The glitz and glamour of a Hollywood film premiere wowed crowds in London's Leicester Square.

But the Brighton trio of editor, writer and artist who came up with the V for Vendetta story almost 25 years ago were absent from the screening.

One had no idea it was coming up, another, writer Alan Moore, is said to have demanded his name was removed from the project and the third would have gone but was due to be in Denmark for work today.

The story is set in a nightmarish imaginary version of Britain being run by a totalitarian regime which forces ethnic groups and people it classes as sexual deviants to live in concentration camps.

The hero, V, escapes from a camp and sets about a terrorist campaign to bring down the Fascist government.

Dez Skinn, who edited Warrior Comic in the Eighties and came up for the idea for V for Vendetta, said he was pleased the movie had been made but he had not seen it and was not bothered that Warner Brothers had not invited him to the premiere.

He said: "We got some money from Warner Brothers, which of course is nice. It would have been nice to have had a picture taken with Natalie Portman."

He said the comic's writer Alan Moore had been furious he had not been consulted over the movie adaptation.

He said: "He was so upset he wanted his name removed. He's a very talented writer but I think he would have had a problem with whatever the studio did." Mr Skinn said, although he was one of the creators of the comic strip, his name does not appear in the credits. He said: "Apparently I'm going to be on the DVD. They can't get the writer so they're going to get the editor instead.

"It's to be expected really. Comics are a kind of research and development for Hollywood but when Hollywood makes an adaptation it doesn't want the comic people involved anymore."

The comic strip, launched in 1982, was based on Mr Skinn's fears of what could happen under Margaret Thatcher's government. Artist David Lloyd worked on the original comic and gave it a distinctive, stark look that drew in legions of fans. He said: "I'm not going to the premiere but I would have done. I've got to Denmark for work but it would have been extremely nice to go. I saw the finished film in November and it's excellent."

Miss Portman, who shaved her head for the role, said: "I was shocked by the fact that a big Hollywood action movie could actually have substance and something that's provocative which is going to make people feel and think. This is exactly the kind of stuff I want to be in."

The Argus asked Warner Brothers why the trio were not invited to the premiere but they did not comment.