Elfquest: Twilight in The Holt

Ed. note: Welcome to the first page of a new chapter of Elfquest, the long-running series of graphic novels first released in 1978 (Do you want to know more?) Published online-first for the first time here at Boing Boing, a new page of the ongoing narrative will be posted each Monday over the next few months. First time reader? You're a few issues behind. — Rob

Update: the official archives are now updating. Bookmark.

• [Kristine Sofie Højen]

  AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH

• [Sherry Frey]

  Looks EPIC!!!

• [Brennan Halterman]

  GWAAAARRGH!

• [Tavie]

  *SCREAMS WITH DELIGHT* Wanna see Shuna’s baby! Wanna see Shuna’s baby! Newstar looks so ethereal! Look how Moonshade’s holding Chitter! Eek! Eek! Eek!!!! Petalwing’s waving to us – hi, Petalwing!!!!

• [Tavie]

  Sorry. Ahem. That made me 12 for a moment. i’m good now. That was a great teaser. I can’t believe I have to wait a week for Cutter to answer.

  • [catmin]

     Don’t be sorry! I felt the same way you did, still do and I’m 34!!!!

    • [feloniousmax]

      43 here, been a fan since 8th grade. Reread the whole saga on my iPad llast year, stoked for new material.

• [Tavie]

  Look, elfin underwear!
  OK, sorry, done now.

• [Tess Fowler]

  I didn’t read any of the books that came after the first 8 or 9 volumes, so I know I’m not going to know a lot of the characters, but I look forward to getting to know them in this final quest. Will there be a print version??

• [Tavie]

  Newstar’s a weaver? Awesome. OK, REALLY done now. Sorry.

• [Ronald Frank Vetter]

  awsome !!

• [Hannah Belle McLain-Jespersen]

  *inner 10 year old is also screaming* Awwwwwww BABIES I LOVE YOU. Cutter looks great. Love the costumes. CHITTER!! Wow can’t wait…I hope Shuna’s mate is Bee… 
  AYOOOAAHHHHHHHHHHHH EQ FANS!!!!!!

• [GraceAlexander]

  OMG It’s really happening! ELFQUEST RETURNS!!!!!

• [gwailo_joe]

  One Page?!?  That’s IT?  At a page a week, extrapolating from the previous artistic output…It’ll take 114 YEARS to finish!  I don’t know if I can wait that long…

  (Oh…I don’t get to read 6000 more new pages?  I should just be happy with what I can get, you say?  By the finely plucked eyebrows of Winnowill!…Alrighty then.)

• [wolfrider59]

  I am so looking forward to more until the books are actually published. Too many seasons since there has been new Elfquest by Wendy. Break out the Dreamberry Wine.

• [l1vl33ch]

  So brilliant! My only complaint would have to be that there will only be one page each Monday, but ’tis a minor quibble. The elves are back!

• [Leonie Jonk]

  A single page? No more? 1 weekly I read above? Not even the 3 pages weekly that are normal for most online comics? (as Elfquest is moving towards online, the comparison isn’t wild). Wow that is very little indeed. Way back when I used to travel hours to that 1 little comic book store that was the first in the country to sell Elfquest, at least I’d get a full issue.. And I was there on the first day of sales, every time..!.. This just seems silly guys.. :(

  • [devophill]

     >3 pages weekly that are normal for most online comics?

    [citation needed]

• [Rob Beschizza]

  RSS feed: http://boingboing.net/tag/elfquest/rss

• [Rob Beschizza]

  I understand that there’ll be more than 1 page sometimes (as the story demands) — but art is hard work, guys!

• [l1vl33ch]

  On the whole I’m perfectly fine with one page a week. I remember back in the day when Elfquest came out once every three months. I may have gotten a full issue, but the wait was excruciating.

  • [Lori Bouchard Konecki]

     …even when it’s B & W, it’s still an excruciating wait between the original issues.  heh.

• [Diana OmegaSama Davidsson]

  This will be my new addition to my growing list of awesome webcomics. This is also such a sad end in a way… I’ve grown up with these characters, this world and the way of thinking that are taught here… It has shaped the way I see the world. That’s for sure. ^^

• [Marja Erwin]

  Good to see! After the first 4 and later 6 books though, it could be hard to follow some of the newer series because of the plot interdependencies.

