Without further ado, our first WAVEDANCERS letters...
ELFQUEST: WAVEDANCERS. Yet another Warp
Graphics triumph. This "comic book" was, in a word,
stunning! I hesitate even to call it a comic book,
because it is so much more than that. What I hold in my
hands is a masterpiece of graphics and verse. The
words flow off the page and the illustrations come alive.
The artists who work on this project, writers and illustrator alike, have truly grasped the meaning and "feel" of the ELFQUEST universe.
I have spent a lot of time with the Wolfriders over the years, and I have come to look upon them as friends. As I read their adventures, I found myself beginning to live their lives each month. I began to look forward to their visit every month. Cutter, Leetah, Skywise and their kin came alive for me.
I suspect that the WAVEDANCERS will do the same. Richard and Wendy, you have another winner on your hands. Congratulations.
Rick Blair
<<street address removed from archive>>
I had just sent y'all two letters, but I was forced
to proclaim my unbound exhilaration at your newcomer,
WAVEDANCERS! My God, how do you do it? Sea elves
have long been a dream of mine, ever since "the
barking four (five) tribe mess" was assembled. This
lives up to and blows away any expectation I had
conceived! The art is wonderful, I can't help but be
reminded of Disney's "The Little Mermaid!!" (I wonder
how many people have said that?) (Lots! - RP) It's so
good, who could have any doubts that it wouldn't live
up to Wendy's shadow? Please give my thanks to Jozef
Szekeres who brought this new world to life. The story
line is great! At first, I had thought that the WaveDancers
would have forgotten their lineage, but they have it
down pat. The Chamber of Remembrance seems just
as great as the Egg and the Scroll of Colors. I'd like to
see what it has to say. Of course there are always
unanswered questions, and here they come:
A High One? A High One! Well, Timmain, remember Sydor? Winnowill! "Black snake" is an understatement - "water moccasin" is more like it! I hope Barmek can do something before she spins her web again. This is awful! For the sake of me, I hope Sydor is a real High One; I've been awaiting the discovery of another High One since they reclaimed the Palace. I cannot compliment you enough for your brilliant work. I'm sure you all will be dishing us more tales of this new, wonderful world of water for years to come, and I know I won't fill up! Thank you for bringing a dream to life!
Jason Cox
<<street address removed from archive>>
Julie, Bruce and Jozef (or "JuBruJo," as we have named the triad) have submitted to us a 24-part story, told in six-issue bites, of which "Search For the True Crown" is only the first. If response to the series in general is as heartening as your letters on the first issue seem to be telling us, I'd say we're all in for some watery sport for some time to come! And if we succeed in our subtle and subversive efforts to bring you WAVEDANCERS more frequently than bimonthly, well then!
I have just finished the first WAVEDANCERS
issue and thought that you should know that... I
LOVED IT!!!
The art of Jozef Szekeres is incredible. It reminds me of the animation art from "Ferngully: The Last Rainforest." Such details! I enjoyed the issue very much.
I have some questions, though. About the mermaid-like elves - why are they with fins and most of the others seem more elfin? Are these shapechangers like Timmain? I notice that Barmek and Jormak's mother is a mermaid-elf. And Korilia - now she must be a shapechanger. Who are Inkbottom's and Shorsprout's parents? Or is that going to be a secret until a later issue?
I already like the characters and the story to come. You can count on me to be a loyal reader!
Deborah Mann
<<street address removed from archive>>
Team WaveDancers has woven a complex tapestry of intrigue and deception in this first mini-series. Suffice to say, you'll learn all about shapechanging, family trees, hidden identities and wrapstuff before too very long indeed!
And now some notes from on-line. The following were taken from the GEnie Comics forum, wherein ELFQUEST has a couple of its very own topic areas...
