Letters pages

[Shalla Bal]

Avengers #20

With #20, the letter column is titled "Avengers Assemble!" The third letter-writer here suggested the change in title and Marvel listened!

lettercol page 1
Note the third letter-writer again: he states that Marvel "didn't mention if Thor quit or not." As I mentioned in my earlier post, Thor wasn't around for much of #16's action (in that issue it was mentioned that Thor was busy in his own book, where he was contending with "The Trial of the Gods"), so some readers wondered if he had actually left the team or not.




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[Jim Kelly]

You should look for some of Stan's Soap Box.

As a little kid, I wasn't into these comics. It was too much to keep up with all that continuity and I didn't like Stan's way of up-selling like a huckster flogging a used car to a rube. I knew those fellers were phony as a three dollar bill. My father had no truck with such gassers.

[Shalla Bal]

Avengers #21


The new line-up is still topic number one. Over these months some recurring ideas in the letters were to have the Hulk rejoin (or having him stay off the team), while others suggested bringing back Wonder Man (who'd died back in #9).

Lettercol page 1
In the first letter someone asks what Hawkeye's real name is ... something that wouldn't be revealed until a few years later, in Avengers #64-65!




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Future Pro Alert! Mike Friedrich has a letter here (the last letter shown). He had lots of letters published in both Marvel and DC mags in the 1960s. He started his pro career as a writer for DC in 1968; he eventually wrote for both of the Big Two.

[Shalla Bal]

You should look for some of Stan's Soap Box.

As a little kid, I wasn't into these comics. It was too much to keep up with all that continuity and I didn't like Stan's way of up-selling like a huckster flogging a used car to a rube. I knew those fellers were phony as a three dollar bill. My father had no truck with such gassers.

I guess since this a thread about letter columns we should stick to that topic ... but since you mentioned the Soapboxes there's actually a Stan's Soapbox book that collects those. It's a lot of fun, and an interesting historical resource.

[Phoenixx9]

Avengers #21


The new line-up is still topic number one. Over these months some recurring ideas in the letters were to have the Hulk rejoin (or having him stay off the team), while others suggested bringing back Wonder Man (who'd died back in #9).

Lettercol page 1
In the first letter someone asks what Hawkeye's real name is ... something that wouldn't be revealed until a few years later, in Avengers #64-65!




page 2

Future Pro Alert! Mike Friedrich has a letter here (the last letter shown). He had lots of letters published in both Marvel and DC mags in the 1960s. He started his pro career as a writer for DC in 1968; he eventually wrote for both of the Big Two.

Hi Shalla Bal!

Thank you for finding and posting all of these old letters page! They make great reads, lol.

[babyblob]

Thank you very much Shalla Bal! I really enjoyed reading these letters.

[Electricmastro]

You should look for some of Stan's Soap Box.

As a little kid, I wasn't into these comics. It was too much to keep up with all that continuity and I didn't like Stan's way of up-selling like a huckster flogging a used car to a rube. I knew those fellers were phony as a three dollar bill. My father had no truck with such gassers.

One soapbox that stood out to me was when Lee was talking about how, no matter how socially relevant comics get, that they should never write down to the reader and should have a sense of enjoyable fun.

[Jim Kelly]

Lettercol page 1

I guess since this a thread about letter columns we should stick to that topic ... but since you mentioned the Soapboxes there's actually a Stan's Soapbox book that collects those.

I guess, but for me the editorial content of the comics was all one thing. The page that included the Mighty Marvel Checklist, Stan's Soap Box and Items would often appear before or after the letter page itself. And the Soap Box was a box on the page like the Mighty Marvel Checklist in the page above (which is what made me think of the Soap Box). All of the editorial content--letters, checklist, items, Soap Box--was Stan's effort to motivate readers to become loyal consumers of his product--it was all promotion.

One soapbox that stood out to me was when Lee was talking about how, no matter how socially relevant comics get, that they should never write down to the reader and should have a sense of enjoyable fun.

