Strip Down

Bed, bath and beyond: Allie Johnson’s “A Nasty Rumor” (April 24) needs clarification. Apparently this was a slow news week for the Pitch, as the actual event happened on August 10, 2002.

Reports indicated that it was a stripper party that fronted for an AIDS fund-raiser. The party allegedly turned into an all-out orgy. There were several complaints verbalized to me. A close friend said that she had several friends that went to the same party. The friends reported to her about the unsafe sexual activities there. Many other gripes came from the lesbians who were in attendance. I also spoke with Mr. Ernest Williams, coordinator of the KC Ryan White Project. He also agreed that he “had also heard the nasty rumors about the party.”

It is also very evident that the Pitch and others are always bringing up the “mysterious” bath-club fire of December 15, 1995. If you want the whole story and the truth about that subject, please see: http://mothersempire.tripod.com. You not only have my permission to publish my e-book; I dare you to publish my e-book address.

If we are going to have liar’s week, then we had better declare it. Then everyone can have a chance to lie. To err is human. To forgive divine. And who has the videotape of their fearless leader butt-naked on stage?

James Nile

Kansas City, Missouri

No Laughing Matter

Drawn out: When I read Casey Logan and Gina Kaufmann’s “Action Heroes” (April 24), I was surprised to see my competitor’s son personally attacking me. I would have appreciated a chance to rebut some of his more inaccurate statements.

Jim says he rejected my first offer to buy Clint’s “because it was so ridiculously low it wasn’t funny.” Two days after the article appeared, Jim’s lawyer sent me a letter “accepting my offer” of $100K. Jim should know, since it was reported in the Star years ago, that my initial offer was superseded by a lower one after B-Bop opened.

I am concerned that Jim will try to misrepresent the Pitch piece to foist his sinking ship on an unsophisticated investor at an unrealistic price. The Pitch reported “my offer to buy Clint’s still stands,” but that is an expression of interest, not a restatement of a four-year-old offer. Obviously, any offer will have to be based on a current assessment of value, including things like tax returns and financial records, which, on April 30, their attorney wouldn’t/couldn’t provide.

To Jenn Johnson, who couldn’t find any Sandman merchandise in Clint’s, I say, come across the street. Since opening day, we have kept every Sandman book in stock. We also have Sandman T-shirts, back issues and a special hardcover signed by the author with an original drawing by the artist (one of three stores in the United States that has this book). We have similar selections of both new and out-of-print work by hundreds of other top creators. And we won’t leer at you — women are a large part of our customer base.

B-Bop is doing its part to ensure that one day, when the transitory concerns of two guys at Westport and Main are long forgotten, the current renaissance of comics will be recognized worldwide.

Frank Mangiaracina, Owner, B-Bop Comics, Games & Anime

Kansas City, Missouri

Panel discussion: Regarding Gina Kaufmann and Casey Logan’s “Action Heroes”: Loved the article. The funny part is, I’m one of those folks who has pretty much been going into Clint’s every Wednesday out of loyalty and have always wondered what the deal was with the place across the street.

Also, I’d like to know how to get in touch with the KC Comic Coalition. Thanks.

Skip Godley

Kansas City, Missouri

Editor’s note: The Comic Creators’ Network of Kansas City is online at www.kcccn.com.

Bird of Praise

Six degrees of separation: I just read Deb Hipp’s piece about Peregrine Honig and the Fahrenheit Gallery (“Panty Raider,” April 3). I thought she did a wonderful job in depicting this young, hip and sometimes outspoken pillar of Kansas City’s booming art community.

I have never met Peregrine but will someday, I’m sure. I have heard lots about her — you know how it is, a friend of a friend sort of thing. I think it’s great to let people read about the artist behind the artist and hear what they are really about.

There are some great artists in KC, and it’s great that some are starting to get the credit they deserve. Stories like this one do such a great thing for us in the artistic community.

Jeff Blascyk

Kansas City, Missouri

Play Acting

Character study: In a fantastic nod toward the Coterie Young Playwriter’s Roundtable (“Play School,” May 1), I only found one flaw. Steve Walker mentions that “nobody flinches about portraying its characters,” when speaking about the two pieces that included homosexuality. The comment floored me, since the Coterie is indeed an open-minded organization as much as the students are.

The major issue is not that we are open-minded but that the fact that we did not flinch when playing homosexual characters is simply superfluous. When is the world going to finally understand that sexuality makes no more of a difference than gender, race, class or the size shoe that one wears?

Monique Gabrielle Maes

Overland Park