Kicking off a letter column for a publication that breaks with fifteen years of tradition... well, who knows what all we're going to see in the way of commentary? So let's dip in and get this very first new bloody worldpool spinning!
I have bought two copies of issue #1 of
ELFQUEST: NEW BLOOD. I have always enjoyed
ELFQUEST from time to time but by the time I
became a big fan there was so much I had already
missed. The real seller for me to buy this current
project was the inclusion of Barry Blair. I'm a big
follower of all his work and I feel it is high time we
are able to see his work in full color again. My one
complaint about the issue is that there was not
more of "Darkness Rising." I can't wait two months
to see it-- I love it. I am writing in the hopes that
you will include Blair in more issues of NEW BLOOD
as well as in titles of his own for Warp Graphics.
Charles Mento
<<street address removed from archive>>
That's what I like-- relevance. As you can see, this issue and the next complete Barry's story for NEW BLOOD, and I think it's some of his best work. There'll doubtless be room in future issues for other Blair tales, but don't overlook the incredible lineup of other talent that we've already slotted into the schedule. In fact, at this rate NEW BLOOD may be a monthly title before very long.
Okay, okay. You've made your point.
ELFQUEST can be done by other people. So there to
all those who were yelling that no one but Wendy
could do the movie. However, I can't truly call it
Elfquest. I can appreciate NEW BLOOD for what it
is-- other people's stories set in the World of Two
Moons, but it isn't ELFQUEST. What I do admire is
that the other artists are not trying to make their
stories look exactly like Wendy's. The elves are
drawn in each person's own style, and they're not
trying to hide that. Anyway, whatever NEW BLOOD
is, I love it! Some of the stories are serious, and
some are not-- some are good and some are not.
The Two-Edge one was great, and the Tiny Toons
one was hilarious... but the best was the World of
Two MOONS. Now that's funny!
Maral Agnerian
<<street address removed from archive>>
I am one of those fans who has been moved
to write my own, apocryphal ELFQUEST stories, and
moreover I too have made them do the unthinkable:
I arranged a pseudo-Recognition between a
Wolfrider and a human. Everyone in the story felt
that it was a "fate worse than death," but since
there wasn't much they could do about it they went
through with it and then went on with their lives. I
felt that the World of Two Moons-- or Abode--
needed its own equivalent of Celts. Or anyway, my
version of it did! A world where no one could claim
elfin blood would be a sad one indeed.
After seeing NEW BLOOD I'm actually more at ease about writing my own way. It must have taken both courage and a fine sense of adventure to let go of your creation, let someone else's vision shape it for a while. And what a payoff! I really enjoyed it; in a lot of ways it was like a fanzine without all the bad parts. You didn't have to let in someone's lousy artwork or unintelligible writing just because they could get you free xeroxing...
I guess the reason I've written at length when I originally intended to just drop a note is that I seem to be hearing a lot of pain in your editorial pages these days. I would like to offer this: think of the World of Two Moons as a kind of "Amber." You created WoTM-prime; the creations of others are lesser reflections. In WoTM-prime, no one could murder their Recognized; in reflections far from the source it may be quite possible. I honor the sensibilities of the letter-writer who told you of it, and I honor your anger at this perversion of a core concept on WoTM-prime, one that I suspect nobody but yourselves really understands. But don't lash out at the people who do this sort of thing. Quite likely they are not emotional cripples at all, but are just laboring under the unfortunately wide-spread illusion (delusion?) that ugliness is more realistic, more adult, and therefore more respectable. Walk into any comics shop-- or art museum, for that matter-- and think about what you see there. People no longer believe that beauty has anything to say to them, or that joy is the natural state of human beings.
Remember that while changes on the true World of Two Moons can change its reflections, it can never work the other way unless you let it. And I offer a quote from a book I'm reading right now: "The things about people that drive us crazy are the things that are keeping them sane." I'm finding it very helpful to remember that.
Leslie (no last name given)
<<street address removed from archive>>
As with so many things in this world, the difference between one thing and another, which superficially may appear quite similar, is one of attitude. Another letter came in recently, in essence alleging our position that it was all right for professional writers and artists to "misuse" ELFQUEST, but not for fans to do so, because the one put money in the bank while the other did not. My reply to that is, it ain't misuse unless we say so, and we're generally quite flexible about it. Look at "Out of the Woods" in NEW BLOOD #1. Now, you know and I know and the writers know that the Wolfriders don't have cookpots lying about the Holt. But for the sake of telling a gentle charming Sondheim-esque tale by way of Hansel and Gretel about young Cutter and Skywise, cookpots became a fixture of the story and I as editor let it happen. You know and I know that humans and elves will never Recognize, but if that helped you write a satisfying story, then so be it. On the other hand, you're also not asking us to validate your concept within the framework of ELFQUEST either. It's only those-- fan or pro, makes no difference-- who insist upon that validation that tend to get me to write flaming editorials. Otherwise, the world is wide open to all for the joy of creation.
Just wanted to drop you a line and let you
know how much I enjoyed NEW BLOOD #1. I think
John Byrne's story was my favorite. He really
seems to have a knack for trolls, and his rendering
of Winnowill was exquisite. The story really had me
feeling bad for Two-Edge. I hope Byrne will do
more about him.
