Corben Mail from Den [III] #2 (1988)

Den [III] #2 (Aug. 1988). 10 issue series during 1988-1989. Fantagor Press. 6-3/4″x10-3/8″. $2.00. 36 pages. Covers: glossy color. Guts: glossy color on white. Entire contents, © 1988 (#1-#4), © 1989 (#5-#10): Richard Corben. [id]

Inside front cover

Infobox

Den 2. Den is published bimonthly by Fantagor Press, a division of Corben Studios: P.O. Box 8632, Kansas City, MO, 64114.
Den, Reveries in Cragor, is copyright © 1988 by Richard Corben and Simon Revelstroke.
The Martian Wars – Air War Command is copyright © 1988 by Stan Dresser.
[There was an andditional word on the title, “Flies”, on the comic story’s title frame.].
The entire contents is copyright © 1988 by Richard Corben. Any similarity between names, characters, persons or institutions in this comic book and those of any real persons or institutions is coincidental.

Credits

Credits:
Den, Reveries in Cragor Written by Richard Corben and Simon Revelsrtoke, drawn and colored by Corben.
[Pay attention, in this issue Richard Corben put his own name as an author before Simon’s.]

The Martian Wars – Air War Written, drawn and colored by Stan Dresser.

Mail order and general support by Dona Corben.

Mail [#1]

Here’s some letters.

Dear Mr. Corben:

Fantagor Press‘ Den 1 was beautifully done. It seems that you have opted to let the qualities of the medium of pen & ink show through: a “crisp edge” between figure and background, and a less gradual, “dramatic,” depicition of the shadows within the figure itself. The figures themselves reminded me of your early artwork in the early 1970’s. While the rendition of the stky often seemed to be crafted in the manner much like the first few episodes of Den. Such a conjoining of styles “of the early and the later Corben.” I found to be a highly satisfying visual experince.

Although there were a few subtle hints in previous episodes of Den (such as exclamations of the name “Great Uluhtc,” hinting, perhaps, that “Great Cthulhu” could possibly be the referred to), I was still surprised, and pleasantly so, by the explict depicition of a Lovecraftian monster (the Shoggoth). To my delight, it was faithfully modeled after Lovecraft’s description of this entity in his novel At the Mountains of Madness. With its semi-translucent form and its multitude of eyes, mouths, and appendages constantly forming and reforming. I had never seen it drawn so vividly until I came across yours in this lates issues of Den. I hope I will have the pleasure of seeing some of my other friends of the Cthulhu mythos rendered by your masterful hand.

Rodolfo Ferraresi
Monmouth Junction, NU

Both Simon Revelstroke and I are fans of Lovecraft’s stories. Many writers have borrowed from each other’s mythical universes. This is not meant to be a theft of their works, but more of a salute between comrades of the same profession. Of course, I’ve never met nor written to Lovecraft during his lifetime, but I love his stories and Simon and I included this reference as a statement of admiration.

Dear Mr Corben:

It’s good to see Den back in action again. Living as I do in the north woods, I only come across your comics once in a great while. That made it a treat to find Den 1 while looking through a book/comic store while visiting Duluth.

Do you plan on issuing a book version of the latest Den series as was done with Neverwhereand Muvovum? I don’t know about this Revelstroke character. He seems to be of the same ilk as Cordwainer Bird and Jack Martin: rather suspicious characters.

Scott Wyatt
Bemidji, MN

Confidentially, I have my suspicions about S.R. also.

Publishing a full color book is very expensive. And since the length of this Den series is now projected to around 160 pages, the retail price would be around $20. My business associates and I decided that sales at that price would be way under 5000 and so it would not be a good business venture.

Dear Rich Corben,

Both CoF and RiT were very good. The art was stupendous. The only problem I had with both of them are the shirts are always ripping, tantalizing and reader to jump in the comic and tear her shirt off. Don’t do that!!! I, like other teenagers, love t&a. Either please show it, but whatever you do don’t tease us. I am very happy about your work being easier to get to. (Do you realize how hard it is to collect a full stories in early Heavy Metals?) But at the same time I wish that there was more of the main story in each issue. Ah well, your stuff is still excellent.

Matt Lowe
Los Angeles, CA

P.S. What did happen between you and Heavy Metal?

P.P.S. Why did you say the characters are supposed to look familiar?

When I had Kil’s shirt nearly ripped off her, the idea wasn’t to tease the reader but to make a slightly sarcastic statement about sexism in the media. It should have been obvious that Kil didn’t have any chest development and if she did lose her shirt, she would have looked as much like a guy as with it on.

