Serious Comix

Letter of recommendation sent to Times-News publisher James Wright

Publisher Wright,

I appreciate your open forum on comics. Richie Rich is my favorite, but I suppose that by saying this and being from Sun Valley, this could be used against me.

Your recent editor’s column reminded me of a pertinent Comics Reporter post -if you have not seen it:

http://www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/anatomy_of_a_lost_illustration_gig/

I remember reading once that Michael Jordan is a big fan of the funny papers. I’m not sure which ones he reads, but it is easy to imagine that he briskly fans through the Superhero pages.

~

On a more serious note, I thought you would be interested in hearing that Gavin McNeil –the Idaho Mountain Express graphic artist and award-winning cartoonist has left employment from that paper. I heard about this on the same day of your post and mentioned your forum to Gavin. As someone who worked in the same basement with Mr. McNeil for over a decade, and seeing the passion he threw into his meaningful cartoons on practically every issue under the Idaho Sun, I highly recommend his talents. In fact, I remember hearing fellow newspaper colleagues –even the jaded ones- remark several mornings, after some of his more remarkable cartoons were published, that they were so good that they belonged at the National Level.

I sincerely believe that doodling influential cartoons about powerful Idaho issues is what Gavin McNeil was meant to do.

If you would like more information on Gavin –even if only for a brief chat- I can give you his phone number. (If not that’s okay too)

Thanks again for this opportunity to chat.

Best regards,

JB