Mark Millar

Mark Millar (born December 24 1969) is a Scottish comic book writer. He is currently a resident of Glasgow, although he was born in Coatbridge, where he spent most of his adult life. Millar is best known for his work on Marvel Comics' Ultimate X-Men, Marvel Knights Spider-Man and The Ultimates. He has been a professional comic book writer for over a decade.

Biography

Millar began his career with British indie publisher Trident Comics, writing the critically-acclaimed horror title Saviour, as well as the less-popular Shadowmen. With the assistance of fellow Scotsman Grant Morrison, with whom he co-wrote ' and Big Dave as well as various other features, his career continued as he broke into popular British science fiction title 2000 AD, and contributed to Sonic the Comic. During this period, Millar, Morrison, John Smith and Garth Ennis were the leading writers on the publication, a "New Wave" that resulted in the comic's losing over half its circulation. Millar's stint as a writer of UK comics in particular cannot be seen as a success. His versions of Judge Dredd and Robo-Hunter have been voted by visitors to the 2000ADonline website as among the twenty least popular in the comic's 28-year history (out of over 1,400 possibles).

Related Topics:
Trident Comics - Grant Morrison - Big Dave - Science fiction - 2000 AD - Sonic the Comic - John Smith - Garth Ennis - Judge Dredd - Robo-Hunter

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Millar eventually broke into the American market with an assignment on DC Comics' Swamp Thing (initially again with Grant Morrison). He went on to work on other DC titles such as JLA and Superman Adventures before succeeding Warren Ellis on DC imprint Wildstorm's The Authority.

Related Topics:
DC Comics - Swamp Thing - JLA - Superman Adventures - Warren Ellis - Wildstorm - The Authority

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On The Authority, with artist Frank Quitely, Millar established his trademark style of over-the-top violence, humour and the use of mature themes. It proved a popular but controversial title for DC, and editorial interference eventually prompted Millar to leave the publisher. Millar's handling of the situation within the fan community was skillful, using it to build a reputation as a controversial, anti-establishment figure. His subsequent relationship with DC has been strained, with Millar launching online attacks at the current publisher, Paul Levitz (including once commenting on how much Levitz looked like a rapist), while complaining that he has been blacklisted at the company.

Related Topics:
The Authority - Frank Quitely - Paul Levitz

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Millar left DC for Marvel Comics, where he has become one of the company's most popular creators, writing characters such as Spider-Man, Wolverine, and relaunched versions of the X-Men and the Avengers. The romantic comedy Trouble, with possible ties to Spider-Man continuity, was both a sales and critical failure, and has been practically disowned by Millar in recent interviews.

Related Topics:
Marvel Comics - Spider-Man - Wolverine - X-Men - Trouble

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In 2004, Millar did something no cother comics creator has ever achieved, launching a creator-owned line called Millarworld that was published simultaneously by three different, competing comic book companies. One book, The Unfunnies, which featured George Galloway as the inspiration behind a series of child sex attacks, has not yet been completed, apparently due to legal delays. Wanted with artist J.G. Jones was the most popular of the Millarworld titles, and proceeded from the premise that super-villains had defeated all the superheroes in the world. Chosen was a Vertigo Comics-style blend of religious allegory and supernatural suspense. A fourth planned Millarworld title with artist Ashley Wood as the stated artist was never released.

Related Topics:
2004 - George Galloway - Wanted - J.G. Jones - Vertigo Comics

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Millar has also attempted to forge a career as a screenwriter. In the late 1990s he reportedly almost got a vampire television series called Sikeside produced on UK television. Currently he is involved in producing a movie based on his creator-owned comic Wanted.

Related Topics:
1990s - Wanted

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As of 2005, Millar has relaunched the Marvel character Wolverine with artist John Romita, Jr. He is also currently writing the second volume of a streamlined Avengers comic called The Ultimates. He is a practicing freemason and is known in the industry as both a practical joker and an occasionally effective manipulator of the mass media for his own self-promotion, including a lost bet for $5000 with Harry Knowles regarding the casting of the lead actor in the next Superman movie, and an attempt to link Eminem to the movie version of Wanted that resulted in strong denials from Eminem's management and Millar's denial that he had ever suggested such a link. Critics have noted a recurring use of rape and sexual violence in his work, and complain about his weak dialogue and tendency to recycle plots from other media, whereas supporters enjoy his dynamic and sometimes envelope-pushing work. He makes no attempt to hide his left-wing political beliefs and has come under fire in the past for putting liberal-based plots in his comic books, namely The Ultimates.

Related Topics:
As of 2005 - Wolverine - John Romita, Jr. - Freemason - Harry Knowles - Superman - Eminem - Wanted - Left-wing - The Ultimates

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