The epic Image Comics series that blends the Peter Pan story with the time period of World War II just hit its next stage of evolution last week with issue #6, so we caught up with writer Kurtis Wiebe to take us on a journey through what's to come for Peter and the Lost Boys.
Check out our review for Peter Panzerfaust #6!
IGN Comics: Peter Panzerfaust presents much more mature, weighty issues than the Disney fairy tale versions of Peter Pan, and, in issue #6, the story adopts a more serious, thoughtful tone compared to even the series' first arc. What made you think to use these characters to tell this particular story, and who is the target audience for the series?
Kurtis Wiebe: Peter Pan has always been the story of holding onto our innocence and youth. Those themes are fascinating because we all have gone through that transition in our lives and we easily relate to them. Take that idea and put it in a context where many children were forced to grow up early, not because of their own choices, but by circumstances put upon them. That’s what happens in war and I think the theme of Peter Pan collides perfectly with the loss of innocence in a real world conflict.
Peter Panzerfaust originally, to me, was a series aimed at young adults, early to late teens. I’ve had so many messages from fans, or been approached by some at conventions, who tell me their 5 year old son loves it, or that they bought the series for their middle aged parents who adore it. It’s a universal story that everyone has grown up with and I think that makes it appropriate for all ages. This upcoming arc might take things down a darker path but there will never be gratuitous language, gore or violence and I think that helps keep it safe for all age groups.
IGN: You mention on your website that you have a general notion that Peter Panzerfaust will run 25 issues. Seeing as the first arc ran 5 issues, did you conceive of the plot as a 5 act drama? Do you find that you feel more comfortable writing series of a definite length or are you also passionate about writing open-ended series as well?
Wiebe: There’s definite structure to this series, and 25 issues is a very precise number and it’s tied into the interviews. Each arc will be narrated by a different member of Peter’s group, so with 5 issues per arc that means 5 of the people who experienced adventures with Peter will get to share their story. Knowing who those characters are and what they bring to the history of the story is very important and there’s a plot happening with those interviews as well. In this case, I’m comfortable with the plan because I know exactly what the narrative beats are and I’m building to a major resolution at an exact point in time.
With long form stories where there’s not a certain ending point, sometimes you can get bogged down with filler or meandering plots. I want this experience to be very concise for readers because that is exactly what I have planned.
Wiebe: They are very important to the overall story and I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am to finally bring these women into the adventure in a more meaningful way. Tiger Lily has honestly been my favorite character to write in the series so far. She’s taken on such a powerful voice and any scene she’s in she absolutely dominates. It’s rather unexpected, truthfully. I was always a bit worried when I planned ahead in the series that she’d be difficult to distinguish from the huge cast of characters.
Wendy is also going to start to take a more central role later on in this arc and future arcs. She’s been a minor character so far but, rest assured, she’s a major player by the end.
IGN: Hook will be taking center stage soon as well, but I'm sure fans are wondering whether they'll be seeing Tinkerbell any time soon. Any hints?
Wiebe: Tinkerbell has made an appearance. Of sorts. If you go back and read the first volume, Peter talks about our version of her a few times. It’s a more metaphorical interpretation of Tinkerbell and what a mythological creature means in the real world.
IGN: You've previously implied that Peter shows his "magic" by having a knack for escaping tight situations, popping up atop exceptionally high structures, etc., but just how far do you plan to explore the uncanny aspect of the Peter Pan lore in your series?
Wiebe: It’s just beginning. Peter’s "power," for lack of better term, will start to be explained as this arc continues. It’s tied into how Julien is a much more grounded man than Gilbert and his memories, therefore, are a lot more reliable as to the reality of the events.
That’s not to say Peter isn’t extraordinary, he definitely is, probably in a way readers aren’t expecting, though.
IGN: You recently won the Shuster Award for Outstanding Comic Book Writer, primarily for your work on Green Wake. Can you tell us a little about your motivations for writing Green Wake and what it means to be recognized for a work that was so personal in nature?
