"a Web Zine about the comics industry, published by an eclectic band of women ... dedicated to providing exclusive interviews, in-depth articles and news, while working toward raising the awareness of women's influence in the comics industry and other realms."

Elfquest has been a classic of the comic scene for decades, and it's responsible for introducing more than one fan to the medium of comics. The story of Cutter, Leetah, Skywise and their people has all the elements to make it an enduring story. Heavily influenced by manga and anime style, with a healthy dose of North American sensibility thrown in for good measure, Elfquest's hybridity and adult storyline gives it a broad appeal that has led to a global fandom. This month, Sequential Tart presents the first of a two-part interview with Wendy and Richard Pini, discussing past projects and future hopes for the Wolfriders and their creators.

Sequential Tart: What other non-EQ works have you done?

Wendy Pini: My first professional illustration work was for science fiction periodicals such as Galaxy and Worlds of If magazines. I've done a smattering of short pieces for Marvel and DC and I'm quite proud of the two "Beauty and the Beast" graphic novels I wrote and painted in the late 80s. As for Elric, rather than rehash it all here, there's an excellent illustrated feature on our official Elfquest web site that discusses my early work in detail. For those interested, I recommend it.

ST: When you each met, was it like meeting your long lost soulmate? Did you feel complete?

WP: In 1969, Richard and I fell in love and dated over the phone for many months before he spontaneously drove from Boston, across country, in a tiny Renault, non-stop for two and a half days, and ended up in the hallway of my college dormitory in Claremont, CA. I just happened to come out of a room into the hall as he arrived. Our eyes met (we'd already exchanged photos) and, as I recall, he spun around in his tracks. Then I ran to him and we hugged 'til our ribs cracked. Later, we sat on a stoop holding hands. We hadn't kissed yet. Richard had his reasons. He said, "One: scared. Two: nervous. Three: terrified." Feeling everything he was feeling, I went ahead and said, "Four: ridiculous!" And we had our first kiss. How's that for romantic?

Richard Pini: Just to put some balance to this tale, keep in mind that after 60 solid hours on the road, I managed - barely - to maintain sufficient presence of mind to check myself into a motel and take a sorely needed shower BEFORE I went that last wee bit of distance to the college! Else none of this might have happened. . . .

ST: How long were you friends before you realized that this relationship was going to be permanent?

WP: I think we knew almost from the beginning that we were "mission mates." We talked of marriage very matter-of-factly, like it was already a done deal. Certain decisions, like focusing on our careers instead of having children, came quickly and easily, which isn't usual for most couples. Spiritually speaking, I think much of this must have been planned long before we were born.

We've been together over thirty years. I know Richard will agree that juggling a marriage and a business partnership is a roller coaster ride with huge ups and downs. Herding Elfquest along has been one of two grand consistencies in our lives. The other is that, in all this time, through many trials, neither one of us has been able to bear the thought of life without the other.

ST: Have you ever argued about the way parts of the story or one of the characters should be presented? What do you do to compromise?

RP: Have we ever argued? [laughs] Might as well ask, have we ever breathed air? There's no doubt that Wendy is the wellspring from whom just about all of the characters and story elements spring. She's the originator. On the other hand, I know that I bring a certain "nuts and bolts" sensitivity to the process, which is why a lot of Elfquest is semi-grounded in a kind of science. Sometimes one of us will feel that the story should go in a certain direction that might swing too far in the direction of the spiritual or the purely physical/scientific, and the other of us will have to guide the discussion back to a middle course. This is often done over pizza, by the way, which is an excellent moderating medium.

As for compromise, by this time, that's an automatic element of the mix. Time was, years ago, when one or the other of us could carry a snit for hours or days (if it was a really good one). Now, the air gets cleared almost as soon as contention shows its face.

ST: Elfquest=NASA? How have the twin moon folks helped out the U.S. Space Program?

RP: I've always been a space buff, literally all my life. One day, about four years ago I got an email out of the blue from a fellow at one of the NASA centers, out near Cleveland. He was the project director for an experiment scheduled to fly on a then-upcoming Shuttle mission. The experiment was the study of the behavior of flames in zero (or rather, micro) gravity; the formal name of the experiment was Enclosed Laminar Flames. Or, for acronym buffs, ELF. This fellow was also an Elfquest reader, and what he wanted to know via his email was, did we want to take part in the design of a project logo to go into space on this mission?

I must have thought about this request for three, maybe four milliseconds before roaring back a reply, "You betcha!"

Wendy was equally excited about the prospect and set about designing a kind of "generic" Elfquest elf - that we named Starfire - to grace the mission patch. (The reason for the design of a new elf, and not using one of the established characters, is simple: NASA doesn't copyright its material-it's some sort of governmental loophole, I think - and we didn't want any of the established Elfquest characters falling into the public domain.) I figure, passenger seats aboard the Shuttle may not be available to average folks like me before I'm too decrepit to take advantage of them, but this way a little piece of us has actually gone up into space.

