A couple of days ago I posted Joe Simon’s open letter to Marvel Comics. Gerard Jones posted a response in the comment section of that post. To make things easier for the reader here is Gerard Jones comment:
Harry:
Thanks very much for posting this. Joe has certainly earned the right to tell me (or anyone else) that Im full of shitand Im sorry if I gave offense or got things wrong. I actually made repeated efforts to contact Joe about this issue when I was writing my book but I was told he couldnt or wouldnt talk about it (I assumed for legal reasons). Im doing my best here to piece the truth together from whats available, and any more information would be very much appreciated. Whatever helps us get closer to the truth. Many of my most valuable learning experiences have followed someone telling me (if not in exactly those words) that Im full of shit.
Thanks again,
Gerry Jones
I passed on Gerry’s response to Joe and have recieved from him the following:
Dear Jerry:
I apologize for the crude remark. I was annoyed by your statement that there was no information ever about the royalty history. Actually, I have no record of you ever checking with me or with the Kirby family. If so, you would have known that there were papers and notified letters confirming our position, some from Morris Coyne, the chief accountant of Timely who told his story backing up Simon and Kirby.I loved the Masterworks book but my problem with all of them is the dust cover or introductions are mostly pure fiction. The collectors need more and deserve more research . As a journalist you should do more of this .
Thank you for your controlled reply.
Joe SimonThe material from Mister Coyne was presented at the recent legal circus where Marvel Sued Simon, not the other way around. There were other affidavits
Hello Joe:
Thanks very much for the quick response. I should have been clearer–my efforts to contact you, through your son Jim, were during the research for my book, Men of Tomorrow, back in 2002 and 2003. I think that may have been during your litigation with Marvel and not a time you could talk about any of this. The Masterworks intro was basically a reworking of parts of that book. Since the book came out four years ago and no one ever disputed that part of it, I’m afraid I moved that into the “I guess I got that part right” category in my brain.
You’re right, though, I would have done better to try again to check into all this. I apologize for that. I will be writing more on the subject, including (I hope) another revision of Men of Tomorrow. I’d love to talk to you further about this and try to get the record straight.
My best to you and my thanks for everything you’d contributed to comics.
Gerry Jones
Harry, Based on what i’ve read on your excellent blog, I think we see pretty much eye to eye on Golden Age reprints, and how they should be done. Joe says that the new Golden Age Captain America vol. is something to be proud of. I haven’t seen it, but find this very difficult to belive. What is your own opinion of the reproduction quality of thisa book. Please keep in mind I’m looking very closely at line weight. Pat Ford
As I wrote recently I am no longer buying Masterwork volumes. The only chance I had to examine the Cap #2 Masterworks was over Joe’s place and even then it was a brief look. My impression is that it was very much like the first volume. Considering the results of comparing past Masterworks with the original comics, I am dubious on how accurate the line art is.
Frankly Joe does not look at the art of these volumes (or any other) that closely. He mainly judges the books by the quality of the printing, the paper, the colors and the overall look. Not on how accurately the original art was restored. I have always resisted the temptation to show him a comparison of some of the recreations done on his own art.
Harry