By Filip Sablik
I think people my age and older have a great fondness for letter columns in comics. Before the Internet it was our one way to communicate with the creators and editors who made the comics we loved. The only other way was conventions and back then there wasn’t one every other weekend all over the country. Something I’ve been pondering recently is the disappearance of printed letter columns in comics.
In the age of instaneous communication and social networking, virtually any motivated fan can interact with their favorite creator, editor, or comic personality in a very direct and immediate fashion. Want to let a Rob Liefeld know that you don’t like his art? Just jump on the comments sections of sites like Newsarama and let him know. Want to share your thoughts on what DC should do with Superman? Write up a clever, insight blog (on Newsarama for example). Want to ask an artist about a commission? Track them down on Facebook or MySpace. Want to know what Joe Quesada has for breakfast? Follow him on Twitter.
But who are the new letter hacks (and I use this term very affectionately)? In times past, it took some writing chops and the ability to construct a cohesive letter in order to get the attention of editors and creators. Prolific letter writers like T.M. Maple or Augie De Blieck were known in comic circles for their letters and became comic personalities in their own right. I remember quite vividly the pride I felt when a letter I wrote was printed in an issue of the short-lived Steven Seagle series “Primal Force”. Or how giddy my childhood friend Jeremy was when his scientific dissertation on the Flash’s powers was printed in an issue of “Flash”.
Somehow a gut reaction posted as a comment, tweet, or on a message board doesn’t seem to carry quite the same weight as the letters of yore. That’s not to say that comments like “You’ll burn in hell for all this T&A” doesn’t evoke some spirited and thoughtful debate…
My fondness for Letter Columns is one of the reasons we brought back official Letters Pages in both Witchblade and The Darkness at Top Cow. I want a fan to experience the same rush of excitement in seeing their name printed in his or her favorite comic series with a thought out response from either Ron Marz or Phil Hester. Sure, it’s a little bit of extra work for us and for the writers, but I think it’s worth it.
Although I do wish that modern day letter writers would run spell check and consult the occasional grammar manual before hitting the “send” button in their email.
So what do you think? Who are the next generation of letter hacks? Are letter columns dead? Do you miss them? Are comic creators and company representatives too accessible?
Take care,
Filip Sablik
Publisher Guy
Filip Sablik is the Publisher of Top Cow Productions, Inc. He’s been in the business for eight years and just officially entered his thirties. Occasionally, he does a bit of writing and drawing. He loves comics.
Top Cow Productions, Inc. was founded by Marc Silvestri, co-founder of Image Comics. Top Cow currently publishes its line of comic books in 21 languages in over 55 different countries. The company has launched 20 franchises (18 original and two licensed) in the industry’s Top 10, seven at #1, a feat accomplished by no other publisher in the last two decades.
May 6th, 2009 at 9:42 am
I miss letter columns too, though I was never confident of my own writing to send letters in. I get a kick out of reading older comics, and seeing some of the names of letter writers past. I recently came across Infinity Inc (#6, I think), where Brad Meltzer had a great explanation for why Jade and Obsidian didn’t know who their mother was - because Sandra Knight had been removed from Earth-2! I’m waiting for the retcon, let me tell you. Love the Phantom Lady, and since she’s somehow part of the Starman family, well, Hell, there’s a whole mini-series there.
Really, write it, Brad!
filip, another great column. I enjoyed the FCBD book, and I’m looking forward to Fusion.
Cheers,
B
May 6th, 2009 at 10:19 am
I was quite the letterhack in my day, but I can’t say I miss the LoC page that much. Not because the messageboard and FaceSpace and TwitBook and so on have killed it. But because it was dying long before that. Letter columns - at least those in DC’s books - went from two pages to one to less, and went from places where fans could openly and routinely critique the comics to empty vessels of unearned praise. I watched as critical letters vanished, and as space grew smaller and smaller. The Internet merely sped the end of something internal editorial policy was killing anyway.
