James Bacon reports on a Very Special Appearance, and offers his views on the documentary, Frank Miller: American Genius, and reports on the recent Dublin Comic Con…
The audience burst out into applause, the warm Irish welcome felt like a spontaneous and genuine expression of appreciation as everyone got to their feet, the whooping and cheering and cacophony of noise burst out of the jam packed room. Frank Miller had arrived and this crowd were going to let him know that they were delighted he was here, here in Dublin.
Frank had gotten off a Boston red eye to be here in Dublin and yet you could see he was energised and delighted with the welcome he was receiving, his first time in Ireland.
Frank was with Silenn Thomas, Film director and producer, who had directed Frank Miller: American Genius, a documentary about Frank, and they were here to do a question and answer session.
We have to go back three hours though…
Tallaght Academy of Sequential Art, known as TASQ-Art (TASQ), run by Eoin McAuley, is now in its third year, helping and training future comic book creatives. Eoin and TASQ bring a fascinating and insightful element to Dublin Comic Con, a shared passion, and focus on the creatives and their process, as well as recognising the importance of nurturing and offering routes for artists into the industry.
TASQ had arranged and worked with Dublin Comic Con to have Frank at the convention. Part of that was a screening of Frank Miller: American Genius and, like many fans, I was interested to see this film. I sat down and kept some notes.
(Warning to readers, my notes were quickly taken, taped out on the phone, and I may get something slightly wrong, but I hope the overall sentiment is clear, and any errors in quotations are my error)
The film began and we see Frank drawing, painting… and it was amazing to see the work taking place and in his studio, and as he works he says “Everything, the paper, paint, the brush, pen, everything matters”. He is asked: “which part do you enjoy the most?” to which he responds “Drawing” and he says that he has “simplified his style over time in order to, to get more information across with less plumery.”
His brother shared memories of childhood and then we hear from school teachers: “he was also interested in politics” as well as “fantasy fiction, escapist super hero fiction” and that leads to how he began in the industry at 19, and, in archive footage, Neal Adams speaks about meeting and advising him.
The documentary goes through early works and comes up to The Dark Knight Returns, and fellow comic creator Dave Gibbons talks about being mobbed at San Diego comic con, and how they would escape together to have a drink, and “it was like rock and roll.” and then Frank explains how it was “Kinda heavy, and I had a hard time handling the success at that age, and I got a bit full of myself.”
He also spoke about censorship, about how it’s like being trapped, and how “it’s worse than anything, censorship always achieves the opposite of what it intends to”. He went on to say that “through the 1950s, when they clamped down on every foreign entertainment we loved, the most subversive stuff in the world surfaced”. This part is interesting to me, as I am looking at Irish censorship of that time, that relates to comics.
Frank then reflected on entering the film business, and how he was working on Robocop II and he said “I convinced myself this thing would be this thing was going to win an Oscar” and how it was brilliant, and he would fix it, fix it in editing and how “I’d been convinced that something was brilliant, that wasn’t that good”.
Dave Gibbons spoke about Martha Washington, and then Frank spoke about Sin City, the black and white crime comic and how Dark Horse “didn’t flinch”, even though there were no superheroes, and which, at the time, was unheard of. We see a variety of authors, Al Williamson, and John Romita Jr., talk about comics they worked on with Frank, and there is discussion about original art.
The film pivots to the 21st century, and after the events of 9/11. One of the narrators explains how he “used nails to scrape the ink into the page because he had such visual visceral response to everything that happened during 9/11 and this was one of his first expressions of his anger and pain” we are told.
“I was still breathing in the stink,” says Frank Miller, visibly emotional, “of concrete, glass and human flesh” and how immense it was going through a “darkness, a sadness and horror”… “it turned into rage later”.
Now, at this stage, probably half way through the film, it had felt insightful. I was interested in hearing about the history of the comics and seeing so many amazing creatives speaking was impressive, but this was a more honest moment, and honesty and openness would become a theme that permeated the weekend.
The time shifts twice now, as two hours later, I learned that Frank was at home in New York during the 9/11 attack and tragedy, something I had suspected, but could not imagine. There were no shortage of connections at the time, including its impact his work on The Dark Knight Strikes Again, and, later, for example, his controversial contribution for the anthology, 9-11: Artists Respond. Art and anger, the expression of an artistic response, dealing with upset or trauma through art, it is a very interesting aspect.
