with continuing characters in comic strip format, scholars have stated that Mills made a substantial contribution to gay cartooning. In particular, the "Chelsea Boys" strip by Glen Hanson and Allan Neuwirth is influenced by Mills. AIDS themes As the AIDS crisis emerged, Mills' work struggled with conflicting themes of humorously depicting casual sex with the promotion of safer sex to reduce the spread of the disease. In his work Mills focused heavily on the AIDS crisis, as mass-produced comic books such as Meatmen allowed for a larger audience and greater exposure to the epidemic's social issues. Critics have argued that by doing this, Mills was able to make comics a more educational based literary art, rather than a plain read. Personal life and death Mills was openly gay and in his later years had a partner, Sal Lucarello. During the 1990s Mills's health was steadily deteriorating due to severe complications associated with HIV, causing him to work less and less. He remained active with social issues and was able to attend the 'ACT UP' demonstrations in Los Angeles, California. He also designed posters for Queer Nation, an activist organization aimed at protecting those who felt threatened by anti-gay violence. Mills died of AIDS complications on January 28, 1993. Comics Poppers (1986) Gay Comix No.9 Meatmen References American comics writers American comic strip cartoonists American gay writers Gay artists LGBT comics creators 1993 deaths 1951 births 20th-century LGBT people