Wiebe: Green Wake was a concept I came up with while I was going through the early stages of a divorce. In that time I was reflecting a lot; on myself, on the nature of relationships, on the concept of guilt and shame. It was probably the most difficult comic I’ve ever written, and I still have trouble reading the last 10 pages of the first volume. It’s too real to me and the sequence where Morley sees everything that was, is and what could’ve been... yeah. Very difficult.
So, when I won the award for that series it made me realize that this series, despite its early end from lack of sales, had profoundly affected those that read it. It mattered to them. That’s a huge victory to me and made it very worthwhile to struggle through the writing process which was, really, a grieving period in my life.
IGN: Anyone who has ever tried to produce a comic book knows that artistic talent is a limited commodity yet you consistently collaborate with artists who are among the hottest new talent on the market. What is the secret to forging successful collaborations?
Wiebe: It’s funny, but a lot of people don’t realize that most of the artists I work with are friends. I’ve just been lucky to become involved with a group of people that are all interconnected in some way, mostly through ACAD in Calgary, Canada which is an art college. Tyler Jenkins, Riley Rossmo and Scott Kowalchuk all attended that school so I met them all roughly around the same time. I think I just had to prove to them that I was willing to bust my ass to make comics and get them in front of editors.
As for the secret? I’ll give a tip for finding artists, how to secure them totally depends on what they are looking for. A good way to find artists is to go to conventions and scout the artist alley. Many of those artists are looking for something cool to work on and if you can be enthusiastic and promise an equal investment of time and energy in a project as they would have to commit, you’ll do yourself a service.
IGN: You've got a few titles coming out right now, including the romantic comic, Grim Leaper, and the post-apocalyptic adventure story, Debris. Which one of your comic book efforts are you currently most excited about, and which one do you wish more people knew about?
Wiebe: Tough question. I think Grim Leaper really slipped under the comic community radar but the feedback and reviews have been really strong. That series is also based on life experience; it’s inspired by my dating life after my marriage ended and I was heading back into that terrifying world at age 31. If you’ve ever had to navigate the dating world at that age, or, even any age, Grim Leaper will be painfully hilarious.
And, of course, Peter Panzerfaust. I can’t lie. Our sales have fallen since the first arc and I’m trying to get the word out about this series because our fan base is so in love with the series. We need to maintain, or even better, increase our sales to ensure we get our 25 issues. I don’t want to break hearts like I had to with Green Wake. So, readers out there, if you love this series, please, spread the word.
Wiebe: I quite honestly buy mostly Image titles, and outside of Image it’s always creator owned. I’m reading Saga, Mind MGMT, Punk Rock Jesus, Mind the Gap and Harvest. Those are just a few off the top of my head, there’s more of course. I think we’re already seeing Justin Jordan exploding, he’ll be a top writer in the next few years. Which is great because he’s an awesome guy. Riley Rossmo is finally going to get the eyes on his work he’s always deserved with Nick Spencer’s Bedlam. I’ve seen the pages, and they are his best work yet (yes, even better than Debris). Joe Keatinge is also bursting onto the scene, writing a stack of Image titles and getting work at Marvel in a very short time so I bet we’ll be seeing him a lot more as the years go by.
IGN: In a world of Kickstarter, Image, and work-for-hire, what would your recommendations to aspiring creators be?
Wiebe: Creator owned. All the way. Own your worlds, your characters and your stories. Yeah, the money isn’t always great, and, let’s be honest, it can be downright terrible, but at the end of the day you are in full control of your story and nothing is worth more than that. We are hearing more all the time about dissatisfied creators walking away from the big two. There’s a reason for that, and it comes down to being able to tell a story without a thousand restrictions.
I love creative freedom.
Poet is a freelance writer, mid-core gamer, and frequent IGN contributor. Follow Poet on Twitter, or post a message on his IGN profile.
Source : ign[dot]com
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