Why is MOUSE GUARD one of my favorite comics?

[@MattyStoked]

I've hovered on the edge of Mouse Guard for ages. As a kid who grew up on Redwall novels, I always knew I would like this. Great video, and now I'm off to your "How to read Mouse Guard" video!

[@ftloc]

So glad you enjoyed the video (and I hope you liked the other one too!) If you do check it out, I would love to know what you thought of it!

[@eatthewoke5170]

I bought all of these books on your recommendation and have read the first one. I was not disappointed. Thank you for your passionate and thorough reviews, sir.

[@ftloc]

Oh how wonderful to hear - absolutely thrilled you enjoyed the first book, and i just know you'll love the rest as well, it's. Remarkable series!

[@ellesse3862]

Mouse Guard has a wonderful charm and feels far older than it actually is. I think its a treasure, and your video expressed the magic and wonder far better than I could. Look forward to your next installment.

[@ftloc]

Thank you so much., and I completely agree - the series has a truly timeless feel!

[@Renigade16]

This reminds me a lot of the RedWall series I read as a child. Fantastic video!

[@ftloc]

Thank you so much; I'm thrilled that you enjoyed it. I have heard a lot about the Redwall books but yet to read any myself. From what I understand, the medieval setup is quite similar but Redwall may skew just a little bit younger in its readership (although those boundaries are vague at best). I've also been told Mouse Guard is a bit more serious and somber, with more complexity to the characterizations. By pure coincidence, I recently found a 'graphic novel adaptation' of the first Redwall book for a bargain price so I've taken a chance and ordered it. I know it will not be the same as reading the original prose work, but it's a start!

[@BlitzBlinds]

The auther David had an illustrator named Jeremy Bastian. Jeremy was my neighbor a few years ago, he gave me and my family Mouse Guard books and a signed copy of “Cursed Pirate Girl” along with some pins and hand drawn illustrations. Him and his girlfriend were really cool.

[@ftloc]

How lovely, and how lucky for you! I believe Jeremy Bastian has worked on Legends of the Guard, although 8ll need to go back and confirm.

[@ahchiu9]

Yes! Mouse Guard is one of my favorite titles (Bone being another one), so I'm always happy to see it getting more love. Looking forward to your subsequent videos so that more people can find out about this excellent series!

[@ftloc]

I'm thrilled you enjoyed it and also so glad to see so many people mentioning it in the same breath as Bone! It needs more fans! 😁

[@rolanddeschain6089]

Never heard of it. But it looks amazing! That's why you're the best comic channel. You direct my gaze to so many different things. You deserve so much more viewers! But as long as you enjoy making this channel, it shouldn't matter. It's not for the love of fame but for the love of comics! Keep it up!

[@ftloc]

That's very kind of you! I'm quite happy and surprised by all the people who do watch, so it's all good! And yes, this series is wonderful and definitely worth checking out!

[@johnm.withersiv4352]

Mouse Guard is great.

[@ericcota4732]

I’ve only read Fall 1152 so far and I loved it, so hearing you say that it only gets better from them on is really exciting!

[@ftloc]

I think I can say with confidence that if you loved Fall 1152, you will not be disappointed by what comes next. 😁

[@VXMasterson]

I recently read Fall 1152. Immediately I bought Winter 1152 because I wanted more. Can’t wait for your follow-up video.

[@ftloc]

Thanks! And it will be up soon (i hope!) 😁

[@johnm.withersiv4352]

You should also try Mice Templar.

[@athenassigil5820]

These are amazing comics! I collected them, plus a 3 pack of the Mouse Guard characters. Each statue looks like these beloved tiny heroes. Glad you've mentioned and elaborated on these amazingly drawn stories of illustrated genius. A classic, indeed!

[@ftloc]

I love this series and I'm going to see what these figures looked like 😁!

[@OffMyShelves]

The day I upload a vid mentioning your name and you pop up in my feed! Coincidence? I think not! Looking forward to watching this as I’ve only read volume one.

[@ftloc]

I need to catch up on so much KZbin! I caught your Andre the Giant video late last night but i still need to get to Shuna's Journey., Not to mention this new one with a mention! 😁

[@OffMyShelves]

@@ftloc it’s there forever so no rush!

[@ftloc]

@@OffMyShelves Aha, an optimist! 😁 I have nonsuch trust in our tech overlords!