  • [Rob Beschizza]

    Curious but time-challenged readers can take this fast-route to catch up, IMO:

    Original Quest
    Siege at Blue Mountain
    Kings of the Broken Wheel
    Hidden Years #1 to #5, then #9.5
    Shards
    Searcher and The Sword

• [BDiamond]

  The Pinis have come a long way since that first issue of Fantasy Quarterly. Good on ya, Wendy and Richard!

• [Ester Mish]

  ***runs around screaming like a banshee** OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG   IT’S BAAAAACK!!! ***SQUEEEEEES***
  :D
  **coughs** Lookin good there. 

• [Amanda Elliott]

  everything looks awesome! Its been 28yrs since i first laid eyes on EQ, and this new story has that feel of the original quest..love it..also Newstar is water bearer, is that a new elf talent i missed out on?

• [Billy Sargent]

  {bows head with respect} Thank you.

  • [Rob Beschizza]

    It is a profound honor to be found worthy of the Lego Scotsman. It is we who must thank you.

• [Jorpho]

  Ahem:

  Should I just give up now, having not seen any one of these foregoing 6,000 pages..?

  • [Marja Erwin]

    No. Rob Beschizza’s outlined what should be the core stories in a post above. The original quest is really easy to get into, and worth it. Then find whatever pace you like.

    • [Jorpho]

      P.S. Is this one of those comics in which everyone is skinny, muscular, and not fully clothed..?

      (Oh! And hairless. Let’s not forget hairless.)

      • [David Miz]

        That describes a good number of characters (this is a comic after all), but there are most certainly some fat, hairy, ugly and heavily clothed characters, both “good” and “bad” guys.

• [Larry H Scheinman]

  Beautiful as ever, Wendy!  How often will we be seeing new pages?  We are hungry for more :)

• [Larry H Scheinman]

   And here I thought you *were* Chitter :)

• [Rosanna E Tufts]

  OMG, how long has it been since the last episode?! Bring ‘em! Good to have ya back, ElfMom and Pop. 

• [Elfquest]

  To all: Yes, there will be a print version as well eventually (which we hope means “soon”). As for the one page per week here on Boing Boing (and then, 24 hours later, on elfquest.com), that is for the prologue only. Wendy projects that at 30-40 pages (and, as Rob says, there may be multi-page weeks). By the time the prologue is finished online, we hope (with good reason) to have a major announcement regarding both print and online continuing publication. Further, deponent sayeth not. ;)

  • [Maura Scherrer]

     <3 All your fans rejoice :D

• [Elizabeth Morenberg]

  Prefer the trolls over the nice, pretty elfs.

• [Roger Green]

  I was reading EQ from the first B&W issue.  Still have the four books representing the first 20 issues. 

• [paulcarcosa]

  High four!

• [Andreas Ganesha Spring]

  Chitter looks a look like young Ember used to look like… a tomboy, guaranteed to really tax her parents’ patience. :-) I wonder, what Strongbow will react like, when she’s getting too annoying (I still remember his facial expression, when Little Patch was too loud in the Holt).

• [Savanna Wilson]

  Okay, I will with much dignity express how I feel about this.  HIGH ONES BE PRAISED I THOUGHT THIS DAY WOULD NEVER COME THIS IS SO EPICALLY EPIC AND AWESOME I CAN’T EVEN TRULLY EXPRESS IT!  SQUEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAL!  FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY AND IT LOOKS JUST AS AMAZING IF NOT A THOUSAND TIMES MORE I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE SHUNA’S BABY AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!!!! ….*Ahem* That dignity I spoke of?  Yeah, gone.

• [nachtspicht]

  Awesome! So good to see ElfQuest finally return :D

  What I wonder is what they are all sending about? Hmm? *Has her imagination run off with her*

• [newstar2]

  awsome….i hope we get to see a little more from newstar this time….she stayed a little to long in the background for my taste!she looks realy beautyful and i would love to have her more involved in the story(maybe a new lovemate!!!??)

• [iwasjustsayin]

  Looks Fan-freakin-tastic! I wonder if Wendy is using new digital tools? The use of focus in this panel is also excellent.

