Pat Mills, the godfather of British comics
The Creative Council
Welcome to The Creative Council, where I interview creatives about their lives and work and the ups and downs of being a creative soul.
Today’s interviewee is Pat Mills!
Pat has a long and successful career of writing exciting and subversive stories. He created the industry-changing British sf anthology 2000AD (featuring Judge Dredd), the epic, ten-volume antiwar story Charley’s War with the late Joe Colquhoun, and the cult classic anti-superhero Marshal Law with Kevin O’Neill.
His Accident Man from the comic Toxic! has been adapted for two movies starring Scott Adkins. Requiem Vampire Knight, his long-running dark fantasy series with top artist Olivier Ledroit, is currently being adapted for a Manga book series.
Pat has written three non-fiction titles on comics and creative writing: Be Pure! Be Vigilant! Behave! 2000AD & Judge Dredd The Secret History; Kiss My Axe! Sláine The Warped Warrior The Secret History; and Pageturners: How to write iconic stories from the creator of 2000AD.
He is currently running his first Kickstarter campaign for volume one of his science fantasy series, Sha: The Shadow One, about Lara, a young woman in sixteenth-century France who is burned at the stake for being a witch and whose soul travels in time to the futuristic city of New Eden to seek revenge on those who wronged her.
The Interview
Hi Pat! It’s so good to have you here! You must be extremely busy right now, with all the work you’ve been doing lately and the massive success that is your current Kickstarter, so let’s dive right in.
· When did you start creating? Do you remember what pulled you in?
I sent my first story – a fantasy tale – to the BBC when I was aged ten.
· That is so young! I love it. So when did you start pursuing your current craft for real? As in, when did you begin to take yourself seriously as a creator?
I was submitting plays and sketches to television and articles to Punch at age seventeen. I got some encouragement and that validated my chosen path as a writer.
· Are you still having fun? If yes, how are you making sure it stays fun?
I believe in the Muse – the inner voice of inspiration. Acknowledged as a separate, ‘magical’ entity/ies by the Ancient Greeks, I think she is more than just ‘imagination’. In fact, I’ve written a book about her called Pageturners. As long as I do what the Muse tells me, I have fun.
· What has been your biggest ‘mistake’ thus far, and what would you tell people about to make that same mistake?
Ignoring the Muse and writing purely for money. New writers have to find their inner Muse – she is the source of creativity and her objectives may be in conflict with the writer’s initial aims and direction. The Muse must be obeyed.
· Of all the milestones you’ve reached thus far, what has been your favourite? How did you celebrate it?
A story I wrote ages ago called ‘The Starbeast’ was recently adapted for television and was the launch drama for the reboot and 60th anniversary of Doctor Who starring David Tennant. We celebrated with champagne.
· If that’s not worthy of champagne, I don’t know what it! That’s brilliant. What do you struggle with most as a creative person?
Time. Not having enough time to research everything and to fulfil all my writing goals.
· Have you always had that struggle or has it changed over time?
Yes. The answer is to follow your Muse. She will decide which stories and direction you should prioritise.
· What do you do to stay inspired?
I have a huge back catalogue of buried, often unpleasant memories. But I see them as a valuable story resource rather than traumas.
· What would you do if you weren’t afraid?
Fear doesn’t come into it for me. Except fear of censorship, which has applied to my anti-war world war one stories. The UK is heavily censored compared to other countries.
· What is the biggest compliment you ever received about your work?
Russell T. Davies, the showrunner on Doctor Who, said my Star Beast story was ‘The best story in the world.’
· What’s the best creative advice you ever received?
Everything in Story by Robert McKee. He’s the best writing guru.
· As you might know, I’m pretty woo-woo. On a scale of 1 to ‘I was burned at the stake in a previous lifetime’, how woo-woo are you?
I’m at the stake end. SHA – my Kickstarter – book begins with a past life burning at the stake experience that led me on a long psychic quest. I would call it ‘possession’ rather than a past life, primarily because I don’t think anyone has written a definitive past life book, except maybe Roger Woolger – Other Lives, Other Selves.
· And how does that express itself in your life and/or your creative practice?
Most of my stories for the last twenty years are about past lives.
· For someone who does past-life healing for a living, and who didn’t get through the burning times unscathed herself, I love hearing this.
Thank you so much for your time, Pat, and the best of luck on these final days of your Kickstarter!
You can follow Pat on X, Facebook, and Instagram. You can read new writing by Pat weekly on his Substack, and you download Requiem Vampire Knight in English here.
Pat’s Kickstarter campaign for Sha runs until the 8th of December, so back it here before it’s too late.
Are you a creative and would you like to be interviewed next? E-mail me at marielle@mswordsmith.nl and we’ll make it happen!
 | A guest post by
|