Editing Pat Mills

{{Short description|English comics writer and editor (born 1949)}}
{{For|film director|Pat Mills (director)}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox comics creator
| image         = Pat Mills at Raptus 2003.jpg
| caption       = Pat Mills in 2003
| birth_name    = Patrick Eamon Mills
| birth_date    = {{birth year and age|1949}}
| birth_place   =
| death_date    =
| death_place   =
| nationality   = British
| write         = y
| edit          = y
| alias         =
| notable works = ''[[Sláine (comics)|Sláine]]''<br />''[[Charley's War]]''<br />''[[ABC Warriors]]''<br />''[[Nemesis the Warlock]]''<br />''[[Requiem Chevalier Vampire|Requiem Vampire Knight]]''
| awards        =
| nonUS         = y
}}

'''Patrick Eamon Mills'''<ref>Mills, Pat (2017), ''Be Pure! Be Vigilant! Behave! 2000 AD and Judge Dredd: The Secret History'', Millsverse Books, p. 129: "Eamon is my middle name."</ref> (born 1949) is an English comics writer and editor who, along with [[John Wagner]], revitalised British boys' comics in the 1970s, and has remained a leading light in [[British comics]] ever since. He has been called "the godfather of British comics".<ref>Molcher, M: "Pat Mills – the Guv'nor", ''Judge Dredd Megazine'', #261</ref>

His comics are notable for their violence and anti-authoritarianism.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/dec/08/how-we-made-2000-ad-judge-dredd-comics-interview | title=How we made 2000 AD| newspaper=The Guardian| date=2015-12-08| last1=Hoad| first1=Phil}}</ref> He is best known for creating ''[[2000 AD (comics)|2000 AD]]'' and playing a major part in the development of ''[[Judge Dredd]]''.

==Biography==
{{BLP sources section|date=April 2022}}
Mills started his career as a sub-editor for [[D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd]], where he met Wagner. In 1971 both left to go [[freelance]], and were soon writing scripts for [[IPC Media|IPC]]'s girls' and humour comics. After D.C. Thomson launched ''[[Warlord (comic)|Warlord]]'', a successful war-themed weekly, Mills was asked in 1975 to develop a rival title for IPC. Based in the girls' comics department to avoid the attention of the staff of the boys' department, Mills, along with Wagner and [[Gerry Finley-Day]], worked in secret to create ''[[Battle Picture Weekly]]''. ''Battle'''s stories were more violent and its characters more working class than IPC's traditional fare, and it was an immediate hit. Having made the comic ready for launch, Mills resigned as editor. He would later write the celebrated [[First World War]] series ''[[Charley's War]]'', drawn by [[Joe Colquhoun]], for the title.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-27142836 | title='WW1 was world's first sci-fi war'| work=BBC News| date=2014-05-12| last1=McKenzie| first1=Steven}}</ref>

After launching ''Battle'', Mills began developing a new boys' title, ''[[Action (comic)|Action]]'', launched in 1976. ''Action'''s mix of violence and anti-authoritarianism proved controversial and the title lasted less than a year before being withdrawn in the face of media protests. It was briefly revived in neutered form before being merged into ''Battle''.

His next creation was the science fiction-themed weekly ''2000 AD'', launched in 1977. As with ''Battle'' and ''Action'' he developed most of the early series before handing them over to other writers. He took over the development of ''Judge Dredd'' when creator John Wagner temporarily walked out, and wrote many of the early stories, establishing the character and his world, before Wagner returned.

In 1978 IPC launched ''[[Starlord (comics)|Starlord]]'', a short-lived companion title for ''2000 AD''. Mills contributed ''[[Ro-Busters]]'', a series about a robot disaster squad, which moved to ''2000 AD'' when ''Starlord'' was cancelled.  ''Ro-Busters'' was the beginning of a mini-universe of interrelated stories Mills was to create for ''2000 AD'', including ''[[ABC Warriors]]'' and ''[[Nemesis the Warlock]]''. Artist [[Kevin O'Neill (comics)|Kevin O'Neill]] was involved in the creation of all three. Another strand of his ''2000 AD'' work was ''[[Sláine (comics)|Sláine]]'', a [[barbarian]] fantasy based on [[Celtic mythology]] and [[neo-paganism]], which he co-created with his then wife [[Angela Kincaid]] (with whom he also created the children's series of books, ''[[The Butterfly Children]]'').

