Amazing is the word for you two! You guys defy all laws of comic book success. I'm usually a Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Judge Dredd fan, but when I saw your elves I was entranced by the beautiful un-lifelike artwork. I'm going to get anything Elfquest that comes out!
I've got two questions. Do you sell original art? Also, did either of you (particularly Wendy) have any comic book influences, and if so, what? My final comment-- please make an Elfquest movie!
Paul Kirby
Knoxville, TN
We often get asked to sell the original art to Elfquest, but so far we haven't been able to part with any of it. Perhaps someday we will, but for now each page feels like a member of the family. Wendy's artistic influences came from a number of sources, including comics like The Avengers. Other sources of inspiration and learning came from animated cartoons on television (such as Jonny Quest) and the fine illustrations in childrens' books by artists such as Rackham, Dulac, Tenggren, and Pyle. As far as a movie is concerned, we're working on it (he said sneakily). --R.P.
Elfquest in Marvel Comics?
Wow! I'm tickled pink at the
thought of this whole bizarre,
mindblowing, intelligently written,
and beautifully drawn story
previously available only to the
privileged few (tens of thousands)
reaching a vast new audience.
Many thanks to Marvel and Epic
for making it possible.
Please prevail upon the mighty wielders of Editorial Clout to make sure Elfquest gets plenty of British and European distribution. Come on, guys, it's about time, seeing that no Elfquest material has ever been published on British soil! There are one or two comics fans on this side of the Vastdeep Water, you know.
Lee Mendham
Chatham, Kent U.K.
I know that the original editions of Elfquest were hard to come by overseas, due to distribution problems we were never fully able to solve. I'm sure, however, that Marvel will be able to overcome those hurdles and place the adventures of Cutter and crew onto even the most distant of soils. --R.P.
My only concern about the art
is the sharpness. The coloring
plus the reduced page size
makes it harder to pick out the
background detail. I remember
how it pays to study those details,
both for devious clues to
what will follow and for the expressions
that give so much personality
to even the minor
characters. I hope readers make
the effort for the rewards are so
great.
What about the subject of the new art? We've only seen #1 and #2 over here, but in #1 it was nicely selected to bring out some of the lesser charactes. I wasn't as keen on the start of #2. Roll calls, however well integrated, always seem a touch contrived. But the changes at the end of the issue were very encouraging. Made me feel that Wendy is really coming to grips with the problem of inserting new material, and when this lady comes to grips with a problem it's liable to find itself turned inside out and transformed into a golden opportunity.
Just one caveat. I hope you won't feel obliged to include equal amounts of new work in every issue. Some parts of the story need little elaboration and it would damage the pacing if any were added. Other parts cry out for lots more.
Ian G.S. Curtis
Yateley, Camberley U.K.
We're discovering that, depending upon how the stories break, any given issue of the Epic Elfquest may have from zero to four or five pages of new artwork. The process is a combination of picking a natural break point in the original stories and deciding what story elements want a bit of expansion. --R.P.
I just had to say that I love your
comic. The "Then" and "Now"
scene in issue #1, page 5 was
beautiful. And on page 14, when
One-Eye is crying, it almost
made me cry. There is only one
thing I want to know. Why aren't
there any female Wolfriders?
Nightfall looks like she would be
a good character to do that.
Lee Ann Carter
Douglasville GA
I hope by now you've seen that not only Nightfall, but Clearbrook, Dewshine, Rainsong and Moonshade as well are full-fledged Wolfriders who take their places right along side their male counterparts.
See you next issue!
--Richard Pini