Tuesday 16 July 2013

LETTERS TO MARVEL...


Images copyright MARVEL COMICS

Long ago and far away, in a time and place that can now be accessed only by memory, I had a letter published in The MIGHTY WORLD Of MARVEL.  You'd think I would've kept the iconic issue for posterity, to impress my children and grandchildren (if I'd ever had any), and to look back on in a ripe old age, basking in the glory of my awesome achievement.  But no!  I settled for a photocopy of the epic epistle and consigned the comic to a fate unknown.  (I probably gave it to a pal.)

As regular readers will no doubt know, a recent blog-post featured a letter of mine from PLANET Of The APES #8, in which I'd mentioned another of my magnificent missives in MWOM #108.  I assumed, so many years after the fact, that this was the self-same captivating communication to which I just referred in the previous paragraph, so I promptly tracked down and purchased a copy on sale on eBay, eager to be reunited with an item from my long-vanished youth.

Well, it arrived today - and, surprise, surprise, it's not the letter I had photocopied almost four decades ago (which I still have), but another one I had all but forgotten. Reading it again for the first time in years brought it all back to me, but it amazes me that it could ever have slipped my mind, albeit relatively temporarily.  (If you can consider a period of nearly 40 years a 'temporary' condition.)

Anyway, seeing as how I've been able to fool you all for the last couple of years with the notion that I'm capable of writing anything even remotely worth reading, I thought you might enjoy seeing my lilting letter from The MIGHTY MARVEL MAILBAG so very long ago.  (Whaddya mean I was wrong?)

However, don't go thinking you're safe - when I remember where I put that photocopy, I'll be posting that for your 'reading pleasure' as well.  (Cue 'Jaws' theme.)
  

8 comments:

baab said...

Looking for one letter only to find a forgotten other,thats wonderful.

When are you going to reveal your no-prize ?

John Pitt said...

I love all the early glossy Marvel UK covers just as much as the USA originals. One day I must start downloading them all for posterity.

Kid said...

Never got one that I remember. Does a no no-prize count?

Kid said...

H'mm, dunno JP - the recolouring and 'drawing up' of some of those covers left a lot to be desired sometimes. Case in point: The cover to the one in this post has been altered in such a way as to compromise the balance and design of the art. The Hulk should've been centred (or 'centered' for our U.S. readers), but someone took the easy way out.

John Pitt said...

Far too technical for my tiny brain, but I bow to your superior knowledge of the whole industry. I just love 'em because they're different! ( warts & all )

Kid said...

At last! Someone who acknowledges my greatness. (Pssst...your cheque's in the post, JP.)

Anonymous said...

Had a look at the original US cover (issue 139)very strange they must have cut the Hulk character out (unless they had computers etc then) and moved it off centre to the left, very strange and yeah I see what you mean the colouring and or printing on the UK version is to heavy. I used to love the letters pages in UK Marvel can still recall some of the regulars Ivor Davies, Jim Ivers, Nigel Fisher and (errr ) yourself :o) - McScotty

Kid said...

McScotty, what they've done is cut away the villains on the right of the picture and moved them further over to accommodate the wider U.K. page width. Then they've drawn up the Hulk's arm where it was obscured by the Glob's hand. They should have moved the baddies on the left further over to their own side of the page as well.



Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...