Time Shift: Tallaght Academy of Sequential Art
It is 30 hours later. I have journeyed out to a TASQ event in their superb venue The Edge in Tallaght, a south suburb of Dublin, to another event organised by Eoin and the TASQ team, especially for the students, but some extra tickets were available for fans, and I decided I should get along, and I had some hard questions, so I asked Frank about 9/11.
I asked Frank what his feelings were now, what he felt, and if he still held onto the feelings from then. He paused, slowly took off his glasses, and took a moment, and he spoke of how he had to move on, that he had great sadness, but also anger, so much anger, and he said that gave him a creative energy and it was powerful, but you could see, that this was something he was thinking about actively. His reply felt remorseful, and he said, but you cannot hold onto the anger, you have to let it go, and you need to do what you enjoy.
Like so many moments over the weekend, you could see he was reflective and it felt he was being honest, that he was aware of his past, which was not good, but he had come through something, and so looking forward was positive. This was reflective, thoughtful, but you could see, or I felt I could see that he had gone through a series of terrible things, aspects of which, you could sense he absolutely regretted, but like so many questions, he seemed to find a positivity, an acknowledgement of what had happened. That his initial reaction was not good, but that he was moving forward and one could see he was encouraging others in however way they could, to find that positivity and happiness.
Time Shift: Back to the Film…
Back to the film, which continues apace, and later the music later goes deep, a bass sound, and we learn that that the American conservative commentator Andrew Breitbart was a fan of Frank’s work, and tried, perhaps, to use him. Frank talks about how he met Breitbart, and discusses how people have an agenda, and how individuals had an agenda.
This element of the film was very specific. You can see how he is so unhappy with this time, and how he was near “something that gave us Donald Trump” and this was not something Frank was happy with. Frank wasn’t having any part of that (Breitbart News itself reported in 2017 how Miller described Trump as a “buffoon” during a Comic Con panel), and stayed very much away from them.
Obviously unhappy, Frank spoke of how the “propaganda” that Breitbart practised crossed a line into the territory on “no respect”.
Then Frank was asked a direct question: “Do you regret your comments on the other Occupy Wall Street people?” and he responded he was “certainly inconsiderate of the people who were occupying Wall Street, so sure,” and he reflects, “it was very aggressive”.
The film then switches to footage of what I would consider right wing television championing his controversial project, Holy Terror, the film purposely showing its impact, in that regard, feeding the Islamophobic hatred that some people harbour, recognising an aspect of Frank’s past work that I had not expected to see.
“I get that it was complete freedom and a break,” Frank acknowledges, “and it shows… I was not at my best.”
The discussion moves to actors and film aspects, but then comes back to Frank, and he says how he was processing a large “amount of alcohol without even being aware of what I was doing.”
And he spoke of A Dame to Kill For, featuring a character that’s a recovering alcoholic and how their life had “been destroyed by and was crawling back into something resembling normal life again.” and then we see film footage:“Never let the monster out. Remember when you did? Remember What you Did?”
Jessica Alba talks about how it’s tough to play a character like dancer Nancy Callahan, and spoke about “figuring out how to go to the dark and come back out of it to find your life”, which somehow resonated.
And then the film comes back to Frank as he says: “People do come out of what I have been through and had better careers than they had” and one realises that he is not just talking about angry statements, and then he says “I had a watch on my wrist and the main purpose was to tell me when the bars were open.” He admitted that “for a while, what went away was drawing” coming back to what we opened with, his favourite part of comics is drawing, and this was lost to him, because he “realised I could make a good living writing” and writing was “easier in a drunken state early stages alcoholism than drawing” but how “anything that seems helpful, that is a drug, turns bad.”
He then spoke of the fragmentation, “the fragmentation of the mind” and how the “life of an active alcoholic involves constant risk taking and a constant state of fear” and how he was “out of control… and knowing I was killing myself” and how he obliterated that feeling, by taking “poison” and killing himself with it.
You can see his human frustration, with himself, the recognition of failing, although saying this personal stuff, sharing it, is in itself quite the feet, and he continues about his addiction.
“It’s not rational,” he notes, and this is how the “disease” of alcoholism works, and how he “was committing suicide” and how he was there was a loss of control of faculties.
He then spoke about his “biggest feeling about addiction” which was a “sickening sense of missing time”. I thought this was powerful and he spoke about when he sat down with Will Eisner, over dinner, and Eisner did not want to talk about life, or what he had done wrong, but rather he had to go out, “travel the world, and get his heart broken”.
