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It's relatively well known that comics writers Grant Morrison and Mark Millar used to be the best of friends, but they had a falling out some years ago as Morrison alludes to in this old interview:
Certain West Coast creators claim you entertained them with the story that you were responsible for many of Mark Millar's credited writing works. Aside from Authority 28, which Mark freely cops to, is there any truth in this report and the allegations herein? Mark Millar has also reported a division between the two of you, related to these events. Can you elaborate?Authority 28 caused some problems for me personally because I wrote the story as a favour and then, surprisingly, wasn't paid or acknowledged for it until I called Wildstorm and the situation was quickly resolved. I wanted the issue to go out under some whimsical credit like 'The Mock Millar Experience' but otherwise I had no intention of putting my name on it. It was a gag. This is the story of watch gears turning and bureaucratic springs unwinding - hardly the fuel for so much rumour among so few. The best bit no-one saw was the first page - another victim of the censor's scythe. My original had a splash page with Jesus Christ, Allah, and Buddha all standing in front of a bullet-pocked wall. Each wears a blindfold and sweats nervously, fag in the lips. A big balloon from off panel reads...'FIRE!'. Turn the page and it goes into the Surgeon's speech before they meet Religimon.
As well as being best mates off duty, it's no secret that I occupied an informal position as Mark's mentor, advisor and champion for most of the last decade; in response to those highfalutin' 'allegations herein', all I can say is... distance and a keen critical eye make it pretty easy to spot my contributions to the canon of the bulging Monty Millar. Otherwise...there's no story here.
. . . .
To be honest, the only thing likely to cause any real divisions between us are daft attempts to talk my artist out of upcoming creator projects, which fall under the heading of deliberately interfering with another writer's 'earning capacity', a disgraceful habit the saintly Mister M. seemed so staunchly opposed to in his own recent interview with you. Maybe it was guilt.
The posters at our own forums debate the topic: Was Grant Morrison responsible for some of Mark Millar's best stories?
I do have my suspicions about Swamp Thing and Ultimates being solely Millar's work. (The latter was mentioned on someone's myspace page, where he'd spoken with GM who'd complained about having to do 'all the work' when the two teamed up.)I've heard those rumors aswell and I'm pretty sure is total bullshit
Some of the Swamp Thing and Ultimates stuff is unquestionably his; the priest who spends a day each year on an earth-sabbatical from hell, pretty much all the Ultimates dialogue... I mean, if you spent a lot of time in the pub with your fave comic writer, you might remember some stuff you were discussing too. You mightn't even remember whose idea it initially was; although, iirc, Morrison has claimed credit for the conception of Ultimate Thor, also.
It's not really about me taking a pinch of salt with your words, Carlos, because - frankly - the evidence I have is very sparse, and basically amounts to 'Mark Millar wrote better comics when he was friends with Grant Morrison'. On the flipside, these are all comics with Mark Millar in the script credit, and thereby - one would imagine, normally - responsible for plot. Only one of these comics has since been revealed to have not been scripted by him. I'm also inclined to think of Millar, on the internet in any case, as a serial dissembler, so I'd not necessarily trust his word to you in any case. So these are basically largely unfounded suspicions, but I can't help but have them anyway.
Unlike other star writers, like Ellis or even Morrison Millar doesn´t seem like someone who is stuck in comics because he can´t make the jump to hollywood or novels, but like someone who truly enjoy comics as an end itself. he's also one of the most aproachable and friendly people that i've seen, in any medium (and I´ve seen a lot) dealing with fans. he always tries to remember names, faces and stuff about the people he meets and is always tries to spare time for everyone who meets.
Millar is so desperate to get into hollywood it's fucking pathetic. The Eminem thing? The Superman Returns casting shit? And I'm especially fond of how amazing he thought SR was until it didn't do so well, then his opinion changed. He goes on about how comics are so great all the time because he wants to project the image that they're hip and cool and edgy so people will think that of him.
Posted by YMB Staff at August 22, 2006 11:30 AM