Letter Bugs by Don MacPherson Join me, as we travel into yesteryear, into the lives of comic-book professionals. Ah, but they weren't always comics pros. There was a time when they were fans, like you and me... the poor saps. These are the real deal... letters written by industry professionals and published in the letters columns in various titles. Our first missive comes from "Nuclear Reactions" in The Fury of Firestorm #18 (cover date November 1983)... "Dear Sirs, I think I should set a few people straight. I don't know what makes all you letter-writing people think that Doreen is a punk. For one thing, she doesn't have the attitude. You know which attitude I'm talking about, don't you? But you people in comics know so much about punk rock, how could you not know about the punk attitude? "Let me explain... "I don't know about New York, but out in CA a person doesn't just become a punk overnight, and certainly not just because they get their hair cut. A person has to have the attitude expressed by all the punk idols, which is, 'I don't care!' and Doreen cannot be said to have that attitude. Not that I'm complaining about the way Doreen is done, it's just that a person doesn't become a punk by getting their hair cut (or dyed purple or electric blue, Jerod) or wearing tight clothes. So in the future, I hope everyone shall refrain from using the term punk princess in reference to Doreen. "Aside from a few letters, I very much enjoyed reading Fury of Firestorm #15, and will continue to read your magazine until you agree with my views; then I will stop reading out of disgust that you would listen to me, a lowly fan hoping to make it someday in the world of comic books. I'll bet you don't get an ending like that every day. And thus I must take my leave..." Signed, Ed Brubaker, San Diego, CA It was the Catwoman and Batman scribe himself who alerted us to the existence of this published piece of fan mail. Thanks, Ed, not only for the heads-up on the letter, but on the Punk 101 lecture. And now, we turn the clock back even further, checking in with "Let's Chat with the Challs" from Challengers of the Unknown #61 (cover date May 1968). "Lately, we've been getting less and less complete letters and more Chit-Chat. A few more complete letters, please!" Signed, Mark Evanier of Los Angeles Maybe folks like the noted comics historian and Groo collaborator needed to actually write complete letters. From the same letters page... "Let me congratulate you on #58's Page 5 showing Prof playing pinball and Page 21 showing him testing the paint with his tongue. They were two of the funniest panels I've ever seen in the CHALLS." Signed, Tony Isabella, Cleveland, OH I guess that for these jokes, you had to be there. Of course, many comics readers will recognize Tony as a longtime Marvel Comics writer, creator of DC's Black Lightning and comics journalist. Don MacPherson meant it all in good fun. Email Don MacPherson comments about this column, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board.