Friday 8 January 2016

Dave Sim's Letters: Tom Spurgeon


22 September 04
Hi Tom,

Well, yes, of course I remember you. I only try to create the impression that the Comics Journal is completely forgettable. Obviously that wasn't the case with your tenure. You did leave a mark in the comic-book field to the extent that when I saw the return address, I thought right away, "Not THE Tom Spurgeon." And what a wonderful and pleasant surprise your Cerebus Archive testimonial letter was. Thank you.

I'm still having fun with Gary [Groth]. Asked him what the Journal's policy on printing outtakes from past interviews is (potentially for Following Cerebus). He said they would withhold permission in case they want to do a Comics Library Volume sometime. A Comics Library Volume devoted to whom? (I asked, completely disingenuously) The last time I checked there were a hundred guys in line ahead of me, assuming that I'm #101 on the Top Comics of All Time right after Hal Foster. Followed that up by asking if I should negotiate directly with you and Kim for outtakes from the interviews that you did with me, or does he consider the interviews work-made-for-hire? Not a word out of him since and that was weeks ago.

As Charlie Brown famously remarked, "I get my laughs."

Enjoy your comic book and thanks again.

Sincerely,
Dave Sim

Tom Spurgeon has been winning awards as The Comics Reporter since 2004 and was previously editor of The Comics Journal between 1994 and 1999, conducting a long interview with Dave Sim which ran in The Comics Journal #184/192 in February/December 1996. This  letter was reprinted in Dave Sim's Collected Letters Vol 3 (2015).

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