• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

What ever happened to the Letter Page in comics

Started by WEBHEAD,

24 posts in this topic

WEBHEAD

WEBHEAD

Posted
Posted

One of my favorite parts of the Silver Age books was the letter's page. Fans could debate the storylines, debate themselves, and stir up interest in the books developement. Some future comic greats graced many a Marvel Letter's Page long before they got into the field. I realiazed that it's all but disappeared and I don't know when or why. .... what's up??? confused.gif

 

 

WEBHEAD

blutobc

blutobc

Posted
Posted

It is also fun to look for letters from prefamous comic folks. In general they gushed like the average fanboy.

joe_collector

joe_collector

Posted
Posted
In general they gushed like the average fanboy.

 

And that differs from the way they write comics in what way.... ? grin.gif

seank

seank

Posted
Posted

The Internet killed the letter page. Tragic, but true. Reading those old letter pages is always fun. I have a Frontline Combat where the letter writers point out historical inaccuracies to the EC staff. You don't see that much today.

drbanner

drbanner

Posted
Posted

It would be cool to post some letters sent to the publishers from young, aspiring comic artists/creators prior to them "making it". I believe I have an old Charlton (DC?) with a Jim Shooter letter I'll try to dig up, anyone else?

 

 

Zonker

Zonker

Posted
Posted

Every now and then I have come across those. Mike Barr, Bob Rozakis, Dave Cockrum come to mind.

 

A somewhat-related topic is occasionally you would see a big-name pro send a letter in. I can remember a couple of instances when a letter was printed from Harlan Ellison-- once in praise of the Wein & Wrightson Swamp Thing, and once regarding Jack Kirby's Forever People (that letter also mentioned Ellison liked Bat Lash, Enemy Ace and Deadman).

 

I'll see if I can scan those in this weekend.

jonnydouble

jonnydouble

Posted
Posted
It would be cool to post some letters sent to the publishers from young, aspiring comic artists/creators prior to them "making it". I believe I have an old Charlton (DC?) with a Jim Shooter letter I'll try to dig up, anyone else?

 

 

I can't recall anyone famous,...but I do remember one guy who had his letter printed in just about every DC comic in the late 60's and early 70's,...anyone remember Joe Peluso from Brooklyn NY?....the guy was such an [!@#%^&^].

 

J.D.

joe_collector

joe_collector

Posted
Posted
It would be cool to post some letters sent to the publishers from young, aspiring comic artists/creators prior to them "making it". I believe I have an old Charlton (DC?) with a Jim Shooter letter I'll try to dig up, anyone else?

 

The ones I've seen from perusing old letter's pages:

 

Dave Cockrum, Roy Thomas, Ralph Macchio, Todd McFarlane, Chris Claremont (not long before he started at Marvel), and quite a few others that escape me.

davidpg

davidpg

Posted
Posted

Funny, as I was about to start a thread on that very subject.

 

I just found Kurt Busiek in Daredevil #145, Tony Isabella in the S.A. Sub Mariner #7, and a letter signed both Busiek and and Scott McLeod in Marvel Spotlight #1 (Vol. 2, 1979).

 

Here it is (a little blurry...don't want to scan it):

 

Buslet.jpg

 

If you really want a better pic, let me know.

mrwoogieman

mrwoogieman

Posted
Posted

How ironic that you post that letters page for the Busiek letter, when it also contains the missive of one Beppe Sabatini, a/k/a our little Bugaboo! Wow!

joe_collector

joe_collector

Posted
Posted
...and a letter signed both Busiek and and Scott McLeod in Marvel Spotlight #1

 

blush.gif Not that there's anything wrong with that...

Proverbs22_2

Proverbs22_2

Posted
Posted

 

 

Often, when listing stuff on Ebay, I'll mention the letter in the headline, especially if it's not a "key issue" in any way.

 

I've seen letters from Mark Evanier and Walter Simonson, a marginal artist with a modest following... stooges.gif

 

Oh! And I aslo seem to recall that Richard and Wendy Pini, of "Elfquest" fame, actually met thru the letter column of the Silver Surfer! 893applaud-thumb.gif

 

-J

Darthdiesel

Darthdiesel

Posted
Posted
...and a letter signed both Busiek and and Scott McLeod in Marvel Spotlight #1

 

blush.gif Not that there's anything wrong with that...

 

Maybe they were each other's shills? You zeroed in on the same thing I did tongue.gif Syracuse NY not as conservative as I thought...damn college kids and their experimentation...

ecfanman

ecfanman

Posted
Posted

 

Often, when listing stuff on Ebay, I'll mention the letter in the headline, especially if it's not a "key issue" in any way.

 

I've seen letters from Mark Evanier and Walter Simonson, a marginal artist with a modest following... stooges.gif

 

Oh! And I aslo seem to recall that Richard and Wendy Pini, of "Elfquest" fame, actually met thru the letter column of the Silver Surfer! 893applaud-thumb.gif

 

-J

 

Often, when listing stuff on Ebay, I'll mention the letter in the headline, especially if it's not a "key issue" in any way.

 

I've seen letters from Mark Evanier and Walter Simonson, a marginal artist with a modest following... stooges.gif

 

Oh! And I aslo seem to recall that Richard and Wendy Pini, of "Elfquest" fame, actually met thru the letter column of the Silver Surfer! 893applaud-thumb.gif

 

-J

 

I'd hardly call Walt Simonson a "marginal" artist. You should check out his Manhunter series.

 

Magnus #10 (1965) has a drawing that a young Walt Simonson did and sent into the fan club page.

 

Berni Wrightson sent a drawing into the Warren Fan Club and had it published in Creepy #9 (1966?).

 

ECFANMAN

ecfanman

ecfanman

Posted
Posted

The first letter in the first Fantastic Four letter column (issue #3) was by Alan Weiss, who was an artist for DC and Marvel in the 1970's.

 

ECFANMAN

Proverbs22_2

Proverbs22_2

Posted
Posted

 

I've seen letters from Mark Evanier and Walter Simonson, a marginal artist with a modest following... stooges.gif

 

Oh! And I aslo seem to recall that Richard and Wendy Pini, of "Elfquest" fame, actually met thru the letter column of the Silver Surfer! 893applaud-thumb.gif

 

-J

 

I'd hardly call Walt Simonson a "marginal" artist. You should check out his Manhunter series.

 

Magnus #10 (1965) has a drawing that a young Walt Simonson did and sent into the fan club page.

 

Berni Wrightson sent a drawing into the Warren Fan Club and had it published in Creepy #9 (1966?).

 

ECFANMAN

 

I was joking about Simonson (hence, the "kid around" smiley).

 

I actually read his Manhunter stuff back in the early 70's, in the 100pg. Detectives...

 

-J

Aces

Aces

Posted
Posted

That's one of the first things I do when I get a early Marvel that I never owned before is read the letters pages.

 

There is always a good laugh either in the letter or in the editor's reply. wink.gif

Zonker

Zonker

Posted
Posted

As mentioned, here is a letter from Harlan Ellison, printed in Forever People #3 (yes, I'd call that Bronze rather than Silver, but the thread is here, so what can ya do?).

 

Ellison's "mountain of judgement" comment is in reference to the first couple of Kirby Jimmy Olsen comics (JO #134 I believe). Ellison apparently really read the stuff in the early 1970s!

 

283377-ellison_fp.JPG

Go to topic listing