Elfquest is the story of Cutter and his tribe of Wolfriders as they discover their world is much bigger than they ever imagined after a fire destroys the forest they call home. This comic series, by Wendy and Richard Pini, began in 1978. Elfquest: The Final quest began in 2012. There are so many things I love about this series. I love seeing male characters be strong, brave and completely in love with their mate(s), children, and friends. I love seeing strong, intelligent female characters who don't wait for a man to save them. I love that Cutter's daughter Ember is tough, hard-headed, and a born leader and her twin brother Suntop is gentle and tender and loved as much as his sister.
Oh, then there's the art. Wendy's ability to tell a story with her drawings alone are wonderful. I had so much fun wandering through the old edition and finding all of those little bits of background foreshadowing and humor.
Elfquest was the reason I began to draw in earnest in middle school. It was the spark, guided by my mother, that led me to create my first world with my friends, a planet named M'aarth. Elfquest was where we drew all of our inspiration. Amber and I did most of the drawing, though I think just about everyone tried their hand at emulating Wendy Pini's style. I found some very dear friends because of that world, people who will always have a very special place in my heart.
I found a tutorial on YouTube on how to a decoupage comic book shoe, which inspired me to do an Elfquest-inspired one. This is one of my favorite projects to date and I've gotten several compliments on them.
