2008
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Alan Moore is a expert at writing comics. I have The Killing Joke and I love it but I wouldn't care to own his old keyboard. The guy at the local comic store might but I don't care to.
 

Distorted Stu

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Sep 22, 2009
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Selling my keyboard for £500...

Erm, it helped cured cancer.. somehow. BUY IT. IT HAS MAGIC POWERS. APPERNTLY.
 

Matt9102

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Aug 14, 2011
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The_root_of_all_evil said:
Matt9102 said:
I feel like I'll be the odd one out in this one, but who wants a used keyboard because some famous guy owned it?
Hey, who wants a crappy old comic book...



or this rough draft?

Not what I ment.Its like... ordinary objects. I can pick up a keyboard anywhere. I can't pick up the rough draft of the declaration.
 
Feb 13, 2008
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Matt9102 said:
Not what I ment.Its like... ordinary objects. I can pick up a keyboard anywhere. I can't pick up the rough draft of the declaration.
Ok...so this wouldn't interest you?



if it was the one fired by Mythbusters?



$50,000


$4,480
 

coolkirb

New member
Jan 28, 2011
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The_root_of_all_evil said:
Matt9102 said:
Not what I ment.Its like... ordinary objects. I can pick up a keyboard anywhere. I can't pick up the rough draft of the declaration.
Ok...so this wouldn't interest you?



if it was the one fired by Mythbusters?



$50,000


$4,480
Those Items are all worth alot but they have a more personal connection to the people who owned them. The keyboard is realy kind of a mundane everday object. It is still worth money but probably not much simply because it lacks signifigance and its owner in the grand scheme of things is not one of the most famous people out their.
 

Matt9102

New member
Aug 14, 2011
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The_root_of_all_evil said:
Matt9102 said:
Not what I ment.Its like... ordinary objects. I can pick up a keyboard anywhere. I can't pick up the rough draft of the declaration.
Ok...so this wouldn't interest you?



if it was the one fired by Mythbusters?



$50,000


$4,480
Honestly, only the pill bottle interests me. The Holy Grail would get me killed, Jacket would do the same, and nobody is gonna know what that cannonball is.
 
Feb 13, 2008
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coolkirb said:
and its owner in the grand scheme of things is not one of the most famous people out their.

  • Writer of the only comic book in Time's top 100 All time list.
    Numerous Jack Kirby awards
    Swept the Eagle awards in 1986
    Favourite Comic Fiction writer in 5 years.
    Nine Eisner Awards
    A category in the Hugo Awards that was created specifically to honour him
    Appeared on the Simpsons as himself
    Watchmen, V for Vendetta, From Hell, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Batman: The Killing Joke, Voice of the Fire, Lost Girls, The Ballad of Halo Jones, Skizz, D.R. and Quinch, Swamp Thing, Hellblazer
    Stated as an influence by Neil Gaiman, Joss Whedon, Damon Lindelof

That makes him quite famous. And if you think the keyboard of the guy who wrote all these novels isn't worth much, then this


can be just chucked in the bin. And, as your Lawyer, I advise you do that.