Grant Morrison honored by Queen Elizabeth II

Grant Morrison honored by Queen Elizabeth II

Grant Morrison has been recognized as a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for services to film and literature on the just-released Queen's Honours Birthday list.

An order of chivalry established in 1917 by George V, the Order of the British Empire consists of five ranks, with Member being the lowest. Only the highest ranks automatically confer a knighthood, so the writer won't be referred to as 'Sir Grant.' (However, he does get to include 'MBE' after his name.)

Thor director Kenneth Branagh is another story: He's been knighted for services to drama and to the community in Northern Ireland. 'I feel very humble,' he said. 'I feel elated.' If you're confused by all of this (I know I am), BBC News has a handy guide to the U.K.'s honors system.

Born in Glasgow in 1960, the 52-year-old Morrison now divides his time between Los Angeles and Scotland.

16 Comments

It's really great to see a comic creator get such a high, public award for his/her work.

Does anyone know of any other creators to get something similar?

Well, this cements Grant's reputation as a frickin' square.

Congratulations Grant!

Strange, unexpected and.. interesting

Now I'm just picturing the queen on her throne chilling out and reading The Invixibles

Thats a bummer he isn't a Sir, that would have taken the ego to the max, in good ways.

GM:

I want to tell her that I love her a lot
But I gotta get a bellyful of wine
Her Majesty's a pretty nice girl
Someday I'm going to make her mine, oh yeah,
someday I'm going to make her mine'

I thought knowing Grant (and being a proud Scotsman) he would have turned it down.

@Liam Well, you can be a proud Scotsman AND a proud Brit. Or is Grant a Nat, then?

Anyway, congratulations to him.

I thought that Morrison was not only a Scot, but an anarchist as well. One of the best issues of The Invisibles was a fairly clear attack on the monarchy and the aristocracy in general. So how come he´s prepared to accept a gong from the Queen and the Tory government that decides who she gives them to? Send it back, Grant!

Well deserved, although they should have granted him a full knighthood instead. Congratulations.

'Thenk ye huir uv a much, Yer Majesty, but Ah am awreddy an Emperur ay th' Multiverse.'

And for those who find it strange. Look, he's listed outright as one of the 100 most spiritually influential people on the planet, co-created the Depak Chopra Center For Wellness, has heavily inspired an enormous amount of influential creators, including The Matrix trilogy, is the most creative comics creator in existence, etcetera. There is nothing strange at all.

I cannot think of any other British comic book writer or artist who has an honour.

I reckon Alan Moore has been offered an honour before Grant, but has turned it down on principle. You never know who has turned down an award until after they have died or unless the information has been leaked. David Bowie has turned down a knighthood twice. Maybe Leo Baxendale, the creator of The Bash Street Kids and Minnie the Minx, has turned one down. He deserves one.

Anyway, what you really want is an CH (Companion of Honour) or an OM (Order of Merit) as they are limited to a maximum of 65 and 24 respectively. Whereas knighthoods have no maximum numbers. The CH and OM are truly exclusive as you'll be rubbing shoulders with Stephen Hawking, Tim Berners-Lee, David Hockney and nobel laureates.

I think JG Ballard also rejected an OBE; he is said to have stated that since there's no British Empire anymore, what's the use?

People take all this stuff so literally. Its not about empire. Do you think Kenneth is expected to don medieval armour during wartime as a knight? Of course not.

The honours are chosen by the government, or officially 'suggested' to her majesty as being deserving. She signs off on them twice a year, New Year and her birthday. So, most likely, Grant was nominated by a member of parliament, assessed as deserving and then put forward.

The highest honour outside the aristocracy is a lifetime Lordship. Lawrence Olivier was a Lord for example. That gives a person the right to sit in the House of Lords.

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