Here are some exerpts from a recent interview that Mark Millar did with Metro. Here he talks about Kick-Ass and comic books but for more from the writer just follow the link at the bottom of the article.
Is writing a comic about a ten-year-old girl swearing and chopping people’s heads off in bad taste?
People have said Daily Mail readers and church groups are up in arms about it but I’m a Daily Mail reader and go to church every week and I’m not offended. It’s made by Daily Mail readers for Daily Mail readers.
Has child actress Chloe Moretz been left mentally traumatised by making the film?
Are you kidding? Chloe’s the world’s smartest kid. She’s got a career plan – she’ll work with Martin Scorsese next year. She’s handled this better than anyone.
Mika’s done the soundtrack. Are you worried he’ll put people off?
I’d never heard of him. I’m 40. I feel embarrassed when my friends are talking about current music. That should be left to young people.
Jonathan Ross’s wife Jane Goldman wrote the script. Why didn’t you adapt it yourself?
With this and Wanted I stayed on as a producer. Screenwriting isn’t that well paid and doing 20 drafts of a script seems miserable. They make a fraction of comic writers. Occasionally you’ll get a big pay day as a screenwriter but the comic guy owns the intellectual property. When French Connection sells a Kick-Ass hoodie I get a cut of that.
Which superheroes made an impression on you when you younger?
Spider-Man. I drew his mask over my face with Magic Marker just before my Holy Communion and it didn’t wash off in time. You can see the faint lines over my face in the photos.
Who are comic books aimed at?
Guys aged 16 to 25, the same as the movies. Ten years ago it was about five per cent female readers but now it’s around 30 per cent because of the films. When I first went to conventions it was all fat guys with beards, now it’s more like a music festival. People who read tend to be smarter than those who don’t so it’s a nice audience.
Kick-Ass is released in the UK on Wednesday and in the US on April 16th.