Any questions for Pat Mills?

[The Bissler]

I absolutely loved Nemesis the Warlock and felt there was still a lot of directions that series could have went in rather than bringing it to an end.  The characters and the universe were absolutely magnificent.  On the other hand, I've noticed that many fans have expressed the view that Slaine should have ended after the Horned God.

Does Pat ever regret the decision to end Nemesis?  And has he ever felt that that he perhaps picked the wrong strip to end?

[blackmocco]

As much as I'm immensely enjoying 2000AD in its current incarnation, it can hardly be classified as a kid's comic anymore. If we're speaking completely hypothetically, if he were given the job of creating 2000AD today - as opposed to almost 40 years ago - with the intention of it appealing to 2000AD's initial target audience - a kid's sci-fi and fantasy comic - how would he approach it? More to the point, and bearing in mind I can't remember the last time I even SAW a kid in a comic shop, what does he think a comic needs to do nowadays to grab a kid's attention? IS there anything a comic can do...?

Will he let me do a one-off Nemesis strip for Zarjaz if I ask him really nicely? Haha! I have to ask.

[Magnetica]

Was Terror Tube originally meant as a one off or did Pat already have an outline of what became Nemesis Book One?

[Frank]

what does a comic needs to do nowadays to grab a kid's attention? IS there anything a comic can do...?

License an established property and give away a free bit of plastic with every single issue:



That Mortal Kombat tie-in strip showed us the way. If Rebellion wanted to attract younger readers, 2000ad would be like Look-in, with a couple of strips based on phone apps, telly shows or films, and the rest of the mag packed out with puzzles and text features.

[blackmocco]

what does a comic needs to do nowadays to grab a kid's attention? IS there anything a comic can do...?

License an established property and give away a free bit of plastic with every single issue:



That Mortal Kombat tie-in strip showed us the way. If Rebellion wanted to attract younger readers, 2000ad would be like Look-in, with a couple of strips based on phone apps, telly shows or films, and the rest of the mag packed out with puzzles and text features.

OOOhhh stickers!!! Haha!

[Frank]

OOOhhh stickers!!! Haha!

We can laugh, but every discussion about why there are no comics on sale on the high street anymore tends to ignore the fact there are several dozen of them packing out the lower shelves of any supermarket magazine rack, because they're not the kind of thing we want to read.

Kids don't want to read (and colour in) magazines of strips based on original properties for the same reason they don't want their mum to buy their trainers from the market. Unless it's a trademarked item they (and more importantly their peer group) recognise, it's crap, ugly, and it smells. Thread derailed.

[blackmocco]

OOOhhh stickers!!! Haha!

We can laugh, but every discussion about why there are no comics on sale on the high street anymore tends to ignore the fact there are several dozen of them packing out the lower shelves of any supermarket magazine rack, because they're not the kind of thing we want to read.

Kids don't want to read (and colour in) magazines of strips based on original properties for the same reason they don't want their mum to buy their trainers from the market. Unless it's a trademarked item they (and more importantly their peer group) recognise, it's crap, ugly, and it smells. Thread derailed.

I kinda thought the thread was called "Any questions for Pat Mills?" but I could be wrong.

[Frank]

I kinda thought the thread was called "Any questions for Pat Mills?" but I could be wrong.

Flint's been doing this for a while; I'm sure he isn't planning just to read the thread out loud, and verbatim, to Pat.

[blackmocco]

Sauchie, it's not that I'm not interested in having this discussion (I am!) but this doesn't seem like the right thread to be doing it in, is all. This is just to gather questions to ask Pat. In previous interviews with the man himself, Flint usually does ask the questions verbatim from the forum.

[james newell]

following on from Alex's questions on Toxic 1990:

is there any possibility of getting conclusions to Fear Teachers & Muto Maniac, and i do understand John Hicklenton has passed on & Mike McMahon would not return to the project,( I am a huge fan of both, buy the way) It would be nice to see this work in print again with conclusions an maybe even continued?

thnks

james

[Call-Me-Kenneth]

I would like to second that question about which original art (if any) Pat Mills has held onto?

For me, he has always picked the best artists (it seems that all my original 2000ad art are fom his works!) so I'd love to know who he rates highest of the artists?

Also, on a less trivial note, might I request that Pat be able to forward an (preferably) unpublished script to me which I might be able to use to coax my painfully shy brother into taking up art again. People like Walt Disney (Paris studio) were persuing him, so he's a talent, but he utterly gave up and I'm sure if his favourite writer could send him something it may encourage him to take up the pencils again. I think everybody, especially 2000AD,might benefit if this happens...

I always wanted to ask Mr. Mills this in person, but he's never over in Ireland..

Cheers,

Ken

Ps: if you're not going to forward this request, please PM me, so I'm not awaiting a response that will never come..

[Link Prime]

I always wanted to ask Mr. Mills this in person, but he's never over in Ireland..

You just missed him by a few weeks Kenneth! http://forums.2000adonline.com/index.php/topic,39569.0.html

I'd be interested to know if he has any original art too.

Regarding the question of which artist Pat rates the highest I'm pretty sure he's going to say its whoever he's working with now.

[Call-Me-Kenneth]

I always wanted to ask Mr. Mills this in person, but he's never over in Ireland..

You just missed him by a few weeks Kenneth! http://forums.2000adonline.com/index.php/topic,39569.0.html

I'd be interested to know if he has any original art too.

Regarding the question of which artist Pat rates the highest I'm pretty sure he's going to say its whoever he's working with now.

I don't believe it........    I had no idea...gutted.


I'd all like to re-phrase my earlier question: who he rates the highest of the artists he's worked with and what does he consider the best body of work that an artist has produced for him?

[Link Prime]

I don't believe it........    I had no idea...gutted.

Shit, man.
Would be worth your while emailing Big Bang Comics (info@thebigbang.ie) and getting on their weekly email list, they regularly have top creators signing in store (this very week Declan Shalvey & Jordie Bellaire will be signing the new Moon Knight launch).

Mills was certainly a coup for them though.

[Call-Me-Kenneth]

Cheers Link.
Out of complete ignorance, I thought that, if anything, he'd show up at forbidden planet. Even though I originally hail from dundrum area, I've never even in Big Bang comics, this is something I obviously have to change, I'm kicking myself that I missed the chance to have a drink with the man.
I just did a quick calculation in my head about he much I've spent on his stories (original art, graphic novels etc) and it is frankly dizzying....