Comments on: Comics You Should Own - Elementals #1-5

By: Doug Taylor

Doug Taylor — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 18:25:40 +0000

Elementals has always (since I discovered the first issue on the stand and recognized the villains we'd fought in the V&V module "Death Duel with the Destroyers") been a personal favorite of mine, and I've got just about every issue (missing a few of the Sex Specials, though).

Kurt, how much are you interested in for those pages?

By: Dean

Dean — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 03:44:10 +0000

Willingham's "Elementals" was amazing.

By: kurt mausert

kurt mausert — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 20:28:35 +0000

Dear Denshai,
I have no idea. I left the book before those issues were published. Comico folded (ran out of money) in 1988 or 1989. I colored the book from issue 4 thru the 2nd special. I also recolored an issue or two for reprint in their reprint volume. But my involvement ended before the tawdry stuff came out.
If you know of any other Elemental fans that would be interested in purchasing original colored pages (color guides), I am trying to sell mine. I give to a charity that educates the poor in northern India (see: http://www.fflvrindavan.org) and would donate some proceeds there.
Yours,
Kurt Mausert

By: Greg Burgas

Greg Burgas — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 20:26:59 +0000

Denshai: Sorry I missed your first comment last year. I honestly don't know how many Sex Specials were published. Did you try the Grand Comics Database? I don't know if they have those covers scanned, but it's usually a pretty good resource. I know there were at least two, but that's all I know. I hope you find what you're looking for!

By: Denshai Lee

Denshai Lee — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 20:18:06 +0000

Hey Kurt,

So nice to hear from someone that worked on this excellent series. I have a question for you. Do you know how many Sex Specials were published? That would help me know if my search is complete.

By: kurt mausert

kurt mausert — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 23:07:14 +0000

I was the colorist on Elementals from issue 4 to Special 2--the end of the first series. It was my favorite book to color when Willingham did the pencils. It is too bad that he didn't do every issue and do it on time. The book could have been huge. It was nice to see people are still interested in the book.
Yours,
Kurt Mausert

By: Denshai Lee

Denshai Lee — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 20:48:54 +0000

Clint Adams mentioned a store in Austin, if you have the location and the stores phone number maybe I can arrange to purchase and have them shipped.

By: Denshai Lee

Denshai Lee — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 20:47:07 +0000

Hi Greg,

I'm looking to help a good friend of mine locate some of the issues he is missing to complete his collection on this Elementals series. I've been doing a lot of research and that is how I found your blog. It has a lot of info and I really can appreciate the comic even though I'm not a collector after reading your blog. Well I need your help. I'm trying to purchase the issues he is missing, any suggestions on where to find this series. (Any price it doesnt matter)
Thanks in advance for your help

By: King White

King White — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 18:50:31 +0000

How much are the Elementals worth by now

By: Jim

Jim — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 05:04:31 +0000

I remember waiting for each issue. The stories were like nothing else at the time. Great stuff!

By: Matthew

Matthew — Sun, 02 Sep 2007 16:35:06 +0000

I've been confused about the second volume of the Elementals for a while. Were there 26 issues published? Or 28? Or 29? According to Mile High Comics, there were 29. Wikipedia says 26. On this page I'm reading 28. Has anyone actually got issue 27, 28, or 29 on hand? Thanks for any info you can provide.

By: Shawn Hill

Shawn Hill — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 16:28:29 +0000

Willingham was a revelation back in the 80s. The Elementals looked so bright and shiny, but the stories were so dark, the villains so corrupt. I'd love to somehow see reprints of these, esp. volume 1, even in black and white.

By: Lundok

Lundok — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 20:13:19 +0000

One of my all time favorites. The atmosphere of these five books is a mix of horror, action, tension and the inane boredom that the characters feel from being in captivity for so long. I followed the series for a while after this, but as Greg said, some of the artisit were just awful. It's a shame because I had always hoped that ol' Bill would come to his senses and start the series up again.

By: Clint Adams

Clint Adams — Tue, 01 May 2007 20:03:54 +0000

If your in Austin, you can pick up a lot of these at the 1/2 price books on Lamar.

By: DanCJ

DanCJ — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 11:00:06 +0000

Yeah - Proposition Player is good.

I had the TPB of the first few issues of The Elementals, but it didn't really grab me and I sent it into the ether by way of eBay

By: FunkyGreenJerusalem

FunkyGreenJerusalem — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 10:00:15 +0000

"Yeah, I forgot that he drew the first two issues of Shadowpact. He can still draw, but I guess it takes too long."

He also did a few issues/pages of his pre-Fables Vertigo mini Propsition Player.
It's a good fun take on religon - a card player jokingly buys beer in exchange for his friends soul, and unwittingly becomes a new player in the battle between heaven and hell, and we get to see him form his own non-religon religon - and got collected a few years ago as a trade.

I'd reccomend it to all.

By: howyadoin

howyadoin — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 01:24:47 +0000

I never knew he was an artist as well. Pretty decent-lookin' stuff for the era, if a little on the derivative side.

By: Greg Burgas

Greg Burgas — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 00:37:11 +0000

Yeah, I forgot that he drew the first two issues of Shadowpact. He can still draw, but I guess it takes too long.

By: Troy Wilson

Troy Wilson — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 00:24:19 +0000

Elementals is definitely an unappreciated classic. Definitely worth picking up if you haven't read them. And don't get put off by the roughness of the first five issues; it gets even better. Well, except for the issues at the end of the first run. They were so lackluster that Willingham declared them non-canonical when he started the second run (which, by the way, is mostly outstanding, despite the fact that Willingham didn't do the artwork). On the other hand, the less said about the third run the better. Even if the rights reverted back to Willingham tomorrow, it doesn't look like he'd do any more Elementals stories. He said in a recent Comics Journal interview that he didn't have anything more to say about the characters. I'd love it if the original issues were reprinted, though. They certainly deserve it.

By: David Frankel

David Frankel — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 00:17:05 +0000

I agree, some great comics; worth the hunt.

Here are somewhat dated comments from Bill on the rights issue:

209.198.111.165/willingham/faq.htm

"When the publisher, Comico, self-destructed in the late Eighties, I felt it was a good time to leave the Elementals and go on to other things. So I sold all rights to the Elementals, permanently, to the new owner of the supposedly resurrected Comico. Little did I know at the time that the new owner would never follow through on any of his announced plans for the series ... "

Bill drew the first two issues of Shadowpact, which I'd hoped he would be able to continue, but alas ...