Harry Kipling
Encyclopedia
Harry Kipling is a character in 2000 AD
created by Simon Spurrier
and Boo Cook
. He is a True Brit
, trying to survive in a world of rampant Pantheistic solipsism aided only by strong tea and a big gun.
version of the British Empire
(Neo-Britannia). The Empire has collapsed and every supernatural being has somehow been physically manifested. The various deities and sprites pass their time eating their subjects, squabbling and fighting amongst themselves in hopes of achieving monotheism
.
They are fought by a single relic of the NeoBritannia Empire, Harry Kipling. A parody of a traditional Imperial man, he wears a sola topee
, uses an elephant gun
and drinks earl-grey tea
. He lives as a zombie
, dedicating his undead existence to the complete eradication of gods - "Proactive Atheism
".
In this he's aided by Neesha, a bewildered refugee from a war-torn planet, and Klux, a powerful but unintelligent engine of destruction. In his last adventure to date the Kipling discovered that he is the pawn off an unnamed god who is presumably more powerful than those he's seen before and probably the one who brought him back. It has been suggested that he was using Kipling to exterminate the competition; since finding out, Harry has vowed revenge...
ous series:
2000 AD (comic)
2000 AD is a weekly British science fiction-oriented comic. As a comics anthology it serialises a number of separate stories each issue and was first published by IPC Magazines in 1977, the first issue dated 26 February. IPC then shifted the title to its Fleetway comics subsidiary which was sold...
created by Simon Spurrier
Simon Spurrier
Simon Spurrier is a British comics writer, who has previously worked as a cook, a bookseller and an art director for the BBC.Getting his start in comics with the British small press, he went on to write his own series for 2000 AD, like Lobster Random, Bec & Kawl, The Simping Detective and Harry...
and Boo Cook
Boo Cook
Boo Cook is a British comic artist, whose work mainly features in the comic 2000 AD.-Career:Cook's art has appeared in the ABC Warriors and Judge Dredd, as Asylum and Dead Men Walking .In 2005, Cook graduated to regular work on the flagship story on 2000 AD, Judge Dredd, mostly to scripts by...
. He is a True Brit
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
, trying to survive in a world of rampant Pantheistic solipsism aided only by strong tea and a big gun.
Plot
The story takes place in an alternate steampunkSteampunk
Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s. Steampunk involves a setting where steam power is still widely used—usually Victorian era Britain or "Wild West"-era United...
version of the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
(Neo-Britannia). The Empire has collapsed and every supernatural being has somehow been physically manifested. The various deities and sprites pass their time eating their subjects, squabbling and fighting amongst themselves in hopes of achieving monotheism
Monotheism
Monotheism is the belief in the existence of one and only one god. Monotheism is characteristic of the Baha'i Faith, Christianity, Druzism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Samaritanism, Sikhism and Zoroastrianism.While they profess the existence of only one deity, monotheistic religions may still...
.
They are fought by a single relic of the NeoBritannia Empire, Harry Kipling. A parody of a traditional Imperial man, he wears a sola topee
Pith helmet
The pith helmet is a lightweight cloth-covered helmet made of cork or pith...
, uses an elephant gun
Elephant gun
An elephant gun is a large caliber gun, rifled or otherwise, so named because they were originally developed for use by big-game hunters for elephants and other large dangerous game. They used black powder at first but then started using smokeless powder...
and drinks earl-grey tea
Earl Grey tea
Earl Grey tea is a tea blend with a distinctive flavour and aroma derived from the addition of oil extracted from the rind of the bergamot orange, a fragrant citrus fruit....
. He lives as a zombie
Zombie
Zombie is a term used to denote an animated corpse brought back to life by mystical means such as witchcraft. The term is often figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli...
, dedicating his undead existence to the complete eradication of gods - "Proactive Atheism
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
".
In this he's aided by Neesha, a bewildered refugee from a war-torn planet, and Klux, a powerful but unintelligent engine of destruction. In his last adventure to date the Kipling discovered that he is the pawn off an unnamed god who is presumably more powerful than those he's seen before and probably the one who brought him back. It has been suggested that he was using Kipling to exterminate the competition; since finding out, Harry has vowed revenge...
Appearances
So far he has only appeared in his own eponymEponym
An eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named...
ous series:
- Harry Kipling:
- "Prologue" (in 2000 AD #1476, 2006)
- "Mad Gods & Englishmen" (in 2000 AD #1481-1483, 2006)
- "Whetting the Whistle" (in 2000AD #1492-1493, 2006)
- "Something for Nothing" (in 2000AD #1497-1499, 2006)
- "The Hitman and Hermoth" (in 2000AD #1509-ongoing, 2006)
Gods
- The Family - Appears in #1476
- SobekSobekSobek , and in Greek, Suchos was the deification of crocodiles, as crocodiles were deeply feared in the nation so dependent on the Nile River...
the crocodile god - Appears in #1481-1483 - Spider Queen of TeotihuacanTeotihuacánTeotihuacan – also written Teotihuacán, with a Spanish orthographic accent on the last syllable – is an enormous archaeological site in the Basin of Mexico, just 30 miles northeast of Mexico City, containing some of the largest pyramidal structures built in the pre-Columbian Americas...
- Appears in #1492-1493 - Ama-Tsu-Mara - Appears in #1492-1493
- Ornumila the Wise - Appears in #1497-1499
- The Anti-God/AtheistAtheismAtheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
Commander - Appears in #1497-1499 - Bellin-Bellin - Appears in #1509 - 1512
- Hermoth - Appears in #1509 - 1512
- ChristmasChristmasChristmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
Gods - Appears in #2007