A few weeks back, Mark Millar offered one lucky fan the opportunity to have the supervillain in The Secret Service (an upcoming comic book project between Millar and Watchmen artist Dave Gibbons) named after them. What did they have to do receive such an honor? Head on over to eBay of course! But the Scottish writer wasn't looking to line his own pockets with this auction, instead promising the money to a worthy cause - that of St Bartholomew's Primary School in Coatbridge, Scotland. This ultimately ended up raising a whopping $5100, meaning all of the kids will be able to have free school trips for the next few years.
Here's what Millar had to say about the donation:
"This works out around £3000 which should buy the 158 kids and their teachers about two years worth of free school trips. I want the entire school to have free school trips for the next few years and we’re starting this Christmas. We’re going to book them all into the SECC panto last week of term in December. Couldn’t be happier about this. Huge thanks to the generosity of the guy who paid for this. I'm a former pupil at St Bartholomew's and have so many great memories of the place. This fund will cover tickets, transport and treats for the children and it's something I'd like to help with every year from now on. The school trips were a big deal to us as little kids and I'd love to get them up and running again."
Meanwhile, head teacher Christine Boyle added:
"Everyone in St Bartholomew's is so grateful to Mark for his very generous gift. It is especially welcome as every single child will benefit and have a real treat to look forward to every year. This is really wonderful given the current financial constraints that the school and many families are experiencing at this time. Mark is remembered very fondly at St Bartholomew's and he is a real inspiration to all our pupils to keep working hard to achieve their ambitions."
Pretty cool, eh?
The Secret Service will go on sale next year, while Matthew Vaughn is likely to be involved (possibly as director) in the planned big screen adaptation. Be sure to share your thoughts on this news in the usual place!