Dear Editor: Smart Kids Read Superman Comics!

Looking back, most of us comic book fans can recall varying degrees of incomprehension and disapproval directed at our "funny books" from the Usual Suspects. When I was a kid, my parents were more on the the "bemused incomprehension" end of the spectrum than the outright disapproval and "cease and desist order" end of it. Still, I can sympathize with kids whose parents did give them grief for reading comic books...such as John Quincey and his tale of parental persecution that kicked off the letters page of Superman #175 (1965).  Even though he lived in the coolest-sounding town ever, all was not right in Cheesequake, New Jersey...

 

In a remarkable break from their "All Glib, All The Time" policy, the DC editor (either Mort Weisinger or his assistant E. Nelson Bridwell) actually passed along some surprisingly helpful ammo to young Mr. Quincey, most likely taken from  a 1964 TIME Magazine article:

 

Take THAT Mr. and Mrs. Quincey! How dare you question your son's comic book reading when honest-to-goodness Smart Kids like Michael Grost read them, too?!  

"But that's not all!", 
says irritating informercial king Billy Mays!

Since I've heard from a couple of the letter writers featured in "Dear Editor", I thought I'd do a little "Google Fishing" for Michael Grost, the 10 year-old Wunderkind mentioned by the DC editor. As luck would have it, a website for Michael E. Grost popped up at the top of the search results...and it was immediately clear that this was the same guy.

As you might expect of a boy with that level of intelligence and curiosity, Michael grew up to become involved with a wide variety of disciplines, studies and interests...one of which remains classic comic books!

Well, as my own curiosity got the best of me, I decided to send Michael an email to (A) get absolute confirmation he was the same guy and (B) to get his side of the story...which I graciously received only short time later.  Here's what he wrote (printed with his permission):

"Thank you for the very nice email. 

When this story appeared in the press, the folks at DC Comics were so pleased, that they sent me a free year's subscription to Action Comics. It was the first time that comic books arrived by mail at our house. Before, they had always been purchased by me out of my allowance money. It was really interesting. This was my only contact with the DC people of that era. Wish now, I'd learned more!

Living near Michigan State University has enabled me to read all these great old comics again. MSU's astonishing Comic Art Collection has over 180,000 comic books. People come from all over the world to read and research.

Thanks,

Mike (Grost)"

Sounds like I need to take a road trip to Michigan State University!  

In a second email, I gave Mike the Superman issue number the letter appeared in, to which he replied:

"Your letter is the first time I've ever heard that I was mentioned in Superman #175. This is astonishing news. I read comics as a kid, regularly from 1962 through 1966. Then I lost interest, then started reading them again as a teenager in 1971 through 1975. As a kid, I was not organized (or wealthy) enough to read every issue. When I had money from allowance, or for special treats, I'd get a new comic book from the grocery store or drug store. I never read Superman #175 as a kid. And no one ever told my family about it. 

A few years ago, for my web article on Superman, I read all of the Superman stories from 1958 through 1966, at MSU Library's superb collection. I remember reading #175 there. It has the excellent Imaginary tale, "Clark Kent's Brother", written by Edmond Hamilton. I clearly remember at the time, that the story was new to me - I'd never read it as a kid. This was not uncommon. I must not have read the letters column of that issue. 

I've double-checked with my family. They remember DC Comics sending us a letter announcing the gift subscription to Action Comics. I remember this vividly too. No one has any recollection of Superman #175, or its Mailbag column."

I then sent Mike a scan of the original letters page so he could see it for himself, all these years later. 

Thanks for being such a good sport, Mike...and for giving John Quincey of Cheesequake the reassurance that smart kids do indeed read Superman comics!

Comments

[Brian Disco Snell]

Cheesequake?? CHEESEQUAKE??

[Mark Engblom]

I know! It sounds like something you can order at TGI Fridays!

[Kyle]

So I've gotta ask... have you tried to find Mr. Quincey of the sweet-sounding Cheesequake, NJ, to get his take on the letter? It would be fun to find out if his parents ever relented!

[Mark Engblom]

Actually, no...it would probably take more time than I'm willing to spend...but I'd be curious to hear his side as well. I suspect showing them Mike's story caused them to lighten up a bit.

[Shar]

I don't believe this- -I just happened upon Mike's website two days ago! I was searching for some info on the (Silver Age) Legion of Super-Heroes, and voila! I started reading his pieces and I was hooked. He covers comics from before the Silver Age too, but it's very clear he has real affection for Silver Age DC. In addition to Superman and Batman, he has many interesting analyses of Silver Age DC's lesser lights, such as the Atom. Also, he looks at the individual writers and artists associated with the features. A wonderful resource.

[Mark Engblom]

Whaat? Wow...what a coincidence! Yes, Mike's research is definitely a great resource for guys like me (since some of my pieces need that kind of information), or just anyone who's interested in the history of this stuff. His writings on classic film, TV, and mystery fiction are also a treasure trove of well-organized information, and definitely worth a look.

[Pat Curley]

As an adolescent in the late 1960s, I can tell you that there was enormous social pressure to give up comic books from parents, peers, and educators. I actually started insisting on a paper bag for my purchases because I didn't want some cute gal to see me walking around with a comic book in my hand.

The irony is that by the time I was in college, comics were considered "cool". I think underground comics actually fueled acceptance of the mainstream comics among my peers. When I was a freshman, Warren began the Spirit Magazines, and that really helped; everybody loved those first few issues, and you could see from the gritty stories that hero-driven comics didn't have to be juvenile.

[Ralph C.]

Another great piece, Mark. I am enjoying Superman Month very much. I look forward to what's coming up next. Thanks to you and to all the interesting comments from the readers.

[Mark. Engblom]

Glad you're enjoying [email protected] month so far, Ralph. I've got more stuff in the pipeline that I think you'll like, so stay tuned!

[Shar]

Also, Mark, just to add my two cents to today's topic: my parents were aghast my passion for comics and kept telling me I would ruin my mind, my eyes, etc. They frequently threw out my comics(I fooled 'em by hiding my more valuable comics, out of harm's way). No matter that I was consistently the best reader in my grade school classes or that my drawings were Kirbyesque (well, at least my teachers were impressed). To this day I credit my early comic reading with building my vocabulary skills and giving me a lifelong appreciation of myth, dialogue, and characterization.

[Mark. Engblom]

"To this day I credit my early comic reading with building my vocabulary skills and giving me a lifelong appreciation of myth, dialogue, and characterization."

Absolutely...comics gave me a similar "leg up" on vocabulary words and science concepts (I might have been the only kid who knew the speed of light like the back of his hand).

So you had the dreaded "throw comics away" parents, huh? I was aware of many kids getting their comics casually tossed away by parents (usually moms), as if they were on the same level as yesterday's newspaper (which they might have been to some parents). Ah, but those intangible things comics gave you can never be tossed away, right?

[Brian]

Great piece, Mark! And as a native Michigander, I encourage you to go to MSU-- it's great!

[Marc]

Very cool, Mark. This is JUST the kind of thing blogs are for...these compelling little stories that you won't see anywhere else. Good thinking, good job.

[Marc]

Something odd happened...that comment ending in "Good thinking, good job" was mine but instead was attributed to Brian whereas my post showed up blank? No matter...it's there.

[Brian]

Marc,
Yep, it's all part of my devious, Lex-Luthor-like plan to control the internet! Bwhahahahaha! (:

Glad it looks like Mark E. got the comments cleared up, and I agree with you-- his post is a great example of how blogs can be used.