Bongo Blog

(originally published in Simpsons Comics #202)

Calling All Readers!

“So, Louis…what’s new at work?” is a question I get asked all the time. Usually, I’ve got my nose pressed to the proverbial grindstone along with everyone else at the Bongo office in an effort to get the latest comic delivered to the printer, so it can be kind of tough coming up with an answer that entices and delights the casual comic book fan. Of course, if you’re actually reading this Bongo Beat, I’d say you’re a bona fide, dyed-in-the-wool Bongo Superfan. And that’s exactly the kind of fans we like!

If you’ve been along on this crazy ride for the last two decades, or even if you’re just now discovering what all the hubbub is about, we’d love to hear from you. We reinstated the long-defunct fan mail column “Junk Mail” about a year ago, and we couldn’t be happier with all the positive response. That being said, we want more! More, I say! 

Your carefully-worded cards, delightful drawings, delirious doodlings, relevant rants, raucous ravings, opulent origami, shocking sketches, pen pal pontifications, miraculous manifestos, ecstatic essays, and pie-in-the-sky punditry are what keeps us going as the day winds down and the sun sets over the Pacific. We may still be stuck inside the offices, putting those final touches on the inevitable Mr. Teeny One-Shot Wonder, but just knowing that the greatest fans in the world are waiting patiently out there keeps us going just a little bit longer. Well, that and a boatload of coffee. (Hey! Did you know a “boatload” is an actual unit of measure observed by the Maritime Council of Weights and Measures?* Neither did I!)

Bongo fans really care about their “Simpsons” and “Futurama,” that’s for sure. Our letters page is a great place to share your thoughts both with us and your fellow Bongoheads! We love getting your letters! So now it’s Bongo’s turn to ask you, “What’s new?”

* I made that up. It’s late and sometimes we get a little loopy.

By Boothby, Ortiz, DeCarlo

Homer’s lifelong dream of becoming his own boss comes true at last, but his new boss is a lot harder on him than he ever imagined. And while it is all work and no play, Homer spends less time with his family, which becomes surprisingly difficult for both Bart and Grampa.

By Coldplay, Osborne, Haggerty, Fuentes, Hamaker

The rock ‘n’ roll saga of Mylo Xyloto continues, as Major Minus perfects his plan for a mind-blowing power grab for ultimate control over the citizens of Silencia. Meanwhile, the mysterious Fly ignites a spark in Mylo, introducing him to a new universe of unimaginable possibilities. However, Mylo’s newfound freedom and bonds of loyalty may very well be put to the test sooner than he expects.