Frank Miller

Frank Miller, born January 27, 1957, is an American comic book creator, screenwriter, and director whose work helped define a darker, sharper style in late twentieth-century comics. He was born in Olney, Maryland, and raised in Montpelier, Vermont, the fifth of seven children in an Irish Catholic family. His mother was a nurse, and his father was a carpenter and electrician. By his teenage years, he was already a comics fan: a letter he wrote to Marvel Comics was published in The Cat #3 in April 1973.

Miller’s early career began after he moved to New York City with samples in hand. Comics artist Neal Adams reviewed his work, gave him heavy critique, and offered occasional informal lessons. Miller’s first published work came through Western Publishing’s Gold Key Comics imprint, followed by early jobs at DC Comics and Marvel. At Marvel, he became a regular fill-in and cover artist, working across titles before drawing Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #27 and #28 in 1979, issues that guest-starred Daredevil.

Daredevil became the title that made Miller one of Marvel’s rising stars. He began on Daredevil #158 in May 1979, first as penciller, and took over as both writer and penciller with issue #168 in January 1981. Sales rose quickly enough that Marvel returned the series from bimonthly to monthly publication. For Daredevil, Miller created the femme fatale Elektra and the ninja villains the Hand, added martial arts elements to the hero’s world, and introduced figures such as Stick and the Chaste. His run grew darker, including the death of Elektra at the hands of Bullseye in issue #181. He wrote Daredevil from 1979 to 1983, returned in 1986 with the Daredevil: Born Again arc, and left a firm mark on the character.

After Daredevil, Miller wrote some of the best-known Batman stories of the era: The Dark Knight Returns in 1986 and Batman: Year One in 1987. He also built creator-owned works outside the major superhero franchises, including Ronin in 1983 and 1984, Sin City in 1991 and 1992, and 300 in 1998. His art and storytelling are noted for combining film noir and manga influences. Speaking about Sin City, he said he found American and English comics “too wordy” and Japanese comics “too empty,” so he tried to make a hybrid.

Miller also worked in film. He wrote scripts for the 1990s science fiction films RoboCop 2 and RoboCop 3, shared directing duties with Robert Rodriguez on Sin City and Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, produced the film 300, and directed the film adaptation of The Spirit. Sin City received a Palme d’Or nomination. Miller has received every major comic book industry award, and in 2015 he was inducted into the Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame. His words and images still carry weight because they come from a clear artistic push: to mix crime, motion, silence, and force into comics that move with the snap of film and the speed of the drawn page.