EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION
I believe was six years old when I saw The Dark Crystal for the first time. (And yes, I am old enough to have seen it in the theater when it was released.) I can still remember how I felt watching it that very first time: I was terrified, but riveted.

Let’s face it. The world Jim Henson created for his first foray into fantasy was a very frightening one at times. The Skeksis were scary! The Garthim were scary! Heck, I even thought the Mystics were a little scary, with their hunched way of walking and bizarre chanting. (I was six! Cut me some slack!) However, scary as things got at times, I couldn’t look away, and when the movie was finally over and the credits rolled, the only thing I could think of was how much I wanted to see it again.

I’ve always been a huge Jim Henson fan, but I believe The Dark Crystal had a bigger impact on me than any of his other projects. Prior to its release, Henson was primarily known for The Muppet Show, but as much as I adored that show, it didn’t push the boundaries of what could be achieved with puppets the way The Dark Crystal did. Watch the film again. There’s not a single human character in it—they’re all puppets. Not that you’re aware of that while watching it. Jen, Kira, Aughra, Fizzgig, the Skeksis, the Mystic, the Podlings… They all seem as real as you or me.

When I learned that TOKYOPOP and The Jim Henson Company were discussing a new original manga series based on The Dark Crystal, I leapt at the opportunity to edit it. This was a film that had meant so much to me as a child, and the opportunity to add something to that world was one that I just couldn’t pass up. I wanted to see the characters and creatures of the film brought back to life, and I wanted to see it done in a way that would please my fellow fans, while hopefully bringing a few new ones into the fold.

I knew that the key to that was finding the right creative team. We’ve found it in writer Barbara Kesel, artist Heidi Arnhold and cover artist Jae-Hwan Kim. Barbara’s work in the fantasy genre assured me that she had the imagination necessary to write a story like this, and the experience to know that a good fantasy is driven first and foremost by its characters. As for Heidi, all I can say is that her work more than speaks for itself. Look at those beautiful interiors! (Credit should also be given to artist Max Kim, who got us off to a great start.) And, of course, Jae-Hwan has been blowing us all away with his work on Warcraft, King of Hell and War Angels. We knew our cover was going to be spectacular as soon as he signed on. With our team in place, Jim Henson’s Legends of The Dark Crystal was born. It’s a prequel series, so you have a lot more Gelflings in this one. Unfortunately, you have a lot more Skeksis as well.

I take pride in all the projects that I work on here at TOKYOPOP, but I have to say that Jim Henson’s Legends of The Dark Crystal is probably my favorite. It’s been such a labor of love for everyone involved, and best of all, this time I’ve made it through the experience without getting scared.

Well, maybe just a little.

~Tim Beedle, Editor

The Dark Crystal was conceived and directed by Jim Henson after his success with The Muppet Show. It was released in 1982, and has since gone on to become one of the most popular fantasy films in history, while also becoming an important component of Henson’s legacy.

The Dark Crystal told the story of Jen and Kira, the last of their kind living in a fractured world precariously balanced between the forces of good and evil. TOKYOPOP’s manga prequel takes place hundreds of years before the events of the film, when the gentle Gelflings and wise Mystics are still thriving.

And so, unfortunately, are the evil Skeksis...

Barbara Randall Kesel (writer)
Barbara Randall Kesel is the writer of many comic books including Meridian , a graphic novel chosen for the New York Public Library’s Books For the Teen Age list. An avid proponent of the comic book medium, she has written and edited comics, taught comics art classes and helped to create a mainstream gallery showing of comic art.


Heidi Arnhold (artist)
Heidi Arnhold grew up in Orange, VA where she powered the entire town via her bunny plantation.  When she's not knee-deep in Gelflings, she can often be found on the floor trying to communicate with rabbits. A recent graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design's prestigious sequential art program, you can find more of her work at http://chibimaryn.deviantart.com.


Max Kim (artist)
Max Kim fell in love with art and design while in college. After spending over two years at NYU as an anthropology major, he transferred to the School of Visual Arts in New York, where he graduated in 2004.

Lahr -- A Gelfling herder, Lahr is a peaceful young man content to watch over his herd of Mounders which he accompanies on his watch with his flute.

Neffi -- A tiny Gelfling with quick, tiny gestures, Neffi is a weaver. She’s quiet, but not shy, and is as complicated as Lahr is plain.

