Meep
The Meeps, also known as Meepkind (TV: The Star Beast), were a species of furry creatures, who were more dangerous than they appeared.
Biology
Meeps were diminutive, furry creatures with large ears, a short nose and almond-shaped eyes. By one account, they appeared spherical in shape, while in another they instead appeared more humanoid. Their dense fur concealed a pouch and their blood was green. (COMIC: Doctor Who and the Star Beast) They had white fur and pink feet and hands. (COMIC: Star Beast II, PROSE: Placebo Effect) They also had two hearts. (TV: The Star Beast [+]Loading...["The Star Beast (TV story)"])
Technology
Meeps used neutron drive star cruisers to travel, which used star jumps to travel vast distances. These ships produced Black Sun radiation, which could control individuals. (COMIC: Doctor Who and the Star Beast) They also used laser pistols which had no stun settings. The pistols could be made to discharge constantly and harmlessly, causing them to be become less powerful over time. (AUDIO: The Ratings War)
History
Originally the Meeps were a highly advanced, peaceful race, envied for their happiness. The race was mutated by the rays of what was, according to one account, a Black Sun, which turned them into conquest hungry, planet-grabbing killers. (COMIC: Doctor Who and the Star Beast [+]Loading...["Doctor Who and the Star Beast (comic story)"]) According to another account, their living sun turned psychedelic, mutating them into maniacs bent on cruelty and conquest. (TV: The Star Beast [+]Loading...["The Star Beast (TV story)"])
According to one account, all of the Meeps apart from their leader Beep were wiped out when the Wrarth Warriors destroyed their armada at the Battle of Yarras in the 20th century. (COMIC: Doctor Who and the Star Beast) Other accounts held that the race survived afterwards. (PROSE: Placebo Effect) Rose Noble once encountered a Meep at around the same time that the Fourteenth Doctor was reunited with the Noble family. (PROSE: We Are Family [+]Loading...{"page":"35","1":"We Are Family (short story)"}, TV: The Star Beast [+]Loading...["The Star Beast (TV story)"])
Eventually, they returned to their peaceful nature, though they were still a cunning and resourceful species, taking advantage of their seemingly harmless nature. (PROSE: Placebo Effect)
A drunken Meep on Maruthea approached the Seventh Doctor and his future incarnation to claim some kind of bounty. The Freefall Warriors attacked him and everyone began fighting each other. (COMIC: Party Animals)
At some point before the 26th century members of the Slitheen family impersonated Meeps. (PROSE: The Monsters Inside)
In the 37th century, a Meep was at the Oriel art gallery. (COMIC: Art Attack)
During the 40th century, the Meeps successfully petitioned the Galactic Federation to stop the production of stuffed Meep toys, finding them offensive. (PROSE: Placebo Effect)
In the Olympics of 3999, several Meeps were participating, including one who competed against Kyle Dale in the discus throw. (PROSE: Placebo Effect)
Behind the scenes
What colour is a Meep?
Doctor Who and the Star Beast was originally printed in black and white in the pages of Doctor Who Magazine but has been colourised three different times. This has lead to inconsistent colours for Meeps, namely Beep the Meep:
- In Doctor Who (1984), Beep was coloured blue by Andy Yanchus, as did cover colourist George Roussos.
- The Incomplete Death's Head colourised reprint of COMIC: Party Animals also featured a blue Meep by David Leach.
- In Doctor Who Classic Comics, Beep was coloured white by Paul Vyse.
- Paul Vyse used the same colour in COMIC: Star Beast II, as did cover artist Colin Howard.
- In PROSE: Placebo Effect, Meeps are described in Vyse's colours.
- In an illustration for DWM 350, Beep was coloured white by Andy Lambert.
- In COMIC: Art Attack, a Meep was coloured blue by Dylan Teague.
- In Doctor Who Classics, Beep was coloured blue by Charlie Kirchoff, as did cover artist Joe Corroney.
- In a mock-interview from DWM 419, Beep lampooned the American colourists for making him blue. However, this included an illustration of Beep coloured purple by Rob Davis.
- In AUDIO: Doctor Who and the Star Beast, Beep was coloured grey by cover artist Will Brooks.
- While Beep's blood is explicitly green in the story, he has red blood in Will Brooks' cover.
- On Starburst issue 483, Beep is coloured blue by Paul Loudon, based on a panel from Party Animals.
- In TV: The Star Beast, the Meep has white fur.
