Frank Miller at 69: New Sin City, a Documentary, and No Plans to Slow Down
Frank Miller is 69, building a new Sin City book, and has no intention of stopping. That is the word from the comic-book creator himself, speaking to The Hollywood Reporter in an interview tied to the wide digital release of the documentary Frank Miller: American Genius.
The documentary, directed by Miller's creative partner Silenn Thomas, arrived on Apple TV on 11 August, available to purchase or rent (Tripwire Magazine; Instagram/Picturehouse). It runs 141 minutes and features interviews with collaborators and fellow creators including Jim Shooter — the wunderkind who became Marvel's polarising editor-in-chief — and the late Stan Lee (IGN). The film was made for Miller's fans following a near-death experience, according to Picturehouse. It had a one-night-only theatrical showing and a trailer drop in May 2024 (The Hollywood Reporter, 2024), and later appeared on the Academy's list of qualifying documentary features for Oscar consideration (The Hollywood Reporter, Nov 2024).
Miller has been busy beyond the documentary. He published Push the Wall: My Life, Writing, Drawing, and the Art of Storytelling, a memoir and creative manifesto that earned a starred review from Publishers Weekly and debuted in the top 15 on the New York Times best-seller list. A multi-city book tour paired him in conversation with Zack Snyder, Robert Rodriguez, Scott Snyder, and Joe Hill. He also attended San Diego Comic-Con and the Los Angeles premiere of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, a film whose antagonists draw on The Hand — the ninja clan Miller created for the Daredevil comics. All per The Hollywood Reporter.
He is returning to Dark Horse Comics — the independent publisher that has been his home on and off for decades — for his latest book, Invasive Species. And he is pushing ahead on a new Sin City book, the franchise that became a Robert Rodriguez film series.
Miller spoke about the people who shaped him. He described Neal Adams as a mentor who gave Miller his first job in comics and taught him harshly. Adams had one request in return: do the same for the next person. Miller also weighed in on Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, calling it "extravagant" and saying it "really did an awful lot right."
For fans, the picture is straightforward. The man who redefined Daredevil, invented the look of modern Batman, and built Sin City and 300 is still drawing, still writing, and still publishing. The documentary gives a long look at how he got here. The new books say he is not done.
