In the July 2007, The Mice Templar, the long awaited project from creators Michael Avon Oeming and Bryan J.L. Glass, is finally featured in Previews. In September 2007, it will finally reach the public. The creators had originally worked together on Ship of Fools, first at Caliber Comics and then at Image. Since it was first teased in More Fund Comics, a fund-raiser anthology created in support of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund in 2003, however, Mice had been somewhat pushed to the side by Oeming's numerous other projects.

Now, though, they find themselves making a hard charge with their mice. Joined by colorist Wil Quintana, Oeming and Glass are unleashing an epic adventure tale starting right out of the gate with a 56-page first issue for only $3.99.

Scoop talked with the duo about the project, their working relationship, and what took so long for this fun concept to finally see the light of day.

Scoop: How did you guys first come up with the story?
Michael Avon Omeing (Mike): For me, it just developed with sketchbook doodles in the late 90s. I think Secret of NIMH had just came out on DVD or something, and my mind just started going where it usually does-mythology and fantasy. I had been out of comics for a bit and was working as a security guard.
Bryan J.L. Glass (Bryan): Mike had shown me the original Mice Templar short story he'd done back in '98 shortly after he'd created it. A few years later, after he'd asked me to develop the series for him, Mike gave me a six-issue outline for a mythological hero's journey. There was a basic setting of a world following the fall of the Templar Order, followed by a series of adventures that followed the young hero Karic's transformation into a Moses-type character that would lead his people to a promised land free from rat tyranny.

But I approached the story more so from the perspective of this fascinating world that Mike's original outline only hinted at. The setting was of a culture that had fallen. For the restoration of that culture to have any satisfaction to the audience, it became significant to understand how it fell in the first place. Mike established that the culture had fallen, and it became my job to develop how and why it fell. As I did that, each piece of history took the tale farther and farther back in time until soon I had created this vast history of the Mice Templar world replete with its own mythology and eras of cultural development. As the history grew, so did the scope of the original story. We were no longer telling solely the story of our hero Karic, but were now telling the saga of an entire culture.

Scoop: When Mice Templar first appeared in the More Fund Comics fundraiser anthology back in 2003, you guys had already been working on it for quite a while. What was the development process like for you?
Mike: I had done some sketching, a short story, and written a vague outline for six issues. When I got serious about it, I knew I wanted the story be much richer AND it was time to work with Bryan Glass again. We were taking the Robert McKee course in NYC when I asked him to take the writing chores, and over a bottle of wine, he gladly accepted!
Bryan: I think much of my answer above fits this question as well.
My first contribution to the Mice Templar universe was to utilize Mike's original short story to develop the larger back story, and then rewrite that first story to better mesh with the larger tapestry I'd created. I brainstorm a lot, and bounce what I am developing off of creative partners, so Mike was suddenly on the receiving end of this seemingly never-ending barrage of concepts, day and night, as I would fling every new idea past him. My ideas will often literally expand while I'm talking out the initial concept with someone else. Mike probably accepted about 95% of what I created with a reaction of "whoa, that's cool."

Mike trusts a lot of my instincts, and that is borne out of our many years of friendship and creative partnership. He knows that I'm not a creator looking to simply put my own stamp or ego on a project, but that I develop a plot that is ultimately in service to the story as a whole; I want the readership to enjoy what I create, so Mike gives me a lot of free rein to pursue a satisfying tale.

Scoop: Has it just been a matter of scheduling, or have you been actually working on it all along?
Mike: Both. Over the past several years, Bryan has been writing a back story, a whole history for the Templar, based on very few notes and key words from me. I've been way busy with all my projects and life being turned upside down a bit for me. But now I'm all about Powers and Templar.
Bryan: I've been champing at the bit to get this thing rolling, so I can say that I've been working nearly continuously on Mice Templar in one form or another for the past five years!

Scoop: You two have worked together over a lot of years now. How is your working relationship different than when you started?
Mike: Well, since Ship of Fools, we've learned to become more focused on our storytelling. I think that's the main thing really. I have a few more notes for Bryan than I used to, but that's simply out of my own growth as a writer, wanting to be a larger part of the process, yet still giving Bryan plenty of room to be himself.
Bryan: Mike used to ask me to create the impossible for him. That's how Ship of Fools came into being: Mike giving me this strange batch of ingredients that I then had to create structure out of. Today, Mike has grown so much as a storyteller himself that we simply communicate far better when discussing what can or won't work in a particular storytelling situation. We each retain our distinctive creative visions, but we understand and respect the other even more than we did on past projects.

Scoop: Obviously the circumstances are different than when you started Ship of Fools. The industry is different, and in particular Mike's position in the industry is different. How do each of you approach working on Mice Templar?
Mike: Luckily, I have a bit of a name now, and Bryan has found some success on his own. That falls into place now as my work on Mice Templar is simply about pouring my heart into it.
Bryan: I feel tremendously blessed that this series will be given an initial chance based solely on the strength of Mike's career in the industry; too many great books produced by extraordinary creators aren't granted that opportunity by today's marketplace. So I couldn't be happier about all of the advance hoopla we've received, but we both know full well that once the audience gives us that chance, then it is only upon the strength of the work itself that will keep that audience coming back for more. Mice Templar also represents my opportunity to show this industry what I am capable of as a writer, so I am committed to making this series the very best I have to offer.

