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Joel Meadows Talks Sherlock Holmes and the Empire Builders The Gene Genie Vol.1

Published

3 years ago

January 23, 2024

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Building A New Empire

It’s taken 20 years for Sherlock Holmes and the Empire Builders: The Gene Genie Vol. 1 to reach its finish line, but the brave new take on Arthur Conan Doyle’s most celebrated character is worth the wait. Co-creators Joel Meadows and Andy Bennett have poured their love of Doyle’s literary work, grandeur cinema, while introducing historical figures and movements to contextualize our familiar hero, who has seen better days.

Holmes’ longtime partner, Dr. Watson leaves his friend behind because science calls to him but what he doesn’t know is that his new boss is an unhinged, dangerous individual. Contributing writer Ernie Estrella interviewed Meadows, previewing what hopes to be the first of a series of Holmes graphic novels centred around the further adventures of Sherlock Holmes…

Joel, could you share what Sherlock Holmes means to you?

Joel Meadows: I have always been a huge fan of Holmes ever since I was a kid. Watching things like The Private Life Of Sherlock Holmes by Billy Wilder and the ITV show with Jeremy Brett, I have always been struck by the iconic and adaptable nature of the character. Also, films like Young Sherlock Holmes by Barry Levinson, the two Robert Downey Jr movies and more recent films like Mr Holmes with Ian McKellen have also shown just how flexible the world that Doyle created is and how rich it is for writers.

What are the essential elements of a Sherlock story? What did you feel like you needed to lean into and where you could take liberty to make it uniquely yours?

JM: Holmes stories for me do have to have some sort of investigative elements to them although I admit that our story is less of a detective tale and more of an adventure story.

There are still elements that I hope are classic Holmes and that appeal to aficionados of Doyle’s canon. The changing relationship between Holmes and Watson was a pivotal one here so I knew I needed to really emphasise this in this story. Also, the introduction of real historical figures like Oswald Mosley meant that I could create an interesting and different intersection between the fictional world that Holmes and co-inhabit and the real figures that hopefully lend it a little bit of verisimilitude.

Surely it was a daunting task to try and add to the legacy of memorable versions of Holmes, no? What was it about Holmes that gave you the confidence to create?

JM: It has been hugely daunting, no question. Here I am standing on the shoulders of giants, so perhaps that is why it has taken over twenty years to get to this point with the series. I wanted to test the waters with the three short stories first: they ran between 2020 and 2023. I also wanted to become more confident as a writer to be able to tackle a long form story and, with the assistance of editor Jeff Mariotte here, I hope that I have pulled this off.

Andy Bennett is the artist and co-creator on this series; Tell me what he brings to the collaboration and where he helped you in telling the story. What made him the right choice for you and Sherlock Holmes and the Empire Builders?

There was another artist originally planned to draw this series around 2001 but that didn’t work out. So I was introduced to him by another friend and from the beginning he has been the perfect choice. What is interesting is that he is American but he has very British sensibilities so we collaborate really well together. He has an amazing visual eye and he is a wonderful storyteller. He can also translate my scripts into something far more elegant and sophisticated. He is an old-school comic illustrator who also brings something cinematic to the mix. I am very lucky that he is my creative partner here.

Let’s talk about the adversaries you have for Holmes. Who exactly are the Empire Builders?

JM: The Empire is headed in this story by the evil Oswald Mosley who is prime minister of England, who is bent on domination through his clone army. I admit that I think I came up with the title before the plot because I liked the dramatic sound of it.

What about the Mohocks and your inclusion of this violent gang?

JM: The Mohocks were a very intriguing gang who were around in London in the regency period and I thought it might be fun and a little bit subversive if one of them was part of the team that assisted Holmes and co.

You chose to keep Holmes and Dr. Watson separate in this tale, that was a brave choice. Why do that?

JM: I felt it would be more interesting dramatically if the pair were kept apart and again that took the classic Holmes tale and turned it on its head by keeping them separate. I also thought it would offer a little more emotional resonance and a sense of alienation if the pair were apart too.

There are two volumes in this story, what can you share about it, that will have readers hungry for Volume II?

JM: Volume II picks up where the first one ends but we are introduced to a few new figures including George V as we’ve never seen him before and Watson’s wife and son. The action builds to a dramatic crescendo. For the rest, people will have to pick it up. Covers this time around will be by Kelley Jones and Dan Panosian, pin-ups by George Pratt, Barry Kitson, Tomm Coker and a few others to be confirmed.