Date: January 1980 Publisher: WaRP Graphics Cover Price: $1.25 Stats: 33 color pages Writers: Wendy and Richard Pini Artist: Wendy Pini Notable Notes: A new story arc begins in the lives of the Elves!
This issue feels very much like the first episode of season two… if Elfquest were a TV series! Some time has passed, and we are given glimpses into the lives of the characters and what is happening now. It is fun to be back, but I still feel a little disappointed that we didn’t get to see and experience what had happened in the interim! I’m guessing it was all normal “life” stuff, and the creators wanted to plunge us back in when things had gotten interesting again. Read the rest of this entry »
Date: August 1979 Publisher: WaRP Graphics Cover Price: $1.00 2018 Price Range: $3 – $30 Stats: 33 color pages plus editorial and Elfquotes letters page Writers: Wendy and Richard Pini Artist: Wendy Pini Notable Notes: The end of the first Elfquest chapter.
Whenever I see a herd of stampeding horses, or other grazing beasts, in movies or read about them in books, I always recall the movie Gandhi . It is there that the title character urges people to lie down, saying that the horses won’t step on them if they are prone. For some reason I have often thought about that part of the movie. Although I am not sure if that is true or not, it does seem logical that horses wouldn’t want to step other living creatures. I guess we are kind of like that too – how many of us would run across of carpet of cats, for example? Anyway, there is a part in this comic book where I thought the characters should heed Gandhi’s words and all lie down. However, the award winning movie didn’t come out until three years after this book was published – so I guess I can’t fault them! Read the rest of this entry »
Date: May 1979 Publisher: WaRP Graphics Cover Price: $1.00 2018 Price Range: $3 – $30 Stats: 32 color pages plus Bearclaw and Joyleaf pin-up art, Laugh “Wolf” and Elfquotes letters page Writers: Wendy and Richard Pini Artist: Wendy Pini Notable Notes: 1st appearance of Madcoil!
Have you ever been spurned by a rival? I’m talking about when you finally decide to play nice, and so you make a reconciling gesture only to be scoffed at, turned down or ridiculed? This can lead to even higher tension between rivals. I remember one case, in particular, when I was in high school where “my nemesis” and I elevated proverbial blows until we were ready to kill each other. Ah, the good old days of teenage testosterone! Nowadays I usually (emphasis on usually) laugh and let things blow over, because I am older and wiser… or is it older and weaker? One of those. Anyway, in this issue we see some male-rival-spurning going on, and I’m sure it will lead to more aggression in later issues. I can’t wait! Read the rest of this entry »
Date: December 1978 Publisher: WaRP Graphics Cover Price: $1.00 2017 Price Range: $3 – $30 Stats: 32 color pages plus Rayek pin-up art, Meet the Wolfriders and Elfquotes letters page Writers: Wendy and Richard Pini Artist: Wendy Pini Notable Notes: Cutter and Rayek battle for Leetah’s love!
Would you fight, literally fight, to win the heart of your sweetie? What about your job? Or your family? Or your home? Or your comic book collection? 😉 Sure, we’ve all heard of fighting for true love, but as I read this comic I asked myself “What do I consider worth fighting for?” It gave me a little bit to ponder… but not for too long, because I had the rest of the comic to read! Here is a great comic – beautifully rendered and fun to read! Read the rest of this entry »
Date: September 1978 Publisher: WaRP Graphics Cover Price: $1.00 2017 Price Range: $3 – $40 Stats: 31 color pages plus pin-up art, welcome and Elfquotes letters page Writers: Wendy and Richard Pini Artist: Wendy Pini Notable Notes: The first book from WaRP Graphics
Ah, love at first sight… does it really exist? I tend to think that it should more accurately be called “lust at first sight” – at least in the real world. But in the world of fiction perhaps love at first sight is a thing that actually works out. In this issue of ElfQuest the Wolfriders’ leader, Cutter, is so smitten with a beautiful woman that he kidnaps her! But that works out OK for him – and that is another way to tell that we are in fictional world! Read the rest of this entry »
Date: April 1978 Publisher: WaRP Graphics Cover Price: $1.00 2017 Price Range: $4 – $50 Stats: 31 color pages plus forward, pin-up art and Elf-olution Writers: Wendy and Richard Pini Artist: Wendy Pini Notable Notes: A spruced-up reprint of ElfQuest’s first appearance!
Some comic book series just really fly through the publishing companies. Astro City is one that comes to mind. ElfQuest is another one. Beginning in the late 1970s the Elf saga started off in Fantasy Quarterly #1 by an independent publisher, then it switched to the Pini’s homegrown company WaRP Graphics. Years later both Marvel and DC would pick up licenses to it, and so would Boing Boing and Dark Horse! Sheesh! Oh well, at least it is a good series, and one that deserves to be published – regardless of who is doing that publishing! Read the rest of this entry »
Date: February 1986 Cover Price: 75¢ Current Price Range: $3.00 Stats: color; 22 pages plus ads and letters column Publisher: Marvel Comics Group (Epic imprint) Creators: Wendy and Richard Pini
A Bit of History with this issue: As a kid I read a lot of comics, but I only knew a few other people who read them. One such person was my good friend Peter, and his favorite series was ElfQuest. He liked it so much that he got me to try a few issues, and I enjoyed them too. I only ended up buying one issue (because I read all of his instead!) which was this one. I thought it was high time to give it a try again – and I’m glad I did!
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