By Dustin Cabeal

There was a time in which I would have found this cool, but since it's been years since any new Mouse Guard stories came out and even longer since one that wasn't a "Tales of the Guard" I can't really pretend to care about this. Maybe if it was a finished work and this was a nice piece for fans, but it seems like a waste of time and money.

Press Release

BOOM! Studios is proud to announce theMOUSE GUARD ALPHABET BOOK, a new all-ages hardcover publication fromMouse Guard creator David Petersen and illustrator Serena Malyon set to debut in September.

Learn the ABCs in the world of David Petersen’s Mouse Guard where brave mice protect one another from predators large and small, explore the expansive nature around them, and thrive in harsh conditions. Hand-painted by Malyon (Magic in the City, Button Hill), this is a look into a beautiful world with rich culture and stalwart friendships, worth exploring one letter at a time.

"The idea for the alphabet book came from my wife, Julia," Petersen explains. "There were a few Mouse Guard projects she’d been suggesting for years that I brushed off in favor of more Legends of the Guard. One was last year’s coloring book, and once that was rolling I gave an alphabet book more consideration. After all, Mouse Guard has been around long enough that early fans are now having children. But we’d come to the realization that, artistically and production-wise, we couldn't entertain the idea if I had to illustrate all of it.

"I like having the different art styles in Legends of the Guard with my work as a visual anchor, but for an alphabet book, it made much more sense for one strong artistic voice. Serena is certainly that voice." 

"Working on this book was a dream come true," enthuses Malyon. "Mouse Guard was the first graphic novel I ever picked up. I was enchanted by the way it was drawn, I was captivated by the subject matter, and it had a world that I wanted to explore. It’s a comic I’ve been inspired by for years, and I couldn’t believe it when David and BOOM! Studios got in touch with me. Getting to work with David directly on a Mouse Guardbook was an incredible experience. He gave me a lot of freedom with what I painted and how I depicted the world, so I’m really excited to share my vision of Mouse Guard."