[@sunflowers9791]

I never thought to read this comic. Your passion for it convinced me to give it a whirl. I will check it out from my local public library. Thanks for all your awesome videos.

[@ftloc]

So glad you enjoyed the video and thank you for your kind words! I'd love to know what you think of the comic once you've gotten to give it a try!

[@samratsur8074]

Incredible video. From the first glance, this seems very similar to Bone in its world building and fantasy narrative. Would definitely like to read this before the year ends. Looking forward to your follow-up videos.

[@ftloc]

This definitely could share a stage with Bone any day, although Bone has a lot more humour and silliness, especially in its first half. Naturally, I love both, but the fiction Mouse Guard brings to mind is more like The Wind in the Willows and Mrs Frisby and the Rats of The NIMH or even Watership Down, mixed in with Arthurian storytelling. A very unique and endlessly fascinating work!

[@EneidaDalton-do8ze]

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Mouse Guard. I don’t actually do KZbin, and I do believe this is my first time subscribing to anything on KZbin. I was so sad to find out that Disney killed the movie of Mouse Guard just two weeks before it was to start in 2019. I want fans to start beating on Disney’s door to let this movie be made! It’s still possible but Disney needs to hear from fans!

[@ftloc]

I'm so glad you enjoyed the video! And yes, shame about the movie, the pre viz stuff looked really good!

[@B_Raub]

Cool video man, thanks for the intro to the series. I've been wanting to check this out for awhile.

[@ftloc]

It's terrific! 😁

[@macsnafu]

Wow, I'm amazed that there are other people who actually know about Mouse Guard. It's such a wonderful fantasy comic. What really gets me about it is how realistic the art is, while still dealing with sophisticated and intelligent creatures and the society and culture they live in. It's like Watership Down taken to a new level.

[@ftloc]

I mentioned Watership Down in a long ramble about rodent literature that I ended up cutting from this video! I love it! There's also Mrs Frisby and the Rats of the NIMH that I can't help but think of 😁

[@johnm.withersiv4352]

I can see the Watership Down connection, but it reminds me more of NIMH and Redwall in a comparative literature about intelligent mice discussion.

[@ftloc]

@@johnm.withersiv4352 Yes, I'd probably put Watership Down closer to Black Beauty, world and tone wise,. But what they all have in common is the presentation of vulnerability, resilience, and strength in the face of much larger powers...

[@salsatheone]

Came here thanks to a retweet by David himself, great review! Keep up with the good work!

[@ftloc]

Thrilled to have you and thank you for the kind words! Hope you find plenty here to enjoy!

[@arindam_sen]

Always great to see a notification from FTLOC!

[@ftloc]

It's been a while so thanks for sticking around! 😁

[@thewarriorz08]

I found out about mouse guard in a trip to the public library after school years ago, Im pretty sure they had fall 1152 and the black axe on display and they catched my eye immediatly, I knew nothing about the books but it took only a quick glance through the pages to take them home, and man... the world Petersen created enchanted before I finished the first story, I have to say I remember very little about the actual plot and characters but after your video now im convinced I need to get back to it soon, also what beautiful little format the books have, Great vid as always! a pleasure to watch

[@ftloc]

What a lovely memory! And I'm thrilled to hear of you returning to the books! You must let me know what the experience was like!

[@catlawyerwilldefendfortrea6038]

Great video! Planning on starting reading these!

[@ftloc]

Thank you; I'm so glad you enjoyed the video. If you do check the series out, I'd love to know what you thought of it!

[@CesarIsaacPerez]

Awesome!!! I guess I need to hunt down the Legends books... Somehow, I missed those.

[@ftloc]

Let me know what you think of them!

[@comicsvstheworld]

I've been meaning to pick up these books for the longest time, and I think you may have finally convinced me to bump them to the top of my list! Great video as always 👍

[@ftloc]

Thank you! And that's a great compliment - you have to let me know what you thought of them when you get a chance to check them out!

[@sitbunnynow]

Thanks for making this video! I had heard you mention mouse Guard a few times, so I was glad to get to hear your thoughts at a bit more length. I'll be picking these up for sure!

[@ftloc]

Yay! I'd love to know what you think of the stories once you've gotten to try them out for yourself!

[@ThaKid14]

This is on my list and seeing you talk about has me sold. I still have a bit to get through before I tackle this, but am definitely going to add it to the collection one day. The concept reminds me a lot of Redwall actually, I remember having some of those paper backs growing up. Also, simply because of a talking mouse, it reminds me of a story called "Runaway Ralph" that I read as a kid. the art in Mouse Guard looks stunning. Yep, this is going on the list....the list that is ever building and expanding LOL. thanks for the review.

