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My printed letters of comment – Usagi Yojimbo #73

This letter is my most recent; my other letters were all around the same time, about 8 to 9 years ago (damn, I feel old …). That was my concentrated letter-writing time, where I was writing pretty regularly to comic books. I don’t think I was a hack – I didn’t write more than around twenty letters all told – although I did, subconciously, write with the intent of getting my letter published, rather than just saying nice things about the book. I tended to write to comics with smaller readerships, I tried to write something positive and thoughtful, and I was fairly regular when I did write.

My letter-writing days didn’t last too long, what with the increased emergence of the internet, especially interactive forums, for that feedback we crave. So, I haven’t written a letter since that heady time. Except for this one last year. Again, I cheated a little bit, aiming for a book that doesn’t have huge numbers, despite it being brilliant, and used the classic hack technique of asking a question that might need to be answered, in this case about the selling of original artwork.

I was particularly pleased to have my letter printed in Usagi Yojimbo for several reasons: it is one of my favourite comic books, and I am now part of its long history; it has many letters from the brilliant and most erudite of regular letter writers, Charles J Sperling (I wish he wrote a blog), which gives me undeserved recognition; I only wrote two letters to Usagi Yojimbo, with one getting published, which is a pretty good average; and because I mentioned my girlfriend and her love of Usagi in it as well – she is a complete Usagi fiend, and I have to stop her buying all the trades, despite having all the singles, everytime we go comic book shopping.

And now, I have this blog, where I can write whatever the hell I want about anything I want, which is just as good, if still not quite as cool as seeing your name and thoughts printed in the back of a comic book you love.

Scan of my letter printed in Usagi Yojimbo #73

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