Shows in Need of a Reboot: Snarfquest

One thing right out of the gate: no, this was never a show. I've just had quite a bit of success with my previous blog Shows in Need of a Reboot: Ranma 1/2 that I'm less than compelled to mess with the formula.

In the mid 1980's (essentially the time period where nerd culture developed its autonomy) Dungeons and Dragons was experiencing the apex of its alternative-to-mainstream identity, complete with a Saturday morning cartoon; that's when you knew you'd made it. This was also a golden period for magazines. Movies were being released at a manageable enough pace for the satires of MAD to stay fresh. Will Shortz's creation GAMES was deconstructing common magazine facets in the name of puzzle solving. And at the heart and hub of every role player's connection to a perceived community of passionate clerics and paladins was Dragon.

Dragon magazine was D&D's expansion pack, fleshing out new monsters, character classes, fiction, even new approaches to playing the game. The artwork was magnificent and the adventures that were semi-regularly published rivaled many of the official modules of the time. And if you didn't connect with anything else in a particular issue, you could always rely on the final couple of pages to justify your continued subscription.

For three reasons. One, "Dragonmirth", a series of (usually) single paneled comics related to fantasy gaming; conceivably a precursor to The Far Side. Two, "Wormy", a better-than-it-ever-needed-to-be exploration of D&D's most famous members of the Monster Manual and what their private lives might consist of. "Wormy" was abruptly discontinued mid story arc(s) when artist David Trampier left TSR (the circumstances of which will likely remain a mystery) and went into seclusion until his death in 2014. Three (and this is what all this has been leading up to), "Snarfquest".

Larry Elmore is one of fantasy's most recognizable artists. If you've ever been to a gaming convention or browsed through D&D books at the bookstore, you've undoubtedly come across his work. And once you have a passing familiarity with Elmore's style you can naturally single his drawings out from a lineup. It's not that his work is deliberately distinctive, most fantasy artwork tends to conform to a certain visual vocabulary, but a Larry Elmore piece just has a certain beat to it that I'm sure someone smarter than me could explain. I don't know of any other artist who can capture that ~pause~; it's a moment where something life-changing has either just happened or is just about to, and the whole story is reflected in the central figure's expression and demeanor. Suffice to say, Elmore's artwork has graced many a cover of Dragon.

"Snarfquest" was a chance for Elmore to relax a little and presumably have a bit of fun. The serial ran for several years in the mid-eighties until Elmore admitted (in-universe no less) to simply not having the time or strength to continue it amidst the rest of his professional obligations. But I say "Snarfquest" is a real gem that deserves to be reworked into a (probably animated) series; maybe Bruce Timm's interested? Let me explain why.

The comic series

Snarf is a Zeetvah (Google it), with an anteater-like snout, bat-winged ears, and a personality kind of akin to Daffy Duck if he weren't corrupted by Hollywood. After the death of his village's king, it's decreed that any Zeetvah can lay claim to the throne, with the ruler selected based on how much treasure and/or heroic deeds he or she can acquire over the following year. So Snarf sets out on his titular quest and meets a colorful cast of characters based on, and pushing against, your typical fantasy quest tropes.

What works

It's a great premise for one thing. Treasure for the sake of it was an instant cliché whenever the first story of greed was written down, but treasure for a higher goal is engaging. Despite the fact that Snarf starts off a bit on the amoral side you can't help but root for him. He's inexperienced and prone to attracting challenges beyond his skillset, but you have to admire the 'I can't believe that actually worked' methods he uses to overcome them.

Larry Elmore's drawing style is wonderful. The characters are incredibly expressive, and many panels are laugh out loud funny with or without the dialogue included. "Snarfquest" has been favorably compared to Jeff Smith's "Bone"; and I totally get it, but I see a bit more Bill Watterson in it (or "Snarfquest" in "Calvin and Hobbes").

