I've been thinking about running a column's worth of the amazingly supportive e-mails I've been getting since restarting Comic Book Galaxy just before 2002 began. It took an angry screed from a troubled reader to finally get me to do so. I didn't get everyone's permission to run these, and I have edited some of them in the interests of brevity. So I hope all involved will forgive me sharing their thoughts with the rest of the readers.
Partially, I do this to keep things in perspective. The many e-mails of support and encouragement I've seen far outweight the opinion of this one guy. But of course it's the kicks in the nuts we remember at the end of the day.
Here's what Andrew Wilshire wrote in response to my review of New X-Men #121, uncorrected for grammar or punctuation:
Hi Geek,
I go to read a review and you spend 3/4s of the page yakking away on stuff I couldnt give a flyying fuck about
Yeah I know just HOW FUCKING knowledgable you are when it comes to comics but could you show off in a feature article perhaps? I'll then decide if I want to read shit like that or not.
I read a review I expect a REVIEW and NOT FUCKING STUPID DIATRIBE ABOUT SHIT I DONT GIVE A TOSS ABOUT.
Have a look here and see what *good, articulate* reviews are all about http://www.thefourthrail.com/
Oh and did you know your stupid review on the WS Special made it to Bendis' laugh column.
Pathetic.
My feeling here is that this is the sort of audience member I'm more than happy to see out the door. Since I restarted the site, the audience has dropped off by about 25 percent. I was expecting, frankly, that I would be lucky to see 10 percent of the readership stick around for what has essentially become a one-man show. That 75 percent have decided to stay (one supposes -- could be new people, and doubtless some of them are...but these web site statistics interpreting thing is an art, not a science, and I am no artist) for my little web site is most gratifying. The fact that many of you, unbidden, have chosen to write in support of Comic Book Galaxy continuing as is has been extremely gratifying and most welcome.
I got this thing rolling again a few weeks ago with the posting of my Powers: Roleplay TPB review. It was the first review I'd written in nearly two months, and when I sat down to write it, it was like seeing an old friend again and picking right up where we'd left off. The fact that the book was fantastic didn't hurt either. My review prompted Stefan to post this to the Bendis Message Board:
Excellent, excellent review!
This was probably the single greatest review I have ever seen for anything!
Now I feel bad I never visited the site before. I'll show up there again. Promise!
Stefan signed up for the Galaxy Updates Mailing List, so I know he wasn't kidding. Thanks for the vote of confidence, Stefan.
I heard from a reader in Nevada next. Woody had this to say:
Glad you're back...Since your name is back on the mast I've been reading for two hours. Must return to my drawing; deadlines you know can't be jawing all day. Thank god in greyhound 2001 is gone, the pendulum starts swinging our way in 2002. I had a scary year and I think the rest of the country did too. Glad you decided to keep this thing going.
Woody
Woody later snail-mailed me a newspaper profile of himself. Turns out he is a longtime cartoonist who currently does work for a Nevada newspaper, and had a very serious illness in 2001. I'm glad you're feeling better and back to work, Woody, and thanks very much for your kind letters.
Warren Ellis, who was also sick last year, has said 2001 was a turd, and Kurt Busiek and Tony Isabella would no doubt agree. I don't know what it was about comics and getting sick in 2001, but it seemed to hit and hit hard in multiple places. I'm still working on completely ridding myself of the pneumonia and bronchitis that I lost a month to, and I hope this will be a better year, health-wise, for all of us.
Derek e-mailed me just after the new year to say this:
I've enjoyed the site and appreciate the strain you're under. I run a site myself while trying to maintain a Silicon Valley job and a family life. But if there's anything we can do to help, let me know.
So far, I seem to be handling things okay, unless you're Andrew Wilshire. I'm grateful for the kind note and offer of help, though, Derek.
One reader who has proven a decent guy here and elsewhere is Chris Dufour. On the Bendis board, he had this to say about my explanation of what had happened to Comic Book Galaxy:
I felt a little better about all that went down after reading your missive. I was a little worried there for a moment. I do hope everything works out for you in the future.
Down on the Upside,
Chris Du4
I'd like to note that Chris, over the weekend, posted an amazing story about one night in his life. You can read it by clicking here.
After reading the same piece, Gail Simone posted this to the Bendis board:
Best of luck, David, with the site and with your health.
Gail
Thanks, Gail. Much appreciated.
A reader named Alex wrote in to say:
Hey, Alan.
Sorry to see your site (and really, you too) have so many problems. I started following the Galaxy around December of last year, and continued to up until this recent fall, when things got crowded and weird.
