I recently posted a couple of letters I'd had published in British MARVEL mags back in the '70s, and it started me wondering whatever happened to one of the regular contributors to the letter columns at around the same time as myself. As far as I remember, I only ever had about three letters printed in all, but there was a guy whose name was always appearing in various Marvel U.K. mags and that was MIKE MITTELSTADT.
Most of his letters seemed to appear in THE SUPER-HEROES, and they were always erudite and interesting, which is no doubt why the editors picked them. Mike was American by birth and lived in this country for a few years before moving back to the States. Anyone know if he still collects comics and what he's doing with himself these days? For no other reason that it would be nice to know that such a devoted comics fan was still pursuing the hobby which so fascinated him when he was younger.
I'm not looking for any contact details - just a word from anyone who might know him to say whether he's still with us and collecting comics to his heart's content. It'd be reassuring to know that some things never change and that a familiar name from the past (even if it is that of a stranger) is still uttering that timeless cry - "MAKE MINE MARVEL!"
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(And in case you were wondering, I've no idea whether or not the above issue contains one of Mike's letters. I only picked it from my files because it's from around the time that he was so prolific in his Marvellous missives. Pun intended, as if you didn't know.)
10 comments:
Never mind Mike, do you remember Irene Vartanoff?
I also recall Mike's letters and interestingly there is a Mike Mittelstadt who is a US based cartoonist (he has some cartoons on "cartoonstock") obviously not sure its the same guy guy but could well be as its an unusual name - I do however know that Ivor Davies, one of the most prolific UK Marvel letter writers of the 70s owns Red Hot Comics in Glasgow = McScotty
Well what ya know I think this could be the very guy - see link he lived in England 1964 - 1975 http://www.sadurski.com/cartoonist/mittelstadt.htm
McScotty
Certainly do, JP. She wrote some DC comics and coloured some Marvel ones.
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Think I've been in Red Hot Comics once, McS - but the name Ivor Davies certainly rings a bell. Thanks for the link - I'll take a look.
I think the cartoonist is the guy, he did an art foundation course at Beford and moved back to the US he does have a facebook page too: (redacted)
You might want to expurgate that cos it's not really good webiquette to broadcast folk's details.
Thanks, DSE. That sure seems to be the guy. Interesting to see that he was in Britain at the time of the Power Comics and early Marvel U.K. - a golden era. Shame he missed The Complete Fantastic Four in 1977 'though. Wonder if he considers himself American or British, seeing as how he spent some of his most impressionable years here.
I won't be contacting him anyway, 'cos I don't know him. It's just that I sometimes wonder what happened to names from the past.
He is on Facebook. (Redacted.)
Thanks, Anon. Someone already provided the link, but I redacted it as apparently it's not considered good web etiquette to broadcast folks' details.
It's funny how his name rang a bell when you mentioned him, I think might try and dig out some of his letters.
Quite a few names ring a bell with me, DSE - Quasimodo being foremost amongst them.
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