A huge congratulations goes out to writer Grant Morrison, who you know from his recent work on Batman, Inc., as well as his seminal works like The Invisibles, New X-Men We3, All-Star Superman and many many more titles, as the celebrations for the Queen’s birthday in the United Kingdom include the Queen’s honorees of Members of the British Empire, which is the first step in the progression of royal honors, with the highest being Knighthood. The Queen bestowed the honor of Member of the British Empire (MBE) to Grant Morrison for his work as:
Comic Book Writer and Playwright. For services to Film and Literature.
Other honorees in this year’s round included Thor director and actor Kenneth Branagah, who was knighted, and actress Kate Winslet who became a Commander of the British Empire (CBE). The full list of the Queen’s honorees can be found here. Morrison was the only subject honored whose work included comic books.
It’s safe to say that we’ll be raising a glass to Grant Morrison to celebrate the honour this September at MorrisonCon – hope you’ll join us in congratulating Grant here as well as at the con!
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It’s confirmed. Even the Queen loves her Batman.
I really hope he refuses the bloody thing!
I dunno, an anarchist refusing an award from an aging empire that enslaved his homeland?
He has already accepted it otherwise they wouldn’t have announced it.
I think its awesome that he’s being recognized on that level, a Member of the British Empire, love it and the fact that he’s the only inductee who’s work is in comix so that’s cool for the comix medium as a whole. I love Grant Morrison and am happy for him. Knighthood, Honorary Guard, Commanders of the British Empire, I think its something to be proud of, a system or more so a tradition thats been kept in place this long is something to respect. I love America and the flag means to me what it should but our government hasn’t stuck to any one way or code of honor the way they have that.
He’s being honored by people alive today not by anyone who enslaved his homeland, to refuse it would be immature and he’s smarter than that, you can accept gratitude and honors without throwing your entire anti quasi everything into the mix and still be anti quasi everything if you know what I mean. It’d be like any American denying a Japanese artist an award because of Pearl Harbor or the other way around.
@nathematics it was called the act of union. The King of Scotland became the King of Britain. Pretty hard to call that enslavement. @JSAkid Anything that alludes to the British Empire in this day and age is anathema to reality. National honours yes, pretending the BE in MBE means anything no.
Well done to Grant though and well done to the British Establishment for honouring a comics creator.
Awesome! Great news for both Morrison and the industry. Can’t think of anyone more deserving.
Congratulations, Great One!
Besides Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman? Or have they already been recognized?
I had assumed that Moore (at the very least) already had one, if not Gaiman. But I just went a-googling and apparently neither of them do. Personally, I rate Morrison higher than Gaiman, but it is sort of a shame that Moore hasn’t been honored (though I’m sure he couldn’t care less). Maybe they’ve both been offered and refused it.
Good point, Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman should be there too but maybe they still will. Gaiman’s Sandman run combined with his novels in adult and children’s books alone could get him recognized. And Moore, the obvious Watchmen, V for Vendetta, Swamp Thing, Promethea…etc….I for one am not for comparing great things or great talent as I see it a pointless account of non-recogintion instead of embracing they’re different styles.
Just a Little correction it’s not “Member of the British Empire”. It’s actually “Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire”.
I will tell you from experience that Knighthood isn’t the highest available honor in that line.
How about Dark Knight-hood?
@MaxPower: I automatically tried to “like” your comment.
I imagine him ransacking some secret archives in the basement of the palace during the ceremony while the guards are preoccupied.
Bad ass!
I know he’s a fan of John Lennon, maybe he’ll send it back as protest as well!
LOL – I was thinking the exact same thing.
My mum was honoured in this list too. He’s in good company
Hey, awesome!
Seriously dude? That’s fantastic!
(What was she honored for?)
She received a public service medal. A psm.
Uh, I didn’t think the British Empire was still a thing…
Has anyone told the Queen exactly what he writes?
Cause if she heard about The Filth….She might take it away from him.
damn, even the queen loves morrison. wonder if she has a copy of Action under her pillow?
what with morrison being so polarizing, i would love to see a debate in british parliament with half of the houses bashing him for being self indulgent and writing drug induced nonsense, while the other half praises him as being a genius. i’ve seen those guys on cnn and they are brutal.
