What was this Elvish book/graphic novel/comic I read in the mid 90's?

February 10, 2020 9:11 PM

I got it from the library circa mid 1990's (I was in primary school though it came from the civic library). It was a comic book/graphic novel about elves (i think, they weren't human) that leave their homeland (because of bad people?) and find a new land with new people (paradise?). I remember it being quite raunchy and people/elves died. I believe it was probably an adult book that was mis-shelved because of the comics part?

I remember a couple of the plot lines quite clearly, in one arc they are leaving the bad lands (after they are attacked? ) and cross a dessert with a giant cliff, in a second arc they find this new land and people and folks start pairing off and everyone is happy. However one guy can not find a mate until he meets with the princess/witch elf who is also alone and they have sex (not explicit). It was definitely something that was probably a bit above my age range but I had never read a graphic novel (or even comic book before) so it stayed with me. Any ideas?

posted by Lesium to Media & Arts (11 answers total)

I am also sure big dogs were involved somehow, I just can't remember how?
posted by Lesium at 9:13 PM on February 10, 2020

Caveat I've never read it, but "raunchy elf comic" sounds like Elfquest.
posted by jameaterblues at 9:16 PM on February 10, 2020

Elfquest
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 9:16 PM on February 10, 2020

Yes, this surely sounds like the first couple of Elfquest books. It was more for teens rather than younger kids so might not have been in the right place but other than serious feelings and scanty clothes wasn't terribly adult.
posted by fiercekitten at 9:21 PM on February 10, 2020

Definitely Elfquest. The main tribe rides on wolves, which is the "big dogs" thing you're remembering. The plot line is the same as you remember, too. Fascinating profile of co-author/artist Wendy Pini here.
posted by music for skeletons at 10:46 PM on February 10, 2020

You folks are the best! I won't know for sure and till I track down a copy but I think you are right. And yeah just for the record no sex sex but certainly a bit raunchy for a naive 10year old so teen sounds right. Thank you
posted by Lesium at 2:27 AM on February 11, 2020

Yeah, the raunch is mostly implicit: discussions of "joining", the occasional pair of entwined nude bodies drawn from a non-explicit angle, and the like. But it had a big teen/tween readership which showed up in the letter columns, and the Pinis got a lot of parental pushback after an orgy scene (again, non-explicit, but very suggestive) in issue 25 or thereabouts.
posted by jackbishop at 3:52 AM on February 11, 2020

Definitely ElfQuest. First time I realized that suggesting sex (and those tawny bodies!) could be sexier than skin mags.
posted by notsnot at 5:13 AM on February 11, 2020

Yeah, middle school, '81/'82 era when I was 11. It was all the rage with our little group of D&D playing nerds. You can read it online at Homo neanderthalensis's link.
posted by zengargoyle at 11:53 AM on February 11, 2020

As someone who loved Elfquest in the mid-'90s and has read the first few storylines many times since then, I just want to say that it's delightful to read this hazy but remarkably accurate sketch.
posted by babelfish at 4:27 PM on February 11, 2020

That's definitely it thanks everyone (and I will still maintain it was pretty raunchy for a 10 year old pre internet... They were obviously going off to do more the kissing!)
posted by Lesium at 9:45 PM on February 12, 2020