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letters section and other things

theparttimetheparttime Registered User regular
edited June 2007 in Graphic Violence
ok. sorry if this has been asked before. just wondering, how many people read the letter sections in the comics they grab. i usually browse them. but i am disappointed when i'm spoiled by some over observant fan and an agreeing writer. some letters are nitpicky, some are funny, some are insightful, and so on.

what about short entries at the end of comics, like the ones at the end of vertigo comics. the same, but i think i put more effort to read those, although i don't always read em.

am i missing out by not reading my comics cover to cover?

theparttime on

Posts

  • HooraydiationHooraydiation Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    I'm missing them by reading trades all the time. I wish they were included in the collections as well as the singles, or at least in collections that lack supplementary material like sketches and scripts.

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  • JacobkoshJacobkosh Gamble a stamp. I can show you how to be a real man!Moderator mod
    edited June 2007
    am i missing out by not reading my comics cover to cover?

    I don't know, are you? I haven't seen a comic with a letters column in a dog's age - not counting the "backmatter" in books like Fell or Casanova.

    I miss the old Vertigo letters columns. Two or sometimes three pages of lengthy letters from people describing their latest drug intake, sex act, or magick ritual, with Morrison or Ennis or Milligan replying in kind. Some of the most fascinating bits of Preacher and The Invisibles happened in the lettercols, and while I understand the economics of not including them in trades it'd be nice if DC made scans of the pages available online.

    Warren Ellis used to rail against letters pages in his old online essays, feeling that the sense of creator accessibility they engendered was part of the reason people didn't take the medium as seriously as film or TV or whatever - his complaint basically being that you don't write angry letters to the CSI scriptwriter because he got this and that wrong, but comics writers have to be subjected to it. I disagree; I think the accessibility of creators and occasionally the rapport they develop with fans (dysfunctional as it sometimes may be) is one of the medium's biggest strengths.

    Jacobkosh on
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  • graizurgraizur __BANNED USERS regular
    edited June 2007
    Half of The MAXX comic was really really good letter pages.

    graizur on
  • DJ EebsDJ Eebs Moderator, Administrator admin
    edited June 2007
    It's hard to do a letter page these days because of how often creative teams tend to switch.

    That said, there are a great deal of letter pages still around. I always read the Runaways and Cable/Deadpool ones, for example.

    DJ Eebs on
  • JordynJordyn Really, Commander? Probing Uranus. Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    There's letters at the end of Invincible most of the time that I always take a moment to read.

    Jordyn on
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  • DJ EebsDJ Eebs Moderator, Administrator admin
    edited June 2007
    I always got distracted reading the letters page in Invincible because it was so damn long and half of it is Kirkman telling you to buy his stuff

    DJ Eebs on
  • BlankspaceBlankspace __BANNED USERS regular
    edited June 2007
    The only letters sections that I really enjoy are the ones in Invincible and Powers.


    Kirkman and Bendis have fun writing them, and they're funny as hell.

    Blankspace on
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  • JCMJCM Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    Cable and Deadpool.

    Even when the issue is a boring Cable-centric tale, the letter´s page is worth the price.

    JCM on
  • JordynJordyn Really, Commander? Probing Uranus. Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    you probably should buy more stuff, Geebs.

    Just stuff in general, really.

    Jordyn on
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  • DJ EebsDJ Eebs Moderator, Administrator admin
    edited June 2007
    I buy too much stuff already

    buying stuff is not an issue

    DJ Eebs on
  • BlankspaceBlankspace __BANNED USERS regular
    edited June 2007
    What about buying things?

    Have you reached your quota of things, Geebs?

    Blankspace on
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  • BalefuegoBalefuego Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    The Powers letters section is awesome.

    Especially the ones that date from around Avengers: Disassembled

    Balefuego on
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  • VirralVirral Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    It's a little frustrating they don't include stuff like that in the trades, but something tells me I'll survive it.

