Thursday evening, August 13, is the big party. This is being hosted by Warp Graphics to celebrate Elfquest's 20th anniversary, and will benefit the San Diego Council on Literacy. The location is on the upper level of the big San Diego convention center, on the outside terrace - you won't have any trouble finding it. We don't have an exact start time yet, but it's a pretty safe bet that things will power up around 7 or 8 in the evening, and go as long as they go. We're working with the convention committee and the convention center to provide munchies and drinks, there are plans to have music and a DJ, there are plans to raffle off neat prizes and unique collectibles (the proceeds of which will go to the Literacy Council). We're pushing to have prizes for the best Elfquest costumes (and their wearers, natch) who show up at the party. What else? Who knows! We may be winging this shindig right up until the last moment, but at least what we've got so far is well on the way!

During the convention itself the Warp booth will be the place to stop by. We're going to have posters to give away. We'll have the special autographed Elfquest charity posters that you can purchase (and all proceeds from those sales will be split between our two favorite organizations - the Wolf Park in Indiana, and the Make-A-Wish foundation). The first 500 people to stop by the booth each day will receive a very special Elfquest 20th anniversary "gold" pin.

We're working on bringing in as many Elfquest writers and artists from around the country as we can, so look for autograph sessions at the Warp booth daily throughout the long weekend.

And your Elfquest webmaster will be there, camera in hand, taking pictures for a nightly "con report" to be published on the Elfquest web site, so that even those who can't make the trek to San Diego can enjoy some of the action!

Plus, if we can get the convention programming committee to give it a time slot, Wendy wants to run an "Attitude is Everything" panel. What does that mean? Who's going to be on it? Tune in to find out! (Hint: It *won't* be yet another "Women in Comics" or "How to Get Started in Comics" panel, that's for certain!)

We'll post updates here as we know them. For general information about the ComicCon International, be sure to visit the ComicCon International website, and preview the biggest comics event in the USA all year!

We hope to see you there!

Update!

July 5, 1998

The convention committee has let us know that the hours for the Elfquest party on Thursday evening, August 13th, are 8 to 11pm. The location, as given before, is the outdoor terrace on the second floor of the convention center (a.k.a. "The Bayside Terrace").

In addition to whatever else we are able to cook up, we'd very much like to have as many people in Elfquest costume as we can cajole, and will no doubt shamelessly offer some sort of special "Elfquest 20th con party goodie thingie" to those who do make the effort.

Also, as the convention program people seem to be variable in their listing of guests, both Wendy and Richard will definately be there, as well as many of the other Elfquest artists.

Update again!

August 7, 1998

From Richard Pini himself:

I am "going to ground" for the coming week, getting ready for the San Diego trade expo and convention. Everything that the con committee has emailed me seems to point to a Good Time gonna be had by all on Thursday night, August 13th.

The doors will open around 7:30. You need to be a member of the convention to get in, and I expect that convention registration will be open most if not all of Thursday. The location is the upper floor of the San Diego Convention Center; the staff tells me there will be signs directing people to the right place.

I'm told there will be various and sundry bits of speechifying at first, from the San Diego Literacy Council (for whose benefit the party is being held), and maybe from us Warp folk too, I'm not certain.

After that, music starts, food appears, and throughout the night there are raffles and prizes and dancing and a general brouhaha.

Remember, as we've said before, if you can show up in costume, do it! You'll get recognition, you'll get photos taken and printed in the Elfquest comic, and you'll have massive quantities of fun.

Everyone who can't... Well, you'll still have massive quantities of fun, too... You'll just look like a human as you do.

We promise.