Overlapping Moons as seen from Abode's Surface
There are many instances in the Elfquest canon (and semi-canon, and quasi-canon) when one
moon is shown
as in front of the other, as seen from Abode's surface. I have categorized the ones I've
found into five types, as listed below. Either one moon or the other is clearly in front
(the first two categories), or I can't tell which is in front (third category), or the two
moons take turns being in front of each other in a single scene (fourth category).
Finally, just for completeness, I've included some instances that I feel I can't cite as
evidence, either because they are from dreams or are some other sort of art which is not
necessarily meant to be "realistic".
Within each category the instances are sorted by Elfquest timeline order, with undatable things
(like character sketches) at the beginning of the list. (I do run into trouble with the
Blood of Ten Chiefs, many of them are tales told in Bearclaw's time about the
prior chiefs, do they go in Bearclaw's time or in the prior chief's time? I pretty much
just list BOTC by issue number.) Since so many of the comics have no
page numbers, I often describe the scene where the instance occurs (shouldn't be any spoilers).
Note that ALL instances drawn by Wendy Pini feature the smaller moon in front.
Note also that this list is by no means complete! These are just the ones I've happened to
notice since I've had my eye out. If you know of any instances that aren't on this list, please
email me
and I'll make any necessary additions (and give YOU full credit!).
Categories:
Change Log
The Smaller Moon In Front
- Lovemates
1999 Elfquest Calendar, Cover - Cutter and Leetah on the Bridge of Destiny. (Full moons)
By Wendy Pini.
- "Skywise the Dreamer" illustration on page 241 of
The Wolfrider's Guide to the World of Elfquest
by Theresa Robeson.
(Crescent moons) By Wendy Pini.
- "Challenge" Huntress Skyfire and Graywolf survey the casualties of Two-Spear's carnage
(Two-Spear, issue #3; and in the
Reader's Collection
Book 9c: Kahvi).
(Full moons). By Delfin Barral and Barry Blair.
- "The Spirit Quest" Goodtree gathers her belongings to depart the holt after refusing to
accept the chief's-lock (Elfquest: Blood of Ten Chiefs, issue #8). (Full moons)
This story has a nice example of a transit in process, because earlier in the evening the
moons were shown near to each other, but not touching. By Mat Nastos and Craig Taillefer.
- "Shadowplay" Lionleaper seeks out Goodtree (Elfquest: Blood of Ten Chiefs,
issue #9). (Crescent moons). By Mat Nastos and Craig Taillefer.
- "Demontricker's Dilemma" Bearclaw's Wolfriders listen to Longreach's tale (first and last
pages of story). (Elfquest: Blood of Ten Chiefs, issue #13, and in the
Reader's Collection
Book 9d: Chief's Howl).
(Full moons) By Delfin Barral, Mat Nastos and Jennifer Marrus.
- "Hero Worship" All the night scenes in Pike's tale about Mantricker (Elfquest:
Blood of Ten Chiefs, issue #14, and in the
Reader's Collection
Book 9d: Chief's Howl).
(Full moons) By Delfin Barral & Craig Taillefer.
- "Lessons in Passing" While Bearclaw tells a Mantricker story (Elfquest: Blood of
Ten Chiefs, issue #15, and in the
Reader's Collection
Book 9d: Chief's Howl).
(Full moons) By Delfin Barral.
- "Of the Fathers" While Demontricker searches for Mantricker (Elfquest: Blood of
Ten Chiefs, issue #16). (Full moons) By Delfin Barral.
- "Howl for Eldolil" Oakroot climbs the mountain and finds Eldolil (Elfquest: Blood
of Ten Chiefs, issue #17). (Full moons) By Delfin Barral and Al Nickerson.
- "Finder" Finder finds the missing child, also Cutter is silhouetted against the moons in
the final panel (Elfquest: Blood of Ten Chiefs, issue #18, and in the
Reader's Collection
Book 9d: Chief's Howl).
(Full moons, barely overlapping) By Delfin Barral and Al Nickerson.
- "Scavengers" Towards the end of the scavenger hunt. (Elfquest: Blood of Ten Chiefs,
issue #19, and in the Reader's Collection
Book 9d: Chief's Howl).
