Superman letters from future writers

[JulianPerez]

Everyone's seen a letter or two from guys like "Pesky" Pasko (who was bumped upstairs where they can do the least damage) and Bob Rozakis, but there are a few from non-regular contributors. It's always fun to read writers from famous people; by far the best gem to find are letters from Alan Brennert in sixties issues of JLA.

In ACTION COMICS #416 (1972), there's a letter from a "David B. Michelinie," aka Dave Michelinie, one of the best Marvel writers of the 1980s, writer of such gems as THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF INDIANA JONES, DAREDEVIL, and AVENGERS:


Dear Editor:

While reading #412, I finally realized what it is about the Superman series that appeals to me. It's that each episode is a story, as opposed to being an adventure. That is, each episode tells a complete, individual and well thought out tale instead of falling into the rut of merely throwing a super-villain against a super-hero and letting them battle it out for 20 pages.

"Secret of the First Metropolis" was an excellent example of this. Superman was placed in a situation that was plausible, intersting, and different from his previous explots. The setting was new, the foes unique, the problem original. The changelings were as unexpected as they were logical (although why Josdin changed by merely returning in time is left unexplained).

"The Menace of the Sky Scorchers" was a harmless bit of Supie-as-good-guy fluff and such was a pleasant way to spend a couple of minutes. "The Superman Legend" was quite welcome. Even though I've been reading the Superman stories on and off since the late fifties, I found it most informative and I'm sure new fans will find it invaluable.

David B. Michelinie, Jeffersonville, Ind.

[Genis Vell]

David Michelinie has been one of my favorite writers! I loved his runs on AMAZING SPIDER-MAN and IRON MAN.
Unfortunately, I never liked his work on ACTION COMICS.

[crispy snax]

just reading dc comics presents no. 40 (superman and metamorpho) and it has a rather suprising letter from that king of iron age, Todd McFarlane!!!! who ever knew he had a burning passion for rex the wonder dog. heres the letter if you are interested

Dear Julie,
glad to see martin pasko writing a superman story again, DC Comics Presents 35 starring man-bat, had all the ingredients of a winner. the biggest puls was the great use of continuity (!!!) used by mr pasko, i was wondering when the predicament from manbats apperance in brave and the bold would be resolved, now i have my answer.
after futile attempts to cure his daughter, kirk langstromfinally went the route of criminal. when superma caught him at the star labs i was happy to see that they didnt duke it out. finally a super-hero that will listen before throwing a punch! (...) addd to this the reapperance of the atomic skull and you know that the metamorphosis machine had to be enjoyable reading!.
the art by curt swan and vince colletta was skifull and clear, i have allways felt that vince inks curt better  thananywone else and these two men do as much as the writer does. they are masters what else needs to be said?
"whatever happened to wonder dog" was also enjoyable, it answer a question that have been gnawing at hte back of my brain, ther esolution was  adequately present in eight pages.

i like how he seems to hold the writer in respect near the end... considering how he would later say that "comics dont need writers"

[Lee Semmens]

A certain Mr. R.L. Thomas wrote at least a couple of letters to Action Comics or Superman in the 1960s, but don't ask me which issues - it could take me hours to dig through my collection and find them. He wrote many more letters to the Julie Schwartz-edited comics of the 1960s, though, even when he was writing comics for the opposition!

If anyone doubts that R.L. Thomas is the Roy Thomas, he confirmed it to me in a personal conversation several years ago.

You could probably count on one hand (possibly two) the number of Superman stories Roy Thomas wrote, though.

[Klar Ken T5477]

One being the Post-Crisis "Secret Origin of the Golden Age Superman" with art by Wayne Boring!

[Super Monkey]

One being the Post-Crisis "Secret Origin of the Golden Age Superman" with art by Wayne Boring!

READ it here: http://superman.nu/tales2/e2-origin/

[Lee Semmens]

Roy Thomas also wrote the Fortress of Solitude tabloid from 1981.

[MichaelBailey]

just reading dc comics presents no. 40 (superman and metamorpho) and it has a rather suprising letter from that king of iron age, Todd McFarlane!!!! who ever knew he had a burning passion for rex the wonder dog. heres the letter if you are interested

Dear Julie,
glad to see martin pasko writing a superman story again, DC Comics Presents 35 starring man-bat, had all the ingredients of a winner. the biggest puls was the great use of continuity (!!!) used by mr pasko, i was wondering when the predicament from manbats apperance in brave and the bold would be resolved, now i have my answer.
after futile attempts to cure his daughter, kirk langstromfinally went the route of criminal. when superma caught him at the star labs i was happy to see that they didnt duke it out. finally a super-hero that will listen before throwing a punch! (...) addd to this the reapperance of the atomic skull and you know that the metamorphosis machine had to be enjoyable reading!.
the art by curt swan and vince colletta was skifull and clear, i have allways felt that vince inks curt better  thananywone else and these two men do as much as the writer does. they are masters what else needs to be said?
"whatever happened to wonder dog" was also enjoyable, it answer a question that have been gnawing at hte back of my brain, ther esolution was  adequately present in eight pages.

i like how he seems to hold the writer in respect near the end... considering how he would later say that "comics dont need writers"

Todd was all over the Superman letters pages for a few months in 1980/81.  It was kind of strange.