Even a thought, even a possibility, can shatter us and transform us.
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
A likely impossibility is always preferable
to an unconvincing possibility.
Aristotle
I don't know what it is about fifth issues for us,
they represent a certain flavor of benchmark.
Perhaps it's that it's a natural publishing break
point; once we get to the fifth installment of a title
(or a series within a title), we start considering how
we'll put all that material between covers and
make a collection out of it. That's how we've been
doing it since 1981; it works, and we're going to
continue. Plus, it's a gently attainable goal, one
book's worth of story and art.
Or perhaps there's a more physiological explanation for the attraction of the five, since that's the number of fingers on the (human) hand. (Me, I've always liked the number ten, which is just two hands worth. Besides, powers of ten are fun to play with, especially in astronomy and quantum physics, two of my favorite brain-bending studies.)
Thus we arrive at our first NEW BLOOD benchmark. Sales are good, so we know the title will continue. We've got stories on the schedule board well into 1994. Your response to the concept of the "Worldpool," that part of the ELFQUEST universe where possibilities get let loose, is even better than when we started.
I think the two quotes that lead off this "Matter of Opinion" column provide an interesting counterpoint to each other, especially in the context of NEW BLOOD. One speaks of the power of possibilities, the other appears to undercut that power. Since NEW BLOOD has all to do with possibilities and impossibilities, possible impossibilities and impossible possibilities (try saying that five times fast!), these bits of wisdom from two disparate thinkers make a perfect kickoff.
When we first conceived the notion of a second ELFQUEST title, one that would showcase the ideas, the writing styles, the artistic idiosyncrasies of professionals (and professionals-to-be) we had a much fuzzier notion than we now do of what would fill these pages. Our earliest solicitations to fellow folk in the comics trade had very much an "anything goes" attitude about them. We were full of beans and vinegar about pushing the envelope, as they say, of ELFQUEST.
And push the envelope the submissions did, as you can see from our very first issue, the NEW BLOOD SUMMER SPECIAL #1. (Actually, there won't be a SUMMER SPECIAL #2. But there will be a 1993 SUMMER SPECIAL, which is the same thing! 64 pages of magic and fun coming your way in July!) But we began to notice a strange thing as more and more story submissions came in. There seemed to be two major categories, two divergent approaches to ELFQUEST. There were the stories that, no matter how crazy the situation (or the artwork for that matter), felt right, felt like ELFQUEST. And then there were the stories that, no matter how pretty or intriguing they looked or seemed on the surface, just didn't feel right. Do you get the impression that we put a lot of stock in the feeling of things?
As an example of the first kind of story, I can point to "Berries for the Brave" from SUMMER SPECIAL #1. No way could our characters ever actually have that particular wackiness happen to them, but it still feels OK. It's a possible impossible story.
In the second story category, there might be a submission that tells of, say, young Cutter's adventures as he singlehandedly goes on an adventure against the trolls, uses New Moon to defeat enemies, discovers an elf from a previously undiscovered tribe who helps him, and then makes his way back to the Holt. On the surface, there's nothing wrong. Look a little deeper, however, and you can't help but notice that the story doesn't really depend on ELFQUEST at all - the characters, the situations could come from any fantasy world. Nothing of what makes ELFQUEST special is there. It doesn't feel like ELFQUEST. it's an impossible possible story.
Ursula K. LeGuin wrote a wonderful essay on just this topic called "From Elfland to Poughkeepsie." (No, she did not know of ELFQUEST when she wrote it, but there are no coincidences, right?) In it, LeGuin makes the point that, in any fantasy story, if you can replace the hero and the city he's in and so on, with real world people and places and so on, and if the story still reads like a decent adventure (or thriller, or western, or soaper), then what you started with wasn't fantasy. It may have had the trappings, but not the essence.
The World of Two Moons is expanding. We're opening up both time and space to our characters, the ones you've known for a decade and a half, and those yet to be born. It's our promise to you that, no matter how impossible the stories you may read here in New Blood, they'll still be possible. They'll be ELFQUEST. Gee... turns out, for fifteen years you've only seen the tip of the iceberg!
Richard A Pini
- COMING IN JUNE! Three stories for the
price of one! "The Voluntary Chain"
connects a trio of tales from the birth of
Cutter, Blood of Ten Chiefs through his
first, difficult days as new chief of the
Wolfriders, and the beginnings of his lifelong
friendship with Skywise. (Not only that,
but you get a lesson in elf-troll contract
law! How can you resist?) By Nat Gertler,
Paul Bonanno, Charles Barnett and Paty.
