An Interview With ‘Flash Gordon: The Girl From Infinity’ Creators Marguerite Bennett And Bev Johnson

Flash Gordon has been a sci-fi hero since the 1930s. Originally created by Alex Raymond, the character is being re-imagined for a new generation in Marguerite Bennett and Bev Johnson‘s graphic novel, Flash Gordon: The Girl from Infinity. With letters by Morgan Martinez, here’s what Bennett and Johnson had to share about bringing Flash Gordon back and the planet she’ll be spending most of her time on in this story:

Rachel Bellwoar: This graphic novel is actually my first foray into the world of Flash Gordon. How familiar were you with the property going into this series and was the idea pitched to you or had you approached Papercutz?

Bev Johnson: I wasn’t initially familiar, but I studied up on the existing material, despite this take being quite different. I was brought on after Marguerite had already written the script, and I love her ability to create a fascinating world and fun, sympathetic characters.

Marguerite Bennett: I got the call out of the blue in summer, 2019 – they told me they wanted to develop a gender-swapped Flash and Dale, but beyond that, the sky was really the limit.

Bellwoar: The obvious change between this series and the original Flash Gordon comics is Flash and Dale have swapped genders. One explanation for this is hinted at in the book but how was it getting to redesign such iconic characters?

Johnson: It was kind of daunting, but the creative direction I was given was both helpful and pretty intent on creating a fresh spin rather than the exact same characters. We wanted them both to feel fantastical yet relatable to the average middle grade reader.

Bellwoar: When Dale finds Flash she’s in an escape pod with a “Savior of the Universe” banner hanging over her. That banner is wild to me, because the font is so playful but the pressure of that title is extremely heavy. How did you land on that introductory image for Flash?

Bennett: That is a fantastic question and the crux of the story to me – I desperately want to answer more thoroughly, and I’m praying we get a second book so that I can do it justice. But if I was eleven or twelve and reading this book, I knew full well Middle School Marguerite would be hypnotized by a premise like that. I wanted this book to be the book I wish I’d had growing up.

Bellwoar: Speaking, again, as someone who’s new to Flash Gordon, is it unusual for Flash’s stories to take place on different planets (versus outer space) and were you inspired by Ancient Rome when creating Omnia X?

Bennett: I was actually more inspired by Neverland! I sent Bev a king’s ransom in reference images about the different styles of the lands on this alien world, but I wanted everything to be fun and exciting, with all the boring bits cut out. The volcano needed to be next to the lagoon which needed to be next to the haunted palace and so forth.

Bellwoar: In many ways Omnia X and Earth have a lot in common but their wildlife is quite different. Did you enjoy getting to create hybrid animals and new species from scratch?

Johnson: I was given some design direction from the script, and I had a lot of fun!II I was partly inspired by the hybrid creatures in Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Bennett: The original black & white movie reels were constrained by the SFX limitations of the day, which is why the first creature battles are iguanas with cardboard taped to them. If that’s in our DNA, why shouldn’t I have a giant mutant axolotl fight?!

Bellwoar: One of the characters I find the most compelling is Princess Aura. Does she have any antecedents in the comics or is she an original character?

Bennett: She is one of the most delightful femme fatales in any space opera, and writing her was an absolute joy. When picking out books for girls, folks want to give us aspirational heroines and role models, but I have always been a staunch supporter of girls who don’t have to be good, but instead, get to be themselves.

Bellwoar: I also love the sibling power struggle going on between Princess Aura and Prince Azimuth. What interested you in that relationship?

Bennett: We are so obsessed with binaries, we think cats are the opposites of dogs – that if there is an evil twin, then the other must be good. But I wanted to talk not about archetypes, but about power. Power is not hiring; power does not share. The same pressures that forged Azimuth tempered Aura, and it’s a dangerous game to think either one of them would let go of the crown without a fight.

Bellwoar: Thanks for agreeing to this interview, Marguerite and Bev!

Flash Gordon: The Girl From Infinity is on sale now from Papercutz.