Actor Mike McMillian may have a few successful TV shows under his belt, but he’s a little intimidated by the challenge of selling a comic book.

As the Rev. Steve Newlin on the HBO television series True Blood, McMillian plays a character who is totally dedicated to saving humanity from vampires. But the actor behind the role is more interested in making comic books. A reader since childhood who actually considered a comics career while pursuing acting, McMillian is getting the chance to write his first comic thanks to a friendship with Star Trek and Heroes star Zachary Quinto.

As announced at Comic-Con International: San Diego, Quinto and his company, Before the Door Pictures, is developing comic books in a partnership with publisher Archaia Comics. And among their first releases is Lucid, a four-issue mini-series written by McMillian that is set to debut in comic shops in summer 2010.

Newsarama talked to McMillian to find out more about why he’s so interested in comics and how he thinks Lucid will fit into the comic book landscape.

Newsarama: Mike, a lot of people will know you as Steve on True Blood, but you’ve got to have a lot of people recognizing you as Henry from What I Like About You. It seems like that show’s always on in reruns.

Mike McMillian: It’s so funny because in San Diego, I think there were just as many people who came up to me that were Henry fans as there were True Blood fans.

Nrama: Well, as a fan of both series, it’s good to talk to you.

McMillian: It’s good to talk to you too. You should know that I’m an avid reader of Newsarama.

Nrama: You are?

McMillian: It’s bookmarked on my browser.

Nrama: Mutual admirers. So I take it you’re a comics’ reader?

McMillian: Oh, yeah. Big time. I’ve been an avid reader since the third grade.

Nrama: Are you a Marvel person, a DC person or an Indie reader? Or all of the above?

McMillian: I have my moments where – I mean, I’ve always been a Marvel zombie, but I’m really into Green Lantern and the Blackest Night stuff going on in DC right now, and I love the new Batman and Robin. I’ve always got my core DC books, but probably, if I had to pick one at the end of the day, I’m more of a faithful Marvel reader. But I also like a lot of independent stuff too. I’m a big Jeffrey Brown fan, and Adrian Tomine, and Chris Ware. I like a lot of the stuff Top Shelf puts out. Now I’m reading Archaia’s books, which is really cool.

Read more of this fun interview here.

I had no idea Mike was a fan of comics. That makes him cool in my book! 🙂

Do you read comic books? If so, which ones do you like?

What do you think of the storyline for Lucid? Will you read it?