Letters

I've always used the comic section of newspapers to gauge the humor sophistication of a given area or readership. If JHP wants easily digestible and easily understood comics for the Wonder bread crowd, I recommend Family Circus, Peanuts, Garfield or any of the other vast masses of (un)"funny" and "coincidental" mainstream crap.

As long as New Times continues to carry strips like Red Meat, The Quigmans, This Modern World and Life in Hell, I will continue to be a happy camper (customer).

Dave Saker
Phoenix

I'm amused at letters from people trashing one thing or another who lack the courage to sign their real names (JHP, for example). Since I moved to the Valley six years ago, I have picked up New Times religiously each week. Before flipping to the concert and club sections, I take a minute to read Max Cannon's comic strip.

Personally, I think Red Meat is great. Cannon's humor is on the twisted side. I've never met another human being who wasn't a little twisted in his or her own way. As easy as it is to get wrapped up in the "seriousness" of life, I find it refreshing to sit back and laugh at myself.

Phoenix is one of the fastest-growing cities in America. I think that the only way to cope with these rapid-growing pains is to respect, encourage and love one another. As an artist, I think it's really important that we support one another locally, regardless of whether the work is what we're into personally. Face it, without the arts (and the whole creative process in general), what kind of bland, expressionless existence would we have to look forward to?

Amber Dias
Scottsdale

Music Dial
Kate Lincoln Heyn complains (Letters, June 26) that the Arizona Republic doesn't promote performances of the Phoenix Symphony until after the fact, and her interest in concerts is aroused "a day late." Has it ever occurred to her that she could call the symphony office directly and request an official brochure, listing the dates, times and guest artists for the entire nine-month season? It's difficult for me to believe that she, as a professional musician, would rely on the Republic as her sole source of classical-music information and enlightenment in the Valley.

Marilyn Titschinger
via Internet

Correction
The July 24 issue erroneously reported that Murray Miller represented former governor Evan Mecham in a criminal trial. Miller represented Mecham at his impeachment trial.