Things are getting pretty dire within the pages of Kurtis Wiebe and Tyler Jenkins’ “Peter Panzerfaust”. Having joined forces with a resistance group known as the Braves, Peter and the Lost Boys are doing everything they can to get back their captured companion, Felix. Now, with Peter Panzerfaust #8 (due early in the new year), a highly-anticipated and rather pointy villain will be making his debut. The stakes are getting ever higher in what was already an awfully big adventure.
In addition to giving us a look at Peter Panzerfaust #8, Kurtis Wiebe answered some of our questions about the future of the series, not to mention the Hook himself.
Can you give us a brief overview of what happens in this issue? That opening scene is a heartbreaker, by the way.
Kurtis Wiebe: Thank you! I think the first 5 pages of this issue are probably my favourite I’ve written yet. Issue 8 sees the Lost Boys in one final desperate mission to save Felix before he’s taken to Germany as a prisoner of war. Wendy is heavily involved in this issue, it is her plan that eventually leads them to find Felix once again. And, of course, leading to the next question, we finally meet the Peter Panzerfaust version of Captain Hook.
Kapitan Haken gets a great entrance. What kind of approach did you and Tyler Jenkins take in regards to Kapitan Haken’s appearance, and to this panel in general?
KW: We’ve really been building to this moment, and I’ve known since the book first came out that Issue 8 was our big reveal. Tyler did a few mock ups for Hook before the series came out, and he really nailed the design very quickly. We wanted Hook to have a cinematic look, to make him a memorable, sinister character and so with the whole SS Officer angle, we used some traditional Nazi outfits with a bit of flourish.
Was the Hook character always going to be a Nazi officer, or did you consider other ideas as to how he was going to be portrayed?
KW: A lot of people assumed it was going to be Hitler, but we didn’t want to ground it in that much reality. It was better that Hook be a fictional character set in the real world. Since I knew the entire arc of the series from day one, I knew he’d be an SS officer tasked with tracking the French Resistance. He would always be the man at the top of the chain, and therefor powerful and scary.
Are we going to learn anything about Kapitan Haken personally? Does he have a backstory that will come clear at some point?
KW: He’s the star of Issue 9. It will be the episode where he and Peter face off in a way most people aren’t expecting and we’ll get to learn what makes Hook tick. I think fans will be surprised with the history of Hook and how we blend that into Peter’s own journey.
There’s an awesome scene in this issue where a different side to Wendy is revealed. How do you think of her as a character? Has she had the potential to do this all along?
KW: Wendy’s voice really came to me this issue and this is the first time we’re hearing her thoughts on the death of her parents. It’s a huge motivator for her, and it’s created this drive in her to never allow harm to come to those she loves ever again. She’ll do anything to protect her family.
Wendy was always going to be a pivotal character but I’m taking my time in revealing her to the readers. Some of the future stories revolving around her are amazing and I can’t wait for the fans to get to know her and love her.
Speaking of awesome ladies, why does Tiger Lily dress the way she does? What kind of discussions did you and Tyler have in regards to her portrayal and personality?
KW: Ahhhh Tiger Lily. Honestly, I adore writing her and it came about rather organically. Lily was also planned from a very early point and I knew her role from my outline when I first pitched the series. Her personality was something I didn’t have a bead on from the beginning so I went into writing her, it just sort of happened. From there it was never a struggle. Her design came from this image I found online of an artsy photo shoot where someone was dressed as Tiger Lily and I sent it to Tyler and he nailed it. In particular, she wears that red band of paint over her eyes because it’s part of her cultural heritage. It hasn’t been mentioned yet, and will be in the story, but Tiger Lily is half Native Canadian.
Continued belowIt’s been interesting to see how the portrayal of Peter has shifted as different characters have set about narrating his story. Curly is a lot more realistic than Tootles, but would you say that he is telling this story objectively? What kind of baggage is he bringing to the story?
KW: Curly is much more matter of fact. He remembers the details and is less affected by nostalgia than Tootles is. It’s obvious he still has a profound respect for Peter and remembers him favourably, but there’s also this side of Curly that was often frustrated with Peter’s unending optimism.
There’s also an amazing reveal coming up in this arc about Curly. Stay tuned!
How many issues do you have planned out at present? How is the future of this series looking as a whole?
KW: Panzerfaust is a 25 issue series. At this point I have a solid idea of the beginning, middle and end but the details are still in the works. I know all the arcs for each character and who will be interviewed in each 5 issue arc, so it’s just a matter of planning out the individual issues.
At the moment we’re doing everything we can to bring up our sales. Regardless of what happens, Tyler and I have committed to finish the series exactly we have planned. You will get 25 issues of Panzerfaust.
To anyone who’s reading this: If you love this series, tell people about it. More sales can always help.
You’ve said that a large proportion of the original characters from the novel will be showing up at some point. This may be a long shot, but is there any chance a certain ticking crocodile will make an appearance? How about other minor characters in the Peter Pan mythology?
KW: Oh yes, there will be a ticking crocodile. We’ve already hinted at the Mermaids, they appeared in Issue 6, so go back and see if you can find them. We’ve also talked about Tinkerbell and Issue 8 introduces Nana. So, everyone is there.
Are there any scenes that you’re particularly looking forward to writing?
KW: The final arc is going to be my favourite. It’s a culmination of both stories of when they were young and the interviews when they’re older. They slowly begin to tie into each other and it’s going to be very satisfying for those that have stuck with us through the entire series.
Can you give us any updates on the progress of the Peter Panzerfaust motion comic/TV series?
KW: It’s supposed to launch in Spring, but I have no official updates as of yet. Apparently the voice talent has been chosen but I’m waiting to hear who it is. The TV show is very dependent on how the motion comic is received. I’ll definitely let you know when I hear more.
Lastly: which do you prefer, Fanzerfaust or Dwiebe?
KW: Both are hilarious. And, if I’m not mistaken, you coined both those terms. So, thanks for that!
“Peter Panzerfaust” #8 will be hitting the shelves January 2nd. Keep an eye out for our advance review!
