[The following editorial appears in Hidden Years #15, New Blood #19, and Blood of Ten Chiefs #8. --MK]
Oh, I think bits and pieces from the wide world this time around...
The information highway seems lately to run right through 43 Haight Avenue, but "highway" doesn't begin to give the flavor of it. Yes, it is a highway in the sense that if I so desire, I can get from my computer here in Poughkeepsie to just about anyone else's computer, anywhere in the world, in a matter of moments. But the world isn't connected solely by highways. Big roads lead to smaller roads lead to country lanes lead to footpaths in wild, out of the way places. More and more I am discovering all the little byways and cul-de-sacs and whistle stop towns that lie off the information eight-lane.
And we're one of them! Somewhere on the hypermap, there's a wee point that has my name on it. To borrow the advertising phrase from New York Telephone, we're all connected. Some issues ago, I listed the various ways in which fellow travelers on the big road could get in touch with us here at Warp Graphics. I need to update that list. Also, there are various and sundry areas (forums, lists, etc.) on some of the online services that are devoted to Elfquest, and I'd like to turn people on to those as well, so here goes:
CompuServe:
My user ID is 72077,12.
If you want to send e-mail to me there via the Internet, the address is
72077.12@compuserve.com.
There's a Comics forum (the command is "go comics"), but no specific Elfquest
forum. Yet.
GEnie:
My user ID is R.PINI.
To send e-mail via the Internet, it's R.PINI@genie.geis.com.
There's a Comics forum (the command is "comics"), within which there are
Elfquest topics (as of this note, they are Topics 2 and 29 within Category 22 in the
Comics bulletin board area).
America Online:
My user ID is RPINI.
To send e-mail via the Internet, it's RPINI@aol.com.
There are a number of areas ("folders") devoted to Elfquest. Go to the "Lifestyles
and Interests" area, and then to the "Fantasy and Science Fiction" folder. Within
that you'll find a number of folders; the one that seems to have the most activity is
the "Myths and Fairy Tales" one, with a couple of EQ "holts," but explore the other
folders too.
Delphi:
My user ID is RPINI.
To send e-mail via the Internet, it's RPINI@delphi.com.
Delphi is interesting to me in that it's not yet so much oriented toward fan/consumer
interests (as the other services are) but it does provide the easiest access
to the Internet (without my having to install a gateway right here at great cost).
The Internet itself:
I access the Internet through Delphi, and if you have access, there are two
newsgroups (what I would call bulletin boards) that I'm aware of that focus on
Elfquest. One is alt.comics.elfquest; the other is EQUEST-L@psuvm.psu.edu. I'm
going to show off my ignorance here, because I know that there are some
differences between the two, but for me, they're the same kind of beast. I'm sure
people will point out the differences to me in detail. In the meantime, go crazy.
Another bit of business I'd like to bring to everyone's attention is a wonderful book I just finished reading, called Picturing the Rose. It's by Marcia Lane, who is a storyteller by profession, and it's a look at fairy tales not so much from an academic point of view, but rather from the perspective of one who actually tells the tales to an audience. It's an entertaining read in any case, but it especially speaks to a question I'd often asked myself: Just what is Elfquest? And as a result of reading Picturing the Rose, I think I can answer. Elfquest is not legend, it is not myth, it is not even fantasy. It is indeed a fairy tale, albeit a modern one. And having arrived at the conclusion, I find myself wonderfully satisfied with it. There's much more to this volume than that, however, and if you have any interest at all in the very human underpinnings of storytelling, I recommend this book. The ISBN number is 0-824208-48-X, and you ought to be able to order it at any book store. Seek it out.
Finally, back in April, I speculated on the possibilities inherent in a remote tropical island called Palau Pini. I received the following from Sarah Jenny of Bellevue, Washington. She writes: "I lived in Hawaii for five years as a child. Though I don't remember much of the language, my mom says she thinks 'palau' means either 'holy place' or 'barbecue pit.' I know that's not much help, but I thought it was funny." Hmm. Well, I know some towns 'round about Houston way where those two meanings come very close together, but how an Italian family from near Modena got caught up in that, I have no clue.
Stay tuned! Strangeness abounds.
Richard A Pini