(Full moons) By Delfin Barral and Al Nickerson.
- "Troll Games and Soul Names" Last page. Reader's Collection
Book 8b: In All But Blood.
(Full moons) By Sonny Strait.
- Death of Madcoil painting. Appeared as the cover to The Comics Journal, May 1981.
(Crescent moons) By Wendy Pini.
- "Little Patch" Behind a silhoutte of Wolfriders howling on the third page.
(Hidden Years issue 3, and in the hardback
Hidden Years).
(Crescent moons) By Wendy Pini.
- "Little Patch" Little Patch running with the pack.
(Hidden Years issue 3, and in the hardback
Hidden Years).
(Gibbous moons) By Wendy Pini.
- "Rogue's Curse - The Beginning" Final panel (Elfquest Vol 2 issue 8, and in
the Reader's Collection
Book 9: Rogue's Curse). Another nice example of a transit taking place,
since the moons are shown separately earlier in the evening. (Crescent moons) By Wendy Pini
and Lorina Mapa.
- "Rogue's Curse" Ekuar rests in the woods outside town after fleeing from Winnowill's
meeting with her human followers (Elfquest Vol 2 issue 16, and in the
Reader's Collection
Book 9: Rogue's Curse). (Crescent moons) By Brandon McKinney.
- Breaking into and escaping from Skyward Labs (Elfquest: The Rebels, issues #2
"Leavetaking" and #3 "He That Goes"; and in the Reader's Collection
Book 13: The Rebels).
(Full moons) By Delfin Barral, Charles Barnett III, Craig Taillefer and Jennifer Marrus.
The Larger Moon In Front
- "Discoveries" Splash page (Two-Spear, issue #1, second page; and in the
Reader's Collection
Book 9c: Kahvi). (Full moons). By Delfin Barral and Barry Blair.
- "Inheritance" Ember returns to her Howling Rock den to find a gift left by
an admirer
(Hidden Years, issue #22, and in the Reader's Collection
Book 11: Legacy). (Full moons)
By Steve Blevins and Terry Beatty.
- "Inheritance" Last page
(Hidden Years, issue #22, and in the Reader's Collection
Book 11: Legacy). (Full moons)
By Steve Blevins and Terry Beatty.
- "Alpha and Omega" This is a problematical one. The entire story takes
place in one night. At the beginning of the story the larger moon overlaps the
smaller. In the middle of the story, the two moons are separate, and at the end
of the story, the larger moon overlaps the smaller again. Weird! I'm counting
this as only one larger-in-front sighting because it's all on the same night.
(Hidden Years, issue #23, and in the Reader's Collection
Book 11a: Huntress). (Full moons)
By Steve Blevins and Terry Beatty.
- "The Wild Hunt" Ember's Wolfriders depart Howling Rock for Port Bane
(Elfquest Vol 2, issue #22, and in the Reader's Collection
Book 11b: Wild Hunt). (Crescent moons)
By Lorraine Reyes.
- "Mindcoil Part 2 - Lawless, Winged, and Unconfined" Kullyn Kenn and Firstborn Newbreed
approaching Blue Mountain (Elfquest: Jink!, issue #8; and in the
Reader's Collection
Book 14a: Mindcoil). (Full moons) By Dennis Fujitake.
Ambiguous Cases
- "Coyote" The humans offer the booby-trapped sacrificial deer to Gotara (Elfquest:
Blood of Ten Chiefs, issue #12, and in the Reader's Collection
Book 9d: Chief's Howl).
The moons are shown at so nearly the same size
that I can't say which is which. (Full moons). By Mat Nastos, Jennifer Marrus & Barry Blair.
Both Moons In Front (They Switch)!
- "Demontricker's Dilemma" While the human Demontricker awaits his rendezvous with Mantricker,
the larger moon is shown in front of the smaller. When Mantricker arrives, the smaller moon
is in front of the larger (Elfquest: Blood of Ten Chiefs, issue #13, and in the
Reader's Collection
Book 9d: Chief's Howl).
(Full moons) By Terry Collins, Delfin Barral, Mat Nastos & Jennifer Marrus.
