By Ananya Nrushima
I went to see Kingsman: the Secret Service two days after it came out. It’s probably one of the most enjoyable movies I’ve ever seen, with excellent action scenes and a fantastic script. It was only after looking it up on Wikipedia that I realized it was based on a comic book written by Mark Millar.
Mark Millar is one of the most prolific comic book writers alive today. Many of his works, like Wanted, Kick-Ass, and now Kingsman, have been made into major motion pictures that have grossed hundreds of millions of dollars. He has written some of the most iconic graphic novels of all time, including Superman: Red Son and Civil War.
In an interview last year, Millar said that he “…didn’t think [rape] really matters…it’s just a horrible act to show that somebody’s a bad guy.” This comment drew ire from members of the comic book community because Millar’s comment implied a lack of understanding of the staggering repercussions of rape, including trauma. I was personally shocked and outraged when I saw this statement for the first time, and I vowed to never support this man. I promised myself that I would never consume media produced by him or anyone else who held such misogynistic ideals. By watching Kingsman, I had violated that promise.
I had never really realized how difficult it would be to avoid media made by misogynistic individuals. As a comic book fan, I’ve realized that it would be especially difficult for me to stay away from such media because of the misogynistic opinions that have been expressed by several prominent comic book creators.
This experience has also made me wonder if such a boycott is futile. Mark Millar has become rich off of movie royalties and bestselling graphic novels. He was even given a knighthood. Would the actions of one person make that much of a difference given the windfall Millar has already acquired?
