A Farewell Message From Michael Vance
I grew up in the 1950s in a small town of about 12,000 to 15,000 people named Seminole in Oklahoma. Among the first things I began to read on my own were comic strips and comic books.
I have loved the artform almost all of my life, and it was Alley Oop, Captain Easy, Superman and Herbie, among many other titles, that inspired me to become a writer. That’s why it’s difficult to say goodbye.
In my life, I was blessed with the opportunity to write many columns about comics, publish many interviews with comics writers and artists, write a history book about the artform, and found the Oklahoma Cartoonists Collection inside the Toy and Action Figure Museum in Paul’s Valley, Oklahoma.
I also created this column.
On February of 1989, I wrote: “The truth, however, is that there are comics for adults, and they are capable of looking profoundly into the human condition”, and Suspended Animation was born.
I also wrote: “The purpose of this new weekly column is to review the best and worst in comics. We will review comics written and drawn solely to entertain as well as comics with political, religious, and philosophical slants”.
In February of 2009, I will have gladly done so for twenty years. At that time, I will retire from Suspended Animation.
At the height of its popularity, it was published in dozens of newspapers and magazines, featured on more than one hundred websites, and read by four million folks interested in comics.
It’s been a blast.
Suspended Animation will continue under the capable pen of current co-author and comics fan Mark Allen.
I thank the readers of this column for allowing me to write about a first love, and thank Mark for continuing the weekly column.
See ya in the funny pages.
Michael Vance
Check out Dark Corridor #1 for two Michael Vance short stories at www mainenterprises.ecrater.com.
Interested in the exciting Oklahoma Cartoonists Collection? Try www.fourcolorcommentary.com and www.youtube.com/watch ?v=eCARtM5BvvU.
