& chillout
Comic book tycoon’s cool beer ritual helps him write
Jennifer Hyland
Comic book tycoon Mark Millar has revealed he keeps a beer in the fridge every day to help prevent writer’s block.
He said that before he begins work he makes sure he has a drink chilling at home to look forward to when he finishes at 4pm.
Millar, 51, who sold his comic book empire Millarworld to Netf lix for almost £ 25mi l l ion in 2017, said the ritual is part of a new routine. It includes getting out of bed early before a workout and a 90-second cold shower. It concludes with a beer as his “reward” at the end of the day.
Millar, who i s president of Net f l i x ’ s M i l la rwor ld division, admits h e b e c a me obsessed with routines after learning author
Stephen Step King only worked for four hours a day.
He said: “I think all writers are like tthis – you try to come up with something, som some cool way to work that will make you more efficient. “YYou hear what other people do. I remember being blown away awa when I heard Stephen Ste King only works wor four hours a day. “He works every day of ththe year, 365 days a year,y but only for four fou hours. I found that tha fascinating. “So, I ’ ve tr ied things.thi Right now I’m doing a crazy one that I invented myself and a lot of my pals are actually copying this.
“It’s actually really fun. I get up early at 7am, I go to the gym and do 20 minutes of weightlifting. I really go for it for 20 minutes.
“Then I give mysel f a 90-second cold shower. Just to get myself crazy, you know. “I start writing at 8am but
I sit a beer in the fridge for 4pm and that’s my reward.
“So, no matter how tired I am during the day or how much a plot is not coming together, there is a wee reward at four o’clock and it’s a beer.
“As long as you’re not 10 and following this advice, it’s working out alright and useful.”
Millar, originally from Coatbridge, Lanarkshire, has seen his superhero comics Kick-Ass, Wanted and Kingsman turned into Hollywood movies.
He was spea k ing during a question- andanswer session with students from Glasgow Caledonian University.
As part of the Netflix deal, he became an executive at the home entertainment giants and now creates exclusive comics, movies and television shows for the company.
He has also previously written Superman, Captain America and Wolverine comic book stories.