Then we see him talking about how he loves people who tell “heart-rending” stories, and how some people he admires, have made “terrible and tragic mistakes” and how he has to “learn from them, to to learn the true nature of life and what success is”.
Frank Miller: American Genius is definitely not a piece of propaganda, as it goes to the weaknesses and failings that have occurred to Frank, which I had not anticipated, issues which were discussed included his alcoholism and its effect on him, his anger and the graphic novel Holy Terror, and his take on the Occupy Wall Street Movement. I wasn’t aware that during that darker phase of his life, that Breitbart and Steve Bannon, had become somewhat enthralled and desired to be aligned with Frank.
The film was not afraid of addressing parts of Frank’s life that one would be ashamed of, and I felt that this film was prepared to probe and ask hard questions. It was reflecting on what had happened, and Frank came across as quite remorseful about what had occurred, and repentant.
It is not for me to decide what others will make of the film, or whether they can find any form of reconciliation for the harsh utterances he made and the work that was Holy Terror. I am not and was not impacted in the way others were, who will have felt outrage with validity; that they were impacted, hurt or targeted. My position and privilege protect me, and it is easy for me to consider that to fail is to be human. So it it is to individuals to consider and decide for themselves their view, if they even want to.
Frank was very good at both events, the continuous stream of answers, especially to new and upcoming writers and artists, where he was encouraging and giving advice, quoting Aristotle, about doing one’s best and being happy; and his positive desire, to do his best; and, in a reflection on a question that while he still tries his best, how he would not be able to replicate Dark Knight Returns, if he were to do it now, which was a deep sharing, I thought.
In person, Frank was very thoughtful, reflected on what people were asking, and gave detailed responses, dealing with a range of questions, from his favourite Batman voice and live actor to how he goes about creating characters, which got a very detailed and fascinating response. He was also generous with the fans, happy to engage and pleasant with everyone. He also has a great sense of humour and self depreciation, and is honest about aspects, that I had not anticipated. The room repeatedly burst into laughter.
Time Shift: Dublin, Crochet, and Gaza
Another time shift, to Saturday evening, I am walking along the Quays, from the Convention Centre Dublin, heading west on the north side of the river Liffey, heading for some dinner at one of my favourite Dublin restaurants. There are a few places in Dublin I like to eat, Rotana on Parnell Street, for example, is an amazing Lebanese, and is not far from Musashi, an excellent Japanese. Burdocks is a take away, and I adore their smoked cod. Another Dublin delicacy is a Spice Bag, I get them from the Lemon Tree, as it is a take away near where I live, and of course Mammy’s boiled and baked ham, with cabbage, is another must. But today I am on my way to Zaytoon, on Parliament street, a Persian restaurant, with their bread baked in front of you, and all their food so freshly cooked, a personal destination. It has been an amazing day at the con.
I walk along the quays and at Custom House Quay, there is a protest at the Famine statues.
These emaciated human sculptures represent and remind us of the Great Famine, and were created by sculptor Rowan Gillespie, and he effects a haunted and hallowed look. There is as a protest for Palestine, and what I would describe as a massive woollen scarf is laid out and surrounding the statues.
This is no scarf to give warmth or comfort. It is an international quilt of resistance, which has been crocheted in rural Ireland by a group of women and their international allies for Palestinian children killed in Gaza. This is “Craftivism” and the quilt is “a gesture of remembrance, resistance, and rage at the appalling loss of life in Palestine.”
Anne Doyle, who founded the initiative explained in an online article I find explains: “What was done to our ancestors is being done to Palestinians today: forced displacement, starvation, and overwhelming grief… through this, I have a voice. I feel the pain of any mother suffering. I may not be great at embroidery, but I can crochet. It can’t be mass-produced, as each stitch represents a conscience.”
The quilt is made up of thousands of little square, and as I stand and listen, a lady explains that each square represents ten dead children in Palestine. It is a creative, beautiful and yet horrendous testament to what is happening.
It is an example of the great strength of feeling in Ireland for Palestine. The appalling Hamas atrocity and massacre in October 2023, the murder and hostage taking and the subsequentwar and genocide by Israel in Gaza which has rendered such a horrendous human cost horrifies so many worldwide, be it Israeli’s or Irish who protest against it all.
How many of these children have died by bombing, and how many from starvation.
I had picked up Footnotes in Gaza by Joe Sacco earlier in the day, at the Oxfam charity table at Dublin Comic Con. Charity tables at conventions turn up the most unusual things, and I think they add a lovely aspect, so I rummage under the table, and find this amazing book, and I am asked whether it was a good book, as I commented that I had it, even though I was considering it, you can always gift such a book, I reckon, and I respond, “one of the best” I says, “Sacco is brilliant and one might find a path to understanding what is happening now, and an appreciation of the history for sure.
