I have just finished reading ELFQUEST HIDDEN YEARS #18. After reading the letters afterward I went back to look over the tiny mistakes I missed from being so absorbed in the story. Seeing the colors lighten and the drawing themselves take on smooth, round cartoon perfection I could see why they were so concerned. Mulling over #18 I see noticeable improvement and a pleasing scale of richness that I have always loved about the comic. Not only have you returned the full strength of colors but you (the artists) are drawing the characters alive. It really is refreshing to see, but enough about that.
I love how you've drawn Pike. With his scruffy beard and happy go lucky attitude. I know they are drunk but I swear I saw admiration in Pike's eyes. He is so sweet. That picture of Skywise. Ssss! Hot! Is that him as a High One and then as a Changeling version at the end? Kind of eerie. Stubtail is so adorable. We have two new kittens which provide endless comic relief. I believe this little fellow can do the same.
I'm glad Moonshade and Ember were able to resolve their differences even though she had to use the-what did Redlance call them-Firejaws influence on her to find out what her grievances were. In the end it was nice to see Ember and Moonshade hug (even though Moonshade still thought it was her daughter Crescent). Keep up the good work.
Stephanie Wexler
<<street address removed from archive>>
I thoroughly enjoyed HY #18. I welcome
Blevins wholeheartedly. I loved his work in "Tale of the
Snowbeast" (my favorite EQ to have come out of all the
new developments) and I am happy to see him in my
favorite series. I have faith that he'll do a wonderful job.
That aside, I have a little story of my own for the creators of HY #18 (Lee and Auklandus, I believe).
Six years ago when I was 11 years old and I first discovered EQ, my best friend and I became very absorbed. We created an EQ sign language which we used to discuss the story. We tried to become the first human-elves by attempting elf-tricks, like jumping from tree to tree. It was a fun time, back in the days when we had recess.
Part of why we did this was because we believed some humans have the souls of elves. We found only ourselves and a few others who had "elf-souls". It was a sort of reincarnation idea.
Kelly believed that she was Clearbrook's dead daughter (whose mystery intrigues her to this day). My favorite characters were Moonshade and Strongbow, I'm not sure why. But I set myself up as their lost firstborn daughter.
Well, people grow up and fantasies end. I realized that there was no firstborn daughter and that was the call back to reality. For some reason though, I continued to love Moonshade. After six years I still felt the urge to call her "mother".
Well. Here I was reading a jolly-fine story, and wham!, here comes Crescent! You can imagine how my jaw dropped. "How could I have known six years ago", I thought. Crescent even looks like my old mental picture of the elf-that-wasn't-supposed-to-be.
What I haven't figured out is whether you thought of it first, or if my brainwaves reached you in your sleep. Well, in any case, it was a fine surprise. Keep up the wonderful work.
Jerelyn Paws Parker
<<street address removed from archive>>
Well I am very, very, very pleased - and a
little chagrined to even think Steve Blevins wouldn't
give us his very best work - since he always does give
us his all. Issue #3 of this series was beautiful, in fact
it was in my estimation even better than #2 - funny -
I never believed Steve could do one up on Roko's
beautiful work - boy...was I wrong. I must also congratulate
Barry Blair for assisting with the inks and
Suzanne Dechnik for her use of colors. I must admit
one thing about Issue #2 that I really liked was the
splendid use of color. Suzanne did a truly wonderful
job. I am also glad to see that Leetah has her red hair
again and that both she and her daughter Ember have
their natural skin-tone back.
Now - some thoughts about the story itself. Yes, yes, yes - the story is finally starting to unfold. The earlier two issues seemed too much like a single story each with (as I mentioned in an earlier letter) a few ties to hold the plots together - it seemed as if the writers were trying to get to know the characters and the way the story should unfold - and now it seems as if they know exactly who those characters are and how the story will be told.
And talk about surprises - I don't know what those little bugs are...but someone ought to bottle and patent them and then let the whole swarm loose on Winnowill!
Ah, and Strongbow's soul name is Wyl; that should please numerous people.
The fact that Moonshade and Strongbow had a daughter before Dart, long before apparently, was quite a revelation. I knew that Clearbrook had had a daughter but not Moonshade. It was a very nice way to learn something right out of the blue, at least with Clearbrook we've been warned a few times that a daughter did exist - whether we will ever get to meet this daughter like we did Crescent is anyone's guess.
I see that Dewshine still suffers nightmares about Winnowill - at least when induced by those bugs. And Scouter fears he can't keep the two loves of his life safe. Leetah thinks she can fly and the trees are talking to Redlance. Hah! Great Fun!
That image of Tyleet and the Spirit baby was beautiful - very few people seem capable of drawing babies so that they look like babies. Wendy can of course and now I have no worries about Tyleet's baby. It will look like a baby.
I guess what I have been trying to say and took so many words doing is - I'm Happy, think you all for not disappointing me or the other fans.
P.S. Where were the mysterious eyes that have shown up in the previous 2 issues? Don't know what I mean? Check out issue one with that fork-tailed cat-thing attacking Tyleet, behind the monster in a small cave is a pair of eyes glowing in the dark. And in issue two in that scene where Ember and the others first spot the stripehide they plan on killing for supper those eyes show up again when we have just a corner picture with Ember in it and some trees. The shadow-shape with eyes gives every appearance of standing upright like a human or another elf, hmmmn?
Jennifer Duff
<<street address removed from archive>>
Or how about just a little Stubtail? That's been Pike's big secret, remember? At least until now... Keep those cards, letters and good bites coming, and see you In 45! - RP