End-of-Week Wendy [Pini] (9/8/17): Rereading Elfquest Part 1

I wish I had something more profound to say at this point in my "great" effort toward creating an Elfquest fantasy heartbreaker. But I don't.

Mostly because I'm in the very nascent stages, which means I'm going back and reading the series. At the very least, the first few volumes.

So, I'm in the "boring" research phase. Well, boring for YOU, dear reader. For me, I'm sure I'll have a grand old time reliving the adventures of Cutter and his pack!

One thing I can say is I never cared what other people thought about a man reading Elfquest. People tend to glance at Wendy Pini's art and immediately call it "girl stuff."

Fie on that, I say, ye narrow-minded folk! I would tell those of such a shallow opinion to read this, the intro to volume 1 of the Complete Elfquest. To summarize, it talks about the depth of Elfquest, and how it means many different things to many different people.

Can EQ be seen as or taken to be just "girly escapist fantasy"? Sure...IF THAT'S HOW A READER WANTS TO TAKE IT! Others, like myself, can take it as a monumental feat of creativity, not just in terms of its amazing and robust visual artistry, but also the rich world that the Pinis created.

Rant over. In the coming days, I'll check in with my "amateur game designer" musings. I'm keeping a particular eye out for the aspects of the different races. On the surface, there are elves (which in D&D terms roughly equate to "wood" and "high" elves at a very cursory level), trolls (superficial analogs to orcs), and humans (more primitive than the medieval types usually found in D&D).

Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself! If anyone else out there is reading, or has recently read, the EQ series, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

End-of-Week Wendy [Pini] (9/1/17): Elfquest for Classic D&D?

Welcome, September! Welcome, 'Ber months! My favorite time of year! 

And with your cooler winds comes the autumnal madness I feel every year. Forget the fact that the equinox isn't technically until the 22nd. I don't care for technicalities. 

Yes, the madness settles in...so what better way to give in to that madness than to publicly declare my desire to house rule classic/basic D&D into an Elfquest heartbreaker? 

What's that you say, little elfin voices in my head? That's a great idea I have?! Thank you for your validation! 

Seriously though, I know what the reader may be asking: "Anthony, you never created the Planet of the Ape heartbreaker you raved about over two years ago."

Don't bother me with details! I'll get to that one eventually, I'm sure...

"Ah, Anthony," you chortle, "you go with your bad Quixotic self! Let me get some popcorn, because whether or not you crash and burn on this latest windmill tilt, I want to watch!"

ANYway, THIS time I'm for real! This time, I declare that I will follow through with this latest lunacy. So what that I'm busier than ever? So what that my blog has lain almost fallow for the last year or so, with only Elmore art posts to share with the world??

SO WHAT?!?! I will make this project come to life! I swear it to the Saints Gygax and Arneson!

Welcome to unofficial Fall, folks. It's going to be interesting, at the very least. Keep an eye on this space, people. Stay tuned, there's more madness to come...

Vintage Roleplaying Book Porn at the House of Fun

So there's a store called House of Fun in my little South Jersey burg, and it's a collectibles store mostly known for having vintage toys.

I went in there the other day with my son because he's developed an obsession with Aliens and Predators. Specifically, Aliens Versus Predators. Now, I haven't let him watch any Aliens or Predator films yet except for a TV edit of Alien, given how young he is at the moment.

He gained knowledge of Aliens and Predators from a friend who picked up a toy from House of Fun. So, the boy had to get his hands on a similar Alien-type toy using his Christmas cash.

Yeah, boys will be boys, right? I'm just glad he's into a classic creature that his old dad likes, too. The old stuff still has some appeal!

ANYway, as the boy was agonizing over what Alien toy to choose, I wandered around the treasure trove playland of the store.

And I came upon a bookcase:

Yes, indeedy. Suffice to say I plunged into this bookshelf with abandon, going through every item, extending our visit waaay beyond what the boy wanted, unfortunately for him.

Sorry kid, your dad is an inveterate old-head nerd, and finding stuff like this is a wonderland!

Want some more? Take a look: 

I felt like I needed to pick up these 1st Edition AD&D screens...but I didn't...mostly because I think the owner of the store is going to try and sell them at a pretty penny. He seems to go by what they cost on Ebay...and these suckers are pricey! I might go back and ask though, just in case. 

I'm not playing AD&D 1st Edition and not planning to do so any time soon...but when has that ever stopped me?

Never heard of Feudal...it's a game from the 60's, so that's probably why (I'm not from the 60's)

Boot Hill boxed set...contents seemed pretty incomplete.

There was a ton of stuff but I just took some shots of my highlights. There were a lot of D&D modules, MERP modules, and Ravenloft stuff as well.

And there was a copy of the Elfquest RPG, sans box. 

I bought that. 

I've always had a thing for Elfquest. I've always thought that someone should do a Basic D&D conversion of Elfquest. 

Hmmm...

Yes, I'm still insane and a nerd. What else is new? 

Anyway, gotta run for now, but just wanted to share!