Scoop: For those who haven't seen the story in More Fund Comics, how would you describe the series to a prospective reader?
Mike: In a nutshell, it's mythology/fantasy told through the anthropomorphic world of mice. Bryan can lay down more of the story for you, but that's the tone and setting. It's definitely a mythological world.
Bryan: An epic fantasy! A coming of age tale! A saga of fall and redemption! A love story! An adventure of brave heroes overcoming impossible odds to do what is right! The age of the Templar has fallen leaving mouse culture in the clutches of an insane mouse king propped up in power by a vicious rat army. The surviving Templar live in hiding, hunted by their enemies and despised by the very people they failed to protect. The hero Karic enters the story as a young mouse enamored of the forbidden tales of past Templar glory, but it is only after his village is destroyed and his family is enslaved that he embraces his destiny as the one who might overthrow the corrupt regime by overcoming fear and prejudice, and reuniting the scattered Templar to train a new generation.

Scoop: We've heard you intend a pretty heavy commitment to the series in terms of its scope. What can you tell us about that?
Mike: The first story will be told in three arcs to make one large saga told in about 25 issues. The first issue is 50 pages of story and I'm sure we'll have more double-sized issues down the line. We are looking at about two years of publishing, and then maybe more if it does well enough.
Bryan: We have created such a vast, lush history to draw from that we could probably continue to tell Mice Templar stories in one form or another for the rest of our careers if there is enough fan support to do so.

Scoop: What do you think Wil's colors have brought to the story?
Mike: It brings it alive. People love the black and white stuff, but Wil's colors bring this alive, make it real and flesh out the world. He's helping tell the story with textures and scene tones.
Bryan: I'm in awe as I see every new page come through each step of the process. As mice are also essentially nocturnal creatures, most of The Mice Templar takes place at night-in fact, the separation of night and day into two distinct worlds plays a major role in the story-so Wil's job is to bring color and vibrancy into a story set in darkness. Wil's colors are simply amazing!

Scoop: What kind of readers do you think will enjoy this story? Is this an all ages book?
Mike: Pretty much all ages, although it's a little violent for kids under...say 10? But clearly it's written for adults while children can safely read it and get into the world.
Bryan: If you loved the Lord of the Rings as either book or movie, then The Mice Templar will contain all of the elements you enjoy. Not only for the medieval/fantasy aspects inherent in the genre, however, but the deeper aspects of fellowship and loyalty, political intrigue, betrayal, and the willingness to sacrifice everything for the sake of another.

Scoop: Bryan, Mike obviously has been working with some of the top names in the business the past few years. During his various projects, he's remained committed to developing new collaborations and his own voice as a storyteller. What do you think this says about him?
Bryan: It is virtually impossible to disconnect the artist from his ego, as that is a necessary ingredient to what drives a creator, but I can say with confidence that Mike is one of those who uses the ego to serve the art, and not the other way around as is so often the case. Through Mike's entire career, through the highs and lows and everything you can imagine in-between, Mike has been driven to conceptualize and create, and has prospered in both the corporate-run side of comics as well as being an independent creator. I believe that is a testimony to his vision and his drive.

Scoop: Does any of this increase the normal pressure on you as a writer?
Bryan: It inspires me to create my absolute best. It also fills me with honor that a guy like Mike, who could work with anybody, has chosen me to work with again and again.

Scoop: The sample page that Mike sent out with his email newsletter really had an epic feel to it. Is that reflective of the series or was it just a really cool image? What should readers expect in terms of tone and style?
Bryan: The entire series is epic! The canvas of the tale is huge, even though the first 6-issue arc focuses primarily on our young hero Karic. But it is his journey to adulthood and wisdom that crosses his path with the rest of our cast. By the time the first story reaches its conclusion, the audience will have followed the adventures of literally dozens of characters caught up in a staggering conflict for the soul of an entire race.

Scoop: What do you know now about the project that you didn't know when you started?
Bryan: How big it would be! And how much of our own culture would end up being reflected in the story of a civilization at the crossroads of history. But it has also become personally satisfying to see that I can handle a project of this size and scope. And if I've done my job successfully, the audience will care about even the smallest of characters we cast up against that larger than life backdrop.

Scoop: Mike, we've talked before about your transformation from "artist" to "storyteller," encompassing various roles from writer to artist to inker and now painter. How does Mice Templar fit into your personal development?
Mike: No doubt I'm stepping back more from the writing here, falling more into traditional artist mode. I'm more of a producer than writer here.

Scoop: As someone who has done those other roles, what do Bryan and Wil bring to the book, respectively?
Mike: Bryan and Wil are really just taking things to deeper level than I could on my own. It's amazing to watch: I give them a seed and they give me a tree. I love it.

Scoop: Even when it hasn't been late, Powers has seemed late. What are you doing to change that situation and how can you change that and still do Mice Templar on time?
Mike: There was a lot of life changes going on for me. Big stuff. On top of that I was overcommitted on work, which usually isn't a problem, but add life stuff on top of that and you get late books. We are working hard on Powers to change that; both Brian and I are working hard on it.

Scoop: Mice Templar #1 is scheduled for September. Will it be out by the Baltimore Comic-Con?
Mike: I hope so, but I'm not sure, as Baltimore is the beginning of the month. We'll do what we can, that's for sure! I love that show.

Scoop: Anything else you'd like to mention?
Mike: Honestly, just holding strong on Powers, Mice Templar as well as writing Red Sonja and painting Avengers Classics stories. Other then that I'm shutting down shop and trying to enjoy life again.
Bryan: I'm currently adapting the first volume of fantasy author Raymond Feist's acclaimed Riftwar Saga, Magician: Apprentice for the Dabel Bros. at Marvel Comics. But I also have several projects in development at this time that are simply awaiting whatever success The Mice Templar offers me.