Posted in: Comics, Comics Publishers, Conventions, Current News, DC Comics, Events, Marvel Comics | Tagged: Alison Sampson, emma vieceli, mcm

Is Alison Sampson The First British Female Comics Writer At Marvel?

Is Alison Sampson, the first British female comics writer at Marvel? And is Emma Vieceli the first to write the DCU?

Published Sun, 27 Oct 2024 05:56:10 -0500

by Rich Johnston

Last updated Sun, 03 Nov 2024 08:22:40 -0600

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Article Summary

Alison Sampson may be the first British female writer to pen a comic for Marvel with her upcoming project, She-Devils.
British talent in American comics is well-documented, but female writers remain scarce, especially at Marvel and DC.
Emma Vieceli potentially marks a first as a British female writer for DC's Nightwing, opening new industry doors.
Discussions arise about forgotten history and contributions of British women writers in comics at events like Thought Bubble.

British writers taking over the American comic book industry has been a trope for some time. Barry Windsor-Smith started it, followed by Dave Gibbons, but the wealth of talent in 2000AD, Warrior and Marvel UK saw swatches of talent grabbed and mined for original takes on classic IP, including the likes of Alan Moore, Jamie Delano, Peter Milligan, Grant Morrison, Jamie Delano, Kevin O'Neill, Alan Davis, Brendon McCarthy, David Lloyd, Alan Grant, John Wagner, Mark Millar, David Hine, Rob Williams, Kieron Gillen, Al Ewing, Dan Watters, Alex Paknadel and many, many more. But very few women. If any.

It was the announcement that Alison Sampson was not only drawing but writing a new project at the Women Of Marvel panel at New York Comic Con, She-Devils, that got a few grey cells ticking at MCM London Comic Con this weekend, where Alison is exhibiting her work on Hit Girl, Sleeping Beauties, Department Of Truth and the like. She has drawn comics for Marvel before, but She-Devils, published next year, may mark the first time a British woman has written a comic for Marvel USA. Is that possible? Maybe. Welcome to 2025.

Because there was also the possibility that Emma Vieceli, who is also exhibiting at MCM, may be the first British woman to be hired as a writer by DC Comics for Nightwing in 2023. Could that also be possible? Well, maybe. Depends if you count Leah Moore writing Tom Strong, and co-writing Albion and Wild Girl from Wildstorm, which was owned by DC, even if there were editorial firewalls. But is there anyone working on the DCU to beat Emma? It feels like there must have been. But who? Are there some obvious people we are just missing? Am I going to find out that Louise Simonson was secretly from Shetland? Did Stan Lee's wife, Joan Lee from South Shields, get a comics writing credit I missed?

Nevertheless, might make for some fun discussion and/or handwringing at Thought Bubble in a couple of weeks. Especially amongst some of the British male writers who have been doing rather well lately.

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