So You Want To Make Your Own Elfquest Fan Web Site?

We often get asked "How do I start up my own Holt?" or "I'd like to put up an Elfquest website, what do I need to know?" or "Can I use some Elfquest art on the site I'm thinking of building?"

At the risk of making things sound too easy... It's really very easy! There are not a whole lot of rules and regulations, and most of those have to do with the use of Elfquest art or character names or story concepts on your site. With respect to setting up a holt or online fan club chapter, we prefer to let you set things up according to the spirit of Elfquest itself.

Still, it's nice to have some guidelines, especially if you're brand-new to the idea of creating and running a mini-organization (and over the years, some holts have grown to be not-so-mini at all). So, as part of - and in addition to - the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) list below, we've included two booklets that you can download for free. See the first question for more information.

The following questions and answers are intended as a guide. If you run across a truly thorny problem and need help, send an email to EQ Fan Club Central (put "Fan Club Question" as the subject line) and we'll do our best to help out.

Onward!

• Q. I would like to use Elfquest art on my web site. May I?

• Q. As a follow-up to that, I would like to use someone else's Elfquest fan art on my site. May I?

• Q. I would like to make an Elfquest desktop (wallpaper, avatar, MP3 player skin, etc.). May I?

• Q. OK, you mentioned a couple of Elfquest Fan Club and holt guidebooks, how can I get a copy?

• Q. I already have (or am part of) a holt, and I'm having some trouble with one of the holt members. What do I do?

• Q. Our holt would like to put together and publish a holtzine. May we?

• Q. How do you feel about real-life holt meetings or get-togethers or retreats?

Q. I would like to use Elfquest art on my web site. May I?

The short answer is "Yes, if you go by the rules."

Here are the rules (and please feel free to forward this reply, unchanged and entire, to anyone else who might want or need to know this information):

1) Almost any (exceptions below) official or published Elfquest image may be used on your web site as long as it is not modified inappropriately. You may scan from books, comics, or your own fan art. You may not download images from Elfquest.com to use on your web site, nor may you put a "live link" in your site to art on Elfquest.com.

2) Wholesale use of images and/or text from books, comics, portfolios, calendars, or the Elfquest.com web site, is not allowed. This means, for example, while you may use one or two images from a given calendar or portfolio as an illustration, you may not post the entire calendar or portfolio.

(The reason for this rule is simple: Elfquest.com is intended to be the only official archival gallery of Elfquest images on the web. Any other site attempting the same function runs the risk of being seen as a free site from which others can download images, and that we cannot allow. Besides, your site should be a showcase for your art, not already-published material.)

Also, images created specifically for Elfquest.com (such as the home page, the logos and titles for the various sections, things like that) may not be used elsewhere.

3) The Warp wolf logo must not be used anywhere except on Elfquest.com (or on sites licensed by Warp). It is a registered trademark of Warp Graphics. In essence, it's our company identity. As much as people would like to use it as a link icon, we have to be very careful about letting it be used outside of Elfquest.com. Please don't ask for special permission; it appears that this logo has found its way into various free clip-art sites and it takes a crippling amount of time simply trying to track these unauthorized uses down.

(We get a lot of requests to use the Warp wolf logo as a link button to Elfquest.com, and even then we must say no. However, we have available some official link banner image files that are OK to use, and that incorporate the logo in an approved way. Simply go to our link banners page.)

4) If you use any sort of "Elfquest" logo on your site, please be sure to put a little "TM" right next to it so there's no question that it's a trademark.

5) The following words, as written, must appear somewhere on your site, preferably on the home page or Elfquest introduction page. I know a lot of people do have some sort of copyright notice on their sites but this is the standard version that we require:

"Elfquest art copyright 2006 Warp Graphics, Inc. Elfquest, its logos, characters, situations, all related indicia, and their distinctive likenesses are trademarks of Warp Graphics, Inc. All rights reserved."

If you follow these guidelines, you don't need to write in and ask permission. As the shoe advertisement says, Just Do It. And then, of course, let us know the URL of your site so we can visit, and post the link to Elfquest.com's fan links page!

Q. As a follow-up to that, I would like to use someone else's Elfquest fan art on my site. May I?

For these sorts of situations, you need to do two things.

1) If the art was created by someone else, you need to get permission from that person to use their art on your site, and you need also to credit that person on your site. It would also be nice to put a link to that person's site on your site.

2) You need also to have the Elfquest copyright legal disclaimer (given above) on your site.

Q. I would like to make an Elfquest desktop (wallpaper, avatar, MP3 player skin, etc.). May I?

If you're making one or more of these things for your own use, on your own computer only, then the answer is "yes."

If you want to make any of these things to put up on your web site for others to download, or if you want to pass any of them along to others however you transmit them, then the answer is "Yes, if you go by the rules" as given above. Any fan Elfquest material you make available for others must not be sold or traded, and must show the Warp Graphics legal disclaimer in some manner.

Q. OK, you mentioned a couple of Elfquest Fan Club and holt guidebooks, how can I get a copy?

Before you start, these booklets are available as a PDF (Portable Document Format) files and also as Microsoft Word documents. You need a PDF application to read PDF files but this is available as a free download from Adobe Acrobat.

First, we have a handbook for the Elfquest Fan Club. This used to be something that we sent out with paid memberships, but we decided that it would be far more fun and effective simply to make the information available to everyone who can use it.

You can download the fan club handbook in PDF format or in Word format.

Next, we have a wonderfully thorough guide to setting up your own holt courtesy of Cindy England, who manages Rushwater Holt.

You can download the holt guide in PDF format or in Word format.

You may print these out for your own use, but you may not upload them to your own site or any other site, or otherwise retransmit them. If someone you know wants a copy, please direct them to this page. Thanks!

Q. I already have (or am part of) a holt, and I'm having some trouble with one of the holt members. What do I do?

The same thing that you would do if this were a dispute or other problem in the world outside of Elfquest - you'd deal with it in the best possible way. Wouldn't you?

Over the years, we've found that most fan club arguments arise over muddled or incomplete communication between or among the members of the group. A holt is just like a tribe, whether you meet in real life or online, and a tribe is just like an extended family. Families fly or crash according to the quality of the communication among its members, so if you're involved in a holt fracas, talk it out! Don't let it stew, and please don't ask us to moderate the argument or to take sides.

One of the best moments in the very well-done X-MEN movie from 2000 is the scene where, just before the team must find the runaway Rogue, Professor X turns to the feuding Cyclops and Wolverine and - in that wonderful steely Patrick Stewart voice - commands them to "Settle this!" He needs say no more, trusting both Scott and Logan to rise above their own angers for the good of the team.

Got an inter-holt conflict? Settle it.

Q. Our holt would like to put together and publish a holtzine. May we?

Same answer, pretty much, as for using Elfquest art on your site. We encourage your creativity, yet at the same time we also need to make sure Elfquest is protected.

So, simply follow the rules given above for the use of Elfquest art - just extend them to both art and writing in your holt magazine instead of to a web site.

Q. How do you feel about real-life holt meetings or get-togethers or retreats?

We love the idea! Over the years, we've heard about, and been sent photos of, many such events. We feel honored that you want to take (and have taken) Elfquest so much to heart that you would set up a campsite or part or castle (yes, it's happened!) and "hunt, howl and live free" for a little while.

In fact, if we receive good photos of such outings, we'll post them in a "holt album" right here!