Posted in: Comics, Comics Publishers, Current News, Marvel Comics | Tagged: Blood Hunt, Greggs, paul grist, the union, union jack
Greggs has become a British institution. And as of this week, gets a mention in Marvel Comics’ comic, Union Jack The Ripper #1.
Article Summary
- Greggs, the British bakery, has been featured in Marvel’s Union Jack The Ripper #1.
- The comic is part of the Blood Hunt series, with vampires taking over England.
- British references abound, including slang and the iconic Greggs sausage roll.
- Union Jack navigates Manchester using Greggs stores, a true UK cultural staple.
Greggs has become a British institution. I first came across the home of the quintessential sausage roll in Newcastle when I was a student there in the early nineties, and then they seemed to follow me when I moved to Manchester, Oxford and then London. Now they are everywhere, an iconic British staple, they even appeared in a car crash in the Fast And Furious franchise. And as of this week, get a mention – if not an appearance – in Marvel Comics’ Blood Hunt tie-in comic, Union Jack The Ripper.
Blood Hunt has seen the Marvel world taken over by vampires as the sky has gone dark, courtesy of Blade. And in Manchester, they are even eating English teachers. Rochdale is to the North East of Manchester and has a number of Greggs to its name, courtesy of British writer Cavan Scott and British artist Kev Walker channelling Paul Grist, John McCrea, Philip Bond and Mark Stafford.
And yes, British police do swear allegiance to the crown. Comes with the territory. As does the more specific version of reading rights, even to a vampire…
But in a Marvel comic book, they are not allowed to actually swear,
Not unless they are interrupted, or use black smears to cover up the words…
… or use words that American editors won’t get. “Chuffin'” comes from “chuff”, vulgar slag for a vagina, as in “tight as a gnat’s chuff”. Just in case Marvel editors don’t get that. Of course, this is equal opportunity swearing.
“Knob” being vulgar slang for a penis. And “knobhead” being a common enough insult, even from Union Jack, who is not his best at the moment. Still, even attacked by vampires, he’s doesn’t lose his bearings.
And knows how to navigate via Greggs. Founded by John Gregg in 1939 as a bakery, it opened its first shop in Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne in 1951. In 1994, the company acquired 165 Bakers Oven chain of bakers’ shops from Allied Bakeries and in 1999, Greggs rebranded its one hundred Braggs shops as Greggs of the Midlands, and its Leeds-based Thurston chain as Greggs of Yorkshire, before making everything just Greggs in 2008.
They opened their 1,500th premises, in York, in 2011, before pivoting into providing food on the go, like sausage rolls, pasties, pies and pastries rather than loaves of bread. And today, a Marvel Comic set in Manchester but published in New York.
It also does a grand job tying in to The Union comic book from 2020, which saw Jack lead a team including the late Britannia…
… and Bulldog. Who is looking a little worse for wear, thanks to a puncture wound.
Where are the rest of the Union? Or is this all we have? They didn’t all die a horrible death, right?
“Bangers and mash” does date Bulldog a lot. Well, he was always old-fashioned. I mean, even Greggs makes vegan sausage rolls these days. Union Jack The Ripper #1 is published by Marvel Comics today.
UNION JACK RIPPER BLOOD HUNT #1
MARVEL COMICS
MAR240540
(W) Cavan Scott (A) Kev Walker (CA) Ryan Brown
UNION JACK PAINTS THE UK RED!
As vampires inherit the Earth, one lone man has made it his mission to protect it. But what does Joey Chapman, UNION JACK have up his sleeves? And will it be enough? And WHO will Union Jack have to face to keep London from falling? CAVAN SCOTT and KEV WALKER bring you a UNION JACK story like you’ve never seen before! Rated T+In Shops: May 22, 2024 SRP: $4.99
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