ElfQuest Appreciation Thread 3 3

[BanjerD]

 

[SilverAgeGuy]

A little off topic but i thought id post a few pics of the donning press hard cover set i mentioned in my post on page 1.  Printed between 1981 (vol 1) and 1984 (vol 4), they each contained 5 issues of the original 20 issue run in a hard cover graphic novel format. They were signed by the Pini's and limited to 3000 copies per volume.  Each also included an art print, and I've included a pic of the print included with volume 1 as well as a peek inside the first volume.

 

[Jon Thor]

I sold a set of those 4 hardback Donnings in 2022 for $650.  They were all sealed and unopened though.

[Jon Thor]

On 6/13/2022 at 7:41 PM, MisterX said:

Does anybody know what the print run was on FQ1?

It seems to be readily available?

CGC Census only shows 36 slabs of the 1st print Elfquest 1,  and even fewer for all other issues.

Also, I have been watching EBay like a hawk for 15 years now and issue #1 , 1st print is very rare.  I haven't seen a NM copy show up on EBay since 2007.  Since 2007, when I bought 3 NM copies, I would say only 3 copies have showed up for sale until today, and usually they are beat up.    I'd say there cannot be many surviving copies.   I'd guess #1 1st print was more like 1000 copies.     Question is:   if they say 10,000 were printed, that probably means all printings 1 through 4.  The 3rd print is very common... there might be 1 in 25% of comic shops (my guess).

Edited February 28, 2023 by Jon Thor

[valiantman]

On 2/28/2023 at 4:27 PM, Jon Thor said:

CGC Census only shows 36 slabs of the 1st print Elfquest 1,  and even fewer for all other issues.

Also, I have been watching EBay like a hawk for 15 years now and issue #1 , 1st print is very rare.  I haven't seen a NM copy show up on EBay since 2007.  Since 2007, when I bought 3 NM copies, I would say only 3 copies have showed up for sale until today, and usually they are beat up.    I'd say there cannot be many surviving copies.   I'd guess #1 1st print was more like 1000 copies.     Question is:   if they say 10,000 were printed, that probably means all printings 1 through 4.  The 3rd print is very common... there might be 1 in 25% of comic shops (my guess).

Elfquest has been overlooked for a long time, and people are still confused about it.

Fantasy Quarterly #1 - first issue of Elfquest, but not produced by Wendy and Richard Pini (they really don't care for this book because the whole thing was a disaster) - 5,000 copies (1978)

Elfquest #2 ($1.00 cover) - first issue of Elfquest produced by Wendy and Richard Pini (as WaRP Graphics), second issue of Elfquest - 10,000 copies (1978)

Elfquest #3 ($1.00 cover) - third issue of Elfquest (second produced by Wendy and Richard Pini as WaRP) - 10,000 copies (1978)

Elfquest #4 ($1.00 cover) - fourth or fifth issue of Elfquest - 10,000 copies (1979) - same date as Elfquest #1

Elfquest #1 ($1.00 cover) - fourth or fifth issue of Elfquest, reprints the first story from Fantasy Quarterly (same date as Elfquest #4) - 10,000 copies (1979)

 

So... Elfquest #1 (even the $1.00 cover) isn't as important as people think it is... and issues with $1.25 or $1.50 covers are even less important (for all #2, #3, #4, and #1).

People tend to use $1.00 cover price as "first printing", $1.25 cover price as "second printing" and $1.50 cover price as "third printing", but the reality is different.

$1.00 cover price is "first printing" but the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th printings were all $1.25 cover price. The $1.50 cover price was 5th printing and 6th printing, and these should be the most common because there wasn't enough demand to print more. The 6th printing ($1.50 cover price) is where all the "extras" would still be sitting in boxes at shops (years after the originals for #2, #3, #4, and then #1).

Anything (any issue) priced $1.50 is automatically from 1981 (or later)... three years after Elfquest started.

The reprints from 1989 are actually 7th printings (even though they're called "4th", because they are the "4th pricing", but not the 4th printing).

Edited March 1, 2023 by valiantman

[Jon Thor]

Yes, there were probably 10,000 copies of Elfquest Warp 1 ,  2nd print and later.

[valiantman]

On 3/1/2023 at 5:44 PM, Jon Thor said:

Yes, there were probably 10,000 copies of Elfquest Warp 1 ,  2nd print and later.

If you're responding to me, all my numbers came from Richard Pini. I wasn't just stating my opinions.

Elfquest #1 ($1.00 cover) had 10,000 copies and it came out at the same time as Elfquest #4.

Edited March 2, 2023 by valiantman

[Jon Thor]

On 3/1/2023 at 6:24 PM, valiantman said:

If you're responding to me, all my numbers came from Richard Pini. I wasn't just stating my opinions.

Elfquest #1 ($1.00 cover) had 10,000 copies and it came out at the same time as Elfquest #4.

Not saying your wrong, but based on the volume I see come through EBay (and other places, such as auctions), this just doesn't seem to be true.   If it was true, you'd see people coming out of the woodwork to claim their $300+ slab sale.

