Featuring: Millie the Model
Release: October 5, 1965
Cover: December 1965
12 cents
18 pages
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Someday I’m gonna marry this adorable gal… but I’ve got to wait until she gets this career idea out of her system!
No credits are given. This was a production error as the title usually includes credits. Pencils are by Stan Goldberg with inks by Frank Giacoia and Joe Giella. The script is by a young man named Roy Thomas.
It seems like Millie’s dreams have come true when she, Tony, and Chili are sent to Paris by Mr. Hanover to model for Jacques D’eau, the most famous fashion designer in the world.
Millie is still hoping Clicker will propose, but he can’t while she insists on having a career.
Gigi Duval is one of Jacques’ top models. She seems put off by the new arrivals.
The designs are top secret, but Millie accidentally got a look, which makes her a prime suspect when the designs are stolen. Chili’s commentary is not helpful.
Chili always seems a tad on the self-obsessed side. But when Millie’s not around, we see how she stands up for her friend.
Notice the various outfits the ladies wear were all designed by fans. Even hairstyle designs were sent in. More than 40 fans submitted designs for this issue alone, and Millie supports two monthly comics. So it’s an incredibly popular thing to do.
My interest in fashion is unfortunately nonexistent, so I have little of worth to add, but it’s clear the fashions themselves are a highlight of these stories for many readers.
There are even pages dedicated only to the fashions inserted throughout.
Oh no. Not only has everybody else turned against her, but now Clicker is on a date with Gaby Duval!
Anyways, it all works out in the end. Clicker wasn’t dating Gaby, but trying to convince her to confess to her crime and exonerate Millie. She had stolen the designs out of jealousy over the new American models. She loved Jacques and was jealous of Millie. Jacques forgives Gaby and realizes he should have proposed marriage long before.
Who is Millie?
Millie the Model is a fashion model introduced in 1945 by Ruth Atkinson. Her series ran for 207 issues, ending in 1973. An impressive 28 year run, far outlasting all the superheroes Marvel was publishing at the time.
The series was in the vein of other Marvel titles of the time, including Tessie the Typist and Nellie the Nurse.
She worked for Mr. Hanover and had a romantic interest in Clicker, originally named Flicker. Hanover’s first name was Larry, then later Howard.
Still popular in 1956, she got her first spinoff title, A Date with Millie. The original was short-lived, but a second series with the same name debuted a couple years later, which ran from 1958-1967, changing its name twice, first to Life with Millie, and then Modeling with Millie, the comic we just read.
She’ll get a final spin-off series in 1969, Mad About Millie.
That same year, her friendly rival Chili will get her own series, running 1969-1973.
And why did we read this?
The better question might be why we don’t read all the other Millie comics. We know she was a guest at Reed and Sue’s wedding, so she’s already part of the Marvel Universe. And will meet other superheroes in the years to come.
The problem is that there are just too many of her comics. I wanted to begin my Marvel Universe reading with Fantastic Four #1, so have only included titles which debuted after that date, leaving out these girl comics and the western comics which were already long-running. We even left out Dr. Droom’s adventures on the technicality that he debuted before the Fantastic Four. And the debut of Dr. Droom hardly seemed like the true start to the Marvel Universe.
So why read this one? The scripter caught my attention. This is the first Marvel work from Roy Thomas, then 24 years old.
We already know the name Roy Thomas if we’ve been reading the letters pages. He’s written plenty of letters to Marvel over the last few years, talking about his love for these characters and stories.
He thus is the first of a new generation of creator. Stan has so far mostly been drawing from established talent, seeking out the creators of the 1950s and 1940s and even 1930s to work on these stories. All old people, veteran artists and writers. Roy is young. And was a fan before he was a creator.
He will usher in a whole generation of fans-turned-creators which will define the next era of Marvel.
Here’s me and Roy in 2018, at a comic convention in Honolulu.
This comic seems to be something of a try-out. If he does well on this book, Stan might give him a crack at some of the superhero titles to give himself a rest.
What did we think? Should we let this guy write X-Men?
Rating: ★★★☆☆, 50/100
Characters:
- Millie Collins
- Chili Storm
- Toni Turner
- Clicker Holbrook
- Mr. Hanover
- Jacques D’eau
- Gigi Duval
Story notes:
- Girls unable to see new designs until night of the show because of rival fashion designers
- Clicker follows to Paris as photographer.
- D’eau puts on shorter show with reserve designs.
- Gaby reveals she stole the designs, out of jealousy over the American models, because she’s in love with Jacques.
- Jacques and Gaby will marry.
- 5 pages of fashion pin-ups: Millie’s sweaters and slacks; Millie’s newest styles; Chili’s evening wear; Toni’s fashions; hairstyles.
| Previous | Next | |
|---|---|---|
| Sgt. Fury #24 | Reading order | Avengers #23 |
I bet the name FLICKER caused some confusion when the lettering wasn’t printed clearly enough, hence the change to CLICKER.
Ah, keming issues.