David Petersen
Encyclopedia
David E. Petersen is an American
comic book
creator best known for the series Mouse Guard
. He was born, raised, and currently resides in Michigan
.
in Flint, Michigan
, who are noted for their art program, and then transferred to Eastern Michigan University
, where he earned his degree in Fine Arts.
mini-series is to tell the reader who the guard are, what they do, what they don’t do and how they live. Future series will have more character development, exposure to more of the world, threats, environments and history."
"I would say that if the person is interested in a fun read with classic sword fights, danger, with artwork different from most of what’s on the comic shelves, they should give Mouse Guard
a try."
When asked about the origins of Mouse Guard in an interview on the Project Fanboy
website, Petersen had this to say.
The story and characters of "1149", which was to be later known as Mouse Guard, originally involved several different types of animals, but during college Petersen reexamined his story and transformed it from the culture of the several other species into the story of life as mice living a sheltered civilization that only walked the open wild if a specialized mouse group escorted them: the Mouse Guard. After establishing the culture of these mice, Petersen felt that the rest of the animal cultures were only distractions for what he felt the real heart of the story would be: "the mice overcoming the obstacles of being in a world too big for them".
"When it comes to story telling, I’m a big fan of Mike Mignola
and Frank Miller
. Although Mouse Guard
doesn’t look like either of their work. My ink work is something that comes from my printmaking
background, something you don’t associate with comics, but after seeing some folks like Rick Geary
and Gary Gianni
doing comics in styles with line quality different than traditional comics, I knew I could incorporate it as well."
"I have long been a fan of classic adventure stories and at one time planned on doing a cross between an adventure story and an anthropology experiment with only animals natural to the same habitat as the main characters. It gave me a problem of coming up with story devices and plot to keep everyone from simply eating each other. It more closely resembled Disney's Robin Hood
than Mouse Guard
. In giving the mice a leg up, the idea of the mouse guard and how the mice hide themselves away became the most interesting focus. I quickly shifted all attention to their story. In doing so have drawn from some of my favorite creators and their work including Mike Mignola
, Frank Miller
, Kenneth Grahame
, E. H. Shephard, and Rick Geary
."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
creator best known for the series Mouse Guard
Mouse Guard
Mouse Guard is an Eisner Award-winning bi-monthly comic book series published by Archaia Studios Press. The comic stands out on shelves due to its distinctive form factor -– a square as opposed to the standard comic size...
. He was born, raised, and currently resides in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
.
Education
David Petersen originally attended Mott Community CollegeMott Community College
Charles Stewart Mott Community College is a publicly supported post-secondary institution located in Flint, Michigan. Its district is the same as the Genesee Intermediate School District and is governed by an elected board of Trustees...
in Flint, Michigan
Flint, Michigan
Flint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the...
, who are noted for their art program, and then transferred to Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University is a comprehensive, co-educational public university located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Ypsilanti is west of Detroit and eight miles east of Ann Arbor. The university was founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School...
, where he earned his degree in Fine Arts.
Children's books
None of these books were published for mass release, though Petersen did make bound editions of several of them for presents (mainly for his wife, Julia). All these books have been placed on the web by David Petersen.- Papa Bear
- Rest In Peace Bailey Bear (2004)
- The Mouse And The Cardinal
- Maddie + The Monster
- What Emma Will Be (2005)
- Kate's Escape (2005)
Comic books
- Voices (2004, ComiXpress) - Anthology of five comic artists, each having four pages. Released in conjunction with a gallery show. David Petersen's contribution, Fir Darrig, was rereleased in Ye Olde Lore Of Yore, Volume 1. 20 pgs, black and white interiors.
- Ye Olde Lore Of Yore, Volume 1 (2005, ComiXpress) - Anthology of five stories; two by Jeremy Bastian, two by David Petersen, and one by Jeremy Bastian & David Petersen. 36 pgs, black and white interiors.
Mouse Guard
"The plan with this first Mouse GuardMouse Guard
Mouse Guard is an Eisner Award-winning bi-monthly comic book series published by Archaia Studios Press. The comic stands out on shelves due to its distinctive form factor -– a square as opposed to the standard comic size...
mini-series is to tell the reader who the guard are, what they do, what they don’t do and how they live. Future series will have more character development, exposure to more of the world, threats, environments and history."
"I would say that if the person is interested in a fun read with classic sword fights, danger, with artwork different from most of what’s on the comic shelves, they should give Mouse Guard
Mouse Guard
Mouse Guard is an Eisner Award-winning bi-monthly comic book series published by Archaia Studios Press. The comic stands out on shelves due to its distinctive form factor -– a square as opposed to the standard comic size...
a try."
When asked about the origins of Mouse Guard in an interview on the Project Fanboy
Project Fanboy
Project Fanboy is an American website that publishes news, interviews and reviews about the American comic book industry. In addition, the site is host to comic-book fan voted awards...
website, Petersen had this to say.
Mouse Guard spawned out of a comic idea I had in high-school. That project resembled something more like Disney’s Robin Hood.