Edited March 2, 2023 by Jon Thor

[valiantman]

On 3/2/2023 at 1:35 PM, Jon Thor said:

Not saying your wrong, but based on the volume I see come through EBay (and other places, such as auctions), this just doesn't seem to be true.   If it was true, you'd see people coming out of the woodwork to claim their $300+ slab sale.

Richard Pini says there were 10,000 copies of Elfquest #1, a reprint book printed at the same time as Elfquest #4, which he says had 10,000 copies, which was printed after Elfquest #2 and Elfquest #3, which he says had 10,000 copies.

"If it was true..."

It is.

You're putting too much focus on a book you personally own, and not enough focus on why the rest of the market should want to own it, too. The 4th or 5th Elfquest book (and a reprint story) isn't supposed to be bigger than the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Elfquest books which aren't reprints. Elfquest #1 is already punching above its weight class.

http://www.cgcdata.com/cgc/search/title/:Elfquest:/desc/yes/label/all/orderby/year/variants/yes/

Elfquest #2 ($1.00 cover) is the first book that Richard and Wendy Pini handled by themselves, created the WaRP publishing line, and the second overall Elfquest book. There are only 15 on the CGC census. That's the Elfquest book that really matters, and people haven't even noticed.

Edited March 2, 2023 by valiantman

[BanjerD]

Not everyone is interested in slabbing or selling but some EQ fans are very serious about "collecting"

(not mine BTW)

Edited March 3, 2023 by BanjerD

[valiantman]

On 3/2/2023 at 5:01 PM, valiantman said:

You're putting too much focus on a book you personally own, and not enough focus on why the rest of the market should want to own it, too. The 4th or 5th Elfquest book (and a reprint story) isn't supposed to be bigger than the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Elfquest books which aren't reprints. Elfquest #1 is already punching above its weight class.

http://www.cgcdata.com/cgc/search/title/:Elfquest:/desc/yes/label/all/orderby/year/variants/yes/

Elfquest #2 ($1.00 cover) is the first book that Richard and Wendy Pini handled by themselves, created the WaRP publishing line, and the second overall Elfquest book. There are only 15 on the CGC census. That's the Elfquest book that really matters, and people haven't even noticed.

... and in case anyone thinks I'm downplaying Elfquest #1 just because I don't have one ... 

Mine. 

(Still the 4th or 5th most important Elfquest book.)

Edited March 3, 2023 by valiantman

[OtherEric]

I do agree that I don't seem to see the numbers of $1.00 Elfquest #1's the print run would suggest, just to throw my two cents in.  It's the only magazine sized issue I don't have the 1st print of, and given what people are asking it's simply not worth it.  I really don't understand the market on that one.

Note to self:  Get a Fantasy Quarterly ASAP, it's badly underrated in the current market.

[valiantman]

On 3/8/2023 at 4:50 PM, OtherEric said:

Note to self:  Get a Fantasy Quarterly ASAP, it's badly underrated in the current market.

While I have Fantasy Quarterly, I can't help thinking about how much the Pini's dislike it... and that keeps me from being a bigger fan of the book. If the creators don't like it, why should I? 

[OtherEric]

On 3/9/2023 at 6:15 AM, valiantman said:

While I have Fantasy Quarterly, I can't help thinking about how much the Pini's dislike it... and that keeps me from being a bigger fan of the book. If the creators don't like it, why should I? 

A fair question.  For better or worse, it is the first appearance.  But I suppose the Pini's dislike of the book could explain, at least in part, why it's so deemphasized compared to the exaggerated demand for the Elfquest #1 1st print.  

I'm sure most of the reason is just people being unaware of the actual publication order.  But it helps explain why the correct info isn't more widely known.

[OtherEric]

And following up on my observation last week that I need to get myself a copy:

 

[waaaghboss]

On 3/15/2023 at 10:24 AM, OtherEric said:

And following up on my observation last week that I need to get myself a copy:

 

One of the first books I picked up when I got back into comics a few years ago.  Still one of my favorites. 

[sfcityduck]

Quick question:  Am I tripping or were there smaller than magazine sized versions of the early issues?

[realitytrip]

On 3/20/2023 at 10:36 AM, sfcityduck said:

Quick question:  Am I tripping or were there smaller than magazine sized versions of the early issues?

Fantasy Quarterly #1 is regular comic size. Not sure if this is what you are thinking of but Marvel reprinted the entire original series in color in the mid 80s under their Epic line in regular comic size.

[OtherEric]

On 3/20/2023 at 10:36 AM, sfcityduck said:

Quick question:  Am I tripping or were there smaller than magazine sized versions of the early issues?

Also, everything after the original quest was comic sized.  But since it was a small publisher it’s possible Siege at Blue Mountain wasn’t exactly standard trim size compared to Marvel or DC.  Will try and look when I get home

[OtherEric]

On 3/20/2023 at 10:36 AM, sfcityduck said:

Quick question:  Am I tripping or were there smaller than magazine sized versions of the early issues?

And as I vaguely remembered, Siege at Blue Mountain was slightly taller than a regular comic.