Interview: Elfquest's Wendy Pini Reveals the Pain Behind Her Manga 'Masque'

2008 has been quite the year for Wendy Pini. The artist and creator (and self-proclaimed 'Elfmom') of Elfquest celebrated the 30th year of her fantasy epic comic series, the announcement of a long-awaited feature film deal for Elfquest, and the publication of the first volume of Masque of the Red Death, her yaoi manga-inspired erotic webcomic / graphic novel from Go! Comi.

I initially spoke with Pini at an event at the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco earlier this year. Our conversation continued over the phone and at a few other events. I've always been a big fan of Elfquest and knew a lot about her career, but it was a real blast to talk with Pini in person. After 30 years in the comics business, Pini has seen a lot, done a lot, and she is refreshingly outspoken about the lessons she's learned along the way.

In my interview with Wendy Pini, this OEL manga pioneer talks candidly about being a female creator in a fanboy-dominated comics industry, the story behind her erotic, yaoi manga-inspired version of Edgar Allen Poe's Masque of the Red Death, how she deals with criticism from fans, and the personal pain from her past that inspired both Elfquest and Masque.

Pini also shares more news about the Elfquest movie deal with Warner Brothers, the initial backlash against Elfquest's anime-inspired characters and experiencing first-hand reactions from yaoi manga fans as she unveiled the print edition of Masque at Yaoi-Con 2008.

Also, check out a gallery of images from Wendy Pini's Masque of the Red Death, and view the latest episodes of the Masque webcomic for yourself at Go! Comi's website. It's free to view, but it gets pretty hot in some spots, so it's for mature readers only. If you're attached to enjoying your comics in printed form, the first volume of Masque of the Red Death is also available now from Go! Comi and at many comic shops and bookstores.

Image credits: Courtesy Wendy Pini; © Wendy Pini