*c-span.
not cnn
I hate to be pedantic but as I’m British I will be. She’s not the Queen of England. There has not been a Queen of England for hundreds of years (Queen Anne if your interested). It’s like calling Obama the President of Illinois. It sounds incredibly silly.
She’s the Queen of the UK or the British Queen or just The Queen.
Damn. You’re not your…
It may be technically incorrect but she’s referred to as the Queen of England here in America.
A little education doesn’t hurt!
I believe the correct American title is “The Queen of Jolly Old England, Pip-Pip.”
Aren’t you a walking cliché!
The Queen is Head of State in the United Kingdom. As a constitutional monarch, Her Majesty does not ‘rule’ the country, but fulfils important ceremonial and formal roles with respect to Government. She is also Fount of Justice, Head of the Armed Forces and has important relationships with the established Churches of England and Scotland.
From http://www.royal.gov.uk
“Yeah bad food, worse weather, Mary fucking poppins’ England”
“Yeah bad food, worse weather, Mary fucking poppins’ England”
That a pathetic attempt at trolling ?
Never heard that before, your pretty smart aren’t you.
Wow I love the stereotypes they’re certainly original, shame I can’t be bothered to retaliate!
take it easy, fellas. it’s not trolling. nor is it original. he’s quoting a movie in fun. “Snatch”. great movie and characters.
I’m referring to him as “Grant Morrison, MBE” from now on. How long will I keep this up, iFanbase? There’s only one way to find out: Time!
Surely this is some meta-fictional incursion on our reality? If not, hasn’t one of the Queen’s minions checked out The Invisibles?
I’m staggered he accepted it. There goes his credibility. To be honest I thought it was only given to people once they reached 95.
My mums cousin was awarded an OBE (order of the british empire) for his services to football even getting to shake hands with prince Charles.
Actually Grant Morrison wasn’t the only comics person to be honoured. Jason Kingsley, publisher of 2000AD, was made an OBE.
I dont see why anyone would think morrison wouldnt accept the award. he is certainly not some anti authoritarian punk, he writes almost exclusively for a huge media corporation, morrisoncon is being held at a hard rock hotel in vegas, he has reportedly consulted with big corporations in using sigil magick in their branding, he has embraced hollywood and celebrity. he knows that the best way to reach people is to use the roads that get to the most people (remember the line from the invisibles that he repurposed from the sex pistols “i use the en-e-my”).
Even if he may not care for the queen, her policies or even the monarchy in general (i really dont know his stand, and the queens portrayal in some of his work may not indicate either, monarchs and heads of state are great fodder for mocking in any entertainment form) this is still an honor, a recognition of his contributions. No one gives 2 fucks about the academy of motion picture arts and sciences, they reflect neither the popular opinion nor the critical one, but rather a small group of aging insiders, has beens and never weres, and yet everyone wants to win an oscar. because its a great honor.
and if you think the queen wouldnt dig his work, you havent seen this:
http://zipmeme.com/meme/112850/
shes not the goddamn batman, shes the motherfuckin queen!
It will be interesting to see how he worms his way out of not refusing it.
Because anyone who really understands the Invisibles would know that the guy who wrote that really shouldn’t want to have his head patted by the establishment.
But, personally, even though he’s one of my favorite writers, I think Morrison “sold out” on certain principles a long time ago. He’s basically okay with whatever the zeitgeist is and has an assortment of wacky ways of justifying his support of any and every regime.
This is a guy who thinks that the most important thing about JFK is that he slept with Marilyn Monroe, after all. And a guy who seriously values the fictional creation “Superman” over any (all?) human beings.
It’s just kind of sad to see him bend the knee like this. He’s still a neat guy, a great writer, but… wow, politically and ideologically he’s become sort of a parody of himself. In my opinion, at least.
Couldn’t agree with you more, especially when you read some of his earlier Brit stuff like ‘St. Within’s Day, Zenith & Dare’ not exactly MBE material for him to want too accept, guess he’s changed a lot!
This seems weird to me…is Morrison really that mainstream? Especially in England? While popular within the small realm of American comics I doubt most of the general public is aware of who he is.
Morrison hasn’t transcended from comics into mainstream literature like Gaiman, and has had less of an impact with the genre of comics than Alan Moore. I doubt he’s sold more comics than either. Both Gaiman and Moore have had there works adapted into major motion pictures.