A FOUNDER of Western Australia’s biggest advertising agency and one of the industry’s best known characters, Colin Mullins, passed away this week. Mr Mullins had been suffering from cancer. Considered the driving force behind the creation of Marketforce in the early 1970s, Mr Mullins played a major role at the agency until he handed over the reins in 1991 to the next generation, led by Howard Read. Mr Mullins took over production company Editel, which was split-off from Marketforce at the time. He continued to work at Editel, in partnership with Ray Black, until illness prevented him from doing so. Marketforce chairman John Driscoll said Mr Mullins was a visionary character who had provided the momentum for the agency following its creation in 1974, the result of a merger of two smaller firms.