Do you remember the "wee rest" we said last issue we'd be taking after #9 came out? It turned out to be so wee that we never saw it! It's been a full four months, but first...
There's some important information for subscribers - whether you already are one or want to be one - on page 33. Please look it over. Then...
Before you put this issue down, please also take a look at what we feel is a very important thought on page 36. Thanks. And now, back to the editorial.
So what's been taking up all the time you ask? Well...
The ELFQUEST NOVEL is finished, all 110,000 words of it, covering issues one through five of the ELFQUEST comic. In it, we've been able to expand greatly on aspects of the characters and their personalities, and also to answer many of the questions you've written in to ask us. It's by both of us (Richard & Wendy), and will sport cover and interior illustrations by Wendy. Look for it in April of 1982 anywhere paperbacks are sold.
Also finished is the ELFQUEST COLOR VOLUME due out in October of this year- again, in most bookshops. It's 160 pages of ELFQUEST as we've always wanted to see it - in full color, each page of art from the first five issues carefully painted over - by Wendy and top comics colorist Glynis Wein - to stunning effect! See the inside back cover of this issue for more information and a how-to-order.
And finally: the ELFQUEST GATHERUM! (The ELFQUEST what?!) In keeping with the ancient traditions of the Year of the Elf, Fantagraphics Publishing is doing a volume on ELFQUEST that's...well, it has...How do we describe it? It will contain articles and such, most of which are newly written for this book. It will have pages and pages of never-before-seen artwork. It'll feel like an ELFQUEST family album - which, we guess, it is! To find out more, see the ad later on in this issue.
BEFORE WE FORGET - PLEASE don't order any of these books from WaRP Graphics, O.K.?
A personal note from Stamplicker: Doing ELFQUEST is a lot of frenzied fun for Wendy and me and, as you might have guessed, it's also a heck of a lot of hours and sweat and caring and work. I do have one regret about it, though, and that's that time has become so dear that it's all but impossible to answer all of your letters individually - to interact with each of you personally - as I/we'd like to do. We hope that you'll still keep your thoughts, comments and ideas coming in, though - for how else can we get to know you?
Now, on with the quest!
Richard & Wendy
(*) "ENOUGH" pronounced sideways
If you're a member of the ELFQUEST Fan Club, you've already read this, so please bear with us. If not, we think it needs saying. We've become aware that many people aren't aware of copyright and what it means, and we'd like to try to correct that a little.
In short, copyright exists to protect people who have created something original - a painting, a song, a story and so on - from having their work/ideas/inspirations used by others without their permission. If you have created something - for example, a comic strip - you are automatically protected by copyright in a "common law" sort of way, but for full protection you should register the copyright (for information write to the Library of Congress, Washington D.C. 20559 for brochures on the subject). If you have something protected by copyright, and someone knowingly or unknowingly uses - or plagiarizes - your creation, you have recourse to stop them.
Anyway, copyright exists to protect you the author or artist or creator.
ELFQUEST is copyrighted - each issue as it comes out. The name is registered as a trademark, as are the likenesses of the characters. That means that we and ELFQUEST are protected against creative theft, right?
In theory, yes. In reality, well...We here at WaRP have begun to hear that people are violating our copyright. They are: making unauthorized statues of the characters for sale; making unauthorized prints of the characters for sale; making unauthorized T-shirts of the characters for sale. The two common things in all of this are 1) all of these products are unauthorized, which simply means that we haven't given our permission to these people to do what they're doing; and 2) these products are for sale, which means that someone else is making money off of the work and love we put into ELFQUEST; and folks, ELFQUEST is our living. This theft is wrong, and it's illegal.
Now, see the hands raised and hear the question, "But I just want to write an ELFQUEST story or do a drawing for my own enjoyment. Can't I do that?" Yes, you certainly can. And the only thing you have to do to make everything fine and dandy is to acknowledge the fact that someone else created ELFQUEST. All you have to do on any piece of original art or story or article with ELFQUEST illustrations is this: somewhere on the art or title page or wherever, you must put the copyright notice "(c)1981 (or whatever year it is) by WaRP Graphics" and you're all set. Of course, if you have a question about any of this, or just want to ask our permission directly, we'll be happy to return your courtesy with an answer.