While I appreciate that effort, seeing the Soap Box just set on a book page without context is like looking at a leg severed from its body. I don't get the narcotic effect of seeing a vintage comic book page. To be fully appreciated the artifact must be seen in situ.

[Shalla Bal]

babyblob, Iron Maiden, and Phoenixx9(and anyone else who may interested), continuing with the post-Avengers #16 letter columns and the reader reaction to the line-up change:

Avengers #22 lettercol page 1
Half a year after the roster change, and still a lot of letters published regarding the composition of the team.

The first letter wants Giant-Man to come back to the team, since Pym no longer has a feature in Tales to Astonish (but what about the Wasp?). Also, letters start coming in about issue #19, which featured the Swordsman's debut (as a villain). Readers liked him a lot--take a look at the second and third letters on this page. And over the next several months there will be more letters suggesting he reform and become an Avenger.




lettercol page 2
The first letter says "You better bring back the old members" and asks Marvel to decide about Thor's status (since he wasn't shown to have officially resigned back in #16). The second letter wants the Hulk to rejoin. The third letter is extremely critical of the new line-up.

[Shalla Bal]

Avengers #23

lettercol page 1
- Readers were still debating the pros and cons of the new team.
- The last letter on this page suggests adding the Black Widow to the team. At the time, the last time Natasha had appeared anywhere was in a couple of flashback panels back in Avengers #16 (and in that issue Hawkeye related he didn't know what happened to her).




lettercol page 2
- A reader wants the Swordsman to join.
- The last letter-writer pulls no punches and excoriates the new Avengers line-up.
- And isn't that a great image of Wanda? Don Heck beautifully inked by Wally Wood from issue #21 (with some flames added in the background for this inset, I guess for effect).

[Deathstroke]

I would almost always read the letter columns in the books. And I've had a few letters of my own published which was very cool.

My suggestion for the name of the letter column for the first Runaways series was actually approved by the writer in their response...but then that first series never ran another letters column before it ended.

And I got a funny remark reply from J. Michael Straczynski with my letter for his comic Sidekick.

There were a few other books I had a letter in as well.

[Iron Maiden]

Thanks for posting all these letters, Shalla Bal. They sure are a fun look into the past. One of my favorite ones is the guy talking about taking some of the money his girl friend was saving up to buy a ring in order to buy comics...which were all of 12 cents at this time! This really takes me back to the times when I could fill the tank in my 8 cylinder Chevy for about $5.00!

I notice a lot of fan support for Swordsman too. I guess that enthusiasm faded since he was eventually killed off and really hasn't been brought back since AFAIK. He was seen on a Dead Avengers team a while back

[Malvolio]

I had a few letters printed in the Superman comics of the early 1990s. I even won a Baldy, which turned out to be nothing more than a postcard with Lex Luthor's picture on it.

[Phoenixx9]

Shalla Bal, you are wonderful! Thank you for posting all of those magnificent Avengers letters pages. (My own books are in storage.)

Of note, one fan tried to/almost defined Wanda's Hex Power, many years ahead of Marvel! Although, I was happy just to have it unexplained and could not wait to see just what Wanda did each issue!

I loved those early Avengers years which were magical. Cap's Kooky Quartet were fun and powerful in their own right. I loved it when Hank and Jan rejoined the team. I "Marveled" when Black Widow, Power Man, Swordsman and Living Laser formed to fight the team.

[Jim Kelly]

I had a few letters printed in the Superman comics of the early 1990s. I even won a Baldy, which turned out to be nothing more than a postcard with Lex Luthor's picture on it.

Oh that's good to know. I got a few things sent to me over the years, but I never got a Baldy and I always wondered what that was. Never got a No-Prize either and have no idea what that would be. I envy the LoCers from the 1960s that were sent original pages--now that's Some-Prize! Closest I got was a cover sketch by Sam Keith (not an original, a fax copy).