Burke's letters were quite popular among readers as well as editors, and he wrote prolifically to a diverse number of comic publishing companies and titles. Burke originally signed his letters as "The Mad Maple," but Marvel Comics editor Tom DeFalco abbreviated it to "T.M. Maple" to make it sound like a real name (thus circumventing a new policy at the company to stop printing letters submitted under pseudonyms).[2] Burke took a liking to the new name and began using it exclusively (including variations like "Theodore Maddox Maplehurst") until 1988, when in Scott McCloud's Zot! #21 he revealed his real name.[2] At around the same time, he also revealed his real name in a letter to Action Comics Weekly #615.[3]
Starting in 1986, Burke wrote a column called "The Canuck Stops Here" in the fanzine It's a Fanzine.[4] With artist/publisher Allen Freeman, Burke co-created the superhero Captain Optimist and wrote five issues of the series.[4][5]
After Burke died of a heart attack in 1994,[6] he was eulogized in a number of letter columns published by DC Comics, the company he probably wrote to most prolifically.
In tribute to Burke, the St. Paul, Minnesota, comic book convention FallCon holds all of its guest panel presentations in the "TM Maple Edutorium."[7]
In 2014, the Joe Shuster Awards inaugurated the T. M. Maple Award, in recognition of someone from the "Canadian comics community for achievements made outside of the creative and retail categories who had a positive impact on the community."[8] The first recipients of the award were Burke himself (posthumously) and Debra Jane Shelly.[8]
Referencesedit
Notesedit
^"Petition for the Return of the Letters Page!" Newsarama (Nov. 10, 2006). Accessed Sept. 28, 2008
^ abcCronin, Brian. "Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed" #92, Comic Book Resources (Mar. 1, 2007). Accessed Sept. 27, 2008.
^Action Comics Weekly #615 (DC Comics, August 30, 1988).
^ abKleefeld, Sean (2009). Comic Book Fanthropology. Eight Twenty Press. p. 142. ISBN978-0-615-33616-9.
maple, maple, 1956, 1994, pseudonym, burke, canadian, wrote, more, than, letters, comic, book, letter, columns, between, 1977, 1994, burke, letters, were, quite, popular, among, readers, well, editors, wrote, prolifically, diverse, number, comic, publishing, c. T M Maple c 1956 1 1994 was the pseudonym of Jim Burke a Canadian who wrote more than 3 000 letters to comic book letter columns between 1977 and 1994 2 Burke s letters were quite popular among readers as well as editors and he wrote prolifically to a diverse number of comic publishing companies and titles Burke originally signed his letters as The Mad Maple but Marvel Comics editor Tom DeFalco abbreviated it to T M Maple to make it sound like a real name thus circumventing a new policy at the company to stop printing letters submitted under pseudonyms 2 Burke took a liking to the new name and began using it exclusively including variations like Theodore Maddox Maplehurst until 1988 when in Scott McCloud s Zot 21 he revealed his real name 2 At around the same time he also revealed his real name in a letter to Action Comics Weekly 615 3 Starting in 1986 Burke wrote a column called The Canuck Stops Here in the fanzine It s a Fanzine 4 With artist publisher Allen Freeman Burke co created the superhero Captain Optimist and wrote five issues of the series 4 5 After Burke died of a heart attack in 1994 6 he was eulogized in a number of letter columns published by DC Comics the company he probably wrote to most prolifically Contents 1 Tributes 2 References 2 1 Notes 2 2 Sources consulted 3 External linksTributes editIn tribute to Burke the St Paul Minnesota comic book convention FallCon holds all of its guest panel presentations in the TM Maple Edutorium 7 In 2014 the Joe Shuster Awards inaugurated the T M Maple Award in recognition of someone from the Canadian comics community for achievements made outside of the creative and retail categories who had a positive impact on the community 8 The first recipients of the award were Burke himself posthumously and Debra Jane Shelly 8 References editNotes edit Petition for the Return of the Letters Page Newsarama Nov 10 2006 Accessed Sept 28 2008 a b c Cronin Brian Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed 92 Comic Book Resources Mar 1 2007 Accessed Sept 27 2008 Action Comics Weekly 615 DC Comics August 30 1988 a b Kleefeld Sean 2009 Comic Book Fanthropology Eight Twenty Press p 142 ISBN 978 0 615 33616 9 Captain Optimist 1 Fan Atic Press 1986 Cronin Brian 29 March 2019 Remembering the Thoughtful Letters to Comic Books by T M Maple CBR Retrieved 22 September 2023 T M Maple tribute page at Sequential Canadian Comics News amp Culture Jan 23 2007 Accessed Sept 28 2008 a b New award for 2014 T M Maple Award Joe Shuster Awards website Accessed June 30 2014 Sources consulted edit Cronin Brian Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed 92 Comic Book Resources Mar 1 2007 T M Maple interview David Anthony Kraft s Comics Interview no 24 Sequential s archive of the message board thread T M Maple Anyone ever meet the guy The Comics Journal message board Dec 11 2006 External links editT M Maple tribute page at Sequential Canadian Comics News amp Culture Jan 23 2007 T M Maple Memorial Leaf Pit at the Wayback Machine archived June 8 2007 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title T M Maple amp oldid 1215854954, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