[@ftloc]

Although I've never read Redwall, i e often heard he books mentioned and we discuss other rodent literature in other comments here on this video. I will say i was suprised at how serious and rich this series was, quite sense and deep without being heavy, in a way that I did not expect. Definitely worth checking out!

[@paltrax]

I've definitely heard of the series, but never actually taken the time to read them. but I feel like I should. the anthropomorphic thing has always spoken to me, even though it's not quite that. I think there is a cartoon that's very much inspired by it and also a game.

[@ftloc]

I will say that although the comics are definitely all ages, there's nothing kiddish or infantile about them. In fact, there may be some parts a little too sad for very young readers. There's an elegance to it's classic storytelling that i think has to be experienced before being judged 😁

[@sanmamiac]

Have been waiting for a new video for ages and thank you for this lovely treat. I'm really looking forward to your breakdown of the legends collection video now

[@ftloc]

Thank you so much, and hopefully you don't have to wait long! 😁

[@nemderogatorius]

Very well said. Mouse Guard is incredible!

[@ftloc]

So glad you enjoyed the video, and it is indeed!

[@johnm.withersiv4352]

Antiquated Flex: Some years ago I was writing for a now defunct comic book website. I attended HeroesCon in Charlotte, NC on a press pass. I enjoyed a quick chat with David Petersen. He seemed lovely as an individual.

[@ftloc]

No such flex can ever be antiquated!

[@tanavast7337]

I got the Artbook a few weeks ago off an ebay bid for cheap even though it’s oop and in perfect condition with no blemishes. Got it for ($50) vs retail being ($60) even. Nowadays it goes for $100+, and suffice to say it’s one of the best out of the 150+ artbooks I own. David Petersen and others go through his whole process of working on the comic, and for A LOT of the scenes he uses real models. It really shows how much effort went into the comic and it’s more than meets the eye. So much more effort than most creators. It’s also huge in 12x12 format, square like the books but 3x the size. And the page count is massive. If you can ever get it for a decent price in your eyes, get it.

[@ftloc]

That sounds absolutely wonderful (and wow 230+ asset books!) I don't I'll ever get my hands on one but if live to watch a video featuring it!

[@UnbeltedSundew]

Wow, that looks awesome!

[@ftloc]

They're lovely comics; what's particularly great about them is how wonderful the whole story ends up being, not 'only' the artwork.

[@bobby_the_ps2]

I've been thinking about checking these books out and you got me sold. The concept reminds me of Reepicheep.

[@ftloc]

There's definitely shades of Reepicheep in there! I have also heard people mention Redwall, although I have never read those books. I can think of a lot of influences or similarities or nods, especially in 'rodent prose literature' 😁 but do think the world and setting of Mouse Guard, and especially the culture, is quite unique and unlike anything else!

[@BrunoGBuey]

I missed you!! Thanks as always!

[@ftloc]

Thank you, and i missed you too! 😁 Hope you enjoy the video!

[@sam.s.g]

Great little video and happy to see you back! The only thing that I found missing was the ftloc theme song near the beguinning (!?) I haven't actually read Mouse Guard (or maybe I did read parts of the first volume), but this has piqued my interest and I'll be checking it out.

[@ftloc]

Definitely give it another shot, i think you'd love it! And yes, i couldn't fit the song into this video for some reason, but it'll be back soon! 😁

[@delwynklassen3644]

Gorgeous art and so well plotted. Special place on my shelf next to Concrete, Cerebus, and Strangers in Paradise.

[@ftloc]

All killer, no filler that shelf! 😁

[@mannyc19]

Please,more on this series !! Great overview.

[@ftloc]

Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed it; did you get to watch the other video 'The Complete Mouse Guard (thus far)'? And I think I have one more small Mouse Guard video that I will make soon! Stay tuned!

[@PedroCarvalho-lb7qx]

Great video as always! Love your passion and attention to detail

[@ftloc]

Thank you so much, thrilled you enjoyed the video!

[@johnm.withersiv4352]

Mouse Guard and Mouse Templar were both great. Mouse Guard gathers more praise than Mouse Templar, but both were worth exploring. Mice Templar was by Bryan J.L. Glass and Michael Avon Oeming on art. It was published by Image comics from 2007-2015, so I guess the independent auteur Mouse Guard has outlasted them.