    Virral on
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  • DJ EebsDJ Eebs Moderator, Administrator admin
    edited June 2007
    I think Marvel's been including them in their massive hardcover omnibus things, like Fantastic Four

    DJ Eebs on
  • BalefuegoBalefuego Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    I know some of the Powers trades include the letters page

    Balefuego on
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  • VirralVirral Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    I think Marvel's been including them in their massive hardcover omnibus things, like Fantastic Four

    Not in the Alias omnibus, which is the only Marvel omnibus I have. I wish they included them in their super sized hardcovers, since those are supposed to be stuffed full of extra content (which generally means a few concept sketches and some mastabatory back-patting from the writer).

    Virral on
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  • LRGLRG Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    I had my letter printed in The Walking Dead #35


    came with the numbered questions and all that

    LRG on
  • CerriusCerrius Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    I also had a letter published, featured in Satan's Sodomy Baby.

    Cerrius on
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  • The Muffin ManThe Muffin Man Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    I think Geebs needs to concern himself less with stuff and things, and more in acquiring shit.

    The Muffin Man on
  • MunchMunch Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    Didn't Waid's LoSH used to have letter pages in the form of comics for a little while, which allowed them to skirt DC's "no letter pages" rule? Do they still do that?

    Munch on
  • WhippyWhippy Moderator, Admin Emeritus Admin Emeritus
    edited June 2007
    Starman had the best letters/supplemental page I've ever read in a comic. It's why I so strongly advocate reading it in singles if at all possible, because without them the experience is greatly lessened.

    Whippy on
  • BlankspaceBlankspace __BANNED USERS regular
    edited June 2007
    Munch wrote: »
    Didn't Waid's LoSH used to have letter pages in the form of comics for a little while, which allowed them to skirt DC's "no letter pages" rule? Do they still do that?
    I don't think they do.

    The one with Karate Kid eating the sheep was hilarious.

    Blankspace on
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  • ServoServo Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited June 2007
    Munch wrote: »
    Didn't Waid's LoSH used to have letter pages in the form of comics for a little while, which allowed them to skirt DC's "no letter pages" rule? Do they still do that?
    I don't think they do.

    The one with Karate Kid eating the sheep was hilarious.

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    Servo on
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  • BlankspaceBlankspace __BANNED USERS regular
    edited June 2007
    Yes.

    Blankspace on
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  • hughtronhughtron __BANNED USERS regular
    edited June 2007
    jacobkosh wrote: »
    Warren Ellis used to rail against letters pages in his old online essays, feeling that the sense of creator accessibility they engendered was part of the reason people didn't take the medium as seriously as film or TV or whatever - his complaint basically being that you don't write angry letters to the CSI scriptwriter because he got this and that wrong, but comics writers have to be subjected to it. I disagree; I think the accessibility of creators and occasionally the rapport they develop with fans (dysfunctional as it sometimes may be) is one of the medium's biggest strengths.

    They do help contribute to a sense of fan-entitlement that haas produced a horrific comics culture, though.

    hughtron on
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  • HooraydiationHooraydiation Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    hughtron wrote: »
    jacobkosh wrote: »
    Warren Ellis used to rail against letters pages in his old online essays, feeling that the sense of creator accessibility they engendered was part of the reason people didn't take the medium as seriously as film or TV or whatever - his complaint basically being that you don't write angry letters to the CSI scriptwriter because he got this and that wrong, but comics writers have to be subjected to it. I disagree; I think the accessibility of creators and occasionally the rapport they develop with fans (dysfunctional as it sometimes may be) is one of the medium's biggest strengths.

    They do help contribute to a sense of fan-entitlement that haas produced a horrific comics culture, though.

    What if we had a letters page, but Warren Ellis was free to tell you to fuck off in response to your questions?

    Hooraydiation on
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  • BalefuegoBalefuego Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    hughtron wrote: »
    jacobkosh wrote: »
    Warren Ellis used to rail against letters pages in his old online essays, feeling that the sense of creator accessibility they engendered was part of the reason people didn't take the medium as seriously as film or TV or whatever - his complaint basically being that you don't write angry letters to the CSI scriptwriter because he got this and that wrong, but comics writers have to be subjected to it. I disagree; I think the accessibility of creators and occasionally the rapport they develop with fans (dysfunctional as it sometimes may be) is one of the medium's biggest strengths.

