Getting The Word Out Part 1: Meghan Campbell

[JamesFreeman]

So tonight is the first in a continuing series of pieces I've been working on for the past few months. Basically, I've sought out and profiled a number of men and women who defy what many think of when they hear the words "comic book geek". My first "interviewee" (is that a word? Is now.) is the lovely Ms. Meghan Campbell, a comic shop employee, blogger, and part-time model from Ontario. What you might not guess by looking at her is that she's also a comic fan as well as an avid convention attendee and cosplayer.

So, who is your favourite writer?

Darwyn Cooke is one of my favourite artists AND writers. I’m fairly certain he could be handed a “Sarah Palin” monthly to work on, and he’d find a way to turn it into everyone’s favourite comic. Catwoman is my absolute favourite character, and I think he’s one of the only writers since The Animated Series to truly capture the essence of her. He managed to tie intelligence, independence, confidence, classiness and even a little bit of craziness into an immensely sexy, powerful, voluptuous little bundle. He is only the only reason I still love the character the way I did when I was a child.

See, I grew up on The Animated Series, and so when I started working in a comic book store back in, oh God, 2004? The first thing I did was check to see what was going on with Batman and Catwoman. At first I was confused. Why were his comics up in the eight hundreds while hers had yet to reach the hundredth issue? I found out that the Selina Kyle I’d known and loved was now fighting beefy Russians between bottle-feeding Helena, who, this time around, was not Bruce Wayne’s kid. Needless to say, I was disheartened, and only picked up the later issues for the Hughes covers, rather than the story arc within. Thankfully a co-worker pointed me in the direction of the earlier work, including Selina’s Big Score. Darwyn Cooke brought back to life the woman I had grown up idolizing, making her even more refined and relatable, and so I think I’ll always credit him as being one of my favourite writers.

Your favourite artist?

Adam Hughes! Even though I did Darwyn Cooke’s Catwoman when I decided to dress up for this past year’s San Diego Comic Con, I put the Hughes spin on it (the sheen, the red lenses, etc). I’ve also been fortunate enough to spend some time with him and he is, hands (pens…?) down, one of the kindest, most unpretentious men I have ever encountered. My experience at this past SDCC wouldn’t have been the same if it weren’t for him and Allison Sohn (another great artist).

I also love Bruce Timm, Amanda Conner, Dustin Nguyen, Jim Lee, Cameron Stewart, Karl Kerschl, Ty Templeton, and of course, Darwyn Cooke. I was recently shown around the exhibit he held here in Toronto last month by his wife, and literally walked around like this-

:O

It’s hard to fathom that the artwork you see in comics and on their covers was once merely a sketch done by someone’s hand. It’s truly amazing, and I admire the artists so much.

Favourite current series?

Marvel Divas!

Just f*cking with you. I wish I could say Gotham City Sirens, but it hasn’t blown me away thus far. I love the work Dustin Nguyen is doing on Streets of Gotham, but honestly, I couldn’t care less about the trials and tribulations of all the Robins currently bitch-fighting over the cowl. I absolutely loathe the current Batman story arc. Probably because Batman isn’t in it. At all.

I enjoy Batwoman, but mostly for the artwork, as well as Power Girl (Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner are hysterical). I really loved Wednesday Comics, but besides that I’m having trouble deciding upon a current run. At the moment I’m catching up on some older stuff, and re-reading my favourites.

Favourite comic of all time?

I can’t pick a single issue. That’s crazy talk!

Hmm…I’m going to have to go peruse my collection!

Favourite character?

The Dark Knight, of course!

Not every interpretation, however. I like a very specific Batman, and “my” Batman hasn’t been on the shelves in…quite some time. I also adore Slam Bradley, but truly do believe that Darwyn Cooke should be the only man permitted to write him.

And I’m pretty sure this goes without saying, but I love Catwoman. She has always really resonated with me as a character. I know that some people who choose to cosplay Catwoman do so because they like the idea of a whip or a corset, or hey, the catsuit itself, and that’s absolutely fine, but I chose to have the catsuit made because I grew up revering Selina Kyle, and felt that I would be capable of embodying that character for fellow fans.

Selina Kyle was an animal rights activist and a bit of a loner, and she taught me a lot about what independence truly means. I honestly think the fact that I grew up with such a strong woman as a role-model helped me (albeit unwittingly) to avoid succumbing to peer-pressure, and helped me find the courage to stand up for myself and the things I believe in.

