INTERVIEW: ‘Ripperland’ finds the influence of Jack the Ripper still thriving in London, circa 2188
Image courtesy of Dark Horse / Provided with permission.
Jack the Ripper terrorized the streets of London more than 125 years ago, and his villainous legacy lives on. In the British capital, there are nightly tours of the murder sites. In book form, there are exposés and investigations about what exactly happened and whodunnit (by the way, the best is The Five by Hallie Rubenhold, which gives exclusive space to the victims of the serial killer). There have been films and TV shows, true-crime theories and supposed breaks in the case.
Now, Jack is back in comic book form — sort of. But this is not a historical tale about 1880s London or even Jack the Ripper himself. Instead, the action of Ripperland takes place in 2188. What’s happened to England? Well, “a shattered post-Brexit England has operated as a massive Victorian theme park in exchange for American military and financial protection,” according to Dark Horse, which is publishing the series.
The action is kicked into high gear after the killing of an American mogul’s grandson, and it’s up to Jesse Holden, an American special agent, and Edwin Fogg, a British police detective, to figure out who might be the killer. These two officials operate in the future, but they must navigate a world that looks like the Victorian past.
Ripperland, planned as a four-issue miniseries, is written by Steve Orlando and John Harris Dunning, with art by Alessandro Oliveri. Recently Orlando and Dunning exchanged emails with Hollywood Soapbox to talk about all things Ripperland. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
There’s a lot of world building and history to explain in this series. Were you able to fit everything into four issues?
ORLANDO: For the first story? Absolutely! But of course, there’s always more to explore. I think it’s a bit of a trick question, in a way. “Everything” doesn’t necessarily ever get fit in because when you build up a world that you love, there’s always more to explore. But with these four issues, we’ve got in everything we need, and everything the readers need, to not just have a ripping good time but to be intrigued as to what’s hiding behind the next door. Our first mystery may reach a conclusion, but the intrigues of the greater world will always beckon. The world of Ripperland is one I’d visit with John and Alessandro again and again and again—it’s just been a joy to cook this book up for everyone!
DUNNING: There was enough space to tell this particular story, but me and co-writer Steve Orlando definitely feel that there’s more to explore in this world. The series is based on a simple conceit: The United Kingdom has disintegrated, and England has turned to America for help. America has offered financial and military protection — for a price. That price is England becoming a Victorian theme park, with no technology or even electricity, for the pleasure of American tourists. After all, without Europe and the rest of the United Kingdom, what else does England have to offer but its history? From there we build a more complex world, but that’s the core idea.
Are you fascinated by the Jack the Ripper mystery?
ORLANDO: For me, the short answer is yes. A lot of the fascination comes from the language of his letters in my case. But the bigger answer is that for Ripperland, it’s about the fact that England is now performing America’s perception of what the Victorian era was like. So, of course we had to engage with the Ripper — he’s the most famous serial killer in English history. And the people choosing what England has to be like in this story aren’t English folks — they’re the American interests who own the country. Focusing on the Ripper allows us to play on the modern media’s infatuation with serial killers and true crime, and also toy with perceptions, true or not, about English history.
DUNNING: Yes, since childhood. I remember seeing that famous image of the Ripper by Victorian illustrator John Tenniel who did the original and most famous illustrations for Alice in Wonderland. As a kid I was deliciously terrified by it. The Ripper’s story is such a great portal into exploring the Victorian period. The Ripper is the first serial killer, and his story continues to fascinate audiences, centuries later. The fact that he was never caught amplifies his myth. He’s a more-than-human figure, not so much a criminal as a fully-fledged monster.
Do you feel that this look into the future is a commentary on today’s world?
ORLANDO: Without a doubt. And we’ve been working on this since long before we had American leaders casually (and embarrassingly) talking about buying other sovereign countries as if they’re a commodity. Between John and I, we wanted to root this deeply in speculative fiction — in honor of classics like 1984, like Brave New World or The Handmaid’s Tale. All of these are visions of the near future as seen through the lens of the present, and with Ripperland, we’re tipping our hat to those pillars in our own unique way.
