The iconic 1970s comic series Battle Action is back (once again) on October 2 (August 28th in the UK) under Rebellion, and it’s kicking off with some of the greatest comic creators around. Garth Ennis and Keith Burns are leading the charge with a new Johnny Red story, and Brian K. Vaughan and Chris Burnham join them with a “Kids Rule OK” tale.
“Kids Rule OK” is about an American boy living in London who is being bullied because of that fact. But he has something very dangerous that just might teach the bullies a lesson! The sci-fi-flavored story is an interesting one, dealing with themes like xenophobia and community in some interesting ways.
To shed light on the story, I recently had the chance to ask both Vaughan and Burnham all about the project and the larger collaborative process.
Courtesy of Rebellion.
AIPT: To start, how did this project get going?
Brian K. Vaughan: Well, Garth Ennis asked me if I’d write a story for his beloved Battle Action, and he promised me a cheeseburger as payment like I’m Wimpy from Popeye or something. But I’ve owed Garth ever since he wrote a few excellent pages of Ex Machina #40 for Tony Harris and me a million years ago, and I do love a good burger, so I was happy to finally pay him back.
Chris Burnham: Garth Ennis and I had already done two Crazy Keller stories for previous volumes of Battle Action, and we were gearing up for a third. But between Fury and Babs and whatever else, he didn’t think he would have the time to get it done. So he very sheepishly offered up working for Brian instead.
I think everyone who reads it will agree that “Kids Rule OK” is the ultimate capstone to Brian’s career. Saga, Paper Girls, Runaways… they were all leading to this!
Courtesy of Rebellion.
AIPT: Chris, we last spoke about Doom Patrol about a year ago now, you’ve got TMNT Alpha [released on] June 5, is there a trend here drawing mutants and “freaks” that continues into “Kids Rule O.K.”?
CB: I enjoy drawing hideous freaks way more than I enjoy drawing beautiful people. And judging from the fact that I tend to get hired more for ugly gigs, apparently I’m better at it, too! Wait… are you suggesting that everyone in Britain is an inbred mutant? My family came over on the Mayflower, and I am deeply, deeply offended. I demand satisfaction! GLOVE SLAP!
AIPT: Brian, I’ve adored Chris’ work for ages, what makes his style work so well for this story?
BKV: Chris is just so awesome. His storytelling is incredibly sophisticated, his pacing is propulsive, and he creates the kind of characters you actually care about. Finally getting to collaborate with him was even better than the cheeseburger.
Courtesy of Rebellion.
AIPT: An American boy versus xenophobic British Punks: was “Kids Rule O.K.” something either of you read as a kid or picked up later?
CB: I had heard about “Kids Rule OK” from various 2000 AD-related interviews and documentaries, but I never got an opportunity to read it until our editor, the Obligatory Oliver Pickles, sent me a PDF. It’s great! I’m not sure if it’s available to buy anywhere, and knowledge of it is completely unnecessary to enjoy our story, but it’s a great slice of British comics history.
BKV: No, I wasn’t aware of “Kids Rule” until Garth sent me all the original stories (and his own must-read “Kids Rule” tale with the late Kevin O’Neill), but I was an instant fan of Chris Lowder and Mike White’s prescient, fearless, subversive creation.
AIPT: How much will this story edge into science fiction?
BKV: About as much as Pia Guerra and I did with Y: The Last Man? While the inciting incident is science-fictional, everything that follows in our story is fairly grounded in real life, nasty, brutish and short though it may be.
CB: Kids Rule OK is about the fallout of a mysterious virus that spreads across the globe, killing millions and upsending society forever. It’s practically a documentary!
Courtesy of Rebellion.
AIPT: What is it about British punks in particular that is so foreboding or scary, compared to, say, American punks (my mind immediately goes to Fred Armisen for some reason).
BKV: This might just be you, David! British punks have always been quite nice to me. But I went to see the American punk bank, the Murder Junkies, when I first moved to NYC, and it was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. We Yanks can be pretty scary, as Chris and I explore in this story.
CB: British punks never wore braces!
AIPT: If you were to reduce this story into a song, what would it be and why?
BKV: “I’m Afraid of Americans” by David Bowie.
CB: Carter USM’s “Midnight on the Murder Mile” is pretty close. It’s about the terror of being chased through London alleys in the middle of the night, and I listened to it blasting on repeat in my best friend’s car the first night he was allowed out with his brand-new driver’s license. We drove too fast, cut off a cop, got lost, watched The Lawnmower Man, and had late-night sandwiches with too much Italian dressing. Teenage freedom and stupidity!
Battle Action drops on October 2 from Rebellion.
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