I think your View from in Here explains most everything I could've wanted to know about why one of my favorite sites had declined in health over time...As long as the site is running, though, I'll be visiting...Thanks for all your work on the site. Keep it up, and things will get better.
Alex
A brief note soon arrived from Jason, who said:
Just wanted to say you are doing a great job on the website and the newsletter.
Jason
Short and to the point, and much appreciated. Thanks, Jason.
A longer note of support came from Charles:
Hello,
I've been reading what you have been putting up on your site for the last week, and I have a couple of things to say.
First off, as far as your site goes: I have always enjoyed the content of your comicbookgalaxy, although not always agreed on opinions stated therein. But this site IS unlike the other comic related sites out there.
I have disagreed (from time to time) with what you have said here, and at other message boards, but I also always respect your opinion.
From what you have stated recently, you have gone through some tough times that have greatly influenced what has happened to this site. But through it all, you are still making your thoughts, opinions, comments available.
For that I thank you.
I quess the reason I am sending you this email, is to tell you that I appreciate your efforts. You clearly have a passion for comics, if not exactly like mine, still translate to the reader.
I hope you do well in 2002. I will continue to visit your site, and be entertained!!!
Be well.
Charles
That one really gave me pause. Here was someone taking the time to write me, without any prompting at all, to wish me well despite the fact that he clearly is not in blind agreement with everything I say. Nice to see such a reasoned and honest letter. Thanks, Charles.
Ibrahim wrote in in apparent complete agreement, however, with my review of the Batman 10-Cent Adventure:
Re: Your review
Dear Alan,
Finally, SOMEONE SAID IT!!!!!
Ibrahim
That New X-Men review that so upset Andy Wilshire seemed to please Stephen, who had this to say in response:
Yeah, don't even mention Dave Sim to Quitely...
Totally agreed with your rant about Artists not going the distance in regards to a monthly title.
Nice to know there's others who believe that quality can be done quickly and reliably.
Regards,
Stephen
And much, no doubt, to Andrew Wilshire's disgust, Jorge also weighed in on the New X-Men situation:
Dear Alan,
I couldn't agree more with your assessment of Frank Quitely's erratic work ethic. When I see a book like the Authority, who has their second creative team depart by issue twenty one, I feel cheated and robbed. Having been weaned as a teen-age comic book reader on Simonson's Thor and Byrne's Fantastic Four, I assume and expect that a five or six year run by a brilliant creator should be the standard. After all, the pay is very good at that level and you get to work on COMIC BOOKS for Pete's sake. As the old saying goes, If you can't take the heat, do a mini-series.
Thanks for your time,
Jorge
There's plenty of others who know that there's no excuse for the kind of slowness some artists are displaying these days, Stephen and Jorge. If Kirby, Byrne, Simonson, Sim and Miller (and many others) could go years without consistently blowing deadlines, lesser talents can certainly rise to the occasion. If they can't, they simply should not be assigned to monthly titles. As I've said, any company that supports such an amateur work ethic is simply enabling this unacceptable behaviour. It's disgraceful on both sides, the artists who pull this crap and the companies that continue to hire them for monthly titles.
We'll close with an e-mail from Frank in Cleveland:
Hey Alan -
Believe me: you've got nothing to apologize for. The effort you put forth in running and writing for this site has been extraordinary. And for God's sake don't internalize any guilt in not continuing it. You've done good work.
Keep reading those four-color miracles for yourself and your kids. I still toss copies of Batman Adventures and Adventures in the DC Universe into my kids' rooms with regularity. And my almost 2-year-old son's current favorite video is a compilation of Super Friends and Filmation's late 60s DC cartoons that I bought on ebay for 15 bucks. The power of these legends endures.
Hang in there!
- Frank
I know you're right about the endurance of legends, Frank. Just yesterday, my daughter was begging for the $80.00 Catwoman maquette she spotted in a discarded Previews flyer. A bit later in the day, shopping at Electric City Comics in Schenectady, New York, she spotted an animated-series action figure of Selina Kyle in the display case. At $13.00 for this used (but not abused) toy, I felt I got off easy in satisfying my 8-year-old's Catwoman jones without having to spend a week's grocery money on that maquette. My son chose a Joker figure, and they played together in the backseat all the way home from Schenectady. Any hour-long car ride that features my two children happily playing must be put into the Good Thing column.
So, that's a look at much of the great e-mail I've gotten in the past few weeks. Thanks, everybody (even you, Andrew). Keep 'em coming in 2002 and let me know what you think. You can also stop by the Galaxy Forum and share your thoughts with other Galaxy readers, industry professionals and online journalists.