Mark Millar uses spamming campaigns to promote his comics

bombidol

Fysh

I had a look at the first issue out of curiosity, and the artwork is pretty good but the story's not quite my thing. It seems as though one second the lead character is someone genuinely doing (or trying to do) something good, and the next he's a hopelessly pathetic twit that we should all be laughing at. For all Millar's talk about playing it as a realistic street-level superhero, he's inexplicably not been shot in the head and apparently

been rescued from near-death by a sword-wielding nine-year-old

.

(Maybe this is just me, but this comic in particular gave me a very strong vibe of being written by someone who actually really despises his audience, which was the same feeling I got reading Wanted...)

BlaasForRafa

I've got the first three issues so far, primarily I got it because JR JR is on it and he can usually make a silk purse out of a sows ear.

It isn't the worst Millar comic I've ever read (and he's done a fair load of ****e) but it does feel like he's ripped off the early spider-man issues big time, especially in the bumbling, nerdy outsider feel to his protagonist.

ztoical

BlaasForRafa wrote: »

I've got the first three issues so far, primarily I got it because JR JR is on it and he can usually make a silk purse out of a sows ear.

+ 1 picked up issues 1 and 2 for JR Jr's art [flash backs to being 9 and picking up uncanny with him on it] and really liked the colouring as well. I looked up the colouriest Dean White and saw I'd a few other comics he'd coloured, and while good, it didn't really jump out at me, must be the combination of JR jr and himself that just makes it pop.

Wasn't gone on the writing but then I've never been a massive Mark Millar fan. Ignoring what I felt was a pretty blah plot the writing felt like what most of John Grisham's recent novels feel like, something thats been written purely to try and make into a movie.

And the tie in's with myspace feels like its a year or too late - didn't that channel 4 show skins or whatever its called already do that?

Fysh

ztoical wrote: »

And the tie in's with myspace feels like its a year or too late - didn't that channel 4 show skins or whatever its called already do that?

I think so - Millar has been trying to backpedal that one and claim that magically it's actually accurate because it's set last year or something, but basically that aspect of it jumped the shark on him while he was making it. The peril of trying to make something that's up-to-the-minute contemporary, I guess.

BlaasForRafa

Fysh wrote: »

I think so - Millar has been trying to backpedal that one and claim that magically it's actually accurate because it's set last year or something, but basically that aspect of it jumped the shark on him while he was making it. The peril of trying to make something that's up-to-the-minute contemporary, I guess.

yeah he should know bebo is where the kidz are at since he seems to spend all his time on millarworld.com with his devotees and five minutes every now and then writing a hugely decompressed script (although I did enjoy wolverine: enemy of the state it has to be said....but again JR Jr did the art on that)

I remember reading in a wizard interview that millar that the movie options for kickass were sold BEFORE the comic was published....

shenanigans1982

I had gotten issue one and two and had intended to finish it off but somehow missed out on issue three ( same happened with red Hulk) so now I will wait for the trade. For me it was standard Millar, which is equal to a summer blockbuster...good at the time but nothing that is going to stick with you for the long term.

Fysh

BlaasForRafa wrote: »

I remember reading in a wizard interview that millar that the movie options for kickass were sold BEFORE the comic was published....

I know the film is being made as we speak, and before the first issue was sold wouldn't surprise me since Millar has been very open about how the Wanted movie opened doors for him. Hell, the option for the Wanted movie was bought around the time the first issue of that series came out. It does seem increasingly as though Millar actually wants a career as a screenwriter and is only grudgingly writing comics until he can transition over to film permanently.

Nathanual

I liked Wanted, the comic, but didn't rate the movie that much. With Kick Ass I've been less impressed so who knows I might like the movie.

ztoical

bombidol wrote: »

I'm shilling for Mark Millar so I can get free advertising!

(For future reference, any threads started as part of any publisher or writer's "Pimp my book all over the internet" campaigns will be deleted. Warnings or bans will follow as appropriate. Since this thread has actually generated a discussion, I'll leave it here for now...)

