A new documentary about the history of “the galaxy’s greatest comic” Future Shock: 2000AD is out on DVD next week. It's a talking heads film featuring the likes of Neil Gaiman, Pat Mills and artist Carlos Ezquerra.
Also on screen is Scottish comics writer Emma Beeby. When the film was shown at the Edinburgh International Film Festival earlier in the year we got the chance to speak to her.
Beeby is the first woman to write a Judge Dredd strip. (The first woman to write a Judge Anderson strip too). She has also written for Doctor Who and co-wrote the graphic novel Robbie Burns Witch Hunter with Gordon Rennie. She’s even had a go at reinventing Tarzan’s Jane in comic strip form.
Here she talks about her experience of reading and writing 2000AD.
What comics did you read growing up?
My parents never bought me comics. I didn’t read any comics well into my late teens really. I didn’t really get into 2000AD properly until I’d read a lot of other comics, Sandman and things like that.
Did you find the world of comics accessible?
I do remember going into a couple of comic shops back when they organised them by publisher and having no clue what was going on and leaving. I had to be brought to 2000 AD but I was very lucky having friends who persisted.
What is your earliest memory of the comic?
The first strip I have a recollection of was Rogue Trooper. I remember thinking how strange it was that he kept having conversations with equipment.
I think the first graphic novel I read with Dredd in it was Judgement in Gotham with Batman and it was just so strange. I quite liked it but it was really weird. This doesn’t feel like a proper Batman story.
So what hooked you in?
It was probably Judge Anderson. I remember being quite struck by Anderson and thinking I hadn’t seen a female character like that. To that point I’d seen all these quite macho male characters.
When you came to start writing did 2000AD still feel like a boy’s club?
I was completely daunted by writing that Dredd story and it coming out and having my name on it. I thought ‘there’s all these male readers and probably a lot of them think they should be writing Dredd and then this girl comes along and she’s writing it. What are they going to say?’ So I was definitely nervous. But I have had nothing but good experiences. I was absolutely blown away. I went to Glasgow Comic Con and I met John Wagner and told him I was writing Dredd and he actually put his arm around me. And if you’ve met John Wagner you’ll know that just doesn’t happen. But he was really happy for me.
Lots of other creators gave encouragement and the fan response was really great. I expected to get abuse and I got none at all really. It’s a very strong fan base and, though they reflect the creators in having strong views and a great sense of ownership, if you manage to meet their criteria for writing the right kind of Dredd then you’re accepted. And I’ve felt really accepted. So none of my fears turned into anything at all. I’ve seen just one sexist review and it was both unsurprising and unimaginative.
It’s been great. I like hanging out with the creators. They’re a fun bunch.
Can we claim 2000AD as a feminist text?
There are a lot of male characters. But look at the women judges. If it had been done by Marvel they’d have been in tight outfits with zips at their navel. Instead, they look like Judges. It’s not a society designed with a certain view on women. In that way it’s quite positive.
You have these strong figures like Hershey and Anderson who are in authority and in terms of Anderson one of the things I love about it is that, like Dredd, she’s grown older. She’s in her fifties and she is still getting stories written about her and I can’t imagine other comics franchises even thinking about that. ‘Why aren’t you 19? This is unacceptable.’ The fact that she is middle-aged and kicking ass and being awesome is pretty revolutionary I think. It wouldn’t be acceptable in other comics.
Do you worry about how fans react to the stories you tell?
I was sitting her thinking of working on Dr Who. They are really passionate fans and they respond very strongly to any changes. You do get the sense that the fans know more about Doctor Who than you do as a creator and they’re going to tell you.
There is a risk that you become so aware of the possible reaction that you become frightened to do what you are doing. And that’s a dangerous place to find yourself as a creator because if you’re not brave you’re not doing your job. You have to be continually challenging, otherwise stories become very samey, very stale.
Now that it’s nearly 40 years old is 2000AD still relevant?
I think it does still matter and it still reflects the political issues of the time. During the General Election there were great stories about Nigel Farage who wasn’t Nigel Farage but was. It’s still got that satire and it’s still got that amazing variety of storytelling and artwork and I just think it gets better and better with age and it still stays brave.
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