Mills also had a hand in IPC's line of [[British girls' comics|comics aimed at girls]], such as ''[[Chiller (comics)|Chiller]]'' (a horror comic), ''[[Misty (comics)|Misty]]'' (supernatural stories) and ''[[Jinty (comics)|Jinty]]'' (science fiction).

In 1986 he edited the short-lived comic ''[[Diceman (comics)|Diceman]]'', which featured characters from ''2000 AD'' in political satire regarding U.S. President [[Ronald Reagan]]. Mills wrote nearly every story.

In 1988 he was involved in the launch of ''[[Crisis (comic)|Crisis]]'', a politically aware ''2000 AD'' spin-off aimed at older readers. For it he wrote ''[[Third World War (comics)|Third World War]]'', drawn initially by [[Carlos Ezquerra]]. The title lasted until 1991 and launched the careers of talents such as [[Garth Ennis]], [[John Smith (comics writer)|John Smith]] and [[Sean Phillips]].

In 1991 Mills launched ''[[Toxic!]]'', an independent colour newsstand weekly comic with a violent, anarchic tone, perhaps as a reaction against the politically worthy ''Crisis'', and a [[creator ownership|creator-owned]] ideal. Many of the stories were created by Mills and co-writer [[Tony Skinner]], including ''[[Accident Man (comic strip)|Accident Man]]'', an assassin who makes his hits look like accidents. ''Toxic!'' lasted less than a year, but gave a start to talents such as [[Duke Mighten]] and [[Martin Emond]].

He has had little success in American comics, with the exception of ''[[Metalzoic]]'' and ''[[Marshal Law]]'', published by [[DC Comics|DC]] and [[Epic Comics|Epic]] comics respectively in the late 1980s, both drawn by O'Neill. Mills' ''Toxic'' strips ''Accident Man'' and ''Brats Bizarre'' were reprinted as their own US-format titles (by [[Dark Horse Comics]] and Epic, respectively) and Mills wrote ''[[Punisher 2099]]'' for Marvel, ''Zombie World'' for Dark Horse, and ''[[Death Race 2000#Comic books|Death Race 2020]]'' (reuniting Mills with Kevin O'Neill) for [[Roger Corman's Cosmic Comics]].

In 1995, he broke into the French market, one of his life's goals, with ''Sha'', created with French artist [[Olivier Ledroit]].

He continues to write ''Sláine'', ''[[Bill Savage]]'', ''Black Siddha'' and ''ABC Warriors'' for ''2000 AD'', and also the [[Franco-Belgian comics|Franco-Belgian comic]] ''[[Requiem Chevalier Vampire|Requiem Vampire Knight]]'',<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.flickeringmyth.com/2015/11/interview-pat-mills-talks-dan-dare-and-his-role-in-bringing-him-to-2000ad/ | title=Interview - Pat Mills talks Dan Dare and his role in bringing him to 2000AD| date=2015-11-05}}</ref> with art by [[Olivier Ledroit]], and its spin-off ''[[Claudia Chevalier Vampire]]'', with art by [[Franck Tacito]].

Two new series, ''[[Greysuit]]'', a super-powered government agent drawn by [[John Higgins (comics)|John Higgins]], and ''[[Defoe (comics)|Defoe]]'', a 17th-century zombie hunter drawn by [[Leigh Gallagher]], began in ''2000 AD'' prog 1540.<ref>[http://www.2000adonline.com/?zone=news&page=newsimage&choice=2kjun07 2000AD Online – news zone<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

Mills has formed Repeat Offenders with artist [[Clint Langley]] and Jeremy Davis "to develop graphic novel concepts with big-screen potential" and the first project is a graphic novel called ''[[American Reaper]]'', serialised in the ''[[Judge Dredd Megazine]]'' (2011–2015). It has been optioned by [[Trudie Styler]]'s [[Xingu Films]] and Mills has written the screenplay.<ref>[http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3id4bf6e72d9d5fd611863364092cf7401 Grim 'Reaper' lands at Xingu], ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'', 29 July 2008</ref>

