Painting by Isabel Samaras

In a new interview with Playboy magazine, Grant Morrison claims that Batman and Robin might be part of the “lavender mafia.”

Via Pink News:

Mr Morrison said that Batman was “very plutonian in the sense that he’s wealthy and also in the sense that he’s sexually deviant.

“Gayness is built into Batman,” he said, adding, “I’m not using gay in the pejorative sense, but Batman is very, very gay. There’s just no denying it. Obviously as a fictional character he’s intended to be heterosexual, but the basis of the whole concept is utterly gay.”

The writer also said that this very “gayness” was responsible for the near-universal appeal of the character. “I think that’s why people like it,” he said. “All these women fancy him and they all wear fetish clothes and jump around rooftops to get to him. He doesn’t care — he’s more interested in hanging out with the old guy and the kid.”

On Batman’s nemesis, the Joker, he said: “He’s Batman’s perfect opposite, and because of that he’s as sexy as Batman, if not more so… I quite like him, because he’s a pop star—he’s like Bowie.”

It’s true!
 

 
H/T Joe.My. God

 
Someone has posted the original, longer version of the Disinfo Nation (as the show was called in the UK) episode with my Grant Morrison interview from 2000. This is quite a bit longer than what appeared on the DVD and has some extended clips from Grant’s epic speech at the DisinfoCon. If this is the first time—or one of them—where he told the story of his “alien abduction” experience, I’d imagine that he’s really sick of recounting this tale by now!

When the second series of the show was originally transmitted, I was as pleased as pleased could be that the legal department at Channel 4 let the segment fly without any comments where Grant describes Austin Osman Spare’s theory of sigil magick. To get something like that on network television was a real coup for higher revolutionary mutation, I’d like to think…

The interview was taped at the Standard Hotel in Hollywood. We started on the balcony, but they made us go inside. Those are Andy Warhol print curtains behind Grant, btw.

There’s also a short segment about “The Picture” an amazing drawing/assemblage piece by artist Howard Hallis. Hallis didn’t finish the work until ten years later, when it was first exhibited at La Luz de Jesus gallery in Los Angeles in 2011 as “The Picture of Everything.” It was already a masterpiece back in 2000, and now it’s 5x more detailed and elaborate. Part II is here.
 

 
Nice interview between KCRW host Eric J. Lawrence and Grant Morrison on the five songs that are the most dear to the comics giant. You can read the full transcript on KCRW. 

Tracklist:
1 - The Queen Is Dead - The Smiths
2 - Mogadishu - Baader Meinhof
3 - The Heater - The Mutton Birds
4 - Blue Flowers - Dr. Octagon
5 - Joe Public - The Rutles
 

 
This Saturday night in Los Angles, there’s going to be a special art show hosted by Neil Gaiman and actress Fairuza Balk and produced by Dangerous Minds pal Lenora Claire:

“Illuminate Parkinsons” is a benefit for Becky Hurd’s Illuminate charity fighting young onset Parkinson’s disease

The aim of Illuminate is to raise awareness of Young Onset Parkinsons while raising funds to support Parkinsons charities. The Illuminate Parkinsons International Photography Exhibition has been created by Becky’s best friend and celebrity photographer, Allan Amato. This amazing photographic journey into the world of Parkinsons spans two years beginning in September 17th at Pop tART Gallery. Subjects in the exhibit include Terry Gilliam, Neil Gaiman, Kevin Smith and an assortment of other fascinating people all of whom lent their support to the project.

The initial aim of the Illuminate Parkinsons campaign was to raise £100,000 for Parkinsons charities. So far the campaign has generated over £51,000 since it began with the first Illuminate Ball in Birmingham in April 2010. Since the first ball Illuminate Parkinsons has gone from strength to strength with many new fundraising projects.

Illuminate Parkinsons by Allan Amato
Saturday, September 17th, 8-11pm Pop tART Gallery, 3023 W. 6th St., Los Angeles

 
Via Comics Alliance:

Just what the headline says, people. Grant Morrison performed this song during a recent event at Meltdown Comics in Los Angeles, thanks to the urging of My Chemical Romance frontman (and Umbrella Academy writer) Gerard Way. As Way explained, Morrison was given this song by the spirit of John Lennon, which Morrison communed with in a magic ritual while writing The Invisibles.

I think it says a lot about the wonderfully enigmatic Grant Morrison that the only reason this surprised me at all was that I didn’t know he played guitar. It actually sounds a great deal like a Beatles song…

Recorded at “An Evening with Grant Morrison” at Meltdown Comics in LA on 7/28/11. I’ve had two private performances of this tune, it’s quite something! Enjoy!
 

 
Grant Morrison: Talking with Gods, Patrick Meany’s feature-length documentary about the colorful Scottish comic book writer is now available to watch for free on Hulu. Talking with Gods features interviews with Morrison and collaborators, such as artists, editors and other industry professionals.

Among those interviewed are Dan Didio and Karen Berger of DC Comics’ Vertigo imprint, artists Phil Jimenez, Jill Thompson, Cameron Stewart, Frazer Irving, Steve Cook as well as Morrison co-conspirators Geoff Johns, Mark Waid, Douglas Rushkoff, Jason Louv and yours truly.
 

 
I believe this is a special limited edition DVD cover (only available at Comic Con 2011) for Grant Morrison documentary Talking With Gods. The delightful illustration of the comic’s mage is by Camilla d’Errico.
 

 
(via Super Punch)

 
Thank you kindly for the nomination, Ernesto Verdejo. I do hope that I could live up to this solemn challenge and I am very flattered.

 
Returning once again to revamp the Batman trademark, Grant Morrison, unsurprisingly, manages to infuse his new take on the subject with his signature surreal counterculture concerns, in Batman, Inc. From Wired:

“Batman, Inc. is the idea that we can all be Batman, if we want to,” the acclaimed Scotland-born comics writer told Wired.com by phone. “Batman travels the world recruiting new Bat-men and stamping them with his seal of approval.”

Given the superhero’s straight-edge persona, indefatigable work ethic and bottomless billions, his new Bat-capitalists should be light-years away from the corporate egotists heavily stroked in films like Iron Man 2, whose Tony Stark is a self-obsessed screw-up compared to Bruce Wayne’s solemn justice-seeker.

But you get what you pay for, said Morrison, whose Batman, Inc. debuts Nov. 17. “It’s a natural development, and just shows what we’re into nowadays,” he said. “Playboys who can do anything they want.”

Morrison’s storied run on comics’ timeless human superhero has dragged Batman through the apocalyptic depths of space and time. He killed and rebooted him in Batman R.I.P. and Final Crisis. In Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne, he tasked the Dark Knight with Herculean challenges usually reserved for immortals like Superman.

Patrick Meany’s documentary about the writer, Grant Morrison: Talking With Gods (which I am in), is out now on DVD.
 

 
Read more: Grant Morrison’s Batman, Inc. Births Comics’ First Zen Billionaire (Wired)