Elfquest (or ElfQuest) is a comic book property created by Wendy and Richard Pini in 1978, and still owned by them. It is a fantasy story about a community of elves and other fictional species who struggle to survive and coexist on a primitive Earth-like planet with two moons. Several published volumes of prose fiction also share the same setting. Elfquest was one of the first comic book series to have a planned conclusion. Over the years Elfquest has been self-published by the Pinis through their own company Warp Graphics, then Marvel Comics,[1] then the Pinis again, more recently DC Comics, and, since 2013, Dark Horse Comics.[2] All issues of Elfquest published prior to 2014 are available online for free.[3]
Publication history
The first Elfquest story, "Fire and Flight", appeared in February 1978[1] in the underground comic book Fantasy Quarterly, published by Lansing, Michigan-based IPS (Independent Publishers Syndicate). That company closed after publishing the first issue of Elfquest.[1] Sandwiched between the two parts of the Elfquest story was a brief story written by T. Casey Brennan and illustrated by Cerebus the Aardvark creator Dave Sim titled "Doorway to the Gods". The quality of the publication was disappointing to Wendy and Richard Pini. The interior was printed on newsprint, and the cover was printed, in a limited color palette, on only slightly heavier, uncoated paper stock.
WaRP Graphics
The poor quality of this publication convinced the Pinis that they could produce a higher quality publication on their own.[4] After borrowing money in order to start WaRP Graphics, the Pinis started publishing with Elfquest #2. It was printed magazine-size with glossy full-color covers and a character portrait print on the back cover by Wendy, a format that continued throughout the series' entire run. This story continued the Elfquest tale started in Fantasy Quarterly. Later, the Pinis' company WaRP Graphics reprinted the story from Fantasy Quarterly as Elfquest #1 with a new front cover and full-color portrait print for the rear cover.
This series was one of the early successes that marked the establishment of a phase in underground comics in which a new genre of alternative independent comic books emerged that were closer in content to mainstream comics. Elfquest was also one of the first comic book series that had a prearranged conclusion. It was highly praised for its innovative themes. The fact that a female artist/writer (Wendy Pini) was the creative principal of the series was also notable.
The original series – generally referred to as "The Original Quest" or "OQ" – ran for 20 magazine-size issues (spanning about seven to eight years in terms of the main storyline), released three times a year.[5] Color compilations followed, published by the Donning Company under its Starblaze imprint as Books 1-4.
Background and setting
The world in which the series takes place – eventually called Abode by its human inhabitants, but originally referred to as the World of Two Moons – superficially resembles Earth, with geography that is marginally similar. There are some unusual prehistoric survivals among the fauna, and in early storylines Abode could have been described as Earth with two moons, hence its original name. As the story moves forward and Abode's history develops, it becomes apparent that its human culture and technology is distinguished by the twenty thousand years of influence by the elves, who have left an indelible mark on human society (though their existence is unacknowledged and unofficially suppressed by Abode's world government).
The elves of Elfquest are descended from highly advanced humanoid aliens called High Ones by their descendants. When their homeworld's natural resources became depleted due to overpopulation, they went spacefaring in order to find new planets to settle. Some of them returned to their dead homeworld, and ended up awakening their immense psycho-kinetic psychic powers[11] and biological immortality. They eventually resumed spacefaring to explore the wider universe, using telekinesis to create egg-shaped vessels and pilot them to new worlds, adapting to any ecosystem by shifting their own shapes and metabolisms. As companions, they brought two of the last surviving animal species from their home, both of which gradually evolved during the journey (and subsequent events) into two more races of sapient near-immortals: the insectoid Preservers and the simian-descended Trolls.
After journeying to many different worlds, one of these vessels came to Abode (known to its inhabitants as the World of Two Moons), where human civilization had reached a level that was almost identical to Europe's
Cast
The Wolfriders
The central characters are the Wolfrider elves, a tribe of ferocious hunter/warriors closely allied with wolves who serve as mounts, hunting partners, and friends. Their culture is roughly analogous to the Iroquois Native American nation. Within their founder group, a female High One named Timmain had been the only member to retain her shape-shifting ability. When winter came, Timmain shape-shifted into a wolf to hunt food for the starving elves around her. She sank deeply into her wolf-form and eventually forgot her original identity, even mating with a native wolf to produce a half-wolf chimeric son whom she handed over to the Elves after teaching him as much as she could as a wolf. They gave him the name Timmorn Yellow-Eyes and he became the first Chief of the Wolfriders, bringing the wolf pack and the stranded elves together to form a close symbiotic alliance. Because of his mixed blood, Timmorn was mortal, unlike his progenitors. Timmorn then went on to sire many children, with both wolves and elves; as a result, the entire tribe and their bonded wolf pack can all trace their bloodline back to Timmorn in some way by the point at which the series begins. This mingling of wolf and elf blood produces unexpected results; aside from maintaining a feral, wolf-like mentality (known as the Way), the Wolfriders are the only elves who can, eventually, die of old age. In addition to the close bonds with their wolves, the Wolfriders also have some basic psychic powers like telepathy (known as "sending"), healing, and plant manipulation. Because of the hybridization, their wolves also possess powers of telepathy, allowing Wolfriders to "send" with their wolves.