It is odd that I know of towns such as Khan Yunis and Rafah maybe because of this book, or maybe it is because of Sacco’s work, Palestine, or his most recent work? My memory gets mixed up – time to read them again. I know they sit next to The Great War, which is an amazing pull-out illustration of the Battle of the Somme on the shelf with Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt with Chris Hedges, which is a consideration of that time, next to Paying the Land. I continue, “Of course, his War on Gaza is an amazing book too, and of this moment, although it’s getting worse.”
I find the cover wordage for War on Gaza and read it out:
“A timely satirical broadside on Israel’s genocidal campaign against Gaza by the most acclaimed comics journalist working today. Joe Sacco is well known as an unflinching chronicler of the injustice inflicted on the Palestinian people (Palestine, 1993; Footnotes in Gaza, 2010). He continues this mission with War on Gaza, a series of graphic commentaries on Israel’s rampage that began more than a year ago and continues relentlessly today.”
The book came out last year from Fantagraphics, and while it is not that old, at all, the death and destruction have, sadly and appallingly, continued.
I would normally say we need stories, comic stories to help us learn, that stories help us reflect on right and wrong, and hope that wrongs never happen to us, and we do our best not to perpetrate wrong or help wrongs. One of those positives that can come from a comic but here, the wrong is occurring concurrently, as if there is no learning, but there can be.
There will be well over one hundred protests for peace in Palestine in the next seven days, across the island of Ireland. At another protest outside Dáil Éireann, later in the week, I stand and listen to the lady who reads a piece that’s come from Gaza “the cats are shedding their gentleness, today they fight for whatever scraps they can” she says, as she reads what has been written, and then “Every night I count my children…”
There is a sadness, a desperate sadness and appalling human tragedy to it all and to this story directly from Gaza as I listen intently with the crowd, it is brought to a personal level, one person to another, the story directly to us.
Time Shift: Tallaght Academy of Sequential Art
I am back in the room with Frank and many fans, and I have three questions in mind, I have mentioned to comic reading pals over the years, that I have these questions, for some time, that I wanted to ask them of him, long before I knew he would be in Ireland. The third, which sadly I do not get to ask, would be tricky, although possibly the easiest in this setting, as I want to ask Frank “If he hates the Irish”, given his portrayal of David the bomb maker in Holy Terror and The Mercenaries in Sin City as Irish; and I am not altogether sure that the Irish aspect was a positive element in Daredevil, and if Matt Murdoch is crippled by his Irish Catholicism – but I did not get to ask this question. Probably for the best.
My second question was about 9/11 and as you know, I asked this on Monday.
My first question is hard, hard to ask, and I reckon that it is hard to be asked, and so I ask Frank about the film, and whether the knowledge of the lost time from alcoholism had given him energy and motivation to work, and he pauses, and I worry, and he takes off his glasses, and I am unsure. He could be about to tell me to feck right off…
He thanks me for the question, and he explains in his own words, how there is a realisation, how he was like “Rip Van Winkle” waking up, and how he has to work, to work hard, to do his best, and it is positive and one can see, he knows and understands how dreadful the addiction was, and how he regrets it, is remorseful I think of not just the lost time, but the waste, how he lost his way, and his response was thoughtful and positive as he spoke of realisation and a desire to do more.
The questions flow from fans and all are answered, and even when Frank does not have much to say, he engages nicely, and soon it is over, and fans start to move about, there is to be a signing and some people are leaving the room.
A person I know personally very well happens to be in the room, by chance, apparently they were not sure they would make it, this was a last minute thing, not only getting to the con, but to the talk, and they approached me and we make eye contact.
“I am clean 76 days” they say quietly. I know and understand. “Did you know he would say that? they continue and I indicate the negative in an unsure way, as I was not sure how Frank would respond. It could have gone badly.
I wasn’t to realise that for this person in front of me, the question that I had worried about, felt anxious about asking, would have a different impact, that it was actually personally powerful. It is an unnerving moment, delicate and also touching. They explain that Frank’s answer was “inspiring” to them, seeing someone come through addiction, and recognising their failings and errors, but being able to continue with work, and their art, and come through it and succeed past the darkness of addiction. It was a special moment, and they felt like “they were meant to be in the room to hear that”
That was so unexpected, and I suggested they thank Frank, or mention it, or something, but they could not, but they asked me to do so, it was an awkward moment of feelings, this was not my story. I am visibly unsure, and they give a nod, silently telling me to get to it, as if I had started this with my question, and they slip away.
