The Eltingville Club

by Evan Dorkin

Take-no-prisoners trivia-offs. Pill-fueled Twilight Zone marathons. Fan interventions. Here is the ultimate word on the fugly side of fandom, collecting every Eltingville story from the Dork, House of Fun, and The Eltingville Club #1-2, comics three of which won the Eisner Award for Best Short Story. Also features the Northwest Comix Collective alt-comics smackdown and an afterword about the 2002 Adult Swim animated pilot. Definitive, complete and unashamed, this is fandom at it's fan-dumbest, in the mighty Eltingville manner!

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Humor, Graphic Novels Comics, Comedy, Satire

144 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 23, 2016

About the author

Evan Dorkin is an American comics artist and writer.

Reviews

[Alex Sarll]

I've only ever seen a minute or so of The Big Bang Theory at a time, and even that was unbearable. Mainly I hate the geeksploitation - mockery from the outside, for the benefit of the self-declared normal. The second, and in some ways opposite, reason is that being witless network pap, it can never show the true horror of geek culture at its worst. If you want to see this shit eviscerated from the inside, by someone who knows that 'too far' is where you start, pay a little visit to Eltingville. These are the misadventures of four ghastly specimens representing different aspects of the worst fandom can offer. Judgmental, cowardly, misogynistic, greedy, going to see films they know will suck out of a sense of obligation [seriously, everyone please stop doing this, or the studios will never learn]...they also serve as a potted history of the last couple of decades in comics, SF &c. Remember the first variant cover boom (because publishers clearly don't remember what followed)? Remember a time when the Sci-Fi Channel was something fans would get excited about (and still spelled Sci-Fi)? Dorkin admits in an afterword that much of what's immortalised and exaggerated here is based on first-hand experience, and to some extent there's a little of these bickering pricks in all of us. But dear heavens, keep a careful watch to make sure it's only a little. Hint: if you slagged off the new Ghostbusters trailer online yesterday, there's probably too much (Eltingville's Peter DiNunzio, after a particularly horrible rant from Bill: "Wow. I mean, I'm someone who thinks women ain't much more than receptacles an' even I'm offended by that shit.").

Oh, and just in case anyone starts to think that the fans of respectable, highbrow alternative comics (aka 'boring black and white autobiographical indie shit') are any better, there's a bonus pisstake of the Northwest Comix Collective in the back. Because in Dorkin's world, everyone is guilty.

[Stewart Tame · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been a fan of Evan Dorkin's work for a long time, so I was ecstatic to find this collection of The Eltingville Club stories. Approximately half of this book was new to me--I stopped buying regular comics years ago, so I wasn't aware that the Club had appeared in any new adventures since the glory days of Dork and Instant Piano. The club members embody the worst aspects of fandom, the insular boys club atmosphere, the unhealthy obsessions, the complete lack of scruples in the interest of acquisition. But the stories are so much fun to read. Dorkin loves fandom and all the minute details therein. We see ourselves in the Eltingville Club, but as a worst case scenario, hundreds of times more awful than we would ever behave. Dorkin claims that he's done writing these stories, and there's a certain feeling of finality to this book. But it's not like he's dead or anything, so who knows? As things currently stand, the only way this book could be more complete would be if it included a DVD of the pilot episode for Welcome to Eltingville ...

[yosann · Rating 4 out of 5]

what a peculiar read!

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd heard phrases like "mean-spirited" used when describing this book, but when you read dorkin's explanation at the end it does put it all in context. And if you think of dorkin's other work like milk and cheese and how raw and intense it can be, the eltingville boys' antics don't seem that outrageous in comparison. Plus, any geek worth his weight in salt will recognize that only a fellow geek can write so incredibly accurately about other geeks and that makes it hard to read the trade as an outright indictment of the subculture. My favorite story is when the two former nerds try to cure one of the boys and end up going back to their own geek ways. I also enjoyed the pop culture references from the nineties, being old enough myself to remember being excited about the same things.

[Artur Coelho · Rating 4 out of 5]

Evan Dorkin é mais conhecido pela interessante série Beasts of Burden, onde um simpático bando de animais guarda a humanidade de ameaças ocultas. Como fã e criador, criou este Eltingville Club como uma sátira amarga ao pior do fandom das culturas de género. Uma crítica corrosiva, que se foca no nível pessoal, mas por detrás critica também toda a estrutura comercial que possibilita e incentiva estes comportamentos.