He has also written two ''[[Doctor Who]]'' [[Radio drama|audio plays]], "[[Dead London]]" (2008) and "[[The Scapegoat (Doctor Who audio)|The Scapegoat]]" (2009) for [[Big Finish Productions]], featuring the [[Eighth Doctor]] and [[Lucie Miller]]. The first audio play was released as the first part of the second season of the [[List of Doctor Who audio plays by Big Finish#Eighth Doctor New Adventures|Eighth Doctor Adventures]] and the second as part of the third season. In 2010 Mills adapted a story that had been started by him and Wagner for Doctor Who in the 1980s and was produced by Big Finish as "[[The Song of Megaptera]]". In 2023, a 1980 [[Fourth Doctor]] comic he penned (with artist Dave Gibbons) for ''[[Doctor Who Magazine]]'' was adapted into the [[Fourteenth Doctor]] special [[The Star Beast (Doctor Who episode)|"The Star Beast."]]

In 2017 he wrote, with Kevin O'Neill, and published two novels, ''Serial Killer'' and ''Goodnight, John-Boy'', part of a planned series of four books. Also in that year, he published his memoirs, ''Be Pure! Be Vigilant! Behave! 2000 AD and Judge Dredd: The Secret History'' in print and as an e-book.  Mills also narrated the [[audiobook]] version himself. (The title is the catchphrase of the villain in his series ''Nemesis the Warlock''.)

In 2018 the film ''[[Accident Man (film)|Accident Man]]'' was released, based on his comic strip for ''Toxic!''

In 2019 Mills announced that he would publish a new all-ages science fiction anthology comic called ''Spacewarp'', to be released in 2020, and that the artists would retain the copyright on their work.<ref>[https://www.millsverse.com/spacewarp/"Spacewarp" at Millsverse.com], 29 April 2019. (Retrieved 28 June 2020.)</ref>

In 2021 he published another volume of memoirs with a focus on Slaine, ''Kiss My Axe! Slaine the Warped Warrior: The Secret History''.

==Bibliography==
{{Main|Pat Mills bibliography}}
As well as his influential role in creating and contributing to numerous of British comics, Mills has produced work in both America and Europe.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite news |first=Eoin |last=Butler |url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/magazine/2010/0731/1224275568017.html |title='Comic books should strive always to be subversive. They should represent counterculture' |work=[[Irish Times]] |date=31 July 2010 |access-date=31 July 2010 }}
*[https://downthetubes.net/?p=119934 Review of ''Spacewarp''] by Peter Duncan, at downthetubes.net, 24 July 2020

==External links==
*[https://www.millsverse.com Millsverse.com] – his official website
*[https://www.spacewarpcomic.com/ ''Spacewarp''] – his new comic
*{{gcdb|type=writer|search=Pat+Mills}}
*{{comicbookdb|type=creator|id=1616}}
*[http://www.2000ad.org/?zone=droid&page=profiles&choice=patm Pat Mills] at 2000ad.org
*[http://www.bedetheque.com/auteur-108-BD-Mills-Pat.html Pat Mills] at Bedetheque

'''Interviews'''
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20130515044609/http://www.2000adreview.co.uk/features/interviews/2004/mills/pat_mills1.shtml 2004 interview with 2000ADReview]
*[https://archive.today/20120708125440/http://comicsnexus.com/2004/08/27/20582/ Caught In The Nexus: Pat Mills], Comics Nexus, 27 August 2004
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20040625092331/http://www.comicscode.net/interviews/mills/indexen.htm French Connections: Pat Mills Interview]
*[http://full-of-void.blogspot.com/2009/02/interviewing-pat-mills.html Interviewing Pat Mills], The Void, February 2009
*[https://inews.co.uk/culture/2000ad-creator-pat-mills-judge-dredd-comic-books-spacewarp-451616 "Back From the Dredd"], ''i'', 20 June 2020

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Mills, Pat}}
[[Category:1949 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:English comics writers]]
[[Category:British satirical comics writers]]
[[Category:Fleetway and IPC Comics creators]]
[[Category:British graphic novelists]]
[[Category:Comic book editors]]
[[Category:People educated at St Joseph's College, Ipswich]]