Category 22, Topic 29
Message 10 Sun Jan 09, 1994
R.DEAN14 [Sundapple] at 16:34 EST
As I said in Topic 2, I just got finished reading (and rereading) WAVEDANCERS #1. I'm not sure I quite understand about Barmek's mother's "secret," Raenafel's exile/quest, and some of the references to Tentus, but I'm hopeful that All Will Be Revealed In Time. In the meantime, I'm intrigued by the WaveDancers proper, which appear to be partly shapechanged elves. My husband snorted in disgust at the sight of the fishtailed ones, but I'm reserving judgment till we find out more about them. After all, the High Ones =were= shapechangers, and so far we've seen no evidence that they, er, reproduce that way. I saw no fish-tailed children, so perhaps the transformation occurs at adulthood, (and, perhaps, after childbearing is gotten over with?). The visuals are certainly striking, anyway. What do other people think?
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Message 11 Sun Jan 09, 1994
POWER.GIRL [Pam Fremon] at 16:46 EST
I've got to go reread the story, but one thing sticks in my mind: the art and the colors are lovely!
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Message 12 Mon Jan 10, 1994
COMICS-ASST [COMALite J] at 02:46 EST
Notice that all of them have webbed fingers and toes? Nifty touch, that! Is the false Crown who I think she is!?
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Message 13 Mon Jan 10, 1994
R.DEAN14 [Sundapple] at 07:36 EST
Well, who else? What I wonder mightily is who this "High Onr <ahem> "High One Sydor" is.
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Message 14 Mon Jan 10, 1994
A.MCCOMBS3 [Anne] at 19:33 EST
"Raenafel" sure looked like you-know-who to me. I am guessing that the black-haired lass in the color samples in the back is the real Raenafel, and there is =some= resemblance. The flightless, aquatic Preserver is a hoot! I'll bet it has something to do with Raenafel's secret - Anne
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Message 15 Thu Jan 13, 1994
S.J.GRENALD [Snowbear] at 02:27 EST
The only real problem that I have with this, so far, is that I keep thinking "EQ meets 'The Little Mermaid'" When's Sebastian showing up? Actually, I have one other problem. I'll call the comic "Wave Dancers" or "Wavedancers," but NOT "WaveDancers" I just refuse. I'm sorry, and that's all there is to it! :)
[ED NOTE: The capitalization of the title "WAVEDANCERS" above has been altered from the "small caps" version as printed in the comics to preserve the (apparent) meaning of the original comment. --MK]
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Message 16 Thu Jan 13, 1994
B.OWENS [THE WATCHER] at 06:10 EST
Come now Snowbear, we must have tolerance for the Grammatically Challenged.
The Watcher
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Message 17 Thu Jan 13, 1994
R.DEAN14 [Sundapple] at 07:28 EST
You mean orthographically challenged, don't you, Watcher? (;>)
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Message 27 Mon Jan 17, 1994
SILENT.RED [Weasel] at 23:23 EST
Finally found WAVEDANCERS today...
All I can say is =wow=. Well, I guess I can say more. This artist has managed to mix the things I like most about Wendy's art and the things I like most about Disney art. Very nice. I think this is going to be a popular series. :>
I've got to say, getting feedback is great; getting on-line feedback is great plus. There's something absolutely electric (no pun intended) about knowing that there's this huge virtual network of people that stretches worldwide, and that it's open 24 hours. As I mentioned in an earlier issue, I'm hooked up to several of these on-line systems, and can send and receive e-mail via any of them.
On CompuServe, the address is "72077,12" and the Internet access equivalent to CompuServe is "72077.12@compuserve.com" (note that the comma in the regular numerical address becomes a period in the Internet version).
On GEnie, my address is "R.PINI" and the Internet access version is "r.pini@genie.geis.com" (I don't think case matters, but you'll find out soon enough if it does).
Thank you all for the many great letters and other communications on WAVEDANCERS #7. It's gratifying as all get-out, and the folks down under send their thanks too! Keep those cards and letters coming in, and we'll see you in 60! - RP
(Sorry. Can't pass this up. SEA you in 60!)