May 6th, 2009 at 10:55 am
I miss the lettercols a huge amount. Sure, they dwindled, but they could reinflate if publishing folk such as Filip show a commitment. Nice one! I’ve never read a Top Cow comic. Maybe I should . . .
May 6th, 2009 at 11:17 am
As a minor-league letterhack back in the day, getting a letter published was a big deal. There was only so many spaces for the letters, and theoretically a greater number of letters coming in. So your letter was specifically chosen by the editor as representative of a number of people’s opinions. You can get the same thrill by getting a letter published in the paper, or a magazine. It’s a vote of approval from the people who wrote the book.
The other advantage is that everybody who read the book would see youre letter. As opposed to a blog or even a post here, people didn’t have to hear about your witty banter and actively seek it out - they got it with their monthly four-color fix.
Thanks to the internet, you have more direct access to creators than ever before. But it goes both ways - there’s a lot more to read, and nothing other than personal opinion to decide if you like it or not. Short of a famous person re-tweeting your comment, there’s not as much of a chance for your words to really reach that sae big audience, unless you’ve already gotten a reputation and have people following you.
Irinically, letter columns were created not as a way to give fans a forum, as much as it was to fill pages. In the fifties, comics had to have a minimum of three pages of text (as opposed to cartoons) to qualify for the postal rate for periodicals. It’s the same reason magazines would chenge titles, as opposed to starting over with a new #1 - new book meant new postal certificate, and they cost money. How things have changed…
May 6th, 2009 at 11:21 am
@Brian: Thanks for the kind words and tidbit about Meltzer!
Fusion is going to be a truckload of fun!
@Simon: We actually still run letters that are critical of our books. I just proofed the letter column for Witchblade #127 and there was a pretty harsh scorcher in the bunch. But if it stimulates some good conversations, we’re all for it!
@Martin: Indeed you should;)
Filip Sablik
Publisher, Top Cow Productions
Read a free issue of Witchblade at http://www.topcow.com/witchblade
May 6th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
Andrew J. Shaw is something of a letter hack for books that run letters - however every single one of his letters read like he’s not paying attention to any part of the comic, which is annoying.
May 6th, 2009 at 12:19 pm
It’s a hoot going through old letter columns and seeing names like mark Evaneir, Bob Rozakis and numerous other people who went on to work in the field they loved so much.
Readers from the 90’s will recall a letter from a fan to the Superboy comic suggesting that the perfect person to have part of his DNA in the character was Lex Luthor. He gave an impassioned explanation of his theory, but the letter editor pretty much said it would be a lousy idea.
That letter writer? a slightly younger Geoffrey Johns.
May 6th, 2009 at 4:35 pm
Hey, don’t forget about Olav Beemer! Back in the ’90s this guy had letters printed EVERYWHERE! They were often insightful, inspired, and well thought-out dissertations on whatever comics they appeared in, or the character in general.
I wonder what happened to this guy? Anyone else know who I’m talking about?
May 6th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
Another great column, Filip! I can’t begin to tell you how much I love letter columns. They add a great sense of community to a series. Strangely, while I’ve had tons of letters printed in indy and small press books, I think I’ve only written to the “Big Two” once or twice (I’m pretty sure I had a letter in the O’Neil/Cowan Question #5 some twenty years ago). I was really glad we were able to do lettercols in Common Grounds, even though it was a mini-series.
May 6th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
To be honest.. I think letters no longer matter. In the wait for the trade mentality which we are in now who cares if your letter gets printed. I’m all for nostalgia but comics are losing ground. Comics are being targeted towards an older crowd and if this medium is to survive we NEED to get younger kids reading comics. I doubt printing a letter page is going to get them reading comics unfortunately.
May 6th, 2009 at 11:23 pm
I take pride that I have gotten letter published in seven Marvel Comics and one of the early issues of Spawn. I am small footnote in comic history…!
May 7th, 2009 at 12:23 am
I miss the lettercols…and I remember T.M. Maple quite fondly…that guy was everwhere in DC back in the day.
