Morrison one of three authors to gain Queen’s Birthday honour

By John Freeman on 17 June 2012

Congratulations to Grant Morrison, who has been awarded an MBE, recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List (pdf) “for services to film and literature”.

The annual list was published this weekend and saw just three authors – crime writer Susan Hill, poet Jean Binta Breeze and Grant, who is perhaps best known today for his work for the US market such as The Invisibles, New X-Men, Doom Patrol. His recent work includes DC Comics Action Comics and the newly-relaunched Batman Incorporated.

Needless to say, some in the comics community have expressed surprise at the news, given the nature of much of his work.

“Little surprising perhaps that a man so rooted in anti-establishment ideas, and writer of some controversial comics would be honoured this way, and would accept the honour,” says Joe Gordon over at the Forbidden Planet International blog of the 52-year-old Scottish writer. “But what the hell. Congratulations Grant.”

Indeed. One of three authors to get an honour? That’s impressive in itself, surely.

An MBE is the lowest rank in the Order of the British Empire, established in 1917, the youngest of the British Empire’s chivalry orders. It’s handed out to people who in one field or another have provided a service to the UK.

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John Freeman

John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.

He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.