Read more about Cutter at: Wikipedia Official Site: WaRP Graphics Elfquest (or ElfQuest) is a cult hit comic book property created by Wendy and Richard Pini in 1978. then the Pinis again through their own company Warp Graphics and more recently DC Comics. All issues of Elfquest are available online for free at the official ElfQuest site. The first Elfquest story was published in the spring of 1978, in the underground comic book Fantasy Quarterly, published by Lansing, Michigan-based IPS (Independent Publishers Syndicate). That company folded after publishing the first issue of Elfquest. (Sandwiched between Elfquest's "Fire and Flight" parts one and two was a brief story written by T. Casey Brennan and illustrated by future Cerebus the Aardvark creator Dave Sim titled "Doorway to the Gods".) The quality of the publication was terribly disappointing to Wendy and Richard Pini. The cover was only slightly better than newsprint (the exterior was printed unglossed with a very limited color palette) and the paper used inside of the comic book appeared to be newsprint. The poor quality of this publication convinced the Pinis that they could produce a higher quality publication on their own. After borrowing money in order to start WaRP Graphics, the Pinis started publishing with Elfquest #2 (published tabloid size with glossy full color covers and a character portrait print on the back cover by Wendy; a format that would continue throughout the series' entire run). This story continued the Elfquest tale started in Fantasy Quarterly. Later, the Pinis' company WaRP Graphics would reprint the story from Fantasy Quarterly as Elfquest #1 with a new front cover and full color portrait print for the rear cover. This series was one of the early successes that marked the establishment of a phase in underground comics at which a new market of alternative independent comic books emerged that were closer to the comics mainstream. Elfquest was also one of the first comic book series that had a prearranged conclusion. It was highly praised for its innovative themes. The fact that a female artist/writer (Wendy Pini) was the creative principal of the series was also notable. The original series — generally referred to as "The Original Quest" or "OQ" — ran for 21 issues, with the last issue consisting entirely of letters and behind-the-scenes material. It was followed by numerous sequels and spinoffs under the WaRP Graphics (later Warp Graphics) imprint. Some of the later stories introduced other artists and writers, and also included some "alternative" stories and self-parodies. The sequels were the eight-part series Siege at Blue Mountain and the nine-part series Kings of the Broken Wheel. The spinoffs were: New Blood (35 issues), Hidden Years (29 issues), Two Spear (five issues), Kahvi (six issues), Shards (16 issues), WaveDancers (old: six issues; new: one issue), Blood of Ten Chiefs (20 issues), The Rebels (12 issues), and Jink (12 issues). Following these spinoffs was an anthology series simply titled Elfquest (known to fans as "Elfquest 2") that ran for 33 issues. |
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