Hated to see the lettercols go by the wayside. I only ever had one letter published but it was a great smart-alec letter to Dave Sim in Cerebus and he had an amusing quip in response. I bought like every issue I could find. I am sure his sales increased tremendously for that one issue alone…
May 7th, 2009 at 3:52 am
I personally always enjoyed reading and writing to letters pages. It added to my enjoyment of the comic and imo the letters pages allow fans to feel like they are connecting with other fans.
It is always a plus to be reading a comic and then see your own name in print.
Gary (letters printed in several titles, including Uncanny X-Men, Cable/Deadpool, Thunderbolts and SW:Legacy).
May 7th, 2009 at 9:39 am
Reading the letters page was nice back in the day…THAT was how we got our hints at what would be coming up in a title! I’ve only written to 5 comics my entire life, and I was fortunate to have one of those printed in a letters column…
What The?! #5…check it out…the last letter on the page!
I remember thinking letters pages were about to die in the mid to late 90s…not only due to the internet, but I noticed the SAME GUY kept getting his letters printed in various Marvel titles. Either they weren’t getting many letters and/or it was a pseudonym made up by the editors to fill up the letter’s page. I can’t remember the name, but it was something like “Scot Myers”
May 7th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Comico used to have some great letters pages back in the day. I remember one guy would always write in to JONNY QUEST and he was super-douchey and Diana Schutz would always counter his inane proclamations, but she kept on printing ‘em, so I was sad to see ‘em go when H-B pulled the plug on the book.
My favorite has to be when Mike W. Barr was writing and editing Batman & The Outsiders and someone wrote in demanding an apology for, from what I remember, the negative characterization of a fictitious Republican politician, and MWB simply replied with something like “I hope you packed a lunch.”
May 7th, 2009 at 5:54 pm
Hey Everyone,
@Brian: That’s a good point letter columns are also a great way for creators and editors to show off their personalities.
@Matthew: Getting folks to write in letters is definitely tougher these days, part of it goes back to the fact that letters take effort. But hey, we take email letters!
@Gary: You hit the nail on the head. Getting your letter printed is a good feeling.
@Andrew: I think if letter columns are done right, they definitely do matter. I used to pick up Powers in both single issue and trade just to read Bendis’ responses to fans in the letter columns. Kirkman does that well in Walking Dead and Invincible as well.
@Vinnie: Great Geoff Johns story!
@ Ill Diablo: Olav Beemer! I totally remember that guy!
Take care,
Filip Sablik
Publisher, Top Cow Productions
Read Berserker #0 for free at http://www.myspace.com/comicbooks!
May 8th, 2009 at 7:13 am
I was an Aquaman letterhack back in the day, which has got to be some special kind of insanity in and of itself. I mean, I get someone writing into Amazing Spiderman or Detective Comics, but moved to write, stamp, and send off not just one, but several, letters in praise of Peter David’s Aquaman…that is some nerdy stuff indeed. I love it.
I remember the rush when I picked up issue #3 and saw my little ditty in print. It was the first time I had ever seen my name on anything besides a report card. It was thrilling. I later on became a writer myself and that little tickle of excitement never really goes away. It’s awesome that it all started with a letter in an Aquaman comic.
All comics should have letter pages. I hate how we are letting the internet destroy the things we love. Instead of trying to make comics all high-tech and 21st century, comic publishers should be embracing the uniqueness of the form. I say get rid of the glossy paper, the multiple covers, and the direct market culture, and the $4 price tags. Comics should be cheap, quick, and dirty. I want mine printed on newsprint, to smell like ink, and to have letter columns and cool-o-meters and all the goofy stuff that makes reading a comic book an experience like no other. And I want to be able to buy them at the pharmacy, the grocery store, and the 7-11. Comic culture thrived on the newstands, and it’s dying in the hobby shops. Bravo to Top Cow for getting it right on letter columns, let’s hope other companies follow.