The story and characters of "1149", which was to be later known as Mouse Guard, originally involved several different types of animals, but during college Petersen reexamined his story and transformed it from the culture of the several other species into the story of life as mice living a sheltered civilization that only walked the open wild if a specialized mouse group escorted them: the Mouse Guard. After establishing the culture of these mice, Petersen felt that the rest of the animal cultures were only distractions for what he felt the real heart of the story would be: "the mice overcoming the obstacles of being in a world too big for them".
Influences
"[Growing up watching cartoons on television] influenced my imagination. Sure, I would spend some of the day sitting in front of the TV, but afterwards, I’d play outside with neighbor kids, pretending new adventures for all the characters I had seen that morning. And while we were not poor, we also were not rich, so it was hard to be bombarded with the cartoon and advertising of a character and not be able to own all the toys I wanted. But I would find pieces of wood and draw on them with crayons and say, “Look, it’s Optimus Prime!” or make cardboard cut-outs of characters and play with them.""When it comes to story telling, I’m a big fan of Mike Mignola
Mike Mignola
Michael Joseph "Mike" Mignola is an American comic book artist and writer who created the comic book series Hellboy for Dark Horse Comics. He has worked for animation projects such as Atlantis: The Lost Empire and the adaptation of his one shot comic book, The Amazing Screw-On Head.-Career:Mignola...
and Frank Miller
Frank Miller (comics)
Frank Miller is an American comic book artist, writer and film director best known for his dark, film noir-style comic book stories and graphic novels Ronin, Daredevil: Born Again, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Sin City and 300...
. Although Mouse Guard
Mouse Guard
Mouse Guard is an Eisner Award-winning bi-monthly comic book series published by Archaia Studios Press. The comic stands out on shelves due to its distinctive form factor -– a square as opposed to the standard comic size...
doesn’t look like either of their work. My ink work is something that comes from my printmaking
Printmaking
Printmaking is the process of making artworks by printing, normally on paper. Printmaking normally covers only the process of creating prints with an element of originality, rather than just being a photographic reproduction of a painting. Except in the case of monotyping, the process is capable...
background, something you don’t associate with comics, but after seeing some folks like Rick Geary
Rick Geary
Rick Geary is an American cartoonist and illustrator.-Biography:Rick Geary was born on February 25, 1946 in Kansas City, Missouri. Geary was initially introduced to comics readers with his contributions to the Heavy Metal and National Lampoon magazines...
and Gary Gianni
Gary Gianni
Gary Gianni is an American comics artist best known for the syndicated newspaper comic Prince Valiant.-Biography:Gianni graduated from the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts in 1976...
doing comics in styles with line quality different than traditional comics, I knew I could incorporate it as well."
"I have long been a fan of classic adventure stories and at one time planned on doing a cross between an adventure story and an anthropology experiment with only animals natural to the same habitat as the main characters. It gave me a problem of coming up with story devices and plot to keep everyone from simply eating each other. It more closely resembled Disney's Robin Hood
Robin Hood (1973 film)
Robin Hood is an 1973 American animated film produced by the Walt Disney Productions, first released in the United States on November 8, 1973...
than Mouse Guard
Mouse Guard
Mouse Guard is an Eisner Award-winning bi-monthly comic book series published by Archaia Studios Press. The comic stands out on shelves due to its distinctive form factor -– a square as opposed to the standard comic size...
. In giving the mice a leg up, the idea of the mouse guard and how the mice hide themselves away became the most interesting focus. I quickly shifted all attention to their story. In doing so have drawn from some of my favorite creators and their work including Mike Mignola
Mike Mignola
Michael Joseph "Mike" Mignola is an American comic book artist and writer who created the comic book series Hellboy for Dark Horse Comics. He has worked for animation projects such as Atlantis: The Lost Empire and the adaptation of his one shot comic book, The Amazing Screw-On Head.-Career:Mignola...
, Frank Miller
Frank Miller (comics)
Frank Miller is an American comic book artist, writer and film director best known for his dark, film noir-style comic book stories and graphic novels Ronin, Daredevil: Born Again, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Sin City and 300...
, Kenneth Grahame
Kenneth Grahame
Kenneth Grahame was a Scottish writer, most famous for The Wind in the Willows , one of the classics of children's literature. He also wrote The Reluctant Dragon; both books were later adapted into Disney films....
, E. H. Shephard, and Rick Geary
Rick Geary
Rick Geary is an American cartoonist and illustrator.-Biography:Rick Geary was born on February 25, 1946 in Kansas City, Missouri. Geary was initially introduced to comics readers with his contributions to the Heavy Metal and National Lampoon magazines...
."
External links
- FlamesRising.com Interview, February 2010
- Kevin Malcolm at Emerald City ComiConEmerald City ComiConThe Emerald City Comicon is an annual comic book convention taking place in Seattle, Washington. Originally taking place at the city's Qwest Field , the venue changed to its current home at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center since 2008...
for The Backroom Comics PodcastBackroom Comics PodcastThe Backroom Comics Podcast is a weekly video podcast and audio podcast focused on comics. It is hosted by Kevin Malcolm, Greg Upton, Pete Greenberg and Jason Doctor. The first episode was released on March 20, 2009...
Episode 6 - Emerald City ComiCon Part 2, April 2009 - Exploring The Multiverse Video Interview, April 2010
- HollywoodJesus.com Interview, July 2010
- Comic Geek Speak Podcast interview (May, 2007)