I feel all dirty and used now...:eek:

Fysh

ztoical wrote: »

I feel all dirty and used now...:eek:

How'd you think I feel, I had to go to millarworld to find out about it. I'm gonna have to have a bath with wire wool and bleach now

Jack B. Badd

Fysh wrote: »

How'd you think I feel, I had to go to millarworld to find out about it. I'm gonna have to have a bath with wire wool and bleach now

And then sleep on a tarp in the garden :P

Fysh

It amuses me to have discovered that Millar pulled this stunt (of claiming that he'd give a full-page ad in the next issue to anyone who pimped the current issue all over the place) when issue 3 was due out...warning, link is to the ickyness that is millarworld

Frankly the spamming alone is reason enough not to support Millar. If he wants us to buy his comic, let him come here and have a discussion about why it's worth it, or pay for advertising like everyone else.

ztoical

Fysh wrote: »

It amuses me to have discovered that Millar pulled this stunt (of claiming that he'd give a full-page ad in the next issue to anyone who pimped the current issue all over the place) when issue 3 was due out...warning, link is to the ickyness that is millarworld

Frankly the spamming alone is reason enough not to support Millar. If he wants us to buy his comic, let him come here and have a discussion about why it's worth it, or pay for advertising like everyone else.

I'm curious as to how he can offer something like that - even if Kick-ass is creator owned its published by Marvel and I can't see them allowing someone to advertise anything they want. They're not going to give up one of their advertisers spaces for it so it would mean Millar giving over a page from the comic but even then Marvel aren't going to allow people to pimp non marvel comics/websites/blogs/whatever via one of their comics.

Fysh

ztoical wrote: »

I'm curious as to how he can offer something like that - even if Kick-ass is creator owned its published by Marvel and I can't see them allowing someone to advertise anything they want. They're not going to give up one of their advertisers spaces for it so it would mean Millar giving over a page from the comic but even then Marvel aren't going to allow people to pimp non marvel comics/websites/blogs/whatever via one of their comics.

The thing is, it's technically Marvel but the Icon imprint seems to be a very exclusive creator-owned label where the creators get more control than over a standard Marvel title - Criminal's also an Icon title and AFAIK there aren't ads in it, Brubaker just gets articles about things he's interested in and puts those in instead. They do reserve the right to not run ads that they deem "troublesome" but in a comic with a homicidal child murdering people with katanas, the content of an advert is not likely to be the biggest source of problems....

Fysh

bombidol wrote: »

Boo, you're no fun....

(For the benefit of any non-regulars who might stumble across this thread, I'd like to re-iterate the following:
"Any threads started as part of any publisher or writer's 'Pimp my book all over the internet' campaigns will be deleted. Warnings or bans will follow as appropriate." It's been added to the charter, as I don't remember seeing it happen before and don't particularly want to see it happen again.)

BlaasForRafa

Fysh wrote: »

It amuses me to have discovered that Millar pulled this stunt (of claiming that he'd give a full-page ad in the next issue to anyone who pimped the current issue all over the place) when issue 3 was due out...warning, link is to the ickyness that is millarworld

Frankly the spamming alone is reason enough not to support Millar. If he wants us to buy his comic, let him come here and have a discussion about why it's worth it, or pay for advertising like everyone else.

I was wondering how come the thread title changed, thats really low to spam everywhere like that and I thought that we could at least trust a moderator like the op not to pull a stunt like that.

Millar hardly needs to whore out like this surely....doesn't the book sell well enough already? Surely it doesn't need this kind of stunt to get word out there...does he not get enough publicity already? Far from endearing me, this really annoys me, I was already on the cusp of cancelling Fantastic Four because of its frankly disappointing storylines but it doesn't do anything to encourage me to keep buying kickass as it doesn't show a basic level of respect for readers or potential readers.

And it brings back something that was going through my mind away from the pc when I thought about this thread last night and Millar just encapsulates it with this kind of thing is .... How is it right that Mark Millar is making millions (or will do) when Jack Kirby couldn't even get health insurance from Marvel comics?....how can Mark Millar be making millions when Jack Kirby can't even get a proper "created by" credit on comics, films, merchandise etc that he created characters for?. How can Mark Millar be making millions when Jack Kirby had to sign away copyright to HUNDREDS of characters just so he could get his artwork back from Marvel comics?...I hope history at least will record who was the king and who was the average talent.

ztoical

Fysh wrote: »

The thing is, it's technically Marvel but the Icon imprint seems to be a very exclusive creator-owned label where the creators get more control than over a standard Marvel title - Criminal's also an Icon title and AFAIK there aren't ads in it, Brubaker just gets articles about things he's interested in and puts those in instead. They do reserve the right to not run ads that they deem "troublesome" but in a comic with a homicidal child murdering people with katanas, the content of an advert is not likely to be the biggest source of problems....

