GFF 2012: Comic book writer Mark Millar in interview

We meet with the prolific Glaswegian comic book writer and GFF ambassador, Mark Millar, to discuss his future projects

Feature by Thom Atkinson | 21 Feb 2012

A new dawn has arrived, the geek has inherited the Earth. Billion-dollar superhero flicks dominate the box office, the Hollywood A-list now rub shoulders with trekkers (not trekkies, please) at conventions and the success of the superhero continues to rise up, up and away. Leading the charge is one of the best-selling comic book writers of the last decade and ambassador for the Kapow! strand of the Glasgow Film Festival, local boy done good, Mark Millar.

Extremely good might be a better adjective. Millar, the author of such hits as Kick-Ass and Wanted, still can't believe just how much momentum his projects are gaining. “I pretty much know what I'm doing each week for the next two years, its crazy, absolutely crazy,” says Millar. The Glaswegian is talking about his highly impressive production rate that will see upcoming comic book collaborations with Dave Gibbons on Secret Service, Leinil Francis Yu on Supercrooks, a sequel to the critically acclaimed Nemesis with Steve McNiven, another follow up in the ongoing Kick-Ass 2, as well as a 'Hit Girl' spin off with John Romita Jr.

In addition, there's also a colossal new project with long time friend and fellow Glasgow resident, All-Star Superman artist, Frank Quitely. The two will be giving a joint talk at GFF this year as they discuss their collaboration, and Millar, for one, is looking forward to it. “My whole life I think I have been building towards this project with Frank. We both realise it is going to be the biggest project of our careers.”

With such huge projects on the horizon Millar is, perhaps, the perfect person to give an insight into the creation of a comic book from idea to notes, from pencil to ink and, if lucky, to screen in the big budget movie adaptation that could follow. But Millar isn't the only voice of authority at this year's festival, having helped to bring other experts in the comic book field. “This year we have [Marvel's Ultimates artist] Bryan Hitch in Conversation and [The Walking Dead illustrator] Charlie Adlard in Conversation.” The latter is likely to be a big draw thanks to the major success of the American TV adaptation of the indie comic book series, which screens in the UK on Channel 5. And he didn't stop with rounding up the talent: Millar also mused over just what to bring to the big screen at this, the second year of Kapow!@GFF.

“I love the fact that they let me choose the movies, too. I want to see Flash Gordon on the big screen again because I haven't since I was ten, and Superman, I think I was eight the last time I saw that on the big screen. The GFF managed to get a cut of Superman that has never been shown theatrically in this country before.”

For Millar the collaboration between comic books and GFF is a natural coming together of mediums. He aims to give the UK the conventions it deserves; the kind he would like to attend. “I love comic conventions and I love movie conventions. These things feed into each other, it's how I would like to spend my spare time anyway. My girlfriend runs Kapow! (Millar's London Comic-Con) where we are trying to build a big event in this country. I mean, America has a big convention somewhere almost every weekend so Kapow! is something we are building up. And the Glasgow strand is a part of that.”

Kapow!@GFF is a strand at Glasgow Film Festival 2012. http://www.glasgowfilm.org/festival/whats_on/strand:kapow