Interview: Kurtis J. Wiebe on the Next Chapter of PETER PANZERFAUST

Peter Panzerfaust #6

Paris is burning. Can Peter and his doughboys rise to the occasion?

This week’s Peter Panzerfaust #6 sees the start of the next chapter in the saga of the Lost Boys of WWII. The ongoing conflict takes the lads to Paris, where it isn’t all wine and crepes as usual. But it isn’t just about the boys this time out. If you’ve yet to see your favorite characters from the original story, especially if that character is female or brandishes some kind of curved and pointy  prosthetic, never say Neverland.

We spoke to writer Kurtis J. Wiebe about what he and artist Tyler Jenkins have planned for the future of the series.

iFanboy: What’s next for Peter and his ragtag crew?

Kurtis Wiebe: The first arc, The Great Escape, dealt with Peter and the Boys trying to find safety in the early stages of the invasion. It focused on the hopeful naivety of youth, the sort of invulnerability we all felt as children. Of course, for those who read the first arc, it became clear that there was no safe place from the war and their inexperience caused them horrific loss.

The second arc, Paris, is about them embracing their fate and taking the fight to the Germans. We’ll be introducing all the major players from the Peter Pan mythology, some will be obvious, others less so. Issue 6, the first in the new arc, sees a very subtle hint to a group from the book and also features a very awesome introduction of a character people have been pining for since Issue 1.

iFanboy: Yes. Looking at the covers for upcoming issues, it appears that both the resistance and the Axis powers will be bolstered by the presence of Tiger Lily and a certain maniacal amputee…

KW: Yes, I actually wrote a scene last week in Issue 7 that features 75% of the Peter Pan characters in one room. I’ve been posting messages on Twitter and the Facebook fan page that every single Peter Pan character will show up in this second arc. If there’s someone you’ve been waiting for then get in now, they will all make an appearance, including Tiger Lily AND Hook.

iFanboy: Historically, Peter Pan is a pretty stubborn character reluctant to grow up. Not really one for change. The Peter of this story, though, doesn’t seem quite as blinded by fantasy (even if reckless abandon remains his signature move). Is he the same guy we saw in issue #1? 

KW: We hinted pretty strongly in Issue 5 that Peter was affected by the events on the farm. It was only a few small panels, but readers got to see the crack in his veneer. He’s a much more complicated character than we painted him to be in the first half of arc one. We know now that this huge pressure of leadership is taking its toll on the young man, yet he carries it on his shoulders with bravery and charisma.

In the second arc we’re also getting to see Peter through a very different filter as the narrator is no longer Tootles. Curly is a more logical, facts based man and his recollection of Peter is grounded in that realism. Which leads to your next question.

iFanboy: How do the Lost Boys see Peter now? How do people view them and their efforts? 

KW: We’ve said from the beginning that should our series become an ongoing that every arc would be told from a different Lost Boy’s perspective. The first was Tootles, a man who loved Peter dearly and considered him his best friend. Because of that, it’s possible he saw Peter through rose coloured glasses.

Curly is more down to earth, not as nostalgic about the past and that will be reflected in how Peter is portrayed. There will be some very interesting revelations about Peter in this second arc, a small explanation of his ‘superpower’, for lack of a better term.

There’s a story being told with the interviews, and we’ve planted some hints along the way. It’s not a mere storytelling device; I’ll say that much for now.

iFanboy: I think we all really admire the work Pete and the boys have been doing in the European theatre, but sadly, this war isn’t limited to a single continent. Do we have the resources to get these lads to the south Pacific? 

KW: That would be something, wouldn’t it?

Well, my outline for the series keeps us firmly rooted in France, but there are some awesome set pieces planned that will make up for any lack of international locations. This second arc alone has some insane sequences that involve everything from train heists to prisoner breakouts.

iFanboy: What’s this we’re hearing about a TV show? Can we have this yesterday?

KW: Yeah, so let’s clear this up as best we can.

To start, there is a full motion comic (with voice acted dialog) being developed by BBC America and QT Digital. They’ve partnered before on Doctor Who and Spartacus. The motion comic is currently in development and it will be a 26 minute short that will be using the first 3 issues of our series. It is being executive produced by Julie Gardner, who people may know as the EP on both Doctor Who and Torchwood.

The idea is to use the motion comic as a presentation trailer for BBC to launch a TV series, and with Julie backing the project, we’re hoping that it will be enough to move forward with a live action show. So, that’s where it’s at.

 

Look for Peter Panzerfaust #6 this week! Meanwhile, check out some covers for upcoming issues.

 

Comments

  1. Words can not express how excited I am for this. There have been a lot of great new titles coming out of Image this year, but Peter Panzerfaust has been my favorite so far.