Its not so much that something would "troublesome" in the sense of violent or sexual but rather the risk of copyright and legal troubles. Even thou Millar is claiming you can put whatever you want in "your add" I can see there being a sh!t load of strings attached to the point where the add will just be some generic "woohoo look at me" deal.

This whole spamming lark has just stuck in my head the image of Mark Millar as the wicked witch from the wizard of oz screaming at his army of flying monkeys "Spam my pretties, spam!" *insert hight pitched witch laugh*

Fysh

Oh, the comedy....

So I posted in the current "spam for advertising" thread on millarworld pointing out that he'd said he was doing this for issue 4 but hadn't followed up on it at all. Millar replied claiming that the ad did run, but when I responded to point out that I couldn't know since I'm in the UK and new stuff isn't out until tomorrow, and that encouraging people to spam about his topic isn't going to make him look good, the post got deleted and attempting to re-post it tells me that either that thread or my account is now subject to pre-moderation.

I don't know whether it's funny or sad, but, well, this would explain why there's never any thoughtful criticism of his work on those fora. The only question I have is how many posts get deleted without any trace being left of them....

Edited to add:

Through the magic of undoing closed tabs, I have a screenshot of the post I'd made originally which has since been Guantanamo'd...

Jack B. Badd

Mark Millar wrote:

Uh, have you READ issue four? If so, check out the ad in the back for those unusual toy things? What a pathetic and quite nasty thing to say on a guy's board without actually having anything to back it up with!

Wow, what a whinge! Presumably he went to the same school of PR as J Hendrick :rolleyes:

Personally I find the whole concept of "spamming" as part of a campaign to sell your product both pathetic (it puts you up there with all those "enlarge your cock" ads in my spam-box) and insulting. It strikes me that Millar probably looked at the viral marketing campaigns floating around a while back and thought they were a good idea while not entirely understanding them, then attempted a "cheap as hell" obnoxious version. Talk about perpetuating the stereotype of the tight-arse Scot...:D

BlaasForRafa

Lots of links to fawning reviews at his site...pretty unctious stuff, I think I'd prefer to be an irascible git. Funny I don't see a much better writer like John Wagner have his own message board....guess he dosen't need all the attention from fanboys (and normally I hate this word but I think its justified in this case)

Fysh

BlaasForRafa wrote: »

Lots of links to fawning reviews at his site...pretty unctious stuff, I think I'd prefer to be an irascible git. Funny I don't see a much better writer like John Wagner have his own message board....guess he dosen't need all the attention from fanboys (and normally I hate this word but I think its justified in this case)

The funny thing is that the immediate comparison that springs to mind for me is Warren Ellis, who's been known to maintain online fora for years. And while his fora are heavily moderated as well, there's far less evidence of fawning and a lot more interesting discussion precisely because one doesn't have to be a hardcore Ellis fanboy in order to participate.

Millarworld had always struck me as having a lack of balance, but it's amusing to see exactly how it's maintained...

Nathanual

Okay this annoys me.

I'm a writer and I have so much trouble getting my work noticed. I always give part of what I make to charity, in some cases all, and just love being part of this industry on any level. This man gets paid nice coinage to write, and we as comic book readers pay more coin to buy his comics.

If a book is good we'll tell each other, it is what happens here, and I presume in every country where comics are sold. I don't buy a comic because I get spammed, I don't go see a movie because of the cool viral websites, I am a grown man who can make his own mind up. I listen to people, like those in these forums, and then have a look at the book in FP or SUBCITY and then make my mind up.

Maybe all the small press people from this website should spam millarworld at the same time, see if we can get our comics noticed in an insane manner. I think this thread should be deleted as it mentions K-A and a new one started. Mark Millar's Ego Must Die.....

Just a thought
Stephen

Fysh

Nathanual wrote: »

I think this thread should be deleted as it mentions K-A and a new one started.