    They do help contribute to a sense of fan-entitlement that haas produced a horrific comics culture, though.

    What if we had a letters page, but Warren Ellis was free to tell you to fuck off in response to your questions?

    That is essentially what the Powers letters page is like.

    Balefuego on
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  • Mai-KeroMai-Kero Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    hughtron wrote: »
    jacobkosh wrote: »
    Warren Ellis used to rail against letters pages in his old online essays, feeling that the sense of creator accessibility they engendered was part of the reason people didn't take the medium as seriously as film or TV or whatever - his complaint basically being that you don't write angry letters to the CSI scriptwriter because he got this and that wrong, but comics writers have to be subjected to it. I disagree; I think the accessibility of creators and occasionally the rapport they develop with fans (dysfunctional as it sometimes may be) is one of the medium's biggest strengths.

    They do help contribute to a sense of fan-entitlement that haas produced a horrific comics culture, though.

    What if we had a letters page, but Warren Ellis was free to tell you to fuck off in response to your questions?

    I think my favorite letter pages are the ones from Powers where Bendis just makes fun of everyone who sends in letters.

    Mai-Kero on
  • HooraydiationHooraydiation Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    Are the Powers letters pages collected in the trades?

    Hooraydiation on
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  • BalefuegoBalefuego Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    Are the Powers letters pages collected in the trades?

    The only trade that has letters in it is Vol 7 Forever.

    But you could always just pick up an issue in the store and check out the back.

    Balefuego on
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  • JacobkoshJacobkosh Gamble a stamp. I can show you how to be a real man!Moderator mod
    edited June 2007
    hughtron wrote: »
    They do help contribute to a sense of fan-entitlement that haas produced a horrific comics culture, though.

    Y'know, I used to think so too, but the more fandoms I experience the more I realize that that sense of entitlement is just part and parcel of fandom, whatever the context - MMOs, board games, Star Trek, soap operas, anything.

    Jacobkosh on
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  • lostwordslostwords Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    Cerrius wrote: »
    I also had a letter published, featured in Satan's Sodomy Baby.

    Thats pretty awesome, actually. I think The Goon and Powers have the best letters section in comics, because its mostly just goofing off and juvenile potty humor, which I love. Especially The Goon letters section where the dude asked people to take pictures of strippers eating chicken wings, and actually got a few entries.

    lostwords on
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  • hughtronhughtron __BANNED USERS regular
    edited June 2007
    jacobkosh wrote: »
    hughtron wrote: »
    They do help contribute to a sense of fan-entitlement that haas produced a horrific comics culture, though.

    Y'know, I used to think so too, but the more fandoms I experience the more I realize that that sense of entitlement is just part and parcel of fandom, whatever the context - MMOs, board games, Star Trek, soap operas, anything.

    There's a lot of overlap between those groups, I think. Well, maybe not the soaps.

    hughtron on
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  • JacobkoshJacobkosh Gamble a stamp. I can show you how to be a real man!Moderator mod
    edited June 2007
    Look at a Soap Opera Digest sometime. Middle-aged women in loveless relationships and comics fans? They're like this.

    Jacobkosh on
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  • DJ EebsDJ Eebs Moderator, Administrator admin
    edited June 2007
    jacobkosh wrote: »
    Look at a Soap Opera Digest sometime. Middle-aged women in loveless relationships and comics fans? They're like this.

    And yet people were weirded out by the Guiding Light/New Avengers crossover.

    Also, televisionwithoutpity is basically a letters section for tv shows, anymore.

    DJ Eebs on
  • BalefuegoBalefuego Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    that site blows Geebs, dont tell me you go there

    Balefuego on
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  • DJ EebsDJ Eebs Moderator, Administrator admin
    edited June 2007
    I've visited a few times, mainly just to see how much I disagree with the people who write the recaps.

    I stay the hell away from the forums, though.

    DJ Eebs on
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