Next month, as part of their 20th anniversary celebration, Image Comics will launch the brand new war epic Peter Panzerfaust. The book is notable for a variety of reasons, not least of which is the fact that it is the third new independent property of the last twelve months from writer Kurtis Weibe (The Intrepids, Green Wake). Adapting the classic story of Peter Pan into a World War II setting, Peter Panzerfaust promises surprise, intrigue and suspense on top of all the characters you know and love from the original story making an appearance throughout the book.
We chatted with Weibe this week to discuss the origins of the book and what fans old and new can expect when the first issue lands on store shelves next month.
Click below and get ready to rediscover the legend of Peter Pan anew! With guns. And no fairies. And Nazis.
Joshua Mocle: How big of Peter Pan fan were you when you were growing up?
Kurtis Weibe: I loved the Disney movie as a kid, it inspired all kinds of imaginative stories even as a youngster so it’s always been with me. I loved Mr. Smee and the Crocodile, both really hilarious characters that I feel hold up well for comic relief when I watch it now as an adult. There’s a great playfulness to the story that never fails to entertain, regardless of age.
JM: What is it about the original story that appeals to you enough to want to adapt it in this way?
KW: It’s the concept of youth and, especially in the story, the complete lack of understanding of the danger Peter and the Lost Boys put themselves in. When they attack the pirates, they treat it like some sort of game, but their lives actually hang in the balance. If Hook were to catch them, that’d be the end. They continue to play along, completely oblivious to the possible consequences of their actions.
I think that will translate very well into the series. Boys playing at men playing at war.
JM: How did the ideas that eventually became Peter Panzerfaust start to take shape?
KW: Tyler and I had been batting around idea for a few months and he’d come up with one that was the Lost Boys fighting during Vietnam. I truthfully didn’t take it very seriously at first, but as I started to think about it, the story took shape.
I’d been researching World War 2 at the time (I was on a huge Band of Brothers kick) and also doing some reading on Nancy Wake (The White Mouse) so when I put the concept into those situations, it really started to come together. I thought of interesting ways we could recreate the Peter Pan mythology in a World War 2 setting and it was pretty awesome how easily it all fit.
JM: The combination of the Peter Pan iconography and Nazi occupied France is an inspired choice. What made you want to combine these two very disparate sources into one story?
KW: I touched on it briefly in the previous question, but I think the main reason I wanted to take the classic children’s story and adapt it to the World War 2 setting was because I was fascinated with the era at the time. I’d just finished reading Stephen Ambrose’s book Citizen Soldier and had been doing my own research, just for fun. As I started to learn about different movements and interesting historical figures, I started to see how I could slot in the Peter Pan mythology into that era of time.
Resistance fighters, big villains, epic heroes; there were a lot of ways I could develop the series in that era specifically.
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JM: What draws you to want to work within the World War 2 time period as opposed to another point in world history? Or do you feel like this story MUST be told during that war?
KW: Tyler had mentioned Vietnam, but for whatever reason, that concept didn’t resonate with me. I think Peter Pan is a very European story and fits a little more naturally to that era and location. There was also some easy metaphors I could draw from the book to my comic, reimagined versions of events or characters that would only work in that specific era. People will see that come to play as the series goes on.
JM: As far as we can see, none of the mystical, fantasy elements of Peter Pan transfer over into Peter Panzerfaust. No one will be flying, there will be no fairies and as is blatantly apparent from the preview circling around, at least one member of the cast does indeed grow up. Given that, in what way do you plan to handle the adaptation of the more magical side of the original story?
KW: The first issue begins with an interview. This is Gilbert (Tootles), and as you mentioned, he grows up. The interviewer is asking about his time with Peter and, like all stories, they change based on the filter through which the events are seen. The interviewee will change through the series and each time the narrative will also change slightly.
Peter Panzerfaust is grounded in reality, but we’re going to see little hints of the magic from the book through the eyes of the older men who lived with Peter. Some believe he was a boy of extraordinary abilities, supernatural even, but others just saw it that he was luckier than most and had a bit of a kamikaze nature to him.
JM: How did you go about bringing Tyler Jenkins into the fold to work on pencils? Given the initial oddity of the idea, was it a hard sell at all?
KW: Not at all, we’ve been talking about this series for 3 or 4 years now. I’ve known Tyler quite awhile, and we’d already worked on Snow Angel (an OGN with Arcana), so we had a good understanding of each other’s strengths.
JM: What is it about his style that you think fits the book so well?
KW: Tyler has the ability to walk this tight line between gritty and fun that is absolutely essential to this series. If I’d gone too light or cartoony, the more dramatic moments might’ve lost their potency, and if I’d chosen an artist with a real gritty, dark style, I might’ve lost the playfulness that will keep this series interesting and entertaining.
Only Tyler can do Peter Panzerfaust.
JM: What has been the nature of your and Tyler’s collaboration on the book? Has it been a clear cut case of you writing the scripts and him illustrating them, or have you two developed the story together on a deeper level?
KW: Well, Tyler planted the seed in my brain all those years ago, but I’ve done most of the development as far as story, setting and characters. I’d actually started writing this as a screenplay because I didn’t think, at the time, I’d ever make it in comics. I have no idea why I thought writing a screenplay seemed like a better bet. Once I had a few series under my belt and Tyler had more free time, we decided it was the right moment to pitch it.
Tyler and I do keep in pretty constant communication, which I’ve learned is an invaluable tool for a tight comic series. I talk about what I have planned, Tyler puts in his two cents and I go back to the script and try to infuse what we discussed beforehand.
JM: After The Intrepids and Green Wake, this is now your third work for Image to take shape over the last year. Is there anything you can name from your experiences on those books that caused you to look at an aspect of Peter Panzerfaust differently?
KW: Intrepids taught me a lot about writing a team book, which Peter Panzerfaust definitely is, and more so. By issue 3 I’ll be working with a cast of 10 characters and I think if I hadn’t learned about team dynamic in Intrepids, I’d be in very hot water with this new series. Green Wake taught me all about pacing and the important of letting the art do the talking.
I know Tyler can carry a scene on his art alone, I’ve seen it more times than I can count, so when it’s needed, I let him handle the heavy work.
JM: How much of the story do you currently have plotted out? What is your ideal run length for it?
KW: Pretty far, actually. I’d love for this series to go for 30 issues, but indie comics only live if people support a series with their wallets. I’m hoping the basic concept, coupled with the fact that people all over the world know the Peter Pan story will help our series fly. See what I did there?
JM: What can people expect from the book moving forward, especially given that most people in the street are, at the very least, aware of Peter Pan?
KW: The Peter Pan mythology will be a constant presence in the series. I’ll never bash you over the head with it, it’ll often be subtle or done with a wink and a nudge, but you will know it when you see it. We have Captain Hook, we have Mr. Smee, we have Tiger Lily and the Mermaids. All the characters you love will be in our series and we’re bringing them into the story in a very new and interesting way. If you love Peter Pan as much as I do, you will love our series. Promise.
Excited for Peter Panzerfaust? We are too! Tell your Local Comic Shop to order copies before the order cutoff this weekend! All the cool kids will be doing so, or so I am told.
