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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

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seank

seank

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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.

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drbanner

drbanner

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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?

 

 

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Zonker

Zonker

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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.

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jonnydouble

jonnydouble

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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.

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joe_collector

joe_collector

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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.

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davidpg

davidpg

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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.

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Proverbs22_2

Proverbs22_2

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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

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Darthdiesel

Darthdiesel

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...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...

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ecfanman

ecfanman

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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

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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

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Aces

Aces

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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

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Zonker

Zonker

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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

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