Unearthing Collection (LP/CD Box Set + Limited Signed Hardcover)

Written and narrated by Alan Moore, photography by Mitch Jenkins, music by Adam Drucker and Andrew Broder. All illustrations are ©Alan Moore, Mitch Jenkins and Lex Records.

Unearthing, which is a text that Moore has previously published in Ian Sinclair's Anthology "London: City of Disappearances" (2006),  follows the life of Alan Moore's friend and colleague Steve Moore. It has been the object of public performance and illustrated text.

In order of commercialization let's take a look first on the LP/CD Box Set:

Issued by Lex Records in 2010 as a limited edition (LEX 090 A/B/EP/CD-1/CD-2/CD-EP lc14534, 13 x 12.5 inches or 33 x 32 cm, 80$), it comes as a multiple gate-fold sleeve insert in an illustrated slipcase.

back and front cover illustrations of the outer sleeve are the same

This box set contains the following items:

• 2 black vinyl 12'' LP (audio book with soundtrack)
• 1 white vinyl 12'' EP (instrumental highlights from the musical score)
• 2 CD (audio book with soundtrack)
• 1 CD (instrumental highlights from the musical score)
• a dot Matrix printed transcript of Unearthing
• a portrait photograph of Alan Moore by Mitch Jenkins
• an XL sized Poster (39 x 19.5 inches or 100 x 50 cm) of The Romans featured in the Unearthing story

The pictures below have been taken while opening the sleeves from left to right. 

the first sleeve contains the white 12'' EP, the transcripts and the portrait

the second sleeve contains the black 12'' LP A

the poster was simply put between the second and third sleeve

the third sleeve contains the black 12'' LP B

the three CD in their locations

Now let's take a closer look to the artifacts of this deluxe edition. The transcript and Alan Moore's portrait are filled in the white paper sleeve below:

B-sides of the 12'' LP/EP records display the same illustration:

The XL poster:

Interior faces of the inner sleeves are illustrated too as well as the CD slots:

To finish this part, here is how the project is described on Lex Records web site:

"Unearthing unites legendary comic book writer Alan Moore, award-winning photographer Mitch Jenkins and a cast of high-caliber musicians. A biographical story written and narrated by Moore set against an epic score from musicians including Adam Drukker & Andy Broder (aka. Crook&Flail) Mike Patton, Stuart Braithwaite, Zach Hill and Justin Broadrick.

The musical score for Unearthing is produced by Crook&Flail, a partnership between Andrew Broder and Adam Drucker. Broder is the multi-instrumentalist behind the band Fog whilst Drucker’s adventures under his Doseone solo guise – and within cloudead, Themselves and Subtle – have seen him explore spoken word and the outer reaches of rap. Together the pair have enlisted an impressive array of talented collaborators, including; Stuart Braithwaite of Scottish post-rockers Mogwai, drummer Zach Hill from acclaimed experimental band Hella, the trailblazing and prolific Justin Broadrick of Napalm Death, Godflesh and Jesu and pioneering alt-rock hero and Faith No More frontman Mike Patton."

To be absolutely exhaustive, let's add a promo CD EP previously published by Lex Records (ref: LEX 090 PROMO) and containing excerpts from the box set:

Now, let's take a look at the Oversized Hardcover Limited Book:

This book was published in December 2012 by Top Shelf (USA) & Knockabout (UK) in two version, a regular paperback size version, and an oversized hardcover version (even larger than an absolute edition, see the first picture of this article) limited to 1500 copies which is displayed here (ISBN 978-1-60309-150-3 for USA, 16.7 x 11.8 inches ou 42.5 x 30 cm, almost 200 pages). Note that 300 copies of the oversized version was pre-sold to help launched the final print run of 1500. I own one of these copies which are exactly the same book as the limited oversized hardcover but displays a glued signed and hand-numbered plate (mine is #287) on the second of cover (same illustration as the third of cover). Note that the paper quality is slighty thinner to what can be expect of a picture book.

The book displays photography of Mitch Jenkins along Alan Moore's text that illustrate the life of Steve Moore, with a cast of players including Alan moore and his mother. A few of the pictures has been used for the Lex Records Box Set above.

Alan's mom

at the center of the book there is an XL photography that can be unfolded

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