Elfquest: Elf and safety? A comic-book retrospective (video).
It’s the comic that simply refused to die, isn’t it? Our American cousins’ penchant for independent “anything goes” storytelling gave birth to many an odd offering over the years, but few odder than Elfquest – the fantasy saga detailing the trials and tribulations of a bunch of hippyish elves gambolling about on a planet much like our own, albeit with an added moon for…atmosphere?
The Pinis – Wendy and Richard, married creators behind this enduring tale – kicked things off in 1978 with a story so bucolic it made The Lord of the Rings look like Grand Theft Auto. The elves in question were the savage yet nature-loving Wolfriders tribe, led by the magnificently ridiculous Chief Cutter. Imagine Robin Hood’s merry men filtered through a blissed-out 1960s mindset and you’re halfway there.
Of course, our protagonists had to rapidly specialise in violence and skulduggery when dastardly humans kept trying to burn their forest home to the ground. The quest was afoot! Against all odds, these wooden wonders not only survived their #WebbyThuggery persecutors but discovered rivals in the form of “lost” elf tribes like the snooty Gliders (massive bird-riders, because why not?) and the toiler Go-Backs. Inevitably, it all tied back to some advanced alien precursor race known as the High Ones who arrived long ago, only to have their cosmic palace ship literally crash the party. Oops. Unravelling what befell them and their servitor races – the insectoid Preservers and simian-derived Trolls – has kept Elfquest wobbling on through periodic quests, novels, and even (ugh) RPG spin-offs across four decades.
After self-publishing for years, the Pinis allowed the big comic houses @DCComics and @DarkHorseComics to take a stab at the neverending story, which duly unleashed a “Final Quest” in the 2010s that…wasn’t. A new @DarkHorseComics skittered out from under a log just a few years back, presumably leaving room for more pointy-eared frolics to come.
For all its hippy-dippy trappings and daffy Ren Faire vibes, Elfquest has displayed incredible sticking power. Perhaps there’s something to be said for an utterly unpretentious tale of cute, big-eyed elves that drifts from traditional comics into broader realms of fantasy worldbuilding. Either that or the entire thing is an elaborate prank by the Pinis, slyly winking at us all as their creations merrily gambol on through eternity. Those cheeky sprites.
