Any questions for Pat Mills?

[bluemeanie]

Flint's doing one of his annual MASSIVE chats with Pat Mills for the podcast this coming Tuesday.

If anyone has any genuine questions they'd like him to put to Mr Mills then drop them in here and I'll make sure they're passed on.

[Trout]

I'd like to see the big question addressed. Does he have more control over "his" characters than other writers? I would be interested to know just how much editing, or lack thereof, the work of Pat Mills is subjected to.

I stress: this is asked with all respect. I still weep for Charlie the robot.

[Frank]

If anyone has any genuine questions they'd like to put to Mr Mills

Half the board have just stopped typing facetious responses. I love Mills, so here are my fanboy inquiries:

• Can you talk a little about the creation of Crisis, particularly how it changed from the original conception of a superhero comic for resale to the US market to something which published an Amnesty International Summer Special. Because of the political elements in your own work, some see the way that comic became focused on social and environmental issues as a result of your influence - how much creative input do you feel you had on the title in general?
  
  How did Carlos Ezquerra come to be the artist for the first book of Third World War? Was it just a matter of good timing that he was ending his long tenure on Strontium Dog as Crisis was being created, or was the opportunity to finally work on stories he had a greater financial stake in an incentive to try something new? Do you and Carlos still own the rights to that material?
  
  How do you feel about working on characters you created but do not own? John Wagner's stand on remuneration for the exploitation of IP's he created resulted in a cut of merchandising and a stake in the fortunes of The Megazine, but 2000ad creators still jumped ship to Toxic (and US titles) around that time. If Fleetway had offered creator rights on your characters could we have been spared the period where today's millionaire comic superstars ruined classic 2000ad strips?
  

[Trout]

Or ask about connecting stories! Is everything he's ever done linked? 

[james newell]

Does Pat have any original art of what he has scripted over the years and if so which of these are hanging on the wall these days.

What work of his own is Pat most proud of, anything at all, does not even have to be in the comic medium.

thanks
james

[Ancient Otter]

What artists does he regret never having had the chance to work with, from the U.K comics scene or International?

What does he think of the comics of Alejandro Jodorowsky, if he is aware of them?

Thanks.

[Colin YNWA]

Pat seems to have forged a reputation for himself in Europe with Slaine and ABC Warriors (do they do okay?), as well as his own series, a market that I believe is bigger than the US one. Does he think there are any other 2000ad strips that would do well on the Continent - I'm thinking Dante for example?

Secondly does he think Rebellion might be better pushing to break in say France rather than the US, 2000ad seems to have more in common with the what I read of Cinebook Books rather than what I read of the US market?

[Leigh S]

Following on from Sauchis Crisis question - Ian Gibson was pencilled in as the original artist on Third World War - why did Gibson back out?  I know I asked this Q of Gibson, but then the interview never happened?

The final book of Nemesis seemed to bwe two books merged into one - there was a 3 part Langley drawn NEmesis recap story around prog 900, which seemed to suggest a return and resolution for the character in a similar way to how the Horned God opened with a similar recap... then nothing for years and the Hammer of the Witches/Warlocks is swiftly sidelined - was this an example of the "editorial interference" he bemoans, or just a case of Pat having an idea and then having another idea that grabbed him more, (something that I detect in his writing quite a bit, which is one of the things I love and I suspect one of the things that frustrates others about Pats style)

[TordelBack]

With the imminent IDW reboot of Rogue Trooper, could Pat elaborate a bit on his work with Gerry Finley Day in the early years of the comic?  I know he's talked about it before, but I'm interested in the role of the editor in 2000AD: with weekly comics being a collaborative process, was the editor essentially just another accepted creative partner?  From this persepctive, was the Tharg/GFD relationship really much different from Wagner/Grant, in the way that two perspectives worked together to create magic scripts? 

And if so, why does GFD still get stick for the level of 'editing' his work required, when Wagner & Grant are rightly lauded as one of the great creative partnerships?  Nobody expects great writers to draw their own strips, so why should they automatically be expected to edit them too?

[Cpt Rhodes]

Toxic was the comic which piqued my interest and drew me back into comic books in my mid 20's. It's healthy dose of cynicism and adult humour was the perfect combination.

20 years on with comics being slightly more mainstream, do you think Toxic (or a contemporary version of it) would fare better or worse if it were released now?

Cheers

[NapalmKev]

Pat Mills is often regarded as a Punk, by critics and fans alike - I'd like to know if he sees himself as a Punk.

Cheers

[BPP]

Any more Requiem, Claudia or other Vampire Knights and what chance of Claudia getting an English collection?

Will Heavy Metal still be publishing his stuff post company sale?

Seeing as he has the Midas touch on discovering artistic talent  are there Any good new artists taken his fancy?

[dweezil2]

Which of Pat's creations would he most like to see adapted into a movie and why?

[Magnetica]

Or ask about connecting stories! Is everything he's ever done linked? 

Good question! I think it is fairly well established that ABC Warriors (and hence Robusters) links to Nemesis, Savage and even Judge Dredd. Never thought Slaine had any connection though

On a serious note, where will we able able to access the completed interview - assume a link will be posted on this thread?

[Alski]

If you could pick one "dead" story to bring back to 2000AD (not necessarily one of yours) which would it be, and how would you modernize it (if at all)?