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Friday, September 3, 2010

Speaking Out Part 2

While we're on the subject of how Keith Giffen destroys series, I decided to go looking for another letter column that I remembered once being especially critical of Keith Giffen's art. From 1986's Hex #18 (the final issue):

Giffen's art (how can I put this gently?) -- sucks eggs!

While most editors wouldn't print so much negative press in their letter columns, maybe because Hex was being canceled, or maybe because he had received a 3-to-1 ration of anti-Giffen letters, writer/editor Michael Fleisher filled the series final letter column with responses to Giffen's art. Nearly a quarter of a century later, and it doesn't seem that the reading public's opinion has much changed.

Have a happy Labor Day/Dragon*Con Weekend, everybody!

Comments (5) | Add a Comment | Tags: hex james w. barnes keith giffen letters page michael fleisher

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Speaking Out

Following TGB's weekend comments over his feelings about Giffen & DeMatteis' take on Booster Gold (as detailed here), I decided to look through the old "Justice Log" letter columns for examples of people who felt the same way about G/D's original run. It didn't take too long to find this in the letter pages for JLA #38:

IT'S NOT FUNNY ANYMORE!

TGB, maybe it will make you feel any better to know that some people have shared your opinion for 20 years.

[The response was written, presumably, by Andy Helfer, editor of Justice League America at the time. JLA #34 was the infamous KooeyKooeyKooey incident. Coincidentally or not, JLA #38 was the first issue following Booster's original resignation from the League.]

Comments (7) | Add a Comment | Tags: andy helfer giffen kooeykooeykooey letters page tgb thegreatestblogyouveneverheardof

tiggerpete posted on Sep. 2, 2010 at 6:03 PM
and here's the kicker, this is pre-internet, shocking when you realize that this is nearly identical to various forum posts that you can come across on both sides of a given issue
Fanboys=consistently upset about something since the beginning of letter columns
I believe the saying goes "you can please some of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time"

Boosterrific [Official Comment] posted on Sep. 3, 2010 at 4:13 AM
The more things change....

Harry posted on Sep. 3, 2010 at 9:36 AM
G&D are divisive writers. To create humor, they are often left to disparaging one or more characters (or at least portraying them in a less than flattering light). Many fans are protective of their favorites and many others are resistant to their comics being "silly". When I was collecting this comics, I must admit that I cringed several times at B&G's antics. It made the characters targets for mockery by my friends (and by proxy, me as well for being a fan). But it also created fans that adored the characters and who would defend them (and G&D). Polarization of the fanbase may not be the way to universal acceptance and top ten sales... but it could be the way to consistently selling 20k issues over 5-10 years. I would hate to see BG regress to immaturity. But I would hate to seem him stagnate as a character. I intend to do my best to enjoy the ride.

TGB posted on Sep. 3, 2010 at 11:34 PM
And it isn't just that - it's become so darned formulaic. Look through each G&D issue and about 1/2 to 2/3s of the way through it, they have Booster monologue about how it isn't right for him to be there, how he's changed so much over time, how they weren't REALLY idiots but were content to let people think so... It's like it's their way of justifying it all. The problem is that here you have polarization of a relatively small fanbase. BG was selling around 20k before the change... does dividing the fanbase keep it at 20k?

Boosterrific [Official Comment] posted on Sep. 3, 2010 at 11:45 PM
Just for you, TGB (this was going to be a future post, but you can have it now -- happy Labor Day!), from JUSTICE LEAGUE AMERICA #24:

See? They were using the fun-loving dudes excuse even back in 1989. [Again, this is presumably editor Andy Helfer responding.]

Eyz posted on Sep. 7, 2010 at 6:30 AM
Oh..the letter... XD
I'd say (well, that's an old letter, but I'd say this anyway) get Beetle & Gold out of the book so I'll only have to buy their adventures instead of the whole JL! :P
And give them a cartoon show, and a movie, and--

Justin Garrett Blum posted on Sep. 16, 2010 at 3:54 PM
I know there are a lot of people who still feel this way about those old issues of JLI--they carry a grudge to this day about the Bwa-ha-ha league. I've never really been a fan of the Justice League in general, so I think G&D's stuff is classic, since I actually cared about the characters for a change, more so than I really cared about the adventures (which isn't to say that G&D didn't do some interesting arcs).

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