Bec & Kawl

"Bec & Kawl" is a 2000 AD comic strip, created by Simon Spurrier and Steve Roberts who also cover all the writing and art duties (respectively). The stories combine elements of horror and the supernatural (with the occasional alien) with a large dose of humour which has received a mixed reaction from readers.

Characters

*Becky Miller (Bec) - student and part-time witch
*Jarrod Kawl (Kawl) - a usually stoned hanger on who either accidentally gets the pair into trouble or accidentally gets them out of it (or both)
*Pierre Romanov - the greatest Pest Control Expert that ever lived (in Pest Control)

Plot

Bec and Kawl are art students who dabble in the occult and this leads them into a whole range of adventures from meeting the tooth fairies (Toothache) and defending the Earth from alien traffic cones (Attack of the Cones).

The stories are often parody-based, taking the form of humorous versions of staple themes of fantasy, science fiction and horror. The heavy use of parody also extends to dialogue and characters.

Influences

The strip is most obviously influenced by popular culture, in particular movies and comic books. Indeed, many of the minor characters are directly based upon already-existing fictional creations such as Harry Potter, Hellblazer and the Sandman.

The idea of two young people living a pop-culture heavy existence in a shared flat bears a strong resemblance to the Channel 4 sitcom Spaced.

Bibliography

They have only appeared within their own strip:

* "and the Mystical Mentalist Menace!" (in "2000 AD" #1290-1291, 2002)
* "Beccy Miller's Diary" (in "2000 AD" #1292-1293, 2002)
* "Enlightenment" (in "2000 AD" #1327, 2003)
* "eeevil.com" (in "2000 AD" #1328-1330, 2003)
* "Pest Control" (in "2000 AD" #1351-1354, 2003)
* "Toothache" (in "2000 AD" #1383-1386, 2004)
* "Hell To Pay" (in "2000 AD" #1401-1404, 2004)
* "Attack of the Cones" (in "2000 AD" #1437-1440, 2005)
* "Freakshow" (in "2000 AD" #1477-1481, 2006)

The first graphic novel reprints are due from Rebellion at some point (provisional listings suggest mid-2006 or 2007):

* "Bec and Kawl: Cheap Shots" (Rebellion, 2007, ISBN 1-904265-70-7)
* "Bec and Kawl: Bloody Students" (Rebellion, 2007, ISBN 1-904265-66-9)

External links

* [http://www.2000adonline.com/?zone=thrill&page=profiles&choice=bec 2000 AD page]