Quem pertence a algum fandom já se deparou com isto. A maior parte dos fãs entende o seu gosto como algo que os define, mas não tudo o que os define. Apreciam a estética, os enredos, as iconografias, e as infindas discussões à volta destes temas. Mas há alguns que levam estas questões de forma obsessiva. Que se assanham sempre que algum criador se desvia daquilo que entendem ser o sacrossanto cânone de um personagem, que se comprazem em crítica agressiva e no ácido afastamento daqueles que veem como fãs menores. Os que se babam perante as cosplayers (ou mais que isso, de tal forma que as convenções começam a sancionar aqueles que não respeitam limites), enquanto vituperam contra algum argumentista ou desenhador, e apontam a ignorância dos outros face ao profundo conhecimento de trivialidades de que só eles partilham. Fãs extremos, que caem no trollismo, insultam aqueles que não lhes agradam, e colecionam agressivamente tudo o que lhes desperta a atenção. São geralmente demasiado ativos nas comunidades online e são responsáveis por criar ambientes tóxicos no fandom (o português também tem as suas "personalidades", embora felizmente me tenha cruzado com muito poucas).

The Eltingville Club critica essa atitude destrutiva, através de quatro personagens amorais, unidos por uma suposta amizade forjada no gosto pela FC e outros géneros, mas que na verdade nem entre eles se dão bem. São o pior do fandom, narcisistas, violentos nas palavras e atitudes. Essencialmente, idiotas chapados. E o pior é que ao ler este óbvio exagero, não é difícil reparar que já todos lemos (ou pior, nos cruzámos) com pessoas destas online. Recordo a vez no Fórum Fantástico em que assinalei um livro de uma autora que foi leitura interessante, e me foi apontado que sob pseudónimo, essa escritora tinha sido recentemente desmascarada como uma das piores trolls do campo da FC, conhecida por perseguir outros escritores (até um dos nossos teve de a aturar). Há algo de profundamente errando numa personalidade quando aquilo que nos empolga e aquece o sangue numa discussão, em vez de nos fazer sorrir nos leva a fazer ameaças de morte. É esta atitude que Dorkin caricatura, porque a encontrou. E, por detrás, há toda a indústria que lucra a vender tralha, que se aproveita e espreme ao máximo os gostos do fandom, e que francamente precisa de fãs agressivos para manter oleada a máquina de vendas.

[finn flann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Somehow, Dorkin delivers both a love letter and a pipe-bomb to fandom. Peak.

[Kevin Duvall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dorkin doesn’t hold back in skewering the worst corners of fandom—a population that certainly deserves skewering. The result, though, is that the characters are extremely unlikable and have pretty much no redeeming qualities. It’s a clever and well made book, but I didn’t really enjoy reading it that much.

[charlie! ☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

josh levy i want you

[fonz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tomo que reúne todo lo publicado del Elltingville Club, esa sátira de los fans más pesaos de los tebeos, el rol, los videojuegos, el terror, la fantasía y la ciencia ficción (un fenómeno muy usamericano pero que aquí en Europa hemos acabado por reproducir pero quizá con menos intensidad). La primera parte se desarrolla a mediados de los noventa, es divertida, tiene muy mala leche y clava a ese fandom que, en vez de divertirse con su afición favorita, se convierten en una especie de secta consumista, vacua, malhumorada e insufrible.

La segunda parte enlaza este panorama con el de la actualidad a través la ComicCon de San Diego donde los personajes se reencuentran tras varios años de separación por culpa de un incidente en la tienda de tebeos local. Siguen atrapados en esa cultura nerd a distintos niveles, desde el personaje más positivo que se ha forrado con las cartas del Magic hasta el amargado y fracasado que sigue encerrado en el sótano de su madre obsesionado con lo único que tiene en la vida, su afición, pasando por los que ocupan trabajos basura relacionados de una u otra manera con los tebeos o el cine fantástico. La conclusión de Dorkin es que el estado de las cosas en la cultura nerd han empeorado más de lo que él pensaba en los noventa y que más vale alejarse completamente de ella. Incluso, apostillaría yo, no estaría de más implantar algún tipo de cinturón sanitario o ya directamente fulminarlos con un bombardeo nuclear táctico, porque la omnipresencia de esta cultura nerd en la cultura popular empieza a resultar agobiante. Es decir, ver en la tele un documental en la 2 sobre superhéroes, lo relevantes que son para la cultura y la sociedad del siglo XXI, que si los superhéroes y el 11-S, que si los superhéroes y la crisis, que si los superhéroes y las ingles y miles de chorradas más para "elevar" lo que hasta hace nada era morralla popular por el único hecho de que ahora genera toneladas de pasta, me hacen echar de menos los años en que yo (y mi padre) éramos las únicas personas que conocía que leían tebeos.