The central storyline, beginning with the series known as the Grand Quest or Original Quest, focuses on the tribe during the leadership of their eleventh chief Cutter.
Contributing artists and writers
Various artists and writers have contributed to Elfquest over the years, including the following, as listed on the Elfquest Reader's Collection page.[12]
Artists
Wendy Pini, Sonny Strait, Carol Lyon, Delfin Barral, Brandon McKinney, Barry Blair, Jerry Braccia, Jeff Zugale, Janine Johnston, Paul Bonanno, Ken Hooper, Steve Blevins, Craig Taillefer, Barb Kaalberg, Charles Barnett, Daniel Shelton, Mat Nastos, Bill Neville, Al Nickerson, Jen Marrus, Rick Ketcham, Paul Abrams, John Byrne, Terry Beatty, O.F. Roko, Lorraine Reyes, Justin Bloomer, David Boller, Dennis Fujitake, Kathryn Bolinger, Colin Chan, Wendi Strang-Frost, Carla Speed McNeil, Chris Schenk.
Writers
Wendy & Richard Pini, Sonny Strait, Brandon McKinney, Bern Harkins, Christy Marx, Andy Mangels, Terry Collins, Joellyn Auklandus, Kim Yale, Sara Byam, Wendi Lee, John Ostrander, Barry Blair, Vickie Murphy, Kathryn Bolinger, Christopher Lane, Pam Fremon, Bill Neville, Carla Speed McNeil.
Adaptations
Besides an unofficial homage in Marvel's X-Men #153 (Kitty Pryde wears an Elfquest T-shirt throughout the issue, and a sprite named "Pini" appears on p.16),[13] Elfquest has been adapted into a range of media. A scene from Elfquest between Cutter and Leetah in Sun Village was also performed as part of a theater rehearsal in Fantastic Four #242.
While not an adaptation in the strictest sense of the term, Piers Anthony's 13th Xanth novel Isle of View introduces a character named Jenny Elf, a Wolfrider who was magically brought to Xanth from Abode after a tragic accident. Jenny Elf, by the author's own admission, is a tribute to a young girl who was paralyzed by a drunk driver. Jenny Elf continues to be a character in subsequent Xanth novels. Warp Graphics published the first volume of a graphic novel adaptation of Isle of View entitled Return to Centaur.[14]
Film
In 1982, the Pinis were in talks with Nelvana to produce an animated film based on the story, which was contemplated to open after issue #20's anticipated release in late 1984.
Awards and honors
- 1979 Ed Aprill Award (New York Comic Art Convention) – Best Independent Comic
- 1979, 1980 Alley Award
- 1980 Small Press Writers and Artists Organization – Best Artist (Comics), Wendy Pini – Best Editor (Comics), Richard and Wendy Pini
- 1981 Phantasy Press Comic Art Awards (Woody Awards, in honor of Wally Wood) – Best Alternative Comic
- 1983 Small Press Writers and Artists Organization – Best Comic
- 1983 Heroes Award (Heroes Aren't Hard To Find) – Best Black and White Magazine
- 1984 New York State Jaycees Distinguished Service Award (Wendy and Richard Pini)
- 1985 Balrog Award (Sword and Shield Corp. of Denver, Colorado) – Best Artist (Wendy Pini)
- 1986 Fantasy Festival Comic Book Awards (El Paso Fantasy Festival) – Best Alternative Comic
- 1987, 1988 Skywise (Elfquest character) inducted into Massachusetts Institute of Technology freshman class[26]
- 1989 Golden Pen Award (Young Adult Advisory Committee, Spokane, Washington)
External links
- Elfquest at Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Archived from the original on June 17, 2016.
- Elfquest comics in chronological order
- The Elfquest Saga: A Synopsis
References
- Peter Sanderson. Say Hello to Elfquest MARVEL AGE, July 1985^
- Wendy Pini, Richard Pini. Elfquest Special: The Final Quest Dark Horse Comics, 2013^
- Elfquest Comic Viewer Elfquest.com, retrieved 2022-06-21^