𝚎𝚕 𝚌𝚕𝚞𝚋 𝕖𝕝𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕧𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕖

Themes, motivations, and tone

The tone of the work is satirical, critical of obsessive fandom: the accumulation of objects, the authority/self-proclamation of "expert", intolerance towards other fans ("gatekeeping"), rivalry between fans.

Each character represents a different fan profile (comics, science fiction, horror, fantasy/role-playing) and toxic dynamics intertwine.

The stories show negative consequences: broken friendships, obsessions that destroy relationships, violence among them, lack of control

year: the 1990s

The comic book store: Joe's Fantasy World (located in Eltingville, Staten Island). It's a frequent meeting place, a scene of conflict, and women aren't allowed there... Or rather, women who do enter the store end up being harassed by the customers.

The basement or room in the house of Bill or another member, where the club meets to play games, debate, collect, etc.

Conventions, fan fairs, cosplay events and “nerd culture” serve as a backdrop for stories of consumerism, rivalry, and obsession.

Eltingville neighborhood, Staten Island: a suburban setting in New York, which contextualizes the characters within the fandom of the 90s-2000s in the USA.

Other important figures

Joe Gargagliano: owner of the comic book store “Joe's Fantasy World”. In one of the stories, Bill works there, and disaster strikes.

Ward Willoughby: recurring character in the animated pilot, the object of ridicule by the club

2.4. Jerome Titus "Jerry" Stokes Jr. (Jerry)

Age: ~17 years old in the classic phase.

Appearance: Blonde or light-haired, thin, tall ("languid"), often wears a green striped sweater and jeans in many panels. Eyes sometimes drawn as "slits" or half-closed, has acne.

Position: Secretary of Fantasy and Role-Playing Games. He is also the Dungeon Master (DM) for the group's games.

Interests: Tabletop role-playing games (e.g., Dungeons & Dragons), fantasy (“Dragons”, “He-Man”, “Final Fantasy”), manga/anime occasionally.

Personality: Jerry Stokes is the quietest of the group.
It's private.
He speaks less than the others.
He really likes science fiction and role-playing games.
She usually tries to stay calm when Bill and Josh start another fight.
He's quite intelligent.
He usually seems the most "normal" of the group.
That doesn't mean he's a good person all the time. When someone criticizes things he likes, Jerry can also become elitist and join in the arguments... Or rather, he goes along with his group just so he's not alone. He just takes longer to explode than others.

23. Peter "Pete" Michael DiNunzio (Pete)

Age: ~17 years old in the classic comics.

Appearance: Black hair (usually shaved or "buzz-cut"), prominent forehead, unibrow/strong eyebrow, acne, backwards baseball cap, shorter than the others in the club, has acne.

Position: Horror Secretary of the club.

Interests: Horror movies, gore, practical effects, zombies, horror collecting, monsters, etc.

Personality: Pete DiNunzio is the horror fanatic.
He loves horror, gore, and everything macabre.
He speaks very vulgarly.
He has a dark sense of humor.
He's exaggerated in absolutely everything.
He has extremely strong opinions about horror movies, comics, and books.
When something related to horror comes up in conversation, he can talk about it for hours.
Although he appears visually the most aggressive, he's often just lost in his own world of monsters and gory movies. Even so, he shares the same elitist attitude as the rest of the group.

2.2. Joshua "Josh" Aaron Levy (Josh)

Age: ~17 years old in the classic phase.

Appearance: Dark brown hair, square-framed glasses, overweight, visible acne. Some descriptions mention a ponytail or updo; she has acne.

Position: Science Fiction Secretary of the club.

Interests: Science fiction (e.g., Star Wars, Star Trek, Kaiju, "The X-Files", etc.). Collecting science fiction figures, series, and films.

Personality: Josh Levy is probably the most impulsive.
He is very emotional.
He gets carried away by anger right away.
He's always competing with Bill to see who knows more.
He has a rather acidic sense of humor.
He is proud and rarely admits he was wrong.
Although he is not as authoritarian as Bill, he can also be quite toxic.
He is very reactive: if he is insulted, he responds with twice the intensity.
Unlike Bill, Josh tends to act more on impulse than planning. He often starts arguments simply because he can't stand being contradicted.

2.1. William Alan Dickey (Bill)

Approximate age: ~17 years old in classic comics.

Appearance: Light brown hair, wears glasses, visible acne, comic book fan clothing (graphic tees, superhero tees, orange flannel over t-shirt, jeans or cargo), has acne.

Position in the club: President of The Eltingville Club, Secretary of Comics.

Main interests: comics (especially “complete” editions, signed editions, variants), superheroes (“The X-Men”, “Batman”, etc.) and obsessive collecting.

Personality: Bill Dickey is the de facto leader of the group. He is, by far, the most domineering and unpleasant.
He thinks he's always right.
He is extremely competitive and needs to win every argument.
He has a morbid obsession with proving that he knows more than others.
If someone enjoys something in a different way, Bill feels the need to tell them they are "wrong".
He is manipulative, selfish, and quite cruel, even to his own friends.
He has very little empathy; he often prioritizes a comic, a figure, or an argument over people.
He gets angry easily and can go from arguing to shouting or even physically fighting.
He is obsessed with collecting and with everything being "perfect".
Deep down, Bill is very insecure. All that arrogance is a way of feeling superior because he doesn't know how to relate to people in a healthy way.

General context of the club

The Eltingville Club is a group of four teenagers who live in the Eltingville neighborhood of Staten Island (New York).

The original comic was titled The Eltingville Club (or occasionally “Eltingville”) written/illustrated by Evan Dorkin.

There was also an animated pilot episode: Welcome to Eltingville (2002) based on that series.

Thematically, the work is a satire of fandom: collecting, obsession, hostility between extreme “fans”, ego, geek culture of the 90s/2000s.

The most frequent settings include Bill's house, the basement where the club meets, the neighborhood comic book store (Joe's Fantasy World), conventions.