I remember when I was in gradeschool; my class went down to the ravine across the street to play a game for gym class. I happened upon one of the boys throwing rocks at baby ducklings, and at first I was going to run off and find the teacher, because he was in the “popular” group and it was strictly forbidden to talk back to those kids, but then I remember- so vividly- thinking to myself, what would Selina do?

So, I picked up a rock and hurled it at him and it hit him in the face and that was one of the only times I was ever given a detention.

Worth it.

Besides comics, what other "geek" activities do you enjoy?

I’m a recluse, does that count? I cosplay, I think that’s kind of the epitome of nerdy, and I do love to read and write. I also enjoy pushing my glasses up the bridge of my nose and guffawing when pretty girls make funny jokes.

Any pet peeves?

Plenty. One of my biggest pet peeves are “cosplay idiot savants”. These are the people who do a certain character and perhaps have for some time, and are under the impression that they are the best and that anyone else who attempts “their” costume deserves to die a fiery death.

Honestly, it frightens me. It’s a bit neurotic and really, really weird. I understand wanting to do a costume to the best of your ability, but there’s that and then there’s showing up at San Diego in your Slave Leia costume and pulling a “Carrie” because, oh, nine thousand other women are wearing the same thing. It isn’t prom, it’s comic-con. I don’t understand people who seem to believe that the only way they’ll be given the appreciation they deserve is if they are “better” than everyone else.

I’ve, fortunately, only truly experienced this firsthand in one instance, and that was at Dragon Con two years ago. I was wearing the Number Six “Red Dress” from Battlestar Galactica, and I remember on the second day of the convention I was introduced to some friends of a friend, and they informed me that one of the girls in their group was refusing to wear the Six costume she had revealed the previous year because I was doing it.

Oh, the horror!

I just stood there flabbergasted. How the hell do you respond to something so utterly asinine? Was I supposed to change? I think I must have just blinked at them and they just blinked at me and then we parted ways (and then I got kissed by Michael Hogan- EAT IT, OTHER SIX).

Later on, I won a contest at the BSG party, and was asked to pose with my certificate in front of the colonial flags. After robotically pouting and glowering at the cameras for a few minutes I asked all of the other women dressed as Six to come up and Vogue with me. It was a lot of fun, and so, yeah, one of my major pet peeves is the people who bring the competitive aspect of cosplay onto the convention floor. Nerdy chicks have a pretty good reputation, we can hang with the guys and actually get their Aquaman jokes (some nerdy girls even get the magic card jokes), and so it upsets me when any petty cattiness interferes with what is otherwise a nerdy good time.

Also, Robin.

How exactly did you get into comics and geekdom in general?

The Batman Animated Series, for sure, I grew up on that show.

My father also used to work at the comic store that I work in now, and one of my father’s best friends used to be a Disney artist (he drew Gaston and the Genie and my boyfriend, John Smith, to name a few), so I grew up surrounded by and therefore interested in comics and art. We once went to visit my dad’s friend in LA, and I got to see the Disney studios, and after that he took us to the Warner Brothers store and I begged and pleaded for the Catwoman Marquette, but my father claimed I would “break it” and let me get a mug instead.

I actually told Bruce Timm that story and after a moment of consideration he nodded and declared-

“Mm, you probably would have broken it.”

Well, I still have that mug (didn’t BREAK IT), and that maquette now goes on E-Bay for hundreds and hundreds of dollars. Way to go, dad.

Have you ever been really offended by anything in comics? Or anything on television or videogames for that matter?

The entire last forty issues of Catwoman’s latest story arc offended me. Deeply. They actually managed to make me abhor her by the end, and that is quite the feat. Honestly, though, she gets knocked up by the son of the only man I truly believe she ever loved, and who still carries a torch for her, decides to have the baby, then gives the kid up for adoption when it becomes inconvenient.

Selina Kyle.

Gave her daughter.

Up.

For adoption.

It’s impossible to get through that issue without retching like a cat on a hairball (…pun intended).

Marvel Divas would offend me, except it’s kind of like the guy on the bus with Tourettes. Sure, he’s saying some horrible things, but he doesn’t know any better and it’s best to just ignore him.

Oh! And Robin. Robin offends me. If you’re over the age of four and still include “Robin” as one of your top five heroes, there’s something wrong with you.

I said it! I said it and I won’t take it back!