[@ftloc]

I read the first volume of Mice Templar many years ago and quite enjoyed it, but it was borrowed and I never found my own copies (probably due to price and availability problems). I will definitely try looking for it again, but from what I remember, it felt a little bit more 'animated movie' and perhaps less dark than Mouse Guard - do I have that right or is that incorrect?

[@johnm.withersiv4352]

@@ftloc I haven't read Mice Templar since 2015. At the same time was reading Mouse Guard. In my memory they blur together despite the differences. However, one key aspect is that both felt like they were mice in a mouse world and not at all what Redwall did with species which felt like mice in a human world. The scale and make of the world were similar in Mice Templar and Mouse Guard but both different than what Brian Jacques successfully did in Redwall. In the on-going Mouse series, I hope Mice Templar gets a mention. I may have to give it a re-read.

[@cinder88]

I need to circle back to this and keep going, as you might recall I read the first volume (fall) and wasn't thoroughly impressed, but I can imagine that it serves more to set the scene for things to come as you mentioned here. However it's been surprisingly difficult to find Winter 1152 in stock for quite some time, I wonder if its truly out of print, meaning that I'll have to go hunting on the second hand market. You didn't mention if there were any favorite parts of Mouse Guard that you prefer over the others, would that be volume 3 which you said is where the story goes more fully epic? Wonderful as always to get to enjoy your take on these books, let's talk again soon!

[@ftloc]

Definitely keep going, and maybe even revisit the first volume later. And as I will probably say in my next video, grab whatever you can. I didn't realize that Winter 1152 was hard to get; maybe this time I can try and get my hands on something for YOU, flipping the established dynamic! 😁

[@essaywhu]

I just read this entire series over the last month or so. I loved Peterson’s art and the volumes he did himself. I hope he is able to do a longform book again. The Legends were cool too and it was cool to see other artists play in this world. I think I read that a Mouse Guard film was pretty far on in development but was canceled due to recent studio management changes. There have been a lot of films and shows in various levels of development that have been canceled recently unfortunately.

[@ftloc]

Yes, a shame about the movie, which really looked like a labour of love. But I'd love, like you, to get more longer stories from Petersen. Did you read The Owlhen Caregiver FCBD book, the most recent story?

[@essaywhu]

@@ftloc yes, I read that. It’s the only issue I own as a single issue, rather than part of a collection. If you haven’t seen it yet, it is three lovely short stories that are all very well told and as lavishly illustrated as ever. I saw that it was nominated in the most recent Eisners for Best Single Issue. I haven’t yet read the Wonder Woman book that actually won but I have seen that and can tell why it won since the art seems even more opulent, to use your word, that these Mouse Guard books. It would take one hell of a writer to create something as sensitive and empathetic as Mouse Guard however. Peterson is a real singular voice, an auteur if you will.

[@nallenthepuh]

Another great video! I should probobly read this, just what i needed, more to read XD speaking of more to read, when are you gonna talk about the Valerian comics?

[@ftloc]

That's the essential "problem" isn't it: too many comics, not enough time? 😁 So glad you liked the video!

[@nallenthepuh]

@@ftloc yes x3 but how about Valerian?

[@dodger0101]

Spot on! I really like Mouse Guard too, I’m glad you covered it :)

[@ftloc]

It's a lovely series and I've been meaning to make this video for many years now...Glad i got to and glad you enjoyed it!

[@ahchiu9]

I love this series so much that I even have a full collection (so far) of the (fully licensed) custom Lego minifigures based on Mouse Guard. They are produced by a company called Crazy Bricks and they are incredibly well done

[@ftloc]

And now my life suddenly has a hole in it ...😁 That sounds right up my alley, but I am guessing they are all out of print or way too expensive for me now...?

[@ahchiu9]

@@ftloc they are currently sold out on their site, but the third Kickstarter campaign ended in September. In the past, each time the figures from the campaigns were all sent out, they came back up for sale on the site (extras, I'm assuming). I'll follow up when that happens. In the meantime, I'll try and post some pics in the discord

[@ftloc]

@@ahchiu9 much appreciated!