• [Elizabeth Black]

  Wendy and Richard…thank you so much for bringing new Elfquest into my life.  I started reading when I was 11 yrs old, right before issue 12 came out in black and white.  Immediately, I made our own club where we each referred to each other by our elf names.  I was the Leetah of our group and some months later, I was told that there was a Cutter who lived across the street from me in NYC.  Shortly we met and we have been together since.  Recognition has brought us many wonderful years and 2 strong and talented cubs.  They are also Elfquest fans.  Because I identified so strongly with Leetah, not only do I still dye my hair red, but I had to go to medical school.  Often, i am frustrated that my healing powers cannot compare.  Bless you both for the joy and guidance your art and stories have brought to our lives!

• [Adam DeGraff]

  I remember staying up all night reading Elfquest 28 years ago. I had the song Thunderbird by Quiet Riot on vinyl and would play the song on repeat as I read. It was somehow the perfect soundtrack. Try it… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDL8e_qppHs

• [Monica Gallagher]

  SOOOOO EXCITED!!!! Best thing ever, thanks for this Wendy!!! :D

• [Egypt Urnash]

  Huh. Cutter looks a little older than I remember, but Skywise hasn’t gained a single year.

  BoingBoing is becoming quite the comics destination. When’re you going to start being crazy enough to publish collections? I’m sure you could get a ton of pre-orders via Kickstarter.

• [AmethystGilmour]

  I am so deeply loving the “sending” mouseover hints on the comic. Also, so pretty! OMG.

• [unit_1421]

  Anyone know how they’re staying afloat these days? I hope they got one Hell of a holding deal from Warner Brothers, because planetariums don’t pay like they used to.

• [John K Goodman]

   how do all those elves have such ripped abs?? even the kids!

  • [Tavie]

     Dart’s Strongbow’s son, but he’s no kid – he’s hundreds of years old.

• [Peggy Rapier]

  I know this is not terribly original but I feel it coming on and its too late to stop it now… AYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!!!

• [Erin]

  I can just hear Moonshade now as she sends to Strongbow *just what do you plan to do about YOUR cub lifemate?* love that those two finally got a cub to keep them on their toes

• [Myriam Obadia]

  How come Chitter’s parent’s haven’t thought of a leash, or do they keep it for the more dangerous times?

• [evichan]

  AYOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!

  That’s all. 

• [Dawn B]

  Does anyone but me wonder what a WATER BEARER is??

  • [Tavie]

     She carries water to the holt.

• [Sarah Midland]

  I can’t wait!  One page at a time is killing me though!! at least like 5 pages at a time would be good…. oh ElfMom you do love to tease!

• [David Miz]

  This. Is. AWESOME!

• [Nathalie Rivers]

  I’m of two minds about this. EQ has a special place in my heart, it was what got me into fandom and into American comics. Otoh, the whole Shuna arc was never very exciting. Feels too much like an authorial self insert. And it’s a given that humans breed much faster and easier than elves :(

• [Nikki Polen]

  Sometimes a leg bone is just a leg bone. But I like to think it isn’t.

• [Seraphima Chisler]

  I can’t figure out what is going on with Nightfall’s hair…. I love the look on Clearbrook’s face. Moonshade is telling strongbow to get over here and help with Chitter. Newstar’s outfit is amazing. Wait…. did Strongbow’s beard change? He used to have the two points on either side of his mouth. Did he shave? Beautiful page, I can’t wait to see more.

• [Andrew Wolf]

  I can remember being like 11 and reading loving the hidden years. Then they did this thing where you could mail in coupons from the comic and get a free poster. I did it and waited like forever to get my poster. Eventually I got a card in the mail that said they ran out, but if I took the card to a Comic convention I’d get a free autograph. Not to be a jerk or anything but this sucked because the Pini’s autograph a lot of stuff. Kinda broke my heart and I stopped reading then….also they brought is some bad artists at this point. 

• [Paul Waldron]

  I bought Fantasy Quarterly off the rack just to read Wendy and Richards first chapter, followed by the B & W Mags of the original series, the colored mags, the Deluxe Signed hardcover editions of the Original series, their novelized version as well as Richards “Blood of Ten Chiefs” novel. Still have my membership card from the early eighties which Wendy & Richard were kind enough to sign when I met them in a small comic shop in Albany, NY before they were the success they are now.

  It’s incredible to see Wendy’s art transform from black & white, through color & near Anime style, but IMO after they made their deal with Marvel comics for their series, production quality went down, the story-line became aimed at a ‘simpler’ audience and they lost me as a reader and a fan. I still love the original series but haven’t reread it in years.