I probably like nudes as much or more than anybody, but there is a lot of pressure against using them. Some comic deistributor’s and retailers won’t carry adult material, and those that do have to hide them away. This translates into bad sales and a comic with no profits. Hey, a torn shirt is no more of a tease than a bikini or a low cut dress, both common fare in the media.

I think you’re reading Den for the wrong reason. Any suggestions of sexual activity in the new Den story will be very toned down from the earlier books.

Heavy Metal magazine introduced slick and more adult comics to a wider American audience. I was very happy to be a part of that. But eventually I felt out of place in a magazine that tried to appeal to such a large and diverse range of tastes. So when the opportunity came to produce and publish my own comics, I jumped at it.

As to story length, Den 1 had 28 pages, Den 2 had 25 and future Den comics will average around 20 pages with a balance of new and old back up features by Corben and other cartoonists.

Readers who have seen For Love of a Daemon in an old Fantagor comic must recognize a similarity between those characters and Zeg and Zomuk in Children of Fire.

Letters continued on inside back cover.

Inside back cover

Mail [#2]

Letters continued from inside front cover.

Hello Richard Corben,

Just this Friday I bought Den 1 (thought, I did see the preview in CBG #760 and must say t looks much better in color). As always can be expected from a Corben comic, the art was fantastic. The new coloring system is fine. I thought the color was better in Children of Firebut that may be because I like your sunrises and sunsets more than your night scenes rather than preferring the old coloring system, either way the difference in my admiration of the art is slight.

The storyitself was action filled and exciting, yet it could have done more in the area of character development. For new readers of Den, like me, it really didn’t do more than introduce the characters and jump to the action. So far the basic appeal to the comic is to see how Den can kill his opponent, not a horrible feature but far from the only ingredient to hold an intelligent reader’s attention. Never fear, I find that you take an issue to really get started, so I’m sure the best is yet to come and I shall know a great deal about Den before all is done.

Mr. Revelstroke’s scripting is good, a little too high sounding for me, but basically fine, except the captions which I think need some work. I have no problems with the content, at present, there are scenes description of the action, where they function to allow florid observations on the action, or where they are absent during the action. It’s all a bit erratic, or at least I cannot find why it is one way one place and another way another place.

As for The Martian War, I didn’t really like and didn’t really not like it. I’m just sort of blah about it. If other readers like it, I don’t mind it being in the book as long as it doesn’t take up more than a few pages.

Looking through letter page, all the letter writers, except for Tony Adam if I construe his statements correctly, are old readers of yours. In the last letter I sent to you, I wrote I was sure you had a large body of new fans. Is it that younger readers don’t write or you just prefer the letters of the older readers? If it is the former I request my peer to write in. One of the reasons I’m writing is to help make a more balance ratio between Corben veterans and new-comers in the letter column. Oh, one more question about the readers. All the letter writers are male. Do you know if there are many female Corben followers? Just wondering.

David Eric Barnes
Virginia Beach, VA

I don’t know what the ratio is of older to new Corben readers but I would guess there are probably more new readers. I say this because I’ve appeared sporadically in different magazines and this would limit the number to a few who are willing to search me out. But most of the letters come from the veterans. They must be a more vocal group. I pick letters based on their interesting comments, pro or con.

There’s a surface level of sexism in my art that turns many females away, but it’s not extreme or controversial enough for me to recieve any fiery letters about it.

Mr. Corben,

I’ve got all of CoF and I’m very happy that you reprinted some of the oldies. Without that, a yong’n such as myself might not have been enlightened to your excellent work. Iespecially enjoyed Razar the Unhero and Kittens for Christian.

I am, however, writing mainly about Den i that I just read. I could be wrong, but I seem to remember a mail order company which said your Den comic would be mro, but in Den 1 you have no nudity (altough Den and his associates were naked throughout the entire co), and no profanity to speak of. Plus in an and for Den 2 it ways “no naughty bits!” did i err?

Either way Den is excellent. The Martian War – Tank Command by Dresser was very well drawn and looked to be heavily influenced by Bode’s Wizard’s lizard… a plot and decent writer would have helped though.

Before I finish I’d also like to say that Vic and Blood was better than the Watchmen and would be as highly acclaimed if there were more than just two issues.

Rob Northrup
Chelsea, MI

On the original solicitation for Den, I said it would be for mature readers but without forbidden material. Your mail order company probably missed that subtle point.

Next issue

Look for Den 3 in October, our formerly muscular hero gets down to business. He realizes Kath is not dead but very much alive wandering through the Northern deserts. Den seeks to learn the details through lusque, a metaphysical visionary. His resove is tested the deadly house of silence.

Don’t miss it! Subscribe to issue 3 through 5 for $5.50.