Ah, y la historieta a modo de epílogo riéndose de los fans de los tebeos "alternativos" es buenísima también.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised to learn that this was written over a number of years and that it was not a fully-baked storyline planned from the beginning. Although each entry reads like a one-off, the entire run feels very complete. It took me a little while to realize what Dorkin was doing. When I initially thought this was in the genre of "a love letter to fans" poking fun in a light-hearted way, I was a little disturbed. When I realized that this was Dorkin's response to the absolute worst in fandom and, in a sense, society in general, it made a lot more sense. There's a lot of truth about how we treat one another that extends beyond the comic book world in these pages.

[Ruz El · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evan Dorkin will always be remembered for MILK & CHEESE, and he should be since they are great and his M&C strips are great as well. This though, this might be his true masterpiece. A scathing look at pop culture fandom, lays bare the absolute worst aspects that no fan wants to admit. I've seen these guys in comic shops and movie theater lines. I take comfort in knowing I was never this bad, I hope!

This book collects the entire series that ran all over the place. It's gorgeous. It's hilarious. It's a little uncomfortable. It's a must own if you are a pop culture fan.

[B · Rating 4 out of 5]

This often feels like a bit of a cruel trick on the reader because the reader wants to identify with one or more of the main characters. But they're never morally justified. They're always evil.

So it is only a fun read in very small portions.

(This is like every part of T. Campbell's Fans in reverse, right?)

It took some guts but I think it's a strong statement. The explanation in the back of the book felt a little unnecessary. I'm not sure how much this prefigures Gamergate. Some? But it definitely speaks to an unwillingness to grow.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

This group of guys are a car crash in real time. I hate the characters and can't really see reading more of them in a single sitting. That said, I didn't hate the work itself just the behavior displayed. I liked the little details put into the drawings as well as the load of questions in the Boba Fett story.

[Comics Alternative · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://comicsalternative.com/episode-...

[Gray C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still currently reading ( I still have about 20 pages to go) but as far as I am concerned, this is one of the best graphic novels I have personally read.

I don't want to give it too much praise (because it DOES have it's problems, as does any book) but I really do like this! It's relatable in the whole nerd-culture sense, but it also is a very well done critique about fandom culture and the people in it. I again, have in the nerdy scene for a while and I have seen all of these characters in this book times 100, so this is not just a critique on the absurd. I'm glad Dorkin can also see the absolute nonsense people that infect and take up fandoms.

But, enough about that, more on the actual book itself.

The characters are a very good mix of really entertaining and (SOMETIMES, ONCE IN A BLUE MOON EVEN) relatable and familiar. All of them suck, all of them are the absolute worst, and frankly, if they got hit by a car, I would not care, but they're funny. The dialogue sounds like actual teenagers talking to each other, there are very few times it doesn't sound like the cringe-awful joy sucking miserable banter that teenagers actually partake in. The actions of the characters? I will admit, a bit absurd at points, but I do understand you have to sacrifice realism for comedy at points. It works well for the story it is trying to tell. The actions of the characters do disgust me at points, and makes it a hard read (I had to put down the book a couple times and re-evaluate why they would do such things in such a casual way, and then realize that these are based off real types of people, and that the world is already messed up IRL), but it was a fine read for it's intended age group.

It was nearly-perfectly paced in my opinion, though the ending a bit fast. The art is amazing and it really drives home the "dark, grotesque" vibe the book was heading for. The panels are a bit hard to make out at points due to the thick, dark lines and overly detailed backgrounds and people, but it's not impossible to read. The character designs were on-point, even as "bland" as they are.

Bottom line, the characters in this book would hate me, so I think I am the target audience. Not a perfect book by any means, but I really enjoyed reading it, even if some points were hard to swallow. My favorite is Pete even though he absolutely needs to get hit by a bus.

4.5 stars

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I watched the Eltingville Club TV pilot on YouTube a loooong time ago. Then, recently I rewatched it and thought ‘maybe I should read the comics too’ since I wanted more content.

And well. All of the Eltingville Club members are terrible. Except maybe Jerry? But still, they are the worst of the worst when it comes to fans and fandoms. I read the afterword by Evan Dorkin, the author, about his experience and commentary on fandom culture. Unfortunately, it’s still toxic.

Is it better than it was? Sure. But I’ve seen nasty arguments online about comic book characters and graphic novel art being “pedestrian” (then you go to this guy’s DeviantArt page and…yeah, it’s not great either). Fandom has changed; it’s more diverse. But fandom will always be unhinged too.

Anyways, getting off of my soap box. I think this should be required reading for, well, literally every big fan of literally anything. Its commentary is so blunt that you simply can’t NOT understand what Eltingville Club is saying about fandom culture. Dorkin’s art is so detailed, you’d need a magnifying glass to see every little thing. But I think that adds to the can’t-look-away aspect of it all.

[Lewis Szymanski · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a look at the darker aspects of fandom. The insular boys club atmosphere, the unhealthy obsessions, the lack of scruples in the interest of acquisition, the gatekeeping.