Why are we stressing all this? So that you are better informed, and so that you can inform others. There's a lot of ripping-off that goes on out there, friends, and it doesn't feel very nice. If we're all aware, maybe we can stop a little bit of the theft.
I guess what I'd like to close with is the appeal that if you see - in a store or convention or wherever - something that looks like it might be an ELFQUEST bootleg, let us know. Already several fine and caring people - and they know who they are - have alerted us to some shady dealings that we've been able to halt. We appreciate it. Thank you.
***** Last issue's letter column seems to have generated more response than the story itself! Readers were unanimous in their negative reaction to Loran Gayton's (seeming) criticism of certain parts of ELFQUEST, and we received scores of letters, including one from Mr. Gayton himself, in which he addresses his own comments.
Please forgive me. I never thought you would
take my letter so seriously, let alone print the foul
thing with a lengthy, detailed reply. I was just pulling
your leg, really!
The truth is that I got wired one evening a few months back while rereading your comics and I decided to write you a silly letter. If I remember correctly, I had just read a letter from one of your other fans. In that letter the writer said that it was nice to have a comic they could read with their children. This attitude struck me as hypocritical. In my opinion, if you don't want your kids reading a certain comic, then you should not be reading it either. I don't believe in double standards, for kids or anyone else. The outcome of this twisted train of though was that I decided to write you a letter advocating more sex and violence.
I thought you might get a few laughs out of it and that it would be a change of pace. I guess I, like Tyl Eulenspiegel, overstepped the fine boundary between humor and offense. Forgive me.
Actually, I realize that the cuteness is an integral part of your wonderful creation. I also realize that I am not a typical ELFQUEST reader. I never thought that you would seriously consider altering your art to suit the tastes of a mad dog such as myself.
Loran Gayton
Denver, CO
***** We're glad you wrote to clarify the motive behind your original letter, although we have to say that we've discovered that humor can be a very subtle thing, sometimes too subtle. Words, like arrows, once released do their work, whatever the intent. Enough said.
As a general comment, we couldn't let the suggestions we get from our readers change the direction of the story even if we wanted to! Remember, ELFQUEST has been plotted - start to finish - for over four years now. Wendy and I know what scenes are coming up, what characters will be introduced, how certain things will be portrayed...and we're sticking to the concept as we originally dreamed (and lived parts of) it.
***** And then there was Rayek. Yes, it seems
we did receive a comment or two on the discovery
of that tomb in the desert. Opinion on what we did
seems to be pretty evenly divided between two
groups. Witness...
Those had better not be Rayek's remains in that
hole. Don't you dare kill off Rayek unless you wish
to face the wrath of the Rayek Fan Club (Our motto:
Do not cross us, or you will stand no more
chance than this!).
Scott Schmitz
South Pasadena, CA
I wasn't too crushed about Rayek - never liked
him much anyway - but poor Nightrunner! Losing
HIM is hard to take!
Alice Willoughby
Palo Alto, CA
I don't believe for a moment that Rayek is dead,
and I'm surprised at Leetah for jumping to that
conclusion. Doesn't she know that if you jump to
conclusions, you have to swim back?
Margaret Purdy
Ridgewood, NJ
Is this just one of those false clues that you so
dearly love to leave us? Personally, I suspect you
of having decided to surprise everyone by having
it really mean what it seems to mean - that Rayek
IS dead - though I hope I'm wrong, because I like
the surly little bastard!
Bill Stoddard
Chula Vista, CA
***** Well! Looks like half of you believe Rayek is gone, and half don't. Hmmm. You may be right, but then, you may be wrong...
I can't resist the temptation to second guess
you. I read the story In EPIC, and though I didn't
pick up on the little flutterbys then, I can think of
several intriguing possibilities. Primarily I wonder
what function their spraying could have had in the
castle. Mosquito control? Chandelier dusters?
Did they hold the brushes for some elfin
Michaelangelo as he painted ceilings? and catch
the paint drips too?
