Mark Millar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mark Millar MBE
Millar at the Big Apple Convention in Manhattan, 2 October 2010
Born	(1969-12-24) 24 December 1969 (age 55) Coatbridge, Lanarkshire, Scotland
Area(s)	Writer
Notable works	The Authority Ultimate X-Men The Ultimates Superman: Red Son Wanted Ultimate Fantastic Four Civil War Wolverine: Old Man Logan Hit-Girl & Kick-Ass Kingsman

Mark Millar is a Scottish comic book writer. He was born on December 24, 1969. He first became well-known for writing the superhero series The Authority. This comic was published by DC Comics' Wildstorm.

Millar has written many comics for Marvel Comics. These include The Ultimates, X-Men, and Fantastic Four. Time magazine called The Ultimates "the comic book of the decade". It also inspired the 2012 film The Avengers. In 2006, Millar wrote the Civil War series. This story inspired the movie Captain America: Civil War. His "Old Man Logan" storyline for Wolverine inspired the 2017 film Logan.

Millar has also created many of his own comic series. These are published under the Millarworld label. Some popular ones are Wanted, Kick-Ass, and Kingsman. Many of these comics have been made into movies or TV shows. In 2017, Netflix bought Millarworld. The goal is for Millar to keep creating new stories for Netflix to adapt.

Besides writing, Millar is an executive producer for films and TV shows based on his comics. From 2012 to 2016, he worked for 20th Century Fox. He was a creative consultant for Marvel movie adaptations. In 2013, he received an MBE. This award was for his work in film and literature.

Early Life and Comic Beginnings

Millar was born in Coatbridge, Scotland. He grew up in the Townhead area. He went to St. Ambrose High School. He has four older brothers and one older sister.

His brother Bobby first showed him comic books when Mark was 4 years old. The first comics he read were The Amazing Spider-Man and a Superman book. He loved comics so much that he drew a spider web on his face before his First Communion photo!

Millar's mother died when he was 14. His father died four years later. He enjoyed drawing comics but his family wanted him to study academic subjects. He thought about becoming a doctor or an economist. He studied politics and economics at Glasgow University. However, he had to leave after his father's death.

Starting a Career in Comics

Millar was inspired to create comics after meeting Alan Moore. This was at a comic convention in the mid-1980s. Later, when Millar was 18, he interviewed writer Grant Morrison. Millar told Morrison he wanted to write and draw comics. Morrison advised him to focus on just one, as it's hard to be good at both. Millar says this was the best advice he ever got.

Soon after, Millar sold his first comic script, Saviour. It was published by Trident Comics. This comic mixed religious themes, humor, and superhero action. It helped Millar get noticed in the British comics industry. He then started writing for 2000 AD and Crisis.

In 1994, Millar started working in the American comic book industry. He took over the series Swamp Thing for DC Comics. He also worked on Skrull Kill Krew for Marvel Comics and The Flash for DC.

In the late 1990s, Millar tried writing for TV. He wrote a vampire comedy-drama called Sikeside. It was planned as a TV series but was later canceled.

Working with Marvel and DC

Millar signing a copy of Superman: Red Son at Midtown Comics in Manhattan

Millar became more famous at DC Comics for his work on Superman Adventures. This series was based on Superman: The Animated Series. Millar, a big Superman fan, worked on the comic for two years. He even got two Eisner Award nominations.

His most famous Superman story is Superman: Red Son. This three-issue series imagined Superman landing in the Soviet Union instead of America. It was published in 2003 and later made into an animated film.

In 1999, Millar and artist Frank Quitely started working on The Authority. This comic was very popular with critics and readers. Millar considered moving from Scotland to the United States. He had job offers from Wildstorm and Marvel.

In 2000, Marvel announced that Millar would write for their new "Ultimate" line of comics. He became the writer for Ultimate X-Men. The Ultimate line made Marvel's long history easier for new readers to understand. It was a huge success. Millar signed a two-year contract with Marvel and moved his family to New York City.

In 2002, Millar and artist Bryan Hitch created The Ultimates. This was a new version of Marvel's Avengers team. This comic was also very successful. The Ultimates inspired two animated films and the 2012 Avengers movie.

In 2006, Millar created Civil War with artist Steve McNiven. This 7-issue series became the center of a big Marvel storyline. The story was about a law that made superheroes register with the government. This caused a big fight between Captain America and Iron Man. This storyline greatly influenced the Marvel Universe. It also inspired the 2016 film Captain America: Civil War.

In 2008, Millar returned to the Wolverine series. He wrote the "Old Man Logan" story. This dystopian tale was illustrated by Steve McNiven. Parts of this story inspired the 2017 film Logan. Millar stopped working on comics for other companies in 2011. He decided to focus on his own creations.

Millar and the Wanted co-creator, artist J. G. Jones at the Big Apple Convention, 2 October 2010

Millarworld: His Own Universe

In 2003, Millar launched Millarworld. This is a special label for his own comics. These comics are set in a shared fictional world. The first comics under Millarworld included Wanted and Chosen. Wanted was later made into a movie starring Angelina Jolie.

In 2008, Millarworld grew with new comics like War Heroes and Kick-Ass. Kick-Ass was also made into a popular movie. Millar shares ownership of Millarworld comics 50/50 with the artists he works with.

Millar also helped create the pop culture magazine CLiNT. It featured his comics and stories from new creators. In 2011 and 2012, he organized the Kapow! Comic Convention in London. At the 2011 event, they set two Guinness World Records. One was for the "Fastest Production of a Comic Book." Over 60 comic creators worked together to make a 20-page comic in just over 11 hours. All the money from this comic went to a children's charity.

Many Millarworld series have attracted interest from Hollywood. In 2014, Kingsman: The Secret Service was released as a movie. In 2017, Netflix bought Millarworld. This was a big deal, like when DC Comics was bought by Warner Communications or Marvel Comics by Disney. Millar and his wife Lucy continue to run Millarworld. They develop new stories for Netflix to turn into shows and movies. The first Millarworld series adapted by Netflix was Jupiter's Legacy in 2021. Super Crooks, an animated series, followed later that year.

Awards and Recognition

In August 2011, Millar helped unveil a superhero-themed steel archway in his hometown of Coatbridge. The archway was inspired by his work. It features a superhero called Captain Coatbridge.

In June 2013, Millar was appointed a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE). This was for his contributions to film and literature.

Award Nominations

• 2000 Eisner Award for Best Title for a Younger Audience — Superman Adventures
• 2000 Eisner Award for Best Writer — Superman Adventures
• 2001 Eisner Award for Best Writer — The Authority and Ultimate X-Men
• 2001 Eisner Award for Best Serialized Story — The Authority #13–16: "The Nativity"
• 2004 Eagle Award for Favourite Comics Writer
• 2005 Eagle Award for Favourite Comics Writer

Award Wins

• 2007 Harvey Award for Best Single Issue or Story for Marvel's Civil War #1

Influences and Personal Life

Millar has said that Alan Moore and Frank Miller are his biggest influences. He calls them "my Mum and Dad." Other comic creators he admires include Grant Morrison and Warren Ellis.

His favorite films include Superman, Flash Gordon, and Star Wars.

Millar is a practicing Catholic. He married his first wife, Gill, in 1993. They have a daughter named Emily, born in 1998. Millar's second wife, Lucy Unwin, gave birth to their first child in 2011 and their second in 2014. They married in 2016 and live in Glasgow.

In 2005, Millar was diagnosed with Crohn's disease.

Adaptations of Millar's Work

Many of Mark Millar's comics have been adapted into films and television series.

Film Adaptations

Television Adaptations

See also

In Spanish: Mark Millar para niños