‘Mouse Guard’ and beyond: David Petersen talks to SJ
Saint James was founded for a variety of reasons, the first and foremost because we love comics and love telling stories through comics. Jesse and I realized we wanted in, and wanted in bad, and…well, here we are, trying to get ourselves out there as best we can. And now, having (for the most part) totally immersed ourselves in the industry, It’s funny discovering that some of our favorite artists working in the medium today were born and live/work right in our backyard (Michigan). With all of the negativity surrounding Michigan’s economy lately, it’s nice to know that there are some extremely talented people making a living here, using their Michigan heritage to put out some inspiring work. So, being a fan of Mouse Guard for a long time, it was only recently I found out that the series’ mastermind, David Petersen, was born, raised, and works here.
If you haven’t had the chance to read Mouse Guard, I highly suggest you do. The story, both written and illustrated by Petersen, follows a colony of intelligent, sword-and-shield-wielding mice in a medieval world over the course of their adventures. It’s a lushly detailed series, and from the first page you are guaranteed to be drawn in. Mouse Guard Volume 1: Fall 1152 is already available in TPB, and the collected Volume 2: Winter 1152 is due out in August, although you can head to your local shop and pick up the single issues right now – issue #6 came out just last week and it is fantastic.
I had a chance to talk to Mr. Petersen and ask him not only about Mouse Guard, but what he thought of independent publishers (like us), his inspirations, and what we can look forward to in the future from the artist-extraordinaire.