Also a lot of the characters draw you in. Pick a favorite: Prince Raffendorf (a one-eyed human turned into a giant rat), the evil time-jumping wizard Suthaze (whose introduction involves teleporting into his tower while riding a motorcycle), Willie (the dragon who believes he's a duck), Leech (the in-house voice of MST3K), or Aveeare (a stranded robot from the future who nearly usurps Snarf as the series protagonist). And then there's Telerie who I'll be saying more about shortly. For now just remember her name (no, I don't know which syllable is supposed to be emphasized). Even Dorque da Wanderer left a bit of a smile on my face.

What doesn't work

I obviously don't have access to Larry Elmore's brain, but based on the way the narrative plays out I imagine he was kind of making it up as he went. This gives the story a really nice unpredictable quality but it also leads to some inescapable rough spots. Side characters appear out of nowhere and are unceremoniously dropped. Certain obstacles that have a buildup are suddenly deemed irrelevant. And there's the fate of spaceship pilot Fred which never sat well with me.

The 'Snarf who would be king' arc wraps up in what could be considered Act One. Act Two involves Snarf and Telerie time traveling to Aveeare's period (the future) for significantly weaker motivations where they encounter a new cast of characters that don't really add up to much. In fact there was only one really memorable scene in Act Two that managed to uncover what the story was really about.

In other words, it's a good story overall, but the great characters and ideas of the first act are just begging to be better. They demand a finesse that Larry Elmore truly couldn't afford to give them the first time around. And not that I have any sway with anyone who could do anything about it, but Snarf and company are at least calling to me to open up a discussion about them.

What would I revise?

Two words. Telerie Windyarm; a surname ridiculous even by fantasy standards. Telerie is a competent warrior. When she first meets Snarf she's at the presumed end of her own offscreen adventure. I originally thought she had no backstory until I went and looked it up. It turns out she has a rich backstory that gets waved away in a few sentences (something about a stolen sword, her father, and a betrayal by Suthaze's more powerful but less interesting expy Whats-his-face the Grumpy).

Telerie quite accurately resembled a lot of the exercise models of the eighties, in build and hair. Funny looking Snarf was pretty easy for the average nerd (mostly presumed to be male) of the time period to see themselves reflected in. The relationship between these two characters is ultimately what Snarfquest is about, even if Elmore himself hadn't planned it that way.

So in the revision, Telerie needs to be front and center from the get go in her own fleshed out quest running concurrently with Snarf's. It would be through Telerie we would understand the structure of the world in which Snarfquest takes place, i.e. the hierarchy of races and classes, and how the fantasy 'rules' apply. Then through Snarf we see how difficult for someone on the low end of the totem pole to muddle through the world. Snarf is at his best when he's a step behind, while Telerie is usually a step ahead.

It was at the romantic angle between Snarf and Telerie where Elmore excelled, mainly because it wasn't simply a case of opposites attracting. Telerie believed in Snarf before he believed in himself, but his motivation to live up to the way she perceived him actually made him better. But Telerie's draw to Snarf was implied a lot more than explored, and it's here that the story deserves some intentional choices.

The fantasy world no doubt views Snarf as beneath Telerie's station, and even Telerie demonstrates a discomfort at saying the L-word, at least until Act two when she thinks he's been killed (arguably the best couple of panels in the whole series). Her initial pleasantness towards him is similar to that of a pageant contestant who is trained to exude congeniality combined with the way people react to hounds that are just so cute. But she also sees who he is when his back is to the wall, which may have an honesty that most people she deals with don't show. The changes in both of them are gradual, but in the end it's realized that the 'quest' of the title isn't about becoming king or reclaiming treasure but finding the life that matters to you.

Every character is judged based on believability. Good characters feel real. Great characters feel metaphorical. Snarf and Telerie are good characters with a potential for greatness when they're together. Elmore did a good job, especially considering he was making it up as he went. But the adventure just calls for a revision to help it achieve greatness. Keep the characters that work, even if only sporadically. Lose the ones that don't (B. B. Bird was a waste of space). And always keep the characters driving the story.