Exciting news for anyone who grew up in the indie comics scene. Beginning Monday, September 10th, BoingBoing will begin publishing a new Elfquest story: Elfquest: The Final Quest.
First published in 1978, Elfquest is an epic fantasy in comic form, and has been a cornerstone of the indie comics scene since its inception. This pickup marks creators Wendy and Richard Pini’s first online-only story and BoingBoing’s first serial narrative comic.
In 1978, while Tolkien’s immaculate and aloof Elves were still immediately (and perhaps oppressively) present in the collective fantasy imagination, Elfquest rocked the scene by introducing an entirely new face of Elfkind. Stranded on a primitive Earth-like planet and cut off from their spacefaring, psychokinetic ancestry, the Elves of Elfquest devolved into barbaric, pre-agricultural tribes. Cutter, the chief of the Wolfriders and protagonist of the series’ central storyline, must lead his people through a harsh and inhospitable world, in as much danger from starvation as from any of the pre-historic or fantastic monsters that populate it, in order to recover his people’s heritage. By introducing an alternate template, the Pinis vastly expanded the potential of this beloved fantasy species, and produced a new and delicously productive set of Elven tropes.
“Elfquest’s World of Two Moons—its landscapes, inhabitants, dangers—is familiar yet always unpredictable territory,” said Wendy Pini. “After five years’ hiatus, I’ve come home to the Holt and to my main characters, Cutter and the Wolfriders, only to wreak storytelling havoc on them as never before. In Elfquest: The Final Quest sturdy, stable characters will react in totally unexpected ways as they face devastating, unavoidable change. I’m scared and exhilarated by what’s going to happen!”
Over the course of its long history Elfquest has been one of the first independently-published comics to enjoy significant mainstream success, as well as being one of the first to attract a large female audience. It has been translated into dozens of languages and enjoyed around the world.
Elfquest: The Final Quest will be published weekly on BoingBoing, starting this coming Monday. Those new to the series can read it in its massive entirety here.