I also loved "A Troll Tale." It was paced like that wild and wacky new version of Mighty Mouse that Ralph Bakshi did a few years back. Wonderfully demented. I look forward to the next issue.
Emily Devenport
<<street address removed from archive>>
"Wonderfully demented." I think those words are engraved in Ken Mitchroney's permanent file. Wendy and he are cooking up a full-length story for an issue, soon. watch this space.
What have you done to a great comic
book?? I am an avid reader! Not a child or a teen! I
even wrote requesting a notice as to when
ELFQUEST was going to be reissued, but it seems
you filed that in the trash! I'm not dense and know
you have to make money and reach the crowds to
be a success, but guys and girls it's the wrong
crowd. Do you realize your very first issue starts
with porno, goes on to world hunger, then bigotry,
drunkenness, copy-catting characters from
cartoons and comedians. Please please review the
old issues and remember the good writing and
stories. I'm sure you can come up with more super
issues! Of course all my complaints are on issue
#1 of NEW BLOOD. I am anxiously awaiting issue #2!
Mrs. Madelyn Moncrief
<<street address removed from archive>>
Huh??
I'd already begun a letter about HIDDEN
YEARS, but I decided to proceed with some
comments on NEW BLOOD, Now, some people
might be tempted to review each story in turn, but
would I do such a thing? Ha.
"Worldpool." Cute pun, since it's a pool of creative talents. Don't let it stagnate, OK? One thing: the World of Two Moons/Abode may not be Earth, but that still begs the question: How did it get to be such an uncanny parallel in evolutionary terms? (Isn't symbolism great? - RP)
"Price of a Soul." family's always difficult, isn't it? Honestly, though, you'd think that after 10,000 years Two-Edge and Winnowill would have come to some sort of truce. Anyway, John Byrne has captured the characterizations perfectly, and the story is psychologically fascinating.
"Out of the Woods." I just knew young Cutter would get into trouble, running around with that juvenile delinquent Skywise. This sounds like the kind of tall tale that Cutter would make up to entertain his cubs.
"Moonshade." I may have mentioned that I'm not adverse to a little tasteful nudity, so no complaints there. Storywise, Lea Hernandez barely sketches in the basic setup, leaving no clues as to the story's development. Keep 'em guessing, that's the ticket. Well, I am-- I just hope poor lovestruck Ahnshen doesn't get let down-- or knocked down-- with too big a bump. (See NEW BLOOD #4 - RP)
"Darkness Rising." I found the characters' facial features a bit bland-- likewise their personalities. And it'd be nice if the humans' society were to throw up a few original quirks rather than being just another carbon copy of medieval Europe. (Yeah, I know, I know, you'd need a big sheet of carbon paper. Har de har.)
"A Troll's Tale." It might have been a mistake to put the two cartoon stories back to back. OK, nice to have Ken Mitchroney back in the fold. Perhaps when he's got a spare moment he can BRING BACK SPACE ARK! But this'll do for the moment. Which brings me inexorably-- God help us-- to...
"Berries for the Brave." Arrrrgh! Why didn't you Warner us you were going to Chuck in this tale from the World of Toon Loons? I'm still giggling days later and people are giving me strange looks. More!
Finally, "Portfolio." Hmm, very dark and atmospheric. I like Windkin's wings-- wonder who he got that idea from?
It more or less goes without saying that I'll continue to buy the series, so to conclude, just one question: Why didn't you do this YEARS ago?!
Lee Mendham
<<street address removed from archive>>
Oh, I suppose only because we weren't greatly looking forward to certain reactions we just knew we'd get, as follows...
I have never been so tremendously
disappointed! NEW BLOOD sported some of the
worst artwork I've ever seen. I will grant you that I
was expecting a familiar representation of the
elves. I will even admit that I am so attached to
Wendy's elves that any deviation in art totally
disrupts my universe. But despite the shock, I
think I can objectively say that much of the
artwork in NEW BLOOD was hastily done, and the
stories were downright boring...
I hope that any new elf-artists will subvert their own creativity to Wendy's style and standards or the radical break to a new art style will be cushioned by the merit and caring of a "true artiste" (craftsmen trained in the Marvel style need not apply!).
<<Name removed from archive by request>>
<<street address removed from archive>>
...see what I mean? Ah well, chacun á son gout, as they say. It's true we got a bit of negative-- and occasionally vehemently negative-- commentary on NEW BLOOD #1. I would imagine that the makers of buggy-whips didn't have much good to say about Mr. Ford and his newfangled horseless carriages either. But here at Warp Central, we're pumped, and we're loving it. NEW BLOOD has a great lineup over the next bunch of issues; we've got some interesting ideas for the HIDDEN YEARS series; JINK (or, as we fondly call it around here, ELFQUEST: THE NEXT GENERATION) starts up next year, as well as adaptations from the BLOOD OF TEN CHIEFS stories, and all of these new projects sport some of the best new storytelling and artwork-- yes, yes, in addition to what those old-timers Wendy and Richard will continue to do-- that we've ever seen around the office. So I'll close by repeating what I said in the very first (and only) issue of FANTASY QUARTERLY, Where ELFQUEST premiered in 1978: "...don't pause to catch too long a breath, for the Wolfriders will sweep past you in the night and leave you standing." Enjoy! - RP