INTERVIEW: Gordon Rennie and Emma Beeby on Survival Geeks: Geek-Con!
24th May 2018
2000 AD Prog 2082 sees the return of the geekiest parody of all: Survival Geeks in Geek-Con.
Time once more to fire up the trans-dimensional engines of the strangest two-up-two-down in the world and venture forth into whatever corner of geekdom we’re off to this time round.
With an affectionate, tongue-in-cheek look into the darkest recesses of modern geek-culture (at least we think so!) it’s time to set the comedy to 11 and get your geek on with the gang once more.
Richard Bruton sat down with writers Gordon Rennie and Emma Beeby to talk all things Survival Geeks, Gordon’s sleepless nights over readers not getting the series and Emma’s refusal to buy Gordon drinks so that he’ll share his secret knowledge of getting Tharg to publish his ideas.
So far, with Survival Geeks we’ve had the stories Steampunk’d, Geek Fatales, and Lord of the Ringers, along with a couple of one-off strips (all available from the 2000 AD shop in one fabulously fun collection!). So… this new series of Survival Geeks? What’s is all about?
EB: They had to end up at a convention of some sort, big geeks that they are. And it turns out that Cons share a lot of familiar features across the multiverse: weird cosplay, overpriced merchandise, and a far, far away section especially for the comics creators. Plus a psychopathic dimension hopping celebrity or two.
Any chance that, with Geek-Con, you’ve worked it all out of your system and are about to embrace the latest target of your ire?
GR: Seems unlikely.
EB: Work what out? It all comes from a place of love!
With this latest tale was Geek-Con it’s pretty obvious where you’re going with it – how have your own con experiences been?
GR: Mostly miserable, naturally. I miss the old 90s cons, where we desported ourselves in Bloomsbury hotels in giddy Cool Britannia abandon, and – because we’d had a whip-round to bribe the hotel bar staff – the Bacchanalian revels went on all night. Cons nowadays, though… Well, if I wanted to spend all day sitting behind a table selling graphic novels to people, I probably wouldn’t have abandoned that promising career in part-time book retailing at Waterstones.
EB: Hmm. John Wagner hugged me once, in a very nice, welcome-to-the-Dredd-writers’-family way. That was most unexpected. Can’t really think of any crazy stories, but I used to work in politics, so I’ve learned if you want to have a lovely time with the nicest people, go to a comic con; if you want crazy times with terrifying people, go to a political party conference.
Depending on your position on the geek spectrum, or possibly how much of a sense of humour you have about it, readers could see Survival Geeks as a delightfully light 2000 AD strip that gently lampoons every aspect of geek culture. Or you could see it as a scathing attack on the ridiculous elements of that selfsame geek culture, with the three of you sitting cackling as you decide which element of the idiocy you’re going to maul next. Where are you coming from with Survival Geeks as a comment on the world of geekdom?
EB: There’s inherent comedy in how seriously geek things are taken and talked about, every debate on what’s canon or why something isn’t believable in a space opera full of tentacled aliens. It’s both ludicrous and loveable.
Survival Geeks began life back in Prog 1824 as a Tharg’s 3Riller. How did that initial idea for the series come about, and how did it develop en route to that first Tharg’s 3Riller?
EB: The pitch and intention was always for a series, so doing the 3Riller was about seeing how readers would respond to it and if there was appetite for a comedy series in 2000 AD. Seemed to work out okay.
GR: I think the original pitch had zombies in it, but Tharg cited some other thing we’d never heard of in our lives that had geeks vs zombies in it, and asked for a different threat. Whereupon the running joke began that the Geeks would always be denied their one ambition of one day landing on a zombie apocalypse world.
To date, I think I’m right in saying that it’s been the only 3Riller to make the transition to regular strip?
GR: Hold that thought. Mechastopheles, a 3riller that I also co-wrote, is currently grinding its way toward a full first series.
Any thoughts to why it’s only your works that make the transition?
GR: Because I have the secret knowledge of how to craft and launch 20000 AD thrills. Which I will happily dispense to anyone who can navigate the tricky task of buying me enough large white wines while also managing not to get on my nerves. Trust me, it’s not as easy as it sounds.
EB: I’m still waiting for any sign of secret knowledge. And I’m definitely not buying him any drinks.
Any particular comedy classics, 2000 AD or otherwise that you’ve loved over the years, or have perhaps taken inspiration from for Survival Geeks?
EB: For me I think it’s The Trio from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, who were three geeky guys trying to become supervillains. They rob a bank and spend all the money on rare action figures; they get distracted from attacking Buffy by arguing about which design of the Death Star was superior. They are not the most popular villains, but I loved them. Our Geeks are less dark, but they definitely have a bit of Trio in there.
As for comedy in comics in general… I’m going to go out on a limb here and hypothesise that it’s the most difficult thing to get right in comics. Would you agree?
GR: I’ve always found the comedy stuff quite easy. But I’m just a naturally hilarious and out-there kind of person. Just ask anyone who knows me.
EB: *spits out white wine* Sorry, did you want a drink, Gordon…? Get me another while you’re there.
I’ve seen people love Survival Geeks and hate Survival Geeks… what is it that divides opinion so much do you think?
GR: There’s always been a great deal of comedy or black humour in 2000 AD strips – Dredd, obviously, but also Nemesis, ABC Warriors etc — but some 2000 AD readers are quite stuck in their ways and don’t like outright comedy strips where the humour isn’t just something slotted in between the bits with grim-faced people doing grim-faced things. Imagine the amount of sleep I lose at night, worrying about this. Just imagine.
How do you really feel about the delights of geek culture and its continuing takeover of the world?
EB: Long may they reign.
GR: Not something I think about much, I’m afraid. What with all the sleep I’m losing worrying about some readers not loving Survival Geeks.
One of my favourite lines has to be “it’s not dressing up. It’s called cosplay.” Any great cosplay costumes hanging in your closets?
EB: Cosplay is all about making it yourself, which I respect. I was Poison Ivy for a party once and destroyed several ivy plants for that, and for the irony. My more impressive efforts were years ago when I did some fire performance, which involved making costumes plus wearing body paint, and was a lot of fun between occasionally setting myself on fire. I thought it might be safer to learn to fight with swords, so I went on to do some medieval re-enactment, but apparently it’s not ‘authentic’ to let women fight. If I still had the costumes I could easily do Game of Thrones cosplay, but I only kept the sword (obviously, I got one anyway). But these days I would rather just go to cons as, um, me.
GR: No….but I dream of one day having the courage to unleash my inner Squirrel Girl. Not that I dream, of course, because of all the sleep I’m losing worrying about those comedy-hating Squaxx Dek Thargo.
Finally, when last we talked together, I wondered about the possibility of a cuddly Howard, because everyone needs a Cthulu cuddle buddy. But so far I haven’t seen the 2000 AD merchandising department moving on this one. Who do we have to… bribe/threaten/make bizarre, potential unlawful advances to?
EB: Still. Waiting. It would be loved by all ages! There are several Geeks merchandising ideas in this story, as it happens…if the merchandising folk are needing ideas.