I'm really pleased that your New 52 initiative has, by and large, been a success. Sure there were the teething problems in the early days but no-one could deny that it got the industry talking, sales have been good and many titles and/or characters have received a shot in the arm. It's had (and still has) it's detractors but again, on the whole, I think you can pat yourselves on the back.
One thing's been bugging me since the relaunch/reboot, though, and it's this:
At the back of your comics, you have one and a third pages dedicated to plugging your other titles or collections. Sure, they're your comics and you can do what you like with them, but I can pretty much guarantee comics fans already know about your other titles via the web. The days of relying on print ads in comics is long gone, my friends.
With that in mind, is there any chance you can remember the excitement you felt just over a year ago when you announced that letter columns would be returning to DC comics?
Can we get the letter columns back again? They were only there for a few months but I enjoyed them and they have to be cheaper than getting someone to write that page of ads.
Go on, DC, give us our letter columns back.
Please?
A hearty AMEN! I lamented the fleeting return then disappointing disappearance of the letter columns at the beginning of this post on my own blog: http://randomramblings-absentmindedprofessor.blogspot.com/2012/02/dc-comics-march-2012.html - As I say there, if only because I'm a historian, I value the historical snapshot of then-current interaction and reaction between the fans and the creators that the letter columns provide and could still provide. Discussion boards and chat rooms will never fill the same function. Cheers, Kent
ReplyDeleteI agree, Kent - posting something on a message board/chat room thing has never had the same, warm feeling you get when seeing your letter appear in a column. I was lucky enough to have a handful published in years gone by and it never got old.
DeleteI also agree with you guys on this one. The letter's page used to where fans could realize their dreams of getting their fan-letters published and seen across the world. How cool was that? And as for the historical POV, just remember that many famous creators' first published work was in the letter columns. Kurt Busiak, George Perez, Ed brubaker, and countless others had their letter printed and see where they've gotten. DC, Marvel, and every other comic published today needs something like this, even if it has to appear in a modern form.
ReplyDeleteAs I mentioned above, Dale, it was very cool seeing your letter get printed. I think Dynamite are the only company that runs a letter column in their titles now.
Deletehere here on the return of a letter column! i should have mentioned that as a general note on my latest posting about what the Suicide Squad relaunch needs to do in order to sustain it's self in the long run.
ReplyDeleteHey, let's not limit letter columns to just the Squad!
DeleteOh, and you'll be glad to hear I've pre-ordered the Squad TP as well ;)