It’s the story of four teenage boys who form a club to share all the pop culture they’re into. Instead of sharing their joy, it all turns dark for them. The four unlikable boys are judgmental, cowardly, misogynistic, and greedy.

Dorkin's response to the absolute worst in fandom requires a high tolerance for nearly constant arguing and insults. He shines a spotlight on behavior that has only gotten worse since social media became part of the fan experience.

This book collects the entire series that ran all over the place. It's gorgeous. It's hilarious. It's a little uncomfortable. A dark comic masterpiece.

[Gustavo · Rating 4 out of 5]

El comic mas deprimente de todos los tiempos. Una obra que busca extirpar hasta la ultima gota de humanidad que pueda tener un geek para dejarlo simplemente como una escoria, alguien que vendería a su madre por una ficha rara de Star Wars o dejaría toda su vida por destruirle la otra a alguien en una trivia sobre doctor who.

Evan Dorkin mostró el lado mas oscuro de ser un fanático, mostró lo que pasaría si le das un hobbit a un completo sociopata que lo trasformara en toda su existencia. No es una obra para reír, este es un mensaje de ayuda que se perdió en el tiempo... ¿QUIEN RAYOS LE DICE PATRULLA X A LOS XMEN?

[Celluloid Doll · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always feel like comics have some greater leeway when it comes to mean spiritedness both in regards to narrative and character. Maybe it's the mixture of subjectivity and layers of removal that causes you to empathise with some of the worst characters you've ever met. You get a real feeling throughout the book that these characters unexamined neuroses will simply make them worse people until they die, and it simply happens. No appiphany or apotheosis just teenagers living their sad miserable lives. I do think the Northwest comix collective segment is a little weaker than the rest, in our meek inherited world that kind of satire of psuedo-intellectuals has sorted lost its target.

[milo ★ · Rating 5 out of 5]

really good exploration of fandom culture from the 2000s to today. the boys are such good depictions of the classic dudebros you see today,. its really easy to laugh at this comic(which dont get me wrong you should totally do, its funny as shit) but its also tragic seeing all the warning signs in each of them which lead up to the climax of the story.
i think everything about this is great. i think the length is great. i think the character exploration is great. mr dorkin really ate with this one

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding work as always. All the great early stuff is still awesome. I really enjoyed the final chapter of the club even if I am embarrassed that it took me two years after publication to finally read it. I still consider myself very lucky to have gotten a signed Milk & Cheese piece of art from Evan himself at one of his last SDCC appearances.

If you like irreverent humor then you will love this book, it really spears the annoying side of geek culture right in the balls.

[Jared · Rating 4 out of 5]

This comic is dense. It’s filled with words and pictures a lot more than your average comic. There is a lot to see and read here. It’s the story of four teenage boys who form a club to share all the pop culture stuff they’re into. Except instead of sharing their joy it all turns dark on them. Darkly humorous that is. It’s a crazy look at crazy fans. I ended up reading it as if it was a comic strip. A few pages a day. That way I got to really look at it and appreciate all the work put into.

[Percy Rivera · Rating 5 out of 5]

i like this it makes me giggle. probably one of my favorite reads ever both because it’s entertaining and i really like that it’s kind of a commentary on toxic fandom spaces and such. those motherfuckers get crazy. and i can say that cause im part of many fandoms 😁 overall very cool i think… i also like that dorkin didn’t try to make us feel bad for any of them besides jerry cause these aren’t people you feel bad for. autistic teenage boys are destructive as hell!!

[Monica Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Painful this whole read is fucking painful. Apart from the time span everyone I know with encounters with "fandom" has been some awful form of this myself included. Feels like a slap in the face to your former self all the way down lol.

[Carol☕️✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Después de quedar decepcionada por saber que quizá nunca vea una adaptación animada o una serie de este montón de tontos me di un tiempo para leer los cómics y wow
Voy a imprimir todos los paneles donde le parten su mandarina en gajos a Bill y los colgaré en mi pared para verlos cada mañana

[EgoOrb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have known these people and I have been these people. It is a dark comedy mirror of what it means to be an obsessed loser.

[David Matheny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even tho l have seen the show pilot a couple of times on utube. It's kind of a bummer deal adult swim never ran with the show. This book is top notch and the ending didn't disappoint.

[B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know this is commentary on this kind of culture but I could still do with less fat slurs and less homophobic rants. Using “fat” as an insult was on almost every page. I get it.

[JuaniniGalleta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hermoso, sublime los personajes estan excelentemente bien hechos, gran comic

[Brysen Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hilarious and often times unsettling and scathing critique of the most toxic side of fandom. Really wish the pilot episode had taken off.