For starts, thank you all for keeping us innundated with so many letters to Elfquest. We can't hope to print more than a fraction of what we receive, but rest assured that if your letter contains a request for some specific information that we can provide (such as for the Elfquest Fan Club, 5 Reno Road, Poughkeepsie, NY 12603-- but please enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope) you'll get a response. Also, many of you have written asking how to purchase Elfquest merchandise such as games, figurines, and so on. Neither we nor Marvel carry these items for sale, but you can check your local comics shop and ask the owner to order what you want, or you can write to the advertisers in this comic, and they'll be glad to help you out. --RP
1) Just what is a soul name,
anyway?
2) What are dreamberries?
3) How much time passed between
issues #8 and #9, and
what happened then?
4) Is the World of Two Moons
Earth? Mars?
5) When will you tell us how
One-Eye Lost his other eye?
6) Did Skywise ever have a
life-mate?
7) Will the Wolfriders ever
leave Sorrow's End?
Lotta Readers
Allover, USA
Somehow, with the volume of mail we get, I have the feeling we may hear often from Ms. Readers and her brother Manny.
1) A soul name is a word or
sound or concept that expresses
the innermost totality of who
and what an elf is. It's a little like
spirit, an little like mind, a little
like soul in the American Indian
sense. Because the elves are
telepathic, it is a secret place inside
the mind where one can
find privacy and safety.
2) Dreamberries, if they're
eaten fresh from the bush, are
like alcohol to the elves. They
make humans ill. But when Old
Magotty ferments the "little
squishers" into dreamberry
wine, look out! it's 1969 in the
Haight-Ashbury all over again!
3) About seven years went by
between the two issues-- two
years for Leetah to carry the
twins, and five years for them to
grow to their current age.
4) No, it's not Earth, past, present
or future. Nor is it Mars,
despite the two moons. It's in a
galaxy far, far... Oh, that's already
been done.
5) But we already did tell you,
in the novelization Journey To
Sorrow's End, which you should
be able to find in any bookstore.
If you can't, bug 'em to order it.
6) No--lots of acquaintances,
but no permanents-- yet.
7) As you can see, at least two
of them already have. Will there
be more? We shall see. --RP
How can the Wolfriders run
around bare-chested in those
freezing forest winters?
Zack Simson
Far Rockaway, NY
Well, first of all, it's only the male Wolfriders that do that. We run a family book here, fellah. So far. And as for why-- they're tough little guys. Blue, but tough. --RP
In Elfquest #9's letter page, a
girl named Mandy Mixer wants a
wolf cub. I agree with your answer.
Wolves can he unpredictable
even if their mother was
born in captivity. However, I
have a suggestion: a Husky. Huskies
aren't perfectly like wolves,
but as far as I'm concerned,
they're close enough.
Scott Henning
Nanaimo, British Columbia
True enough. As are Samoyeds and our own personal favorites, American Eskimos (otherwise known as Spitzes). --RP
In issue #9 there was a language
barrier between the elves
and the humans, but it appeared
that in the first issue this difference
didn't exist. Have the
elves and humans always spoken
different languages? Also in
going through my old issues, I
noticed something I hadn't seen
before. In issue #1, when the
High Ones landed, they were in
a castle. Does this castle still
stand or did the humans destroy
it, and if they didn't where is it?
Andy Blythe
Indianapolis, IN
The humans and elves do have two different languages. Bearclaw was the one who decided that it made good sense to learn the human tongue, so that the Wolfriders could spy more effectively on their foes. These humans, however, have never learned the language of the elves. About that huge, whitish castle-- you've perhaps heard about this fast-food chain that sells these itty-bitty hamburgers? Well... Shade and sweet diet cola! --Richard Pini