UNEARTHING
by
ALAN MOORE & MITCH JENKINS
"Unearthing," a collaborative masterpiece by Alan Moore and Mitch Jenkins, is a visually and literarily stunning coffee table book that evolved over five years from an essay into a multidimensional exploration of biography, psychogeography, and imagination. Published in 2013 by Top Shelf Productions and Knockabout Comics, this oversized hardcover melds Moore’s poetic prose with Jenkins’ haunting photography to chronicle the life of Steve Moore (no relation to Alan), a reclusive writer and occultist who lived his entire life in the same South London house atop Shooter’s Hill. What begins as a personal tribute expands into a hypnotic excavation of the region’s history, from Neolithic times to World War II, intertwining Steve’s existence with the land’s mythic resonance.
Originally appearing in Iain Sinclair’s 2006 anthology "London: City of Disappearances," "Unearthing" grew through live performances, a spoken word recording with a score by Crook&Flail, and Jenkins’ evocative imagery. The book’s innovative format—text spiralling, inverting, or sprawling across pages alongside stark, surreal photographs—demands active engagement, rewarding readers with a dizzying, immersive experience. Critics laud its ambition: "The New York Times" calls it a testament to Moore transcending graphic novels, while "The AV Club" praises its otherworldly creation, noting the duo’s marginal existence on “this plane of reality.”
Moore’s dense, vivid prose conjures unforgettable images—a skeletal figure emerging from a wardrobe, Steve’s encounter with a succubus-like goddess—while Jenkins’ visuals amplify the eerie, dreamlike tone. Though challenging, "Unearthing" is a remarkable fusion of art and narrative, hailed by "NME" as “great art” and a testament to the creators’ boundary-pushing vision. Available in limited hardcover and softcover editions, this 184-page work remains a singular artifact, blending biography with a profound meditation on place, memory, and the unseen.