Garthim -- Giant crab-pillbug creatures with shiny chiten. The Skeksis’ enforcers from the movie. 

Skeksis – Evil, corrupt, frightening creatures who are in possession of The Dark Crystal. They use its power to perform twisted works of science and alchemy, fueled by the living essence of those around them. At one point, the Skeksis were one half of a balanced race, complemented by the good Mystics.

Mystics (Uru) – Gentle, wise, intelligent beings who live a humble existence philosophizing and living in harmony with nature. At one point, the Mystics were one half of a balanced race, complemented by the evil Skeksis.

SkekSo, the Emperor – Powerful and ruthless in his reign, the Skeksis Emperor is feared by those who are wise. Only a fool would think to call him a friend. He desires youth above all else, and has devised twisted ways of maintaining his.

SkekSil, the Chamberlain -- Manipulative and scheming, this powerful Skeksis is not to be trusted. He desires to be the next Emperor and doesn’t care whom he steps on to obtain the lofty position.

SkekLach, the Collector -- An obsessive hunter. He wants obsessively, and the contents of his chamber reveal all that has fallen into his twisted grasp.

UrSen, the Monk -- SkekLach’s Mystic counterpart, UrSen is austere, nearly devoid of ornament. Patient, deliberate and serene, he is free of the need for possessions or ambition, gently moving with the flow of the “now.”

Aughra -- The Stone Witch. It is not known where Aughra came from, what race she is of, or her exact age. What is known is that her age is measured in millennia (some believe her to be as old as the world itself), she is remarkably powerful, a brilliant researcher, and seems to align herself with the forces of good in the world. That said, her help is not to be depended on.

G-POP
About a month ago, I wrote an article about the 25th Anniversary Edition soundtrack of The Dark Crystal, a landmark movie from Jim Henson and Frank Oz. For those of you who don’t remember, this fantasy film hit the theaters in the early '80s and featured nothing but puppets in an epic tale.

In conjunction with the release of the 25th Anniversary Editions of The Dark Crystal DVD and soundtrack, TOKYOPOP has released an all new manga series based on the film. Jim Henson’s Legends of The Dark Crystal: The Garthim Wars: Volume I tells the tale of two young Gelfling survivors, who decide to take action and turn the tables on their attackers. When I received a copy of the first volume of this new manga series, just by looking at the amazing cover art by Jae-Hwan Kim, I knew I was in for a treat.

Lahr, a young Gelfling shepherd was out tending to his herd when Garthim, creatures sent by the evil Skeksis raid his village and destroy all he holds dear. They leave no bodies behind as the Skeksis have ordered that all Gelflings be brought to the Crystal Palace, their essence used to feed the Emperor. While sifting through the destruction, Lahr is attacked by a Garthim and as rage at the loss of his people overcomes him, Lahr does something that no Gelfling has ever done before. He fights back and eventually kills the Garthim.

Amazed at what he has just done, Lahr is determined to spread the word and warn others of the Garthim attacks. Along the way, he meets a Gelfling female, a tapestry weaver named Neffi. She, too, is the only survivor of an attack on her village. Together, they seek out neighboring villages to warn them of the attacks. They soon find a Gelfling community hidden deep in the mountain crevices. Can Lahr and Neffi convince a peaceable community of Gelflings to defy their ancient ways of living and wage war against their attackers?

Jim Henson’s Legends of The Dark Crystal: The Garthim Wars: Volume I surprised me. Even though I was intrigued by the idea of a Dark Crystal manga, I never expected to fall in love with the story. Barbara Randall Kesel’s writing took me back 25 years to the original movie. The artistry of Heidi Arnhold and Max Kim added to Kesel’s writing gave me the feeling of experiencing a deleted scene from the original movie.  I was so interested in the adventures of Lahr and Neffi that I was actually upset when I realized I had reached the last page! I wanted more. 

In addition to the main story spanning 6 chapters and 170 pages, readers are treated to a guest gallery in which several TOKYOPOP manga artists try their hands at various individuals in the Dark Crystal universe.

Priced at about $10.00US, Jim Henson’s Legends of The Dark Crystal: The Garthim Wars: Volume I is a veritable steal. This manga offshoot provides a new adventure with new characters to love all based within the scenery of an old favorite. As I stated earlier, it’s like watching deleted scenes from the original movie unfold before you and who doesn’t like to watch deleted scenes. The storyline is engaging, the art terrific - Jim Henson’s Legends of The Dark Crystal: The Garthim Wars is one manga series worth checking out!

