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Stan Lee is the progenitor of all things great about Marvel Comics, but the legendary creator ultimately had some harsh words of advice for authors and artists seeking to follow in his footsteps at the publisher, as relayed by another iconic writer, Mark Millar, who revealed that Lee advised him: “don’t create anything here.”
In the latest episode of his “Millar Time” podcast, Mark Millar sat down with Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld, who recently had his own messy break-up with Marvel, for a wide-ranging discussion, which included touching on Stan Lee’s legacy at Marvel.
According to Millar, Lee advised him to develop characters and stories independently, rather than under the auspices of Marvel, a piece of advice that ultimately led to a flourishing “Millarverse” comic book continuity, covering the past twenty-five years of the author’s career.
Mark Millar Reveals Stan Lee Told Him “Don’t Create Anything” For Marvel Comics
Millar’s Career Is The Consequence Of That Advice
Mark Millar and Rob Liefeld have both been labeled “controversial” authors during their careers, but they are also two creators who have found unequivocal success in the comic book industry outside the major publishers, after each spending some formative time working for Marvel Comics. It was during his time writing for Marvel, during the early 2000s, that Millar says he was gifted an invaluable piece of advice by Stan Lee, though it is one that will surprise many comic book fans.
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As Millar stated:
I was lucky. Stan gave me advice very early on. He just said, ‘Don’t create anything here’ [laughs]. He said to me, ‘I think you’ll be good at creating your own stuff… The Ultimates and these things you’re writing, it feels quite re-inventive, so it feels that you could almost start some from scratch. That gave me the confidence to go do WANTED, and that kind of stuff.
Marvel Comics has long been known as the “House of Ideas,” and many of the best ideas in the company’s history came from Stan Lee, and so for all intents and purposes, Marvel is also the “House That Stan Built.” Which is why it is surprising that he would warn a young creator away from giving their best ideas to Marvel, but Mark Millar says that is precisely what happened. The result? Starting with 2003’s Wanted, Millar has produced some of the best indie superhero titles of the 21st century.
Mark Millar And Rob Liefeld Represent Two Diverging Paths When It Comes To Creating Marvel Characters
How Stan Lee’s Advice Changed Comic History
During his conversation with Rob Liefeld, Mark Millar elaborated further, saying that while he contributed memorable stories during his time with Marvel, he saved his iconic roster of original characters for his own books. Millar also noted that Stan Lee wasn’t the only one to advise him this was the best way to go. As the author put it:
So I was lucky. I gave them Marvel Zombies, I gave them The Ultimates, that kind of stuff. And storylines like Logan and Civil War and everything. But I never actually created any notable characters. Thank God, you know? Will Eisner gave me the same advice, he said, ‘Whenever you’re at your hottest at Marvel, jump and do your own thing. So you retain ownership.
From Kick Ass, to the evil Batman analog known as Nemesis, and many more, Millar has certainly demonstrated a knack for conceiving of memorable characters, something Stan Lee recognized in him early on.
It is worth wondering for a second what it would have been like if Stan Lee had not warned Mark Millar off of committing his career to Marvel. It stands to reason that he would likely be in the same position that Rob Liefeld is now.
So, considering Marvel fans especially love a good “What If?” question when it comes to comic history, it is worth wondering for a second what it would have been like if Stan Lee had not warned Mark Millar off of committing his career to Marvel. It stands to reason that he would likely be in the same position that Rob Liefeld is now, who recently was put in the position of having to say a painful, but necessary goodbye to the Marvel characters he created, most notably Deadpool, in order to move on to the next phase of his career.
Source: Millar Time #39
“}]] According to author Mark Millar, Stan Lee gave him a surprising bit of early career advice about Marvel Comics that proved to be pivotal. Read More