ST: I've seen a website for a convention in Germany devoted to Elfquest alone. How global is the Elfquest phenomenon? What's the most exotic fan letter you've received?

RP: As far as we know, Elfquest is read all over the globe. If you go to the Elfquest site, there's a page that contains links to hundreds of fan-generated web sites, with more being reported to us every day, and those URLs are located all over the planet. Before we got involved with the internet, we knew that Elfquest was probably an international phenomenon - it's been translated into several foreign languages like French and Russian and Italian and such (not Japanese yet, though we're working on that) - and we would receive occasional fan mail with distant postmarks. But the 'net and the Web have shown us in spades that Elfquest is truly all over the place.

I suspect the most exotic fan letter is going to be one that we haven't yet received. Over the years we've gotten some pretty strange letters (and gifts too) through the mail. When One-Eye was killed and Clearbrook cut off her long braid in mourning, one girl cut off her own braided hair and sent it to us, in sympathy. We've gotten letters from people who've told us how Elfquest has changed their lives, we've heard from parents who've named their children after some of the characters in the story! We've gotten some beautifully sad and personal letters.

When someone sends a couple of first-class tickets to some warm, white sand island paradise in the South Seas, along with a lot of money in small unmarked bills, we'll definitely consider that to be in the running for "most exotic"!

ST: What do you think of the increasing popularity of anime and manga in North America?

WP: I think it's about time. I think today's youth are looking for stories and art that engage their minds and hearts deeply. I think the power of art to penetrate and transform is something we crave, and we know when we're being served watered-down pap. I think many young Americans are drawn to the exotic, finding the oriental world-view refreshing, challenging and seductive.

Currently, I'm a huge fan of the animated Dragonball Z. It's a broad retelling of the Buddhist myth "The Way West," the legend of Sun Goku the Monkey King, which I first encountered in "Alakazam the Great." Dragonball Z, which many parents decry as a mindless slugfest, actually contains huge doses of spiritual enlightenment cleverly disguised as martial arts mayhem. It tickles me that American kids are eating it up, all unawares. No doubt about it, anime and manga can be addictive to the western mind. If Toonami and the Cartoon Network had existed when I was a teen, I'd probably have ended up a jibbering, housebound zombie.

ST: What sort of influence do you think it could have on the North American comic industry?

WP: I think it has had an enormous influence already. Famous example, and one of the first: Frank Miller's 'Ronin". These days you can't miss the manga references in the drawing style and layout of nearly every action superhero comic, mainstream or independent. It's hip, cool and happening. By the way, we owe a great debt to Kevin Altieri and Bruce Timm for elevating the content and look of children's television, starting with the thoroughly anime Batman animated series. Since then, when it comes to American kids' TV, Japan practically owns the airwaves. You don't see me complaining.

For all the western influence they've absorbed (and not always to the good), for all the crass commercialism of Pokemon and the like, somehow the Japanese always manage to slip a moment of serious reflection, a dramatic pause in which life itself is on the line, into their storytelling. I deeply respect this. Nonstop, Disneyesque lightheartedness never nourished me, even as a kid. I craved deep things to think about. And I like it that the Japanese assume kids all over the world have the depth of soul to want that still.

ST: What is Elfquest?

WP: Elfquest is an ongoing heroic fantasy graphic novel series, with science fictional undertones, about a band of alien beings who look like elves trying to survive on a hostile world that is not their ancestors' planet of origin. The storyline focuses on the elves' struggle to remain true to their harmonious, nature-loving ways despite the encroachment into their territories of an ever-increasing human population. The art style of Elfquest, whether mine or any of the other talented artists' Warp Graphics employs, is a combination of influences from classic fairytale illustration to Japanese anime or manga. Although our elfin cast of characters, like Cutter, Leetah, Skywise and Rayek, have a big-eyed, childlike appearance, their adventures take them psychologically, spiritually and physically to very dark, very grown-up places. It's my firm belief, based on years of fan feedback, that anyone willing to fully explore the epic-sized world of Elfquest will find their views of modern society mirrored, their prejudices challenged and their understanding of relationships - of all kinds - forever changed.

RP: We've also called Elfquest "fantasy with teeth" and "a soap opera with pointed ears." What is it about soap operas on TV that attract such loyal followings for such long periods? One of the major reasons must be that viewers are allowed to get right down into even the picayune details of the characters' lives - sometimes to the point where the actor fades into the background, and the character is the "real" persona. Elfquest affords this close a look into the characters, their lives and their struggles. I might even go so far as to say that Elfquest does for fantasy comics what Marvel is touted as having done for superhero comics - given the players real and believable characteristics, foibles and all.