~Melissa Minners, G-POP
http://www.g-pop.net/garthimwars.htm

IGN
Peanut butter just got mixed with chocolate. I'll own up to being skeptical of a proposed manga "prequel" to one of my favorite movies of the 1980s, if not all time. After all, in this era of remakes of all the things I loved from two decades back, there were certain properties I felt were untouchable, and certainly The Dark Crystal was among them. To say I had my doubts does no justice to the rantings and ravings an uninformed comic book geek can have. However, when I saw the name Barbara Randall Kesel attached to the project, I felt a little more secure. I loved Kesel's Crossgen work, almost as much as I love The Dark Crystal. Suddenly I had really high hopes. Hopes so high that I had to rein them in, lest the book fail to reach any lofty goal I set for it. It's with a happy heart and a hopeful eye toward volume two that I can say The Garthim Wars will be a welcome addition to any Dark Crystal fan's bookshelf.

Okay, a quick history lesson for those of you who don't have Netflix account and were born post-1985. There was once a guy named Jim Henson who created a neat little show featuring these puppets he created himself - called "Muppets". In the 80's, Henson used his puppetry expertise to create arguably two of the best fantasy movies of that era - The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth (which also has a manga featuring its main cast of characters). Bear in mind that during this time computer-based imagery as we know it today was in its relative infancy. Toy Story and Shrek weren't even concepts, so a movie featuring elaborate and intricate puppetry was truly something unique, and it's that uniqueness that has people still watching them today. They're both in my personal DVD collection. So if you're not sure what I'm talking about, rent the movie and see for yourself. While CGI allows some of the greatest artwork and effects we've seen in a long time, you'll be amazed at just how much soul is apparent in the movements and actions of Henson's Muppets.

For the rest of you, who grew up with this wonderful movie, read on…

The story takes place in a time before we knew of Jen and Kira, when Gelflings roamed free and had an uneasy truce with the evil Skeksis, at least until the Skeksis decide that Gelfling essence tastes really nice (in addition to its youth-restoring properties) and begin sending their Garthim out to harvest them. After shepherd Lahr's village is destroyed, and he comes across Neffi, a seamstress whose village suffered the same fate, the pair race to the next village to warn them of the coming Garthim hordes. Lahr's a bit of a curiosity among the other Gelflings, as he's actually figured out a way to kill the Garthim, a secret he's happy to share. Thus the peace-loving Gelflings find themselves faced with a terrible decision - continue to flee or stand and fight.

In any other writer's hands I might have had my doubts about how well this book could pull it off. Kesel makes it look effortless. Anyone who's seen the original movie will feel like they're back wearing parachute pants and ready to hit Chess King after they turn the final page. It's that close to the original. The part of me that doesn't want them to tamper with one of my favorite movies by creating an inferior sequel is at war with the part of me that would love to see it done if it can be done this well! Kesel even remembered to give the Skeksis Chamberlain his signature "hmmmmmm" inflection throughout the book. It's almost like you have Frank Oz looming over your shoulder, providing all the voices in your mind.

Kesel's writing is great, but it would be able to save this book without absolutely stunning artwork, and both Heidi Arnhold and Max Kim deliver. Gelflings look like Gelflings, and Arnhold and Kim are able to go Henson one step further and really deliver some solid emotional expressions to match Kesel's words. Why these two aren't getting more comic work is a crime, but I don't want them to get any more until they've put the final stroke down on this series. In addition to the great sequential work, there are about sixteen pages of amazing pin-up art from some of Tokyopop's finest, with sketches of Jen and Kira as well as a few of the Dark Crystal's newest stars, Lahr and Neffi.

The cynic in me wanted to believe this book would be horrible. There's no way a manga based on one of my favorite movies of all time, written by one of my favorite writers, could ever hope to live up to my expectations. And it didn't. It absolutely shattered them. We rarely hand out anything above a 9.5 here at IGN, and there's debate as to whether this book could truly be called a manga or not, but excellence is excellence, and this book has that in abundance. If you're a fan of the movie, don't hesitate to pick this up. If you have no idea what I've been rambling about for the past three to four paragraphs, get to your nearest Netflix or Best Buy and find out what you've been missing out on all these years.

~A. E. Sparrow, IGN
http://comics.ign.com/articles/833/833244p1.html