The Western world is well educated on the Holocaust and World War II. Just through fiction, Americans get exposed to tons of stories of heroism, tragedy, and warnings for future generations. Despite all of this exposure, there are still many stories that we aren’t familiar with yet. The average person has never heard of Marcel Petiot, a serial killer who preyed on those who lived in Nazi-occupied France. Even writer Stephanie Phillips had never heard of Marcel Petiot until a couple of years ago. Her discovery instantly led to the creation of The Butcher of Paris.
After discovering Petiot, Phillips immediately wanted to write about him. “I just wasn’t sure what shape that would take,” says Phillips. “I wrote short stories about the event and played around with anthologized vignettes, but ultimately Butcher of Paris was born in its current form when I realized there was just so much I wanted to say about the events and people involved. It’s really a fascinating story.”
The Butcher of Paris is a five-issue miniseries that puts the spotlight on Marcel Petiot, a man who used the chaos of Paris’ occupation to murder at least 27 people. The protagonists are those who are racing to discover the murderer and stop him. The series is drawn by artist Dean Kotz, who plays a bigger role than just drawing the panels. “I think Dean and I are really in sync when it comes to collaborating. When necessary, I try to give Dean whatever he might need for references, and we discuss a lot of story elements together,” says Phillips. “I trust Dean as an artist and storyteller to make decisions that are best for him and the story.”
Writing about historical moments doesn’t have the same approach as writing other works. “We have five issues to work with and the historical facts span years. The toughest part about writing this book was tailoring the research to five issues while still maintaining the drama and intrigue of the main storyline,” says Phillips. Comic books like The Butcher of Paris require tons of research, which leads to unique challenges. A work based on history needs to balance entertainment with accuracy, which can sometimes be a fine line. Phillips wanted to ensure that The Butcher of Paris has a value that doesn’t exist yet. “There is so much history that it would be tough to fit that into 5 issues,” states Phillips. “I also wanted to be cautious of just providing readers with a history lesson. This is still a story that needs a thread to entertain and engage readers. With the historical facts so easily accessible online, I wanted to ensure that the story is something unique that builds from the facts to provide something readers can’t find in a Wikipedia entry.”
The research never stopped for Phillips, who found herself studying even as she wrote each issue. She wanted to learn about more than just Petiot. Phillips was concerned about occupied France and Detective Massu as well. Learning about the setting and people that surround Petiot was vital to creating an accurate and compelling story. Amidst all the research, Phillips discovered other fascinating people during World War II. One of those people was Virginia Hall. “Virginia is literally one of the most decorated spies in American history and used her wooden leg to hide Nazi secrets that she supplied to the allied forces,” says Phillips. “She’s truly an amazing figure, and I was able to incorporate her into Artemis & the Assassin.” Those who are interested in Phillips’ take on Virginia Hall will be able to pick up Artemis & the Assassin in March 2020.
The Butcher of Paris and Artemis & the Assassin aren’t the only works by Stephanie Phillips that are based on true events. Descendent (published by AfterShock Comics) and Devil Within (Published by Black Mask) were both based on true events. “I really like the idea of playing with history in order to tell a story that doesn’t get a lot of attention, or even adding historical events and people to places they shouldn’t be, which is something I am doing a lot in Artemis & the Assassin from AfterShock,” says Phillips. “I love history and researching, so I think it’s really my ‘thing’ as a writer.”
I asked Phillips what the highlight of her career has been so far. Unsurprisingly, it is her part in DC’s Crimes of Passion. “Seeing my name next to a DC logo is probably it. I work in this industry, but I’m still a fan and I grew up reading a lot of DC comics,” says Phillips. “Working with a character like Wildcat and making words come out of his mouth is a really cool feeling. Writing these licensed characters also presents a new and interesting challenge as a writer, and I’m excited for the new opportunities coming up this year. “
So what new opportunities would Phillips like to see? I asked her what characters would she like to write in the future, and she said that characters like Jonah Hex, Daredevil, James Bond, Punisher, Green Arrow, and X-23 would all be great to work with. “I really think I’m driven towards street-level characters, and usually someone with a chip on their shoulder.” The wishlist for creators Phillips wants to work with is also rather large. “I’m a huge fan of Peter Krause, Becky Cloonan, Brian Stelfreeze, Lee Weeks, Steve Epting, Joelle Jones… there are so many amazing artists, I could keep this list going all day,” Phillips says. “Oh, if Denis Villeneuve would like to co-direct an adaptation of Butcher of Paris with me, I’m available. “
I asked Phillips what she wants readers to take away from The Butcher of Paris. “There is an interesting moment in the trial of Petiot when the audience laughs at the idea that life is sacred. These are people that just lived through the bloodiest and most deadly military engagement with 60-80 million lives lost. Lecturing the French people about the sanctity of life just at the end of this brutal conflict must have just seemed… banal,” says Phillips. “This is a moment that I hope we never reach again as a global community, and I hope our story at least keeps these events fresh in people’s minds. I concluded issue #1 with a quote from Ellie Wiesel that I find relevant every single day – ‘We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”
The Butcher of Paris issues #1-3 are available now.
