2000AD - Mm Interview with Pat Mills

To celebrate the release of the 2000AD Costume pack, and because we happened to run into him at a recent event, we are proud to publish a short interview with 2000AD creator Pat Mills.

The questions were put together by all of the molecules, and in the future we will hopefully be interviewing more people who we collaborate with to create DLC for LittleBigPlanet.

Without Further ado, we present, Pat Mills the ‘godfather of British comics’.

Mm:I’m completely new to the 2000AD world, where shall I start?

I guess with Judge Dredd. Maybe with some of the graphic novels -  I would suggest Slaine The Horned God, and Judge Dredd: The Cursed Earth

Mm:Who are your biggest inspirations from inside and outside the comic industry?

None I can think of inside. Outside… John Pilger and Robert Graves.

Mm:In the last 20 years we have seen comics being a huge influence on movies, games, music videos, etc. How did that impact back on comics?

Hmm… not as much as the hype suggests, film interest yes.

Mm:Are there any obscure 2000AD characters you would like to see resurrected?

My Visible Man character - we see inside his body.

Mm:Are there any character mash-ups you would like to see? Star Trek versus Rogue Trooper, for instance.

Only my own which are happening… e.G. Savage(invasion) and ABC Warriors’ world crosses over via a common enemy.

Mm:Are there any characters or stories you think would be particularly suited to video games that haven’t been explored yet?

Just about all 2000AD characters. Plus some of my stories outside 2000AD. See my note about requiem below… it has a big goth following!

Mm:Which 2000AD character do you most resemble?

In temperament (tho not physical appearance) Titus Defoe, the 17th century zombie hunter. Because he’s the last Leveller – they were the first socialists… because he has to hide his beliefs in order to make a buck.

Mm:Which do you wish you most resembled?

I assume you mean physically? Damned jones from Defoe… he’s a 17th century assassin.

Mm:Games, like comics, struggle to deal with politics and morals in a satisfactory fashion, and when they try are often sidelined or ridiculed. As somebody who regularly writes explicitly polemic tales do you ever feel like it is a losing battle?

Yes. Yes. Hence my comment about Defoe above. We live in spiritually, emotionally and politically barren Orwellian times.

Mm:The internet has arguably led to the fragmentation of paper publications like 2000AD’s readership.  How do you see this affecting smaller publications in the future, do you think printed comics will exist in ten years time?

I’m not sure I agree. This is a commonly advertised view but has no real basis where 2000AD is concerned. For example, French sales of comic paper products are booming. In Britain we look for reasons to excuse poor sales other than the real reason… Quality, and the lack thereof.

Mm:Our producer Luci says, “I can honestly attribute my love of comics and sci-fi in general to my granddad getting me 2000AD every week as a kid (and i carried on way into my late twenties). Did you have any inkling of the kind of influence 2000AD would end up having on ordinary people?”

Yes, I always knew it had something special. My personal aim was to be subversive and I would like to have been more so!

Mm:She also says

“I wanted to be Halo Jones, Judge Hershey and Venus Blue Genes. The women in 2000AD were always totally kick-ass in a way that seems ahead of its time to me now. They were definitely a big part of the reason I loved it. Was it a conscious decision to have so many awesome female characters?”

I think it went with our generally subversive nature, I wanted 2000AD to challenge stereotypes in every way.

Mm:What’s next for the comics medium, What are you working on now?

For me? Film graphic novel tie ins, and also a ten volume series for France which is coming out soon in Britain too - Requiem, Vampire Knight editions, Nickel (on web), Great Art: Oliver Ledroit. Games rights available!

Mm:Do you have any none-comic related projects coming up?

Yes. I’ve Just written a science fiction screenplay for Xingu films called American Reaper. It’s about a cop who goes after identity thieves. In the future old people transfer their identities to young people whose consciousness is then erased.

Mm:What might Tharg the Mighty have to say about Sackboy and LittleBigPlanet?

You know, I’m not a great fan of Tharg. I was one of his creators and I’ve been trying to kill him ever since.

... and on that bombshell, we end this interview! The 2000AD Costume update will be live soon enough, and we’ll be back with a recap of the pack, its contents and price. Splundig Vur Thrigg!