[@Max10_B]

Saw this in store and immediately was drawn to the art style. Reminds me of moebius line work and the colors are crazy. Also a fan of mtg bloomburrow art. Where should I start and what’s the right timeline to follow lol 😅

[@ftloc]

You may enjoy this companion video I made in which I go over the chronology and publication history! kzbin.info/www/bejne/n3K4d6Sgh9F5hMk

[@thomp9054]

There's an amazing rough trailer for mouse guard by the dude that's gonna run the live action Zelda movie. It's great

[@ftloc]

That Unreal Engine sizzle reel? Even in that raw form, it looked and felt terrific! What a shame but now I'm surprisingly curious about the Zelda movie! 😁

[@AnindaDe]

I will probably make a lot of people jealous by saying that since I've not read any of Mouse Guard, I have the opportunity of discovering it for the first time!

[@ftloc]

Well, i believe you're in for a treat, and the longer you stay with it, the more incredible it becomes!

[@analogcomics]

This is really interesting. I’m all in for a slow but cohesive world building. Graphics have ”European” tint to it. At least the panels on this video. Can’t put my finger on why I feel that way though. Thanks for sharing this.

[@ftloc]

So glad you enjoyed it! And I think I know what you mean - growing up I always thought of American animals as being more cartoony and animated and European comics' depictions of animals as more true-to-life. Given the degree of accuracy that Petersen sketches his mice with, that may be the distinction for you as well?

[@analogcomics]

@@ftloc You are onto something here. My image of US market "funny animals" is very cartoony, now that you mention it. European "realism", if you will, has its own flavor and there is a lot of that in the panels you show here. And it´s not just the characters but all the objects and background, too. Anyway, this looks VERY interesting and the fact that there is already this much content available only makes it more inviting.

[@ftloc]

@@analogcomics if you check it out, i have the feeling you won't be disappointed! 😁

[@amhahailu8420]

This might be totally unrelated but could u tell me were u got you're bone single issues and the black and white hard cover issues pls by the way nice vid

[@ftloc]

All of those I grabbed off ebay, mycomicshop (dot) com and used off Amazon, many years ago!

[@amhahailu8420]

Thanks so muchhhh

[@tyronrichardson1037]

Please do Blacksad review next

[@ftloc]

Well, i don't know about 'next' since I am so behind on so many planned videos, but a Blacksad will definitely be featured say in the next 12 months. You heard it here first! 😁

[@tuhkathri9126]

I love mouseguard but it's a pity Peterson gave up on continuing the story. The black ax was published over ten years ago. He should have someone write for him and he can do the illustrations since it seems that's where his passion really lies.

[@sebcadecon]

It is almost like reading darksouls as a comic because the hollow (your character) of each of the games is only a part of an entire story, and that part you do play is insignificant in the end. For example in dark souls 3 there is the "good" ending, the true ending, and the "bad" ending. In the good ending you become an ember for the first flame but the flame is a smoldering husk compared the flames in dark souls 1, the true ending you put out the first flame your self staring a new era of uncertainty but also hope. In the "bad" ending you absord the first flame and become king of the age of dark. No matter what ending you choose the fire will go out its only a matter of now or later. Not every grand story needs to have a profound impact on the world its in, it only needs to impact the reader

[@ftloc]

What an interesting comparison and,, from the detailed analysis you provide,, quite apt! It's sort of a realist fiction approach if you think about it - a novel about a family struggling to make ends meet in one city in one country makes no eventual difference in anything, but is literature specifically because it invokes the larger world through its limited focus.

[@johncho8766]

Have you ever made a bad video? I've yet to see one.

[@ftloc]

That's incredibly kind of you to say - it makes my day, and is the reason why I love making videos. Thank you!

[@johncho8766]

@@ftloc The videos you make aren’t just about comics, they’re actual literary analyses. Very good ones. There aren’t many KZbin channels that I trust implicitly, but this is one. You’re not trying to sell anything, just sharing. I’ve read a lot of the books I’ve heard about here. Thank you.

[@ftloc]

@@johncho8766 Thank YOU!

[@IbnBahtuta]

That would be because you are too young to have heard of the Freak Brothers.

[@cro-magnoncarol4017]

That's the flaw with Mouse Guard, it takes too long to get interesting. I remember all the way back in 2010-2013 wanting to get into the series & I read the first collection & I was like "That's it?" and I just dropped the series after that. Granted, perhaps I was just a dumb kid but I remember reading a lot of the Redwall books around that time as well & they kept my interest. Heck, the whole reason I was interested in Mouse Guard was because it was similar to the Redwall series...