I prevaricate, and chat to other fans and organisers, and I join the queue, it does not rush, and as I get there I make mention of the unexpected response to Frank’s answer, leaning in and speaking quietly to Frank and Silenn, explaining that someone in the room had been moved by it, and why. There was a thoughtfulness in their reactions: they were both touched, quietly, and moved by this. Actually having a real positive impact on a person seemed genuinely important.
Life is a complex mess of crap, it feels to me, I try to show and demonstrate genuine empathy, understanding and compassion, all of which is at a shortage I feel.,I think some comic stories can help sometimes, as we wish that the things we read remain a fiction, too dark to encounter for real. But the world is challenging, and right now, there is a fragility and precariousness to so much.
So much is important, so many big things, and yet, the small moments, can and do make a difference, for ill and good.
Time Shift: Dublin Comic Con
Dublin Comic Con was a huge success. Thousands of fans were enjoying themselves, so many younger than me, with incredible cosplay, amazing creativeness. I loved the spirit of the event, hanging on outside on Sunday, not wanting it to end.
I got to meet and chat with so many amazing artists, including meeting artists I was delighted to speak to in person, including Ellie Wright and Colm Griffin. I also heard Ryan North speaking, but should have spoken with him, and I had a comic by Patrick Mulholland that I had wanted to chat about, and failed on that task.
I spoke with fans who were intrigued by a presentation I gave at the convention on comics in the National Library of Ireland and there was great discussion afterwards. This even migrated to the coffee area, as I shared some academic literature that I had come across that related to college studies about comics. I gave a caveat that I disagreed with some of it, but that they were welcome to form their own opinion, and indeed, if they felt I was wrong, I would give it a re-read and consider it a new.
It was lovely to see so many people enjoying themselves, and I got to chat to many of the amazing Irish comic book professionals and creatives in the Artists Alley and chatted with them, albeit they were busy all weekend. I was delighted to speak with Leanne Hamilton, Ruiarí Coleman, Katie O’Kane and Reese Hannigan at their tables.
The Limit Break team, publishers of my book, were also very busy. Paul Carroll, Gareth Luby and Rebecca Nalty having released Meouch #3 the third instalment of the amazing anthropomorphic Murder Cat and Seamus Kavanagh, John McGuinness and Alice Coleman released The Dark in the Tower, which is brilliant. There is a constant stream of new work and new comics coming from Ireland.
The whole weekend was just all so phenomenal, such an amazing time, and I am grateful and appreciative for it all, and to Karl and Derek who run Dublin Comic Con and all involved as well as Eoin and the TASQ-Art team.
Yet, an unexpected thoughtfulness permeated my experience, I had an amazing weekend, and still, there is so much to think about, so much else was going on, awareness of a famine in our time, and so much death, appalling, and small things too, that can also make us think,be grateful for, or find humility, all these moments large and small were there too.
“Did you tell him?” I am asked.
”I did” I says, “I think it was an important moment”, I continue.
“Yeah?”
“For Frank, Silenn and for you.”
“Yeah.”
“Worth sharing”
“Yeah.”
“How would you feel if I wrote about it?”…
James Bacon
• Frank Miller: American Genius – Official Website
• James Bacon Comic Book Collection – National Library Catalogue Details
• Tallaght Academy of Sequential Art
• Full details about Irish Conflict in Comics in the 20th Century, Rebellion, Nazi Spies and The Troubles are here on the Limit Breaks website
• Buy Irish Conflict in Comics from AmazonUK (Affiliate Link) | Amazon.com
Head downthetubes for…
COMIC CREATORS
• Joe Sacco interview on Comics Journal May 2025
HEALTH SUPPORT SERVICES
• NHS: Substance misuse and gambling support
• Citizens Information: Help for drug and alcohol addiction
• Alcoholics Anonymous Ireland
CRAFTIVISM FOR GAZA
• International quilt of resistance knitted in Ireland for Palestinian children killed in Gaza
- About the Author
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James Bacon (he/him) is an Irish fan, a train driver living in London. A Hugo Award-winning editor of the fanzine “Journey Planet”, he is a comic fan and enjoys comic art, war Comics, Star Wars, Irish aspects to comics and railways in comics or otherwise. He has been writing about comics for over thirty years.
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