ST: Elfquest is a series that for over 25 years has been recognized by people both in and out of comics as one of the best. So many other series have come and gone in this time, but Elfquest seems eternal. What do you attribute this to? WP: Over the past quarter century Elfquest has grown and changed right along with the rest of the world. It has not stagnated. The characters have evolved, remaining fresh and, I think, getting even more interesting. But one thing that never changes about Elfquest is the amount of love that goes into it. Richard and I are not dumb. Our readers are not dumb. We all know when we're getting a story that's truthful and heartfelt. And we crave that. Even people who think they're too cool and above-it-all are secretly starving for that. Stories about relationship complications, heroism, sacrifice and family loyalty may not be considered hip or edgy, but they make a lasting impression and never go out of style. RP: Everything old is new again. The window-dressing may change, but the down-deep core values (and that's a word I am usually leery of using in today's "political-correctness" hung-up culture) remain. Why else, after over two decades of publication, would we be seeing young parents, who grew up through high-school reading Elfquest, now letting us know that they are reading the books to their own children? Something inherent in Elfquest is trans-generational; it goes on and on through the years. And that "something" is the quest for connection, for completion, as individuals and as groups.

ST: Why did Elfquest expand to include other writers/artists in the early 90's after such success with its creators?

WP: You just answered your own question. The downside of success is there's less and less time to "do it yourself." Richard and I discovered that the world of Elfquest was expanding past our capacity to produce it as a Mom and Pop team. So we did our best to locate artists and writers who could capture at least the spirit of the elves. Some have been better at it that others, but all have helped us keep Elfquest in the public eye.

Speaking of which, here's some anime-related news you might enjoy. Recently, Warp Graphics hired Sonny Strait, voice of Krillin and other characters on DBZ to draw an entire new volume of Elfquest stories! Richard and I met and fell in love with the Dragonball Z voice cast at this year's San Diego Con. Apparently, the feeling was mutual. Sonny, to my amazement, is a longtime Elfquest fan who's drawing style is inspired, in part, by mine. It turned out his main ambition is to be a comic book artist; he'd already had experience self-publishing a title called Mr. Average. He's good, very good at drawing the elves, and also very aware of art nouveau. So this is truly a partnership made in manga heaven.

ST: What can you tell us of this project with Sonny Strait?

WP: The Elfquest 2001 Summer Special #1 is a 48 page comic called "Wolfshadow" that is scheduled for release just in time for the San Diego Comic Con in July. I'm very excited about it because it's a tale that sheds light on Cutter and Skywise's first days of reunion after a time-travelling, ten thousand year separation. It's a love story, in a way, plus a rollicking rescue co-plotted by Sonny Strait and me, scripted and laid out by me, with finished art by Sonny. Be prepared to laugh AND cry. Sneak peekers already have! I'm not kidding! Sonny's an enormously talented actor/artist/comedian/puppeteer/dancer/storyteller with a dash of wise Shaman and wise-ass Trickster thrown in. A self-published comic book creator in his own right, his love and understanding of the Elfquest universe is genuine and overwhelming. He wants to learn how to do it the way I do it - and he's gotten spookily close in his few months of apprenticeship at my studio. He's Treestump to my Cutter, Percival to my Arthur, Bre'r Rabbit to my Uncle Remus. If it doesn't have heart, spirit, integrity and a few big laughs, Sonny's just not interested.

RP: Wendy and I have talked about this story a lot, and like just about everything else connected with Elfquest, it will lead to others dealing with the same theme - the deep and very special relationship between Cutter and Skywise.

ST: Cutter and Skywise are two of your favorites! What other plans do you have for them?

WP: Working story ideas/titles that we've come up and played with so far are: "Troll Games and Soul Names," a tale of Cutter and Skywise's youth in the Holt at the end of Bearclaw's reign. As the title suggests, it's about how Cutter and Skywise come to realize, through hardship, that their bond is a strange form of Recognition. Then there's "The Heart's Way," written and illustrated by me, which takes place in the Sun Village years later. It asks the titillating question: what happens when a brother's love for a brother is challenged by a smitten maiden's jealousy? Finally there's "Full Circle" which brings the Wolfriders, as they are today, back to the original Holt. This story takes Cutter and Skywise to new levels of understanding and friendship as they both try to help Cutter's son Suntop through a difficult phase.

RP: As much as I love helping out when it comes to bouncing around ideas for stories with Wendy (and Sonny, and whoever else may be working with us at any given time on any given project), another of the hats I wear is that of the publisher. And as you know, I put aside publishing comics a little over two years ago, because of market conditions, in favor of concentrating Warp Graphics' energies in the book/graphic novel market. It was a good move for us at the time. As a book publisher, I'd love to be able to offer something brand new to Elfquest's readers, not a reprint volume as many of the Elfquest Reader's Collection books have been, but new material. If this first Summer Special comic book goes well, I'll be very happy to compile these other stories into a new volume for release sometime later this year, or early next year.

But just so everyone knows, I'm already planning a second Summer Special for August, in time for the Wizard World convention in Chicago. This one will showcase the first chapter in a new Wild Hunt saga entitled "Recognition" - the storyline is being written by Wendy and Joellyn Auklandus, with gorgeous toned art by Brandon McKinney (who's done a lot of Elfquest work for us in the past, as well as for Dark Horse, Lucasfilm, and others). These stories will also be collected into a Reader's Collection volume next year, but the Summer Special will have material that won't be available anywhere else but in the comic book.