Hi! My name is Rick and I'm an avid ElfQuest collector. I've been into ElfQuest and WaRP/WARP since the early 80's and have been a fan since. Until E-Bay, I had NO IDEA of the stuff that was available. To help veteran and new collectors alike, I'm trying to put some information on EQ in one place for all to learn. If you have any hints or helpful suggestions PLEASE send them along, I will try to keep this updated often.

NEW UPDATE FOR 2006/2007 - CAFEPRESS!! Don't know what that is? Check out the info on the official EQ website. Don't let people rip you and the people behind EQ off by letting things you can get for $20 go for more on E-Bay. Cafepress is simply another outlet for WARP to offer up more ElfQuest goodies at very reasonable prices. They have shirts, mugs, pillows, new calendars, all kinds of hoopdie! Don't be fooled by people listing these items on E-Bay - go there NOW and see what it is all about! (This also goes for the books available at the Wolfrider shop on the EQ site! How can they be RARE if I can order them today for reciept next week?)

The Basics: ElfQuest is a comic series started in the late 70's by Wendy and Richard Pini and published under the pseudonym WaRP. Wendy Pini is the artist, Richard is the 'nasty-bad editor thing'. I do not say this past tense as this pair continues to put out new material even today. The new series Discovery has fantastic art and coloring! They are very pleasant to deal with and will sign just about anything you buy from them either on E-Bay or off of their website (ElfQuest DOT com), be sure to check out the Wolfrider Online Shop. They are currently moving their warehouse and are taking requests (how cool) so get it while you can.

The Comics: This is why I started writing this guide. I have been acquiring EQ comics for a few years and JUST TODAY find out some of my treasures are NOT 1st editions. I guess I just needed some schooling, which came to me in the form of a comment/question on an E-Bay item. The comment said that an issue was not a 1st print (although it was not represented as such) due to the price. There was a link, which was a real EYE-OPENER! Since I can't leave non-E-Bay links here I'll advise you to do a Google search on COMIC PRICE GUIDE and go to the site with that name, type in ElfQuest and start looking around. This site has specifics on each printing and how you can tell which yours is. So, CHECK THE SITE to make sure you are getting that 1st edition comics you are paying for! Some people may advertise things as first editions and just not know (I can now say I may have been guilty of that). The original EQ series was released from 1978 on and there are 5-7 printings of the first dozen or so issues, some even the same year as the initial printing. Original price on the first 5 issues was $1.00; anything else is a guaranteed re-print. Price then went to $1.25 for issues 6-9 (may be 10) and then to $1.50 per issue.

I am overlooking the other EQ series' for now but suffice it to say that the Pinis are extremely prolific and many of the other series have proven to be just as valuable to collectors. For foreign collectors some of the off series like WaveDancers are somewhat harder to come by. Currently they are releasing the final chapter of a 4 part series called The Discovery which is EXCELLENT. Want it signed? Buy it direct from the EQ website! Great investment!

The Books: There has been a lot of people complaining about 'getting burned' by other E-Bays on the EQ Starblaze edition books. How in the world can you tell if you are getting a first edition? I could use some help here and I have some copies of all 8 myself. For example, I have a #2 Starblaze 'Forbidden Grove' in my hands. It has commentaries by P. Anderson and MJ Duffy, size is 8.5" by 11" but is it a 1st? Well I learned something else just now. IT IS NOT! How do I know? I typed the ISBN into Google & into the E-Bay SELL area and both came back with dates of 1989. How lame! So it is very tough to be sure, but I would always ask for the ISBN number if it is not given to make sure you know EXACTLY what you are getting. This goes for all other EQ books like the Reader's Collection and Archives...Being aware of what you are getting is your ONLY defense!

UPDATE OF STARBLAZE EDITIONS: Due to the above curiosities, I went for a week asking people selling these editions if they knew what edition they had. The answers told me 2 things: if they even had an edition line, and what their copy was. I am reasonably sure that in the instances where there are NO number lines, this is the first edition. I also think that for at least the first 2 books this is the case. By book 4 I think they were either putting in the line to start with or they adjusted it to be the correct printing number. Also note that: books 1-4 with ISBNs starting with 0936xxxxx are re-prints done many years later, and that the Ltd. Editions ALL (1-4) had prints and hardbound sleeves (only one printing).

A good amount of EQ books were released in fancy signed limited editions. These are coveted for their quality and rareness. Grab them when you can, price can vary depending on who is bidding. Also, look for Law & Chaos by Wendy Pini for some great insight into her early development as an artist and to find a great link between her and Elric of Melnibone (The Eternal Champion)! Excellent!

The Art: There occasionally comes around some piece of original Wendy Pini artwork or perhaps a nice signed piece. Again, signings come with many items you buy directly from the Wolfrider Online shop, if they have it on their website your best bet is to buy from them. If, however, someone has a unique piece of art up for sale, question them. Where'd they get it, what'd they pay, how do THEY know it's real, and is there a Certificate of Authenticity? When in doubt, the Pini's will let you ask them if you are uncertain about a certain item. Best way is to send them an E-Bay msg with the item #, their user ID is eqstargazer and I have had pretty good success checking with them. Original art is generally HARD to come by and will run a pretty hefty price but it is available. Examples of both Wendy & Richard's autographs are prevalent on E-Bay, compare them if you are unsure. For something less expensive but still signed and attractive, check their website!

ART UPDATE: Before you blow that wad on a original piece of art think about the artist. Wendy has recently stopped doing comission work at comic cons and is now accepting direct comission B&W portraits at the Elfquest website. Check there for details, price is very reasonable! Support the artist, not the e-bay resellers!

The Goodies: I have seen all kids of goodies for EQ ranging from promo items to actual retail items. There are a large amount of EQ things out there! For example, Ral Partha figurines (small lead figures like used in role-playing) are available in 6 different sets. New in box they will go for $30-40. There are action figures (larger and on bases), series 1 is the only batch available. Leetah, Picknose, and Tydlak generally go for $20-25, Cutter is harder to get and usually runs up to $40-50.

Did you know there were EQ audio books? I didn't until recently! The Journey to Sorrows End is a Multi-Voice adaptation of the book done in 4 parts, each goes for $15-25. I have the set but have not opened them so I can't attest to the quality. UPDATE: I couldn't help it and cracked them open...not nearly as hokey as I expected. Overall pretty good, this is a 'multi-voice' performance with narration; the narrator sounds like the guy who narrated the Bullwinkle & Rocky Show. I think it would be a great gesture for the Pini's to make cheap CDs of this available on their website, I hated cracking these open.

How about a EQ video? Don't mention it in public but there is a EQ video which is an 'animated comic'. Essentially this is like a pre-production video which I hear is fairly low quality. My advice, don't waste your money. If you must see it buy a copy from the Wolfrider store! Hopefully a REAL EQ movie is pending somewhere in an alternate universe!

There are other items such as statues of Cutter (various types and sizes), as well as board games and poster, promo cards, etc...

And lets not forget the clothes. These are fairly hard to come by unused and can be quite expensive. Recently there was a batch of ELF EQ Shuttle or NASA shirts available that fetched a pretty good price (over $100 for one).

To Finally Finish: Well I've ranted now for a bit but I hope this is only the beginning. Please send me any updates or info or ISBN of first editions and lets get all this stuff in one place!! I love EQ! I'm highly impressed by the art AND the stories, I know you are too. Lets help one another make sure we know what is available and what we are getting!