Mark Millar
Mark Millar was born on the 24th of December 1969 in Coatbridge, Scotland. He spent his early years in the Townhead area of that town. His family included four older brothers and one older sister who ranged from fourteen to twenty-two years older than him. Bobby, a brother attending university at the time, introduced Mark to comic books when he was four years old. The first issues they read were The Amazing Spider-Man #121 featuring Gwen Stacy's death and a Superman book. This early exposure sparked a lifelong passion for the medium. Millar drew a spider web across his face with indelible marker after reading these comics. His parents could not scrub it off before his First Communion photo a week later. He appeared as a guest on Glen Michael's Cartoon Cavalcade during the mid-late 1970s. On that show he discussed the history of comics. His mother died of a heart attack when he was fourteen. His father passed away four years later at age sixty-five.
An eighteen-year-old Millar interviewed Scottish writer Grant Morrison for a fanzine. He told Morrison he wanted to create comics as both a writer and an artist. Morrison advised him to focus on just one path because success required specialization. This advice became the best guidance Millar ever received. Soon after selling his first script Saviour to Trident in 1989 he gained industry attention. Daniel Vallely illustrated the series which mixed religious themes with satire. By 1992 Millar contributed regularly to 2000 AD and its sister title Crisis. He wrote several Robo-Hunter serials and a six-part prison story called Insiders. In 1993 he co-wrote Big Dave with Morrison during The Summer Offensive editorial run. That initiative resulted in their first major collaboration. Millar crossed over to American comics in 1994 writing Swamp Thing under DC Comics' Vertigo imprint. The first four issues were co-written with Morrison who helped secure the gig for him. Sales remained low enough to warrant cancellation despite critical acclaim. He continued sporadic work throughout the late 1990s including Skrull Kill Krew and Aztek: The Ultimate Man.
Millar launched Civil War in 2006 as a seven-issue mini-series with artist Steve McNiven. The story revolved around the Superhuman Registration Act following superhero-caused destruction. Captain America and Iron Man took opposing sides creating a schism in the community. The storyline sparked heated fan debate and served as inspiration for the 2016 film Captain America: Civil War. In 2008 he returned to Wolverine for an extended dystopian storyline called Old Man Logan. Steve McNiven illustrated this arc which became part of his Wolverine run. Elements from that story inspired the 2017 film Logan produced by 20th Century Fox. He also wrote Fantastic Four with Bryan Hitch starting in 2008. A concurrent title Marvel 1985 introduced character Clyde Wyncham who appeared in his creator-owned series Kick-Ass. Millar abandoned work-for-hire writing in 2011 to focus full-time on his own properties. He had previously pitched Superman films to Warner Brothers but lost out to David S. Goyer's Man of Steel pitch.
In 2003 Millar introduced Millarworld as a unified label for future creator-owned comics. The initial lineup included Wanted published by Top Cow and Chosen published by Dark Horse. Another unreleased project was King and Country repurposed from a TV series pitch. In 2008 the line expanded with War Heroes at Image and Kick-Ass under Marvel's Icon imprint. The ownership split fifty percent between Millar and collaborating artists. He launched CLiNT magazine in 2010 featuring serializations of his works alongside short stories from up-and-coming creators. Contributors included Frankie Boyle Stewart Lee Jonathan Ross and Jimmy Carr. The Kapow! Comic Convention organized by Millar set two Guinness World Records in 2011. They achieved the fastest production of a comic book and most contributors to one. Over sixty creators including Dave Gibbons and Frank Quitely participated. A black-and-white book completed in eleven hours nineteen minutes and thirty-eight seconds donated all royalties to Yorkhill Children's Foundation. In August 2017 Netflix purchased Millarworld for an undisclosed sum. This marked only the third time a comic company was bought by a studio after DC Comics in 1967 and Marvel in 2009.
Millar serves as executive producer on all film and television adaptations of his comics. Between 2012 and 2016 he worked as creative consultant for 20th Century Fox adapting Kick-Ass and The Secret Service. Kingsman: The Secret Service premiered in 2014 directed by Matthew Vaughn. Jupiter's Legacy adapted from his comic series premiered on Netflix in May 2021 with eight episodes. An anime series Super Crooks followed in November 2021. Wanted received a feature film starring Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman. Kick-Ass also became a major motion picture released two years after its comic launch. He optioned War Heroes for Columbia Pictures in 2008. Nemesis was optioned by 20th Century Fox with Tony Scott attached to direct three years later. Starlight was optioned by Fox while Huck was picked up by Studio 8. A film adaptation of Psychic Sam is currently in development from producer Ivan Atkinson. Millar established a charitable foundation in 2017 launching a multi-year campaign to promote it.
Millar earned a reputation as an outspoken writer criticizing industry practices throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. He attacked decompression trends and market oversaturation by Big Two publishers. In August 2013 he responded to questions about rape as a plot device stating it showed how bad a villain was. The comment drew criticism from peers and journalists. He publicly expressed amazement that non-caucasians could get Down's syndrome. He referred to all gamers as pedos in one interview. Millar employed unusual tactics like betting Harry Knowles on casting choices for Superman films. He claimed rapper Eminem was in talks to play Wesley Gibson in Wanted leading to public denial by management. In 2006 he auctioned naming rights for Kick-Ass protagonist. He organized treasure hunts hiding Jupiter's Legacy copies in ten cities worldwide. His political views describe him as traditionally left-of-center yet Eurosceptic. He resigned from Labour Party membership in 2025 calling the Starmer government nightmarish and totalitarian.
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Common questions
When and where was Mark Millar born?
Mark Millar was born on the 24th of December 1969 in Coatbridge, Scotland. He spent his early years in the Townhead area of that town.
What comic book series did Mark Millar co-write with Grant Morrison starting in 1993?
Mark Millar co-wrote Big Dave with Grant Morrison during The Summer Offensive editorial run in 1993. This project resulted in their first major collaboration after Morrison advised him to focus on writing rather than drawing.
Which Marvel Comics titles did Mark Millar write between 2000 and 2007?
Mark Millar wrote Ultimate X-Men from June 2000 and launched The Ultimates in 2002 with artist Bryan Hitch. His second volume The Ultimates 2 ended in 2007 after thirteen issues due to delays caused by his chronic condition diagnosis.
How many Guinness World Records did the Kapow! Comic Convention organized by Mark Millar set in 2011?
The Kapow! Comic Convention organized by Mark Millar set two Guinness World Records in 2011. They achieved the fastest production of a comic book and most contributors to one event.
When was Netflix's Jupiter's Legacy adapted from Mark Millar's comic series released?
Jupiter's Legacy adapted from Mark Millar's comic series premiered on Netflix in May 2021 with eight episodes. An anime series Super Crooks followed in November 2021 as part of the adaptation efforts.
Why did Mark Millar resign from Labour Party membership in 2025?
Mark Millar resigned from Labour Party membership in 2025 calling the Starmer government nightmarish and totalitarian. He described his political views as traditionally left-of-center yet Eurosceptic before making this decision.