Peach Momoko On Elevating Demon Wars Beyond Civil War (Exclusive Interview)
Marvel’s newest entry into their acclaimed “Momoko-Verse,” the Japanese folktale reimagining of the Marvel Universe by iconic writer and artist Peach Momoko, will debut in August with Demon Wars: Iron Samurai #1. A continuation of Momoko’s impressive Demon Days saga, Demon Wars uses a folklore interpretation of Marvel’s infamous Civil War event as a background to continue to explore Mariko Yashida’s complex and mystical coming-of-age story.,We spoke with Peach Momoko, a Ringo and Eisner Award winner for her stunning and unique comics cover work, about how she was able to elevate Demon Wars beyond just a page-for-page reimagining of Civil War, her inspirations for her gorgeous art, and the immense impact the expanding Momoko-Verse has had on her.,,Hi there Peach, we are such huge fans of your work at Screen Rant, so thank you for taking the time to speak with us today! To start off, your next big project at Marvel, Demon Wars, will be premiering soon… are you looking forward to its debut? ,Your first major Marvel project Demon Days focused on a reimagined Mariko Yashida going through an intense and heartbreaking coming-of-age story. In the 616 Marvel Universe Mariko is a long-term love interest of Wolverine, however your Momoko-Verse version of Logan is an adorable, vicious dog. Can you talk through your decision to fully separate Mariko from Logan romantically? ,Demon Wars will be a Momoko-Verse reimagining of the iconic Marvel Civil War event, but how is centering your story on your version of Mariko Yashida impacting the narrative, and will Mariko’s Oni heritage play a role in the events?,That all sounds so exciting, and a wonderful twist on the Civil War event to have a neutral main-character perspective on the conflict. Fans of Demon Days absolutely loved the “Yokai Files” you and Zach Davisson worked on together. Will there be more Yokai Files in Demon Wars giving readers background on real world Japanese folklore?,Civil War involved many classic Marvel Comics characters, but some major heroes like Doctor Strange intentionally kept themselves out of the conflict. How did you go about choosing which Marvel characters would and would not appear in your Demon Wars adaptation of Civil War? ,,Several design pages of Demon Wars reimagined Marvel characters have been released including your Momoko-Verse version of Iron Man, Captain America, and Carnage. In the past you have discussed how Studio Ghibli films have inspired your artwork, so is there a specific Miyazaki film that has inspired Marvel’s Momoko-Verse? ,Well I am sure Hayao Miyazaki would be very honored to know that his works helped to inspire your stunning art. Your redesigns of iconic characters like Emma Frost, Hulk, and Thor are simply amazing. But do you have a favorite character you have redesigned for the Momoko-Verse?,I think my favorite character adaptation from Demon Days was your amazing reimagining of Nightcrawler as the yokai spirit Ao Bōzu, so I have to ask… what was the inspiration behind Kuya’s “rag-like” Blue Priest costume? ,,There were a bunch of gorgeous variant covers released for every issue of Demon Days with art by iconic artists like Mark Brooks, Gurihuru, Alex Garner, Jenny Frison, and Russell Dauterman. What was it like to have these talented artists reinterpret these awesome new character designs you created?,Demon Wars serves as a sequel to your stunning Demon Days series which followed Mariko as she discovered her past and learned of a mystical world she never knew about, and it featured many adapted X-Men characters like Mystique, Sabretooth, Storm, and Dani Moonstar. Have you always been an X-Men fan?,Yes, that Uppderdeck Set of Marvel Anime cards are beautiful, and it seems like you have just been working non-stop with Marvel since then! Can you tell the readers a little bit about how you became a Marvel Stormbreaker, and eventually began the Momoko-Verse?,,Your artwork is incredibly versatile, at times deeply horrifying and dark, and other times incredibly sweet and bright. You have done several variant covers for the upcoming Marvel A.X.E.: Judgment Day event, transforming classic Avengers, X-Men, and Eternals characters into “chibi” forms. What inspired you to make such adorable covers of an event that will be the biggest war at Marvel Comics in years?,That is a beautiful and haunting interpretation of the upcoming Judgment Day… maybe someday in the future the Momoko-Verse will adapt the event in it’s own world! In the past you have discussed how playing music is an integral part of your creative process when creating art and comics. I am wondering if you are able to share some of the music you listened to that kept you motivated while illustrating and writing Demon Wars? ,Is there anything you are able to share with Screen Rant about Demon Wars that you have not been able to share elsewhere? Everyone is so excited for its debut!,It is wonderful to hear that you are continuing Demon Days theme of not just exploring action and adventure, but deep heart and emotion. The emotional relationship between Mariko and her caretaker/mentor Kuroki was beautiful and so well done… will fans be seeing more of their relationship in Demon Wars?,Finally, what would be your Marvel dream project? Is there a specific character, origin story, or event that you have not been able to touch on that you would love to do in the future?,Wow, it would be amazing to see the Momoko-Verse adapted into an animated film or TV series! Thank you so much for chatting with us Peach, and we can’t wait for Demon Wars!,,Demon Wars: Iron Samurai #1 debuts in stores on August 3rd, 2022.