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Pat Mill's blog

Started by vark, 22 September, 2012, 12:17:38 PM

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Frank


The Millsverse, Pat Mills's new website, begins with a big bang, and contains a special thank you to one of you lot:

QuoteI think the name 'The Millsverse' originated on the 2000AD forum as a way of describing the numerous stories I've written for 2000AD and the way they often inter-connect with each other.  So, first up, a special thanks to whoever came up with that name.

I've wanted to do a website for some time to keep readers up to date with what's happening to stories I'm connected with. For instance, there's always interest in some of my classic comic strips and whether they will be reprinted.  Here's the current position on three I'm regularly asked about.

Metalzoic: There's an 80% chance of it being reprinted next year in a new colour version wit  the original black and white 2000AD version.

Misty: 70% chance of two of its lead stories being reprinted in a similar time frame.

Third World War:  50% chance of it being reprinted.  Sorry I have to be a bit vague, but I think there finally is some progress on all three. I'll be sure to post as soon as I have more details.

http://millsverse.com

Greg M.

Cheers for the link, sauchie. Pat goes on to mention various obscure and highly eccentric-sounding strips that are past favourites of his, but I am not entirely convinced they are all real. For instance:

QuoteThe Caning Commando (The Spanker)  A teacher at a posh boarding school during World War Two is renowned for his caning skills. He is sent by the War Office – aided by his Cockney, fish and chips eating assistant 'Corporal Punishment' -  on secret caning missions against the Nazis.

I tried to google it. I regret that now.

BPP

Quote from: Greg M. on 11 August, 2014, 08:14:00 PM
Cheers for the link, sauchie. Pat goes on to mention various obscure and highly eccentric-sounding strips that are past favourites of his, but I am not entirely convinced they are all real. For instance:

QuoteThe Caning Commando (The Spanker)  A teacher at a posh boarding school during World War Two is renowned for his caning skills. He is sent by the War Office – aided by his Cockney, fish and chips eating assistant 'Corporal Punishment' -  on secret caning missions against the Nazis.

I tried to google it. I regret that now.

That sounds simply awesome.

I mean the story' not the googling bit.
If I'd known it was harmless I would have killed it myself.

http://futureshockd.wordpress.com/

http://twitter.com/#!/FutureShockd

TordelBack

Quote from: sauchie post office on 11 August, 2014, 08:01:02 PM... contains a special thank you to one of you lot

Earliest use of the term that I could find was from Godders, back in 2005, and while Roger is unquestionably an inventive bugger it seems like it's been around longer than that. Can someone with better google skillz push that back?

Proudhuff

Quote from: Greg M. on 11 August, 2014, 08:14:00 PM
Cheers for the link, sauchie. Pat goes on to mention various obscure and highly eccentric-sounding strips that are past favourites of his, but I am not entirely convinced they are all real. For instance:

QuoteThe Caning Commando (The Spanker)  A teacher at a posh boarding school during World War Two is renowned for his caning skills. He is sent by the War Office – aided by his Cockney, fish and chips eating assistant 'Corporal Punishment' -  on secret caning missions against the Nazis.

I tried to google it. I regret that now.

Do you think they'll meet up with Alex's Vampire Vixens?
DDT did a job on me

Frank

Quote from: TordelBack on 12 August, 2014, 07:59:48 AM
Quote from: sauchie post office on 11 August, 2014, 08:01:02 PM... contains a special thank you to one of you lot

Earliest use of the term that I could find was from Godders, back in 2005, and while Roger is unquestionably an inventive bugger it seems like it's been around longer than that. Can someone with better google skillz push that back?

Oh please let that be ground zero for the concept of the Millsverse.  A photograph on the Input page of Mills grinning amiably as he pumps the fist of a scowling Roger Godpleton would make my decade.


Frank


Mills on fine after dinner form, recounting all the times producers have sworn they're going to put his characters on the silver screen:

We got it wrong on Marshal Law when we backed McG who was very serious about doing it - just before he released Terminator 3. His take on Law made it all the way up to the studio boardroom where it got the thumbs down. And meanwhile we turned down The Rock, who wanted to option Law, although I have to say – in our defence – he was in Tooth Fairy mode at the time.

http://millsverse.com/blog/4585194099


IAMTHESYSTEM

"You may live to see man-made horrors beyond your comprehension."

http://artriad.deviantart.com/
― Nikola Tesla

Frank


vark

On the Comixology Millsverse front, volume 3 of Requiem Vampire Knight is in the shop since yesterday evening (and still  2.49£).
It contents another new exclusive intro and a bonus illustration (from the ex libris in French first box set).

Mardroid

I only got  volume 1 of Vampire Knight...  a couple of weeks back. I don't realise they were that far ahead on Comixology...

rogue69

there's an interesting 2 part interview on the Millsverse  site Pat done with an Australian station Radioactive Lounge were he talks about his writing process, Girl's comics and falling asleep in a Marvel meeting with Stan Lee 


http://radioactivelounge.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/radioactive-lounge-episode-4-pat-mills.html

Frank


Rob Williams refers to it as 'process', Pat Mills terms it a 'formula' here. I call it:

HOW TO WRITE COMICS
THE PAT MILLS WAY




TL;DR version: rip off something popular, think who you want to piss off, think who you want to draw it

Frank


"On Battle, John Wagner, creator of Dredd, and I wrote a great Rat Pack story. Beautifully drawn by Ezquerra, it had well-researched techno detail and a relatively sophisticated story. To our chagrin it wasn't that popular.

The next week, having run out of time, we quickly threw together in an afternoon a really crappy Rat Pack story set in a Gestapo torture cell with every medieval torture cliche imaginable. Worse, it was drawn by a B list artist, the only one who was available in the time. To our astonishment it was hugely popular with the readers. It was a harsh reminder that the readers may have different, lower or simpler expectations to us.

So it's vitally important to really study the market, the demographic and what readers are looking for. The answers may surprise us and may not always be what we want to hear. But they pay our wages so we must listen to them. That's how I've managed to stay in business."

http://www.millsverse.com/blog/4585194099/THE-FORMULA-Part-4---STEPS-and-STRAW-POLLS/8981713




maryanddavid

Pat Mills is always worth his tuppence, great link Sauchie.