See you in 60!
First, some words from this issue's wielder of the words, Vickie Murphy...
How did a small town gal like me come to
write for ELFQUEST?
It all began in 1990 at a local sci-fi convention, RoVaCon, at which Richard Pini was an annual visitor. I approached him for an autograph and to show him some pictures of cakes I had baked with ELFQUEST characters on them in the frosting. The cakes impressed him and we began talking. I mentioned that I wrote poetry and occasional short stories. and he said he would like to read some of them. I immediately rushed home and grabbed my notebook.
After reading and some discussion, he seemed impressed with my writing, also. It was then that he said something which would change my whole outlook. "I like your poems," he said, "but why did you choose to show them to me? After all, they're not ELFQUEST." That evening I thought, "He's right! O.K.... I'll give it a shot!" I chose the three years that the Wolfriders spent in the Forbidden Grove as my arena, and I began writing.
When the 1991 convention rolled around, I had two completed stories and some poetry celebrating the elves of EQ to show to Richard. He was busy with convention matters when he got them, so he read them overnight. When I arrived at the convention the next day, he told me he was "confiscating" all of it (I hadn't made copies, nor could I get to a copy machine right then.) He insisted that I continue to write, and I did. At the time, I didn't know anything about Warp Graphics's plans to expand. I didn't know anything about the coming of NEW BLOOD. Richard told me only that I should continue to write stories.
So I did, and kept sending them to Poughkeepsie. Suddenly, last October, I got a phone call. It was Richard asking if I would mind having some of my stories adapted to comics format for ELFQUEST. What a dumb question! Would I mind?? It was then that "Windkin" began the walk down the road to publication.
The whole idea of my stories being a part of the World of Two Moons still needs to sink in. After all, I've been a big ELFQUEST fan since the early years, and never dreamed it would happen! I'm glad it has, though, because it has given me a chance to be a part of something I love and have enjoyed for almost half of my life. I hope that "Windkin" will be enjoyed by all who read it and I would like to extend a very special "thank you" to Paul and Charles for drawing so beautifully.
And now, our regularly scheduled letters...
I had to write and tell Lea Hernandez that
she produced a beautiful issue in NEW BLOOD #4.
The story flowed easily, and the artwork is beyond
any description. Her elves were very easy to
accept. I sincerely believe this issue goes without
any flaws. It's as close to perfection as one could
get.
I love the idea of NEW BLOOD! Other ELFQUEST lovers deserve a chance to do what they want; to produce their own stories and artwork, even if one or two of the issues aren't very good in someone else's opinion. It's like an adventure. It has its ups and downs, but it all comes out right in the end. Keep up the good work by keeping us guessing!
Eden Miller
<<street address removed from archive>>
As long as we can keep everyone guessing what the stories will be about, and what directions they might go, and not about the quality of the writing and drawing, which we intend to keep uniformly high!
I had thought long and hard, thought and
thought I did, and came to a conclusion.
Many fans who wrote negative responses to NEW BLOOD concerning the different artists involved with this project apparently did not feel toward the new artists as I did.
After reading NEW BLOOD #4, that's when my pondering began. Everyone is saying it's corruptive, not Wendy's style, invading her territory. Most of us do the same thing; although we don't publish them, we still make up our own stories of our favorite characters. Many artists who work on the NEW BLOOD project are doing the same thing too, only they are sharing their visions with us. We, the ever-ELFQUEST-hungry fans.
Plus, if everyone out there had followed this story since the very first issue, they'd notice that Cutter and kin have become real to us. I see them as flesh and blood. It doesn't matter who writes the stories or who draws the characters. If they're real to us, then we live with them, laugh and cry with them. Everything they go through we go through with them.
Leonora F. Radovcic
<<street address removed from archive>>
So are we all agreed by now? NEW BLOOD is OK. Other artists and writers are OK. So how about some commentary on the stories themselves? After all, NEW BLOOD doesn't mean "it can't happen here." Some (at least) of these stories might be as real as anything in Hidden Years. Write!
[TRANSCRIBER NOTE: The following is accompanied by a sketch of a very angry looking Richard Pini speaking about the fun-loving aspects of Warp Graphics. :-) ] Below: Yr. faithful editor-in-chief according to yr. irreverent art editor, regarding a story to appear in the New Blood 1993 Summer Special. You'll know which one it is when you see it. Thanks a bunch for all the respect!