livejournal has started telling us what to write
I sit in a cold building surrounded by boxes of nonsense and books full of wonder reading fanletters and loveletters and junkmail (tons and tons of ads, flyers, broschures! useless junk!) saved by a man who died 10 years ago. I am creating a search engine so that others may benefit from any wisdom this dead man may or may not have hidden within these boxes. Coming in mornings I am well-heated from my 10 block jaunt from home but immediately the heat wears off to chills as the constant 60 degree temperature saturates my bones. I grab a blanket, or two, and an extra hoodie and occasionally gloves to protect myself from the endless chill. Though I must always wear gloves to protect these delicate articles and paper-laden items from my dangerous human grease and skin. More often than not I am up here in the loft alone and have taken to turning on NPR's newsstream just to give me the sensation of human contact in this dead man's filing cabinet. Headphones make me weary of people gabbing in my ear, and besides, I can't hear if someone comes up the stairs behind me thus catching me in my self-appointed break of e-mailing and net-surfing.
My favortie is the personal correspondence, his loveletters to his wife before and after their marriage are nice, it's heartwarming to see a man so in love with his wife even after 30 years of marriage...but they get kinda depressing "I love you, you're wonderful," ad infinum. I think I'd rather read one meant for me, instead.
But there is more of....
"Dear Mr. Caniff, Please consider this a very sincere fan letter as well as a very forward request..." blah blah blah Gimme some of your drawings
"Sir, In reference to your 5-15 (1955) Sunday Strip (steve canyon) just what sort of an impression are you trying to present of the Corps? Your pictoral description of a marine on overseas duty is completely ridiculous! Where are earth did you ever et this conception? Perhaps Some (underlined) are inclined to be a little shy. However, they do not go leaping over hedges in utter fear after kissing a young lady."
"I think [Steve Canyon] is one of the best strips I have ever read. Not only does it touch the human side of life, but shows the true American spirit. I wish to congratulate Milt Caniff on his splendid work. It is really a terrific job."
A woman named Vivian Hayes wrote to him for over 30 years.
Boxes upon boxes, folders in the boxes, read read read type type type click click click one fifteen minute break for every 4 hours worked.
More letters, people on behalf of other people on behalf of themselves, organizations, commitees, groups, guilds, military, civilian, they all want something from him. Gimme a drawing! Send me an autograph! You did it wrong! What's wrong with you? I want another one! I'm sorry I know I asked for one last year, but I want a new one! and so on and so forth. Imagine getting mail for over 50 years and the majority of it from people wanting things from you. Some gracious enough to write thank-you notes, others blunt, some greedy (once a man wrote the same letter 3 times using 3 different names, a few letters later an apology from him as his game was discovered and he chastized).
I suppose, though, I'd rather this sort of celebrity, this way you are known for what you can do, what talents you have and can show it with a flick of the wrist as opposed to being harbored and pushed around for WHO you are and nothing more. I'm sure celebrity in his time was easier than now, the paparazzi not as intense or pushy, he could hide as he liked and appear when he was ready and wasn't hounded save this overwhelming amount of letters.
But still, if I could ask this dude one thing I would ask him "Why on earth did you keep all that junk mail?"
Although...Andy Warhol kept all his as well, but he did it because he knew that just because it had his name people would swoon and he could call it "art."
Does it really matter, though? Nobody even knows who he is anymore.
My favortie is the personal correspondence, his loveletters to his wife before and after their marriage are nice, it's heartwarming to see a man so in love with his wife even after 30 years of marriage...but they get kinda depressing "I love you, you're wonderful," ad infinum. I think I'd rather read one meant for me, instead.
But there is more of....
"Dear Mr. Caniff, Please consider this a very sincere fan letter as well as a very forward request..." blah blah blah Gimme some of your drawings
"Sir, In reference to your 5-15 (1955) Sunday Strip (steve canyon) just what sort of an impression are you trying to present of the Corps? Your pictoral description of a marine on overseas duty is completely ridiculous! Where are earth did you ever et this conception? Perhaps Some (underlined) are inclined to be a little shy. However, they do not go leaping over hedges in utter fear after kissing a young lady."
"I think [Steve Canyon] is one of the best strips I have ever read. Not only does it touch the human side of life, but shows the true American spirit. I wish to congratulate Milt Caniff on his splendid work. It is really a terrific job."
A woman named Vivian Hayes wrote to him for over 30 years.
Boxes upon boxes, folders in the boxes, read read read type type type click click click one fifteen minute break for every 4 hours worked.
More letters, people on behalf of other people on behalf of themselves, organizations, commitees, groups, guilds, military, civilian, they all want something from him. Gimme a drawing! Send me an autograph! You did it wrong! What's wrong with you? I want another one! I'm sorry I know I asked for one last year, but I want a new one! and so on and so forth. Imagine getting mail for over 50 years and the majority of it from people wanting things from you. Some gracious enough to write thank-you notes, others blunt, some greedy (once a man wrote the same letter 3 times using 3 different names, a few letters later an apology from him as his game was discovered and he chastized).
I suppose, though, I'd rather this sort of celebrity, this way you are known for what you can do, what talents you have and can show it with a flick of the wrist as opposed to being harbored and pushed around for WHO you are and nothing more. I'm sure celebrity in his time was easier than now, the paparazzi not as intense or pushy, he could hide as he liked and appear when he was ready and wasn't hounded save this overwhelming amount of letters.
But still, if I could ask this dude one thing I would ask him "Why on earth did you keep all that junk mail?"
Although...Andy Warhol kept all his as well, but he did it because he knew that just because it had his name people would swoon and he could call it "art."
Does it really matter, though? Nobody even knows who he is anymore.