- "Rogue's Curse" Ekuar and Rayek take a job as guards one night. First the moons are shown
separately. Then the larger moon is shown to be in front. Then the moons are shown separately
for a while, and then the smaller moon is shown in front of the larger
(Elfquest Vol 2, issue #1 [NB pages 38 and 45], and in
the Reader's Collection
Book 9: Rogue's Curse). (Full moons) By Delfin Barral & Jerry Braccia.
Unallowable Sightings (Dreams or Symbolic Art)
These instances occur in dreams, or in spash pages or cover art or any other art
that is not clearly supposed to represent reality.
- Skywise cloisonne pin. I haven't actually seen the pin, but there is an ad showing
the pin art in Hidden Years issue #22, which came out in July 1995.
(Crescent moons, smaller moon in front) By ???
- "Fantasy With Teeth" poster (1992 coupon giveaway). This is the source of the image
(rotated 180 degrees) at
the top of this web page. (Full moons, smaller moon in front) By Wendy Pini.
- Elfquest: Two-Spear,
issue #4 front cover.
(Full moons, smaller moon in front) By ...Delfin Barral? I don't own this issue and I can't
tell from the JPG file. Help, someone!
- Elfquest: Blood of Ten Chiefs,
issue #16 front cover.
(Full moons, smaller moon in front) By Delfin Barral.
- "DreamTime Part ?," Wendy raises her arms to the sky and says
"When your story is written across the sky in thunder and skyfire!" (Elfquest Vol 2
issue #10, fifth page; and in the Reader's Collection
Book 8a: Dreamtime). (Full moons, smaller moon in front) By Wendy Pini.

- "DreamTime Part 11," Skywise hitches a ride on a star in his own dream tale
(Elfquest Vol 2, issue #18; and in the Reader's Collection
Book 8a: Dreamtime).
(Full moons, smaller moon in front) By Wendy Pini.
- Elfquest: The Rebels,
issue #1 front cover.
Can also be found in the back of
Reader's Collection
Book 13: The Rebels. (Full moons, smaller moon in front) By Delfin Barral and Terry Beatty.
- Elfquest: The Rebels,
issue #8 front cover.
Can also be found in the back of
Reader's Collection
Book 13: The Rebels. (Full moons, smaller moon in front) By Delfin Barral and
Charles Barnett III.
Change Log
- February 24, 2003 I found 6 additions: 2 in the "Little Patch"
story with Daughter Moon in front of Mother Moon, 3 in Hidden Years (2 in the "Inheritance"
story and 1 in the "Alpha and Omega" story) with
Mother Moon in front of Daughter Moon, and one "unallowable" on a cloisonne pin. My,
I've been a busy thing lately! :-) There are now a total of
19 smaller-in-front sightings, 6 larger-in-front sightings, and 8 unallowable.
- April 6, 2002 3 additions! How exciting to read the newly released
Reader's Collection
Book 8b: In All But Blood!!
It features a new instance with Daughter Moon in front of Mother Moon, which I have added to the
list. I also found another smaller-in-front instance that escaped me before, the death of Madcoil
painting. And, I finally filled all the gaps in my Blood of Ten Chiefs collection,
noticing an instance in BOTC #19. So, three new smaller-in-front sightings brings
the total to 17. This, by the way, invalidates the numbers cited in
A Question of Orbits, which should now cite 19 instances showing the
smaller moon in front (17 which show only the smaller in front, plus two showing each moon in
front by turns). I hereby announce that I am not going to update the article, only this list.
- January 5, 2002 Two new unallowable sightings brings the total to 7
unallowables. Cover art for Two-Spear #4 and Blood of Ten Chiefs #16
added to the list. Found by me!
- August 5, 2001 Initially posted with 25 instances: 14 showing the smaller
moon in front; 3 showing the larger moon in front; 1 ambiguous; 2 switches; and 5 unallowable.
Elfquest art copyright 2002 Warp Graphics, Inc. Elfquest, its logos,
characters, situations, all related indicia, and their distinctive
likenesses are trademarks of Warp Graphics, Inc. All rights reserved.
© 2001-2003
linda_tam@alumni.hmc.edu
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