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Peter David penning Epic Mickey digicomic, graphic novel

Comic-Con 2010: Famed comic writer and Warren Spector talk about Disney's Wii game, announce a graphic novel and a prequel digicomic series subtitled Tales of Wasteland.

Who was there: The panel consisted of Deus Ex creator Warren Spector and comic writer Peter David.

What they talked about: The first half of the panel focused on Disney Interactive's upcoming Wii game, Epic Mickey. The game stars the well-known mouse, who has caused quite a bit of mischief in a world known as the wasteland.

Spector, the creative director behind the game, talked about how much of a fan he was of cartoons, which began the day he was born, when his father gave him a Pluto plush toy. He eventually wrote his master's thesis on animation.

Epic Mickey will incorporate a variety of art styles for its various realms.

Like Walt Disney, Spector doesn't like to throw anything away. He says that the wasteland in the game is like a product of the power of Walt's imagination, where everything that has been forgotten is stored. The world is meant to be an alternate version of Disney theme parks, or "a mash-up of everything Disney has ever created," he said.

A video during the panel highlighted the various areas that Mickey will be visiting on his adventure. Levels that stood out were the black and white Steamboat Willie levels and the colorful "Plutopia" side-scrolling area. A new area was also shown, a dark manor that housed a mad doctor who hovered in a snow globe.

Spector emphasized that his goal was to honor Disney by also including elements that no longer exist in the real world but at one point had existed in the famed animator's universe. To pay homage to Disney's innovation, Spector said that the paint thinner mechanic will allow Mickey to create and remove elements and make choices that ultimately affect the story.

The game will pay homage to Mickey Mouse's entire timeline, going all the way back to the black-and-white Steamboat Willie cartoons.

"It's not about good and evil, but what kind of hero you are," Spector said.

David, who remained relatively quiet during the first part of the panel, had something to share in the form of a video. Disney has its own digicomic application, available on the iPhone and iPod Touch, that allows users to download and read Disney comics. The digicomic will also come to the PSP, but no date or release details were announced.

David also revealed that he would be involved in writing Disney's Epic Mickey: Tales of Wasteland, a prequel broken up into six eight-page stories designed specifically for digicomics. The events take place before the game and will provide some backstory and introduce places that aren't in the game. David also let slip that there is a potential for future games as well.

Spector (left) and David.

The writer is also working on a 64-page graphic novel adaption of the entire game. He said, "You'd be cheating yourself if you just got the graphic novel." Given that there are multiple endings in Epic Mickey, he explained that it would be impossible to compile all its narrative into 64 pages.

Quote: "Would Disney mind buying Marvel comics?"--Peter David, when telling the story about how he was initially approached to do the graphic novel for Disney, but at the time he was under an exclusive contract with Marvel.

The takeaway: Everything works out in the end. With Disney having bought Marvel last year, Peter David's contract no longer matters.

24 Comments

  • Mysterywriter

    Posted Jul 27, 2010 9:46 am PT

    Wow...Steamboat Mickey!! I am so happy pre-ordered now. Can't wait to see that! This game looked awesome even when I first read about it in Nintendo Power...

  • enevharaldarion

    Posted Jul 26, 2010 4:05 pm PT

    @starduke: I am pretty sure there is only one Peter David and all of the work you mentioned is his.

    Also, it is nice to know one of the extra reasons behind Disney buying Marvel. You want Peter David, you buy the company he has an exclusive contract with. lol

  • SWIFFT

    Posted Jul 26, 2010 3:41 pm PT

    I wish this was coming to other platforms cause I dont have a wii. A must buy for me. I have been a Disney fan since birth.

  • 3lusiv3

    Posted Jul 26, 2010 3:13 pm PT

    So they're continuing with that godawful name? Ok, then.

  • Roger_Dog

    Posted Jul 26, 2010 2:35 pm PT

    Loving that Oswald drawing. I'm sold

  • PcGamingRig

    Posted Jul 26, 2010 1:52 pm PT

    it looks ok, but i hate mickey mouse and the wii lol

  • efunk25

    Posted Jul 26, 2010 10:26 am PT

    It's on the Wii so it will not be as good as it could have been.

  • Zanoh

    Posted Jul 26, 2010 5:41 am PT

    @soulless4now:
    There are plenty of games worth owning on the Wii other than Epic Mickey.

  • amaan4ever

    Posted Jul 26, 2010 3:03 am PT

    so many games to get this fall and early 2011.Im gonna get poor in the coming months lol

  • Cricket_Sloat

    Posted Jul 26, 2010 12:07 am PT

    the game looks good or at least interesting, but man am i tired of everything getting called epic.

  • VelcroJonze

    Posted Jul 25, 2010 4:20 pm PT

    I loved David's run on the Hulk. He is a good choice for this, he can do almost any character good.

  • soulless4now

    Posted Jul 25, 2010 4:02 pm PT

    @Zanoh: Then I'll pass on this title if that's the case. No need for me to get a wii just for one game.

  • MrHatnClogs

    Posted Jul 25, 2010 3:57 pm PT

    I'm glad that Nintendo is finally starting to turn thing around Kirby's Epic Yarn and Epic Mickey is defiantly on my Christmas list this year!

  • mrzero1982pt2 posted Jul 25, 2010 11:53 am PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    mrzero1982pt2

    Posted Jul 25, 2010 11:53 am PT (hide)

    i won't be buying it. i never liked disney anyway.

  • starduke

    Posted Jul 25, 2010 10:59 am PT

    Either there's two Peter David's running around, or that's the same guy who wrote some Star Trek books, as well as comics and his own stuff. He's a pretty talented guy, if they're the same guy. It'll be interesting to see what he does with Mickey Mouse.

  • jazilla posted Jul 25, 2010 10:11 am PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    jazilla

    Posted Jul 25, 2010 10:11 am PT (hide)

    i really wish i was 12 years old again. i would be beyond stoked to play Epic Mickey.

  • Zanoh

    Posted Jul 25, 2010 10:10 am PT

    @soulless4now

    They already said why they can't release it on the PS3 and 360. They would be competing with other titles and it won't be given a second look. The wii is catered for games like epic Mickey. If you don't have a Wii, get a Wii, mate.

  • nickythenewt21

    Posted Jul 25, 2010 9:35 am PT

    Epic Mickey looks astounding. I love Mickey Mouse, in case you couldn't tell, so this is definitely one of my most anticipated games this year.

  • Nintendo_Ownes7

    Posted Jul 25, 2010 9:04 am PT

    I might buy the Graphic Novel to Epic Mickey.

  • CoolSkAGuy

    Posted Jul 24, 2010 11:52 pm PT

    Peter David is an amazing writer..... congrats to whose who read it!!!

  • Ohaidere

    Posted Jul 24, 2010 10:18 pm PT

    Huge fan of the Mickey classics like Castle of Illusion and World of Illusion, as well as some more contemporary stuff like Kingdom Hearts.

    Hope this game ends up being as awesome as those.

  • GCwasthebestsys

    Posted Jul 24, 2010 10:05 pm PT

    this game is going to be good in a wii-exclusive refreshingly fresh and novel kind of way, at least i'm hoping so.

  • soulless4now

    Posted Jul 24, 2010 9:46 pm PT

    I really hope they do make Epic Mickey multi-platform in the future. It looks really good.

  • bobcheeseball

    Posted Jul 24, 2010 9:06 pm PT

    Interesting...can't wait for Epic Mickey

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