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Millie the Model

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Millie the Model
Millie the Model #40 (Spring 1953): Art by Dan DeCarlo
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceMillie the Model #1 (Winter 1945)
In-story information
Alter egoMillie Collins

Millie the Model was Marvel Comics' longest-running humor title, first published by the company's 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and continuing through its 1950s forerunner, Atlas Comics, to 1970s Marvel.

Publication history

The series ran 207 issues from Winter 1945 to Dec. 1973, a 28-year span that included one of the first Marvel Comics annuals (in 1962), and spin-offs including A Date with Millie, Life with Millie, Mad About Millie and Modelling with Millie. Initially a humorous career-gal book about New York City model Millie Collins, it very quickly evolved into a broader, more slapsticky comedy — though for a time becoming a romantic adventure series with all the same characters (#113-153, March 1963 - Aug. 1967) before returning to humor.

Millie's boyfriend at the Hanover Agency was photographer Clicker (originally Flicker), her best friend was Toni Turner, and redheaded model Chili Storm her friendly nemesis. (Millie: "Sorry I'm late! I just got back from the beauty parlor!" Chili: "Too bad they didn't have time to take you!")

The premiere issue was penciled and inked by Ruth Atkinson, one of the pioneering women cartoonists in comic books; some sources credit her with creating the character, while others say it was a co-creation with writer and Timely editor-in-chief Stan Lee. Following this first issue, subsequent early stories were drawn mostly by Timely staffer Mike Sekowsky.

The character's essential look, however, was the work of future Archie Comics great Dan DeCarlo, who would later create Josie and the Pussycats and other Archie icons. DeCarlo's remarkable 10-year run from #18-93 (June 1949 - Nov. 1959), was succeeded by the team of writer Stan Lee, Marvel's editor-in-chief, and artist Stan Goldberg, a.k.a. "Stan G.", the main Atlas/Marvel colorist at the time. Goldberg mimicked the house style DeCarlo set, and later went on to work with him at Archie, as did occasional Millie artist Henry Scarpelli. Al Hartley and Ogden Whitney provided an occasional cover.

Thoroughly modern Millie: Issue #151 (July 1967), cover art by Ogden Whitney.

Highlights of the run include a four-page "Powerhouse Pepper" backup by Basil Wolverton in #9, and work by humorist Harvey Kurtzman in #8, 10, 11, 13, 14, & 16. Lee and Goldberg had Jack Kirby guest-star in a story in #107 (March 1962), though the image itself did not particularly look like the comics legend.

Millie became part of the Marvel Universe with Fantastic Four Annual #3 (1965), which chronicled the wedding of Reed Richards and Susan Storm: Fellow humor-comic stars Patsy Walker and Hedy Wolfe, among the sidewalk crowd outside, talk about wanting to catch a glimpse of celebrity Millie, whom they've heard is on the guest list. (She evidently was: Alex Ross depicted her at the ceremony when he revisted the wedding in the miniseries Marvels.) Millie reappeared in the 1980s as an older character running her own modeling agency and minding her niece, the titular star of Misty (Dec. 1985 - May 1986) by Trina Robbins, from Marvel's children's-oriented Star Comics imprint. Millie has also appeared in the superhero comics Defenders #65, Dazzler #34, and The Sensational She-Hulk #59-60.

The series won an Alley Award for "Best Romance Comic" at the 1968 New York Comic Art Convention.

In other media

A 1986 Off-Broadway musical, Dial "M" For Model by John Epperson, inspired by Millie, was staged at LaMaMa E.T.C. Not a direct adaptation, it featured, for instance, the female impersonator Lypsinka as Mannequin St. Claire, a character based on Chili.

Remakes

In 2003, Marvel's then-president, Bill Jemas, told the press there were plans to reimagine Millie as a 15-year-old tennis player for a comic-book series called 15 Love, to be targeted at teenaged girls. The possibility of a Millie movie was also mentioned at that time.

Spin-offs and annuals

  • Millie the Model Annual #1-10 (1962-1971), continues as
  • Queen-Size Millie the Model #11-12 (1974-1975)
  • A Date with Millie #1-7 (Oct. 1956 - Aug. 1957)
  • A Date with Millie Vol. 2, #1-7 (Oct. 1959 - Oct. 1960), continues as
  • Life With Millie #8-20 (Dec. 1960 - Dec. 1962), continues as
  • Modelling with Millie #21-54 (Feb. 1963 - June 1967)
  • Mad about Millie #1-17 (April 1969 - Dec. 1970)
Mad about Millie Annual #1 (1971)
  • Chili, Millie's Rival #1-26 (May 1969 - Dec. 1973)
Chili, Millie's Rival Special #1 (1971)

References

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