The following is an interview with Janet Harvey (DC Universe Online MMORPG, Angel City) and Megan Levens (Star Trek, Madame Frankenstein) regarding the recent launch of his Kickstarter campaign for the graphic novel, High Street Hellcats. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Harvey and Levens about their shared creative process in bringing the story and characters to life on the page, the backer rewards available to supporters of the campaign, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the upcoming launch of your Kickstarter campaign! For those who may be unfamiliar, what can you share with us about the story’s premise?
Megan Levens: With Janet being the wordsmith, I’ll let her craft a better pitch! If you catch me at a convention table promoting this campaign, my ramblings will likely settle on “Peaky Blinders meets Oceans 11 but with a diverse, badass girl gang!”
Janet Harvey: Haha. That’s pretty much it! I’ve been pitching it as “A gang of women pickpockets in 1920s London, pulling off a heist at the British museum!” The gang is based loosely on the 40 Elephants, a real all-female gang that operated in South London for decades – mostly robbing posh department stores and country houses. They sewed giant pockets inside their clothes to make off with high-end goods like silverware, jewelry, and furs. I decided to focus on the gang in the 1920s, because it seemed like a very rich time to explore for an all-female gang heading into the 20th century.
BD: Janet, the series deftly weaves elements of a high-stakes heist with the cultural dynamism of the 1920s. Was there anything from your research of the period that stood out to you, and how would you describe your creative process in bringing the various thematic elements into your narrative and character development?
JH: What I really like about setting this in the ’20s is that their vision of the future at that time was so scandalous, sexy, and feminist. There’s the flapper era, of course, and the “Bright Young Things” in London, who, on top of being hard partiers, were really challenging the way women showed up in the world – cutting their hair, staying out late, wearing skimpy dresses, exploring a new sexual freedom that outraged the status quo. Violet is the character who most represents that freedom, which I think is why readers gravitate towards her. She moves between the music halls and the literati and this criminal underworld of the gang. She thinks it’s fun, but it causes friction in the gang because they recognize that she’s basically slumming. Mags, on the other hand, is a third-generation thief from the streets. She has this vision for her gang, but she’s had a rough life, and she doesn’t see a lot of hope for herself. She sees Violet as “the woman of the future,” and she falls in love with her and the future she sees in her.
One thing I learned from my research is how the 40 Elephants used the technological advances of the era to their advantage. Fast automobiles, for instance, mean the gang can make a quick getaway from London, and be in Brighton Beach before anyone knows they’re gone. This was pretty much how gangs in America used the V8 Ford, too. Driving fast revolutionizes crime!
BD: Megan, your artistic style exudes deep emotion, tone, and mood. When tackling a project like High Street Hellcats, was there anything that guided or propelled your approach to the artwork?
ML: Reference, reference, reference! For period pieces, like when Janet and I worked on Angel City, I stockpile a ton of photo reference for clothes, automobiles, glassware…every little everyday item needs to feel like it authentically exists in this world. We can assume we have an idea of what fashion looked like in the early 1930s, but when you go back and actually dig into what people wore every day, it paints a much different picture.
It’s also deeply important to me on any project to make sure that I’m designing characters who look and feel distinct from one another. Having a wide range of body types beyond just “this is our curvy girl and this is our skinny girl,” making sure facial features and even body language read differently. I love studying and celebrating the differences in human beings, and reflecting those physical differences in my character designs is a joy for me.
BD: In launching this Kickstarter campaign, why do you feel that crowdfunding has been such a valuable resource to ensuring the success of today’s comic book creators?
ML: I think it helps put the power of getting these books made directly into the hands of the readers who want to see these stories told. I’ve been fortunate to get to create many wonderful creator-owned books over the years, but even the ones that get picked up and funded by a major publisher can die on the shelf if the sales aren’t what was projected. This way, the readers can tell us directly that they want to see this book, and they can play a role in making sure it gets printed.
JH: Like Megan said, I like Kickstarter because it allows creators to directly connect with audiences, and allows readers to directly fund the media they want to see in the world. As everyone reading this probably knows, publishing is in a really precarious state right now. For everyone! Creators, publishers, distributors, store owners, librarians: We are all under fire. And the first thing to go in that scenario is, unfortunately, the riskier books. Kickstarter allows us to take those books directly to the people who are going to love them and say, “Hey, do you want this?” And if the answer is “Yes!” then that gives everyone in that distribution chain a little more confidence to say, “You know what, maybe we should order this book and give these creators a chance.”
BD: In light of the crowdfunding campaign, are there any particular backer rewards or tiers that you would like to highlight for our readers?
JH: We are going to have some sweet art rewards, including original pages from the story that Megan and I did together in Wonder Woman Black & Gold! It’s a short story, so there aren’t many of those pages available, and Megan has generously donated them to the cause, as well as original pages from Angel City. So, if you’re a collector who has been meaning to pick any of those original pages up – now is your chance!
We’re also going to have guest artists doing pinups of the gang, and offering exclusive prints to our backers. I don’t want to give away who they are yet, but we’ll be revealing those throughout the campaign!
ML: I personally want to point out that there is a reward tier where I will draw you into the book! You could be a background character, just walking the streets or enjoying a pint at a pub, you could be getting punched out, or you could even be one of the Hellcats!
BD: Are there any additional projects – past or current – that you would like to share for our readers?
ML: I’d definitely recommend Angel City to anyone who wants to get pumped for High Street Hellcats! I’ve also done period work before in my Image Comics miniseries, Madame Frankenstein. Currently, though, you can find me exploring the final frontier in IDW Publishing’s Star Trek comics. I’ve been playing in outer space for the past seven years and having fun, but it’ll be a nice change of pace to come back down to Earth!
JH: I think anyone who is interested in High Street Hellcats would also enjoy Angel City. It’s me and Megan doing an unapologetically feminist take on classic Hollywood noir! I’m also working on another project for my Patreon that I’ll be announcing soon!
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to find more information about High Street Hellcats and your other work?
ML: Social media is a game of “the floor is lava” these days, but you can consistently find me on my Patreon (and yes, I have a free tier). I’m on Bluesky (@meganlevens), and my portfolio/art updates can also be found on Cara (@cmeganlevens). I’m still on Instagram, too (@junegloom19), but I no longer post finished art there due to Meta’s AI training policies, so unless you’re really into my selfies and miniature painting, Cara’s a better bet.
JH: I am also on Bluesky as @janetharvey, and on Instagram at @janetharvey_nevala. You can also find me on my Patreon (which is currently, all free tier!) and finally, on my website: www.janetharvey.com
