Willow Guard graphic novel

The first Willow Guard graphic novel has now arrived fresh from print in Tallinn. This post looks at how we adapted MiTale’s beloved RPG world into a graphic novel, from early layouts and colour scripts to cover art and final pages. It also shares how Fiilin Good Films and MiTale are now expanding the IP into a continuing graphic novel series and a co-developed animated series.

From Game to Graphic Novel: The making of Willow Guard

The first printed copies of the Willow Guard graphic novel arrived today, straight from the press in Tallinn. Seeing the book in hand marks a milestone for everyone involved — MiTale, Fiilin Good Films, and the artists and writers who shaped this story. It also marks the start of the next chapter: a continuing graphic novel series and the development of the Willow Guard animated series, now in co-dev between Fiilin Good Films and MiTale.

Willow Guard graphic novel hot from the press.

Why Willow Guard Works as a Graphic Novel

The Willow Guard universe has always invited deeper exploration. Petter Skult’s creation — its lore, the rules set by the Willow gods, its distinct territories, and its cast of conflicted characters — offers a foundation that naturally extends beyond the RPG format. A graphic novel allows readers to experience the world visually, emotionally, and at their own pace, while giving long-time fans a new way to connect with the story.

Bringing the game world into a visual, narrative form was a true transmedia process, with two teams shaping the same universe through different mediums.

Writing the Story

The idea and world are based entirely on the work of Petter Skult and MiTale. Juha Fiilin shaped the first draft of the story after a series of brainstorming sessions with Petter and Natasha Skult, using the established lore as a guide. Once the structure and beats were set, Petter rewrote the dialogue to ensure it reflected the tone, rhythm, and internal rules of the Willow Guard world.

This layered writing process allowed the book to remain faithful to the original creation while finding its own identity as a graphic novel.

Visual Development: From Moodboard to Final Pages

The visual process began with a shared exploration of tone and atmosphere. Juha and Mika Hyvönen worked together on early moodboards and the initial colour script, setting the emotional palette and visual language for the entire book.

Colour study for different lighting by Mika Hyvönen.

Mika then developed the page layouts, early sketches, and first pencils, shaping the flow of the story and defining how each scene should feel on the page.

Early layouts by Mika Hyvönen.

Early pencils by Mika Hyvönen. Once the structure was set, Jan Andersson took over the main art pipeline — pencils, inks and final colours. Jan’s work established the look of the characters, environments and action, giving the world a consistent and recognisable visual identity.

Pencil round two after layout edits by Jan Andersson.

Inks, colours and lettering by Jan Andersson.

Same spread out of the print. For the cover, Juha turned to the legendary Victor Santos. Victor produced several variations before the final direction was chosen, each capturing a different facet of the Willow Guard world.

Cover sketches by Victor Santos.

Selected cover pencils by Victor Santos.

Cover inked by Victor Santos.

Creative Direction and Collaboration

Art direction was a collaboration between Juha and Natasha Skult, aligning the graphic novel with the established identity of the game. They ensured that visual choices, colour decisions, panel rhythms, and character interpretations all remained faithful to MiTale’s world while giving the graphic novel its own presence.

The collaboration between the two studios was active and continuous — script meetings, weekly feedback rounds, visual iterations, and shared development sessions. Working closely with Petter on story and lore created a workflow where both teams shaped the narrative from their own strengths.

Juha especially enjoyed taking on the role of Lead Editor and Art Director, working with the artists through every step of the pipeline. That process now continues as Fiilin Good Films and MiTale develop the full series arc for upcoming graphic novel episodes.

Production and Print

The book was first published in Finland in November 2025 by MiTale. Printed in Tallinn, Estonia, the final result reflects the combined work of all artists, writers, and directors. With the printed books now in hand, we can finally share process images, digital panels, and photos of the physical edition.

Printed books in Tallinn.

The Willow Guard graphic novel series continues next year, with new episodes now in development. The animated series is also moving forward in co-production, expanding the world to yet another format.

Credits

Product website: www.willowguard.games Publisher: MiTale, www.mitale.fi Production: Fiilin Good Films, www.fiilingoodfilms.com

Willow Guard © 2025 MiTale. All rights reserved. No part of this graphic novel may be reproduced without written consent. All artwork, unless stated otherwise, is copyright © MiTale.First published in Finland, November 2025. Digital copy (PDF) ISBN: 978-952-88-1150-3

Lead Editor: Juha Fiilin, Fiilin Good Films Story: Petter Skult, MiTale Art Direction Collaboration: Juha Fiilin & Natasha Skult Graphics Design: Natasha Skult, MiTale

Artists (Fiilin Good Films): – Mika Hyvönen (layouts, sketches, early pencils) – Jan Andersson (pencils, inks, colours) – Victor Santos (cover)

Closing

We’re excited to share this first graphic novel with the community and to continue building the Willow Guard universe in new formats. With new episodes now in development and the animated series underway, this is only the beginning.

If you’re interested in how Fiilin Good Films helps game studios expand their IP into new formats, feel free to reach out!