DUNNING: Very much so. England has got a lot to answer for its colonial past, but it’s slowly starting to address it. The refusal by some to do so has led to political upheavals like Brexit, which everyone now has to admit was a terrible mistake. As an international superpower, America is still at the height of its colonial powers and has yet to gain the perspective of hindsight. It’s ironic that the tables are now turned, and that in many ways the UK is now a colony of America. Our story plays with these ideas. It’s tragic how politicians in the UK cling to this idea of a ‘special relationship’ with America. I wouldn’t want to see that put to the test.
Why 2188? Why not earlier or later? What is specific about this year that makes it perfect for the setting?
ORLANDO: It’s 300 years after the initial Jack the Ripper killings! Getting to build our setting and timeline from the ground up means we can lean into kismet like that — we can build in the kismet. So, knowing we were going to have a murder that at least homages the original killings and that we could set our story anywhere in the future … 2188 felt like the sweet spot. It heightens the in-story lore by making it possible the inciting murder honors the anniversary, but also isn’t so far in the future that the world feels completely divorced from our own.
DUNNING: We wanted it to be long enough in the future that the English are genuinely Victorian and have been living without technology for generations. This isn’t cosplay to them; it’s their reality. I wanted to have a direct echo of 1888 — and that date is one of the reasons the murders happen. The killer/s want this connection to be made. Why? Get out your magnifying glass and deer-stalker hat and come find out!
How does this giant Victorian theme park work? Why did the UK end up in that state?
ORLANDO: I’m going to let John go into a bit more detail on this because this side of the story grew from his mind — and that’s collaboration folks! He planted the seed, we both watered it, and we’ll both carry the metaphor in this interview. But, to me, when John suggested this, it clicked instantly. And it clicked for me because it played beautifully on how American media often depicts England and any foreign culture: stereotypically, poorly and even with a little condescension. So, with England down on its luck, of course we’d step in when it’s weak and use that weakness as an excuse to make our inaccurate vision of the country into a reality — by sheer boardroom bullying.
DUNNING: The English citizens don’t see themselves as inhabiting a theme park per se — it’s just the way they’re living. As we’ve seen across the world and throughout history, it’s scary what people can get used to. Contemporary UK is a place thrown into chaos by Brexit. Leaving the European Union and losing its status within it has not only made it financially and politically vulnerable, it’s also deepened fault lines that now threaten to tear it apart, like the question of Northern Ireland and Scottish independence. With a single self-destructive move, the UK has potentially transformed itself from a global superpower into a rickety backwater with little to offer. Does that sound like somewhere else we know? It’s the very real political danger of popularism.
Are Jesse Holden and Edwin Fogg similar to say Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson? Does having them be from different countries keep their conversations interesting?
ORLANDO: Well, I think how similar they are to Holmes and Watson depends heavily on how you view that iconic duo. But yes — their varied backgrounds don’t just keep the book bubbling, they kept production lively and fresh. They became a way for John and I to needle and rib each other creatively, and hone the book to razor-sharp precision. But it’s not all just fun cultural miscommunications. As the series goes on, Holden starts to see there’s a real cost to America impos[ing] a garish Victorian lifestyle on the country — and that’s where Holden truly becomes passionate about both the case … and the place.
DUNNING: I hadn’t actually thought of that parallel, if you can believe it. Not really — in their case there’s an equality in the power balance. Although it may at first seem that Agent Jesse Holden, with all his technology and knowledge, may be the better detective, we quickly learn that Detective Edwin Fogg is more than able to hold his own. There’s a more fiery chemistry between these two than the polite friendship between Watson and Holmes — unless you believe various fanfic yaoi sites! We definitely had fun with the Brits versus Yanks banter — it was interesting to explore cliches and cultural expectations in this playful way. It really made us think about our national identities and what we like and dislike about them.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Ripperland, written by Steve Orlando and John Harris Dunning, is currently being released as a four-part miniseries from Dark Horse. Click here for more information.