Thread renamed as I agree that neither Millar nor his comic should be getting free publicity out of this.

ztoical

Fysh wrote: »

Thread renamed as I agree that neither Millar nor his comic should be getting free publicity out of this.

I'm sure he'd either say he doesn't care what lowly people like us think or that "any advertising is good advertising", pretty much everything on Millar world is just a spin into how "awesome" millar and everything he touches is. I say lock the thread and just be amused by the fact that before any of us know the reason behind the thread no one actually came running on here to post about how great the writing on the book is. Pretty much everyone give JR jr's great art as the only reason the book was worth looking at. Personally I shall find my JR jr kick else where and will not be picking up any future issues of this book.

Nathanual

Thanks.

The full line up of guests haven't been announced for Novembers Con... If he's announced to appear then maybe we should wear T-Shirts 'DO NOT SPAM US MARK MILLAR' anyone interested PM me and we'll get this thing moving.

It'll be like the Dixie Chicks vs Toby Keith thing - not really but kinda.

BlaasForRafa

ztoical wrote: »

I'm sure he'd either say he doesn't care what lowly people like us think or that "any advertising is good advertising", pretty much everything on Millar world is just a spin into how "awesome" millar and everything he touches is. I say lock the thread and just be amused by the fact that before any of us know the reason behind the thread no one actually came running on here to post about how great the writing on the book is. Pretty much everyone give JR jr's great art as the only reason the book was worth looking at. Personally I shall find my JR jr kick else where and will not be picking up any future issues of this book.

I'd say don't lock the thread, its not like theres too many active threads here anyway.

Regarding JR Jr I completely agree, I don't intend on buying his issues of amazing spiderman because of the brand new day awfulness so cancelling kickass isn't much of a deal.

Jack B. Badd

Funnily enough when I had a quick look on a few of the other fora that were spammed as part of the campaign, the general opinion of Millar's work isn't all that great. This campaign just seems to have succeeded in spawning a spate of moans about this comic. If anything, it seems to have dissuaded some people from even considering buying it...

MarkHall

While I laughted at the idea of folks Spamming for him. And was more than happy to encourage Gar.I see no real harm as most comic sites would have some form of chat about the Book at some stage. Even if it's only to Moan about how Bad it or the Writer is.

I love how Much Flack Millar gets yet his Books Still Sell by the Truck load.
I do view him in the Micheal bay Vien. He brings good Flashbang.I enjoy most of his Stuff at the time of Reading.
Really enjoyed his work in the Ultimate universe and his Wolverine stuff.
But I do think he's gone downhill snice Sonic the Comic.

At the end of the Day he's there he's got the Backing and is making money and having fun. I'd love to be able to do what he does. But know I'll never match his abilities.
Also I love Millarworld. There is a Great crew of People there. The Mods and the Regular peons. Sure there are Diehard Millar fans. but it is after all his site. Where else would you expect to find them.

J Hendrick

Jack B. Badd wrote: »

Wow, what a whinge! Presumably he went to the same school of PR as J Hendrick :rolleyes:

Who the **** do you think you are?

Seriously, I'm not getting involved in the discussion about this book, but at least I post here using my own name and I don't hide behind a fake name.

If you feel like letting me know you can PM me or if you've got any balls at all you can post it here ****o.

J Hendrick

BTW folks, as for the ickyness that is Millarworld.

I'll have you know Kyle that I checked out your posts today as yeah ,I happen to be a mod there and you came across as a total asshole. Which is a shame because as far as I'm aware in all previous dealings with you you've only ever been fair and reasonable.

Classy.

We run a tight ship on a board that has over 15,000 members and in no way do we ever entertain threads slagging people off. You turn around and you say Mark's too cheap to pay for advertising????

WTF? when your web comic's made into a movie let me know, because as far as I can tell from this forum the only thing that's entertained here is piss and vinegar. Heaven forbid that someone be successful but you lot wouldn't know about that because you're all too busy being bitter.

I've no idea what's rubbed a lot of the people here the wrong way and I can't even pretend to fathom why you're all so angry all of the time and feel the need to either pick apart or slag off anything that's constructive in comics.

I'm through appeasing you people and your dumb ****ing rules and regulations. if i see you I see you and if you got any backbone at all you'll actually address your grievances to my face and I'll be happy to listen to you.

But internet bravery is not very brave at all.