Peter Sartucci
Lamar, CO
***** Nastybad bigthing! Make fun of Petalwing! Bigthing see! Petalwing wait till bigthing all nice and stillquiet. Give bigthing present of lots and lots of wrapstuff! Then bigthing hushup!
In issue #9, why the great need for Cutter and
Skywise to climb up? They had to climb down
anyway, were already part way down. After
depositing Skywise safely at the bottom, Cutter
could have climbed up to retrieve their gear.
David Reithmeler
Rochester, MI
***** Good question. Recall, though, that with only one hand free, and carrying someone his own weight, it would have been difficult for Cutter to go in either direction, although not impossible. Then too, he was much closer to the top than to the bottom. The situation was a stressful one, and Cutter's curse (and Oblar's reply) happened very quickly after Skywise began to lose his grip.
One of your strongest points is, I think, that
you've developed an "American" milieu for your
elves, rather than try to recreate an English or
European setting. Nothing grates quite so much
as badly done "Olde Englishe" settings by
Americans; no doubt you feel the same way about
our Americanizations. The similarity between the
Sun Folk and the Amerindians of the southwest is
great.
Dean Smith
Bucks, England
Whenever anything is done by someone that
touches others, there seems to be a tendency to
want to reach back, to keep hold of that touch.
ELFQUEST is such a work of touching and
readers show evidence of touching back; story
ideas, character ideas, suggestions and
criticisms are all ways of trying to put a little of
oneself into the thing one loves. Many have
wanted to "add" themselves to ELFQUEST. Only
things of great value affect people that way.
When I first read ELFQUEST I knew that the elves were not my elves. Ever since I've been ten, I have searched for elves and I have my own now, but they are not the elves of Wendy and Richard Pini. Yet, I am always awaiting the next issue and I am honored that they have permitted us all to enter their world. We must all remember that it IS their world, their vision and their doorway to dreams. If we disagree with the way the characters react, battles are fought, etc. then we are trying to impose our own worlds on theirs. It is easy to find fault with things; instead, let the comic take you by the hand, go with it, become part of a special and real place, and leave your own world behind for a while.
K. Bennett
Center Square, PA
Success and disaster! The elves have managed
to "sail into harm's way" in a big way - and yet - it
looks as if Cutter and Skywise have made a great
deal of progress in the area of communication
with the humans. I somehow get the feeling that
the "bird spirits" will be more of a problem than
the humans ever were. The way their relationship
with "their" tribe of humans was described by
Nonna, leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I don't
think they are very nice people, and page 44 may
bear this out. Hopefully we will know more next
issue.
William Johnson
Kennedyville, MD
***** Well, maybe just a little more. Next issue is where things really get soar.. er, sore.
Thanks again for ELFQUEST; again, as always,
it is such a delight. You keep managing to infuse
both good, taut drama and - dare I say it - charm
into each issue, and your enthusiasm still comes
through, something that is lacking in so many of
the regular above-ground comics.
You work your characters naturally and entertainingly, never forcing them, allowing them to say what you want within their limits; and when I'm done with whichever issue is currently out I usually find myself wondering why there aren't more books like this. It's not that you're doing Shakespeare or even "Death of a Salesman," but just nice, enjoyable stories that pass the while away pleasantly; but you are doing it well, and that makes hard drama and fable alike a joy to read.
Keep it up and don't lose your love for what you're doing to the dreaded curses of over- popularity or deadlines. And, please, don't feel that you must do a sequel once you're done with this Quest - at least not immediately. Do something different, spark another interest within you, then come back when you feel you've got whatever drive it was in the first place that created this story. All too often sequels may be good, but lack something. Also, the popular "Sherlock Holmes" resentment factor might crop up and you'll find yourself wanting to get through each issue simply to get done with it, and not linger with it. Don't be caught up in the tide you created - keep creating new ones and let the world get caught up in you!
Marv Wolfman
Flushing, NY
***** Bless you for that thought, Marv - there are indeed times when the world of ELFQUEST seems close to overwhelming us. But we love it, and will tell the story through to the end. After that? Who knows, but have we got projects in mind, oh boy? And when you dial H-E-R-O, may you never get a busy signal...
Richard & Wendy