Hi, great admirer of your work. A quick word from a cowardly contestant. I joined blockading the Convention Center around 12:15pm during my lunch break from working at a hospital within walking distance. I arrived minutes after the tear gas, I could smell it as I got closer, a good directional aid, looking at people strewn aside with red, weepy eyes,swollen faces and a dazed look of confusion. I could go on, however my short note would soon become a narrative, lengthy story-it was however a defining moment of the '90s. I believe the anarchists got it right, without their help, localand national media would have paid a 30 second look, never viewing the brutality and bravery. Anyway, if you're interested I can tell you more. Thanks, and keep up the good work.
***
Subject:
Wow.
You said everything I wanted to say about the Battle of Seattle in your
recent comic for Salon.com.
I had friends there and I couldn't believe the brutality of the police.
I
saw a 30 minute-video, called 'N30', of the first of tear gassing and
rubber
bullets, and I was appalled. Thank you for keeping this gory scene
within
the realm of debate. We *CANNOT* forget what happened and what we have
to
discuss with our politicians and leaders. And nothing better than the
satirists of today to make sure the situation is not overlooked or
ignored
by the media the powers-that-be.
***
Subject: new millenium
Hey Tom, I don't often write fan mail, but your drawing on 12/20 in
Salon has sent me directly to the keyboard. I recall telling my wife
about a week before the WTO meeting, "Wouldn't it be great if thousands
of people took to the streets of Seattle and had a good old-fashioned
battle the cops demonstration?" Wellll,
whadaya know...dreams still can come true.
I always enjoy your strip, but this one was outstanding. Keep on keepin
on ....
***
Subject: today's strip in Salon
Tom --
thanks for lots of laughs etc. over the years. One thing jumped out
at me
about Seattle and the strip: "...it made a difference...the media were
forced to address issues they had previously swept under the rug, to
explain
why anyone could possibly be opposed to unfettered..."
I felt that what we saw was a magnificent example of the progressive
viewpoint being trivialized, since the focus was all on store windows
being
smashed and business disrupted. I watch very little TV news, but even
on
NPR I didn't hear much substantive discussion of enviornmental laws
being
ratcheted down to lowest common denominator, etc.
If I were a global plutocrat I would have perceived a brilliant
opportunity to hire some stooges, agents provocateurs, to go around
vandalizing and disgrace the people who had something to say. It's a
classic move in the intelligence community, probably exactly what
happened.
***
Subject: Salon Dec 20, "Happy New Millenium"
Dear Mr. Tomorrow:
There "is" something fundamentally wrong with things. I was beginning
to
think it was just my limited perception until I read This Modern World
in
Salon on Monday, Dec 20. I live in Canada; you know, the greatest place
in
the world to live according to the UN. All the political players here
continually spout how great it is but still the food banks grow, laws
are
passed against panhandling and squegeers and education and medicare are
stripped of funding. I see the international connections. Seattle is a
watershed. A group I support, the Council of Canadians, was well
represented there. MAI and WTO have been on their list for a long time.
The website is: www.canadians.org.
Thank you for your brave (and succinct!) comics. I hope you have a
Happy
New Millenium too.
***
Subject: Wait until Tomorrow
Hi Tom,
Can you please quit carping on the WTO debacle? I think you 're
catching
on a bit late. If all you want to do is to pat some protesters on their
backs, then you 've done it. SO lets move on please.
***
Subject: This Modern World.... 12/22/99
I think this particular strip will possibly be the best gift I'll get
this year!
This and the Seattle Computer-cam news broadcasts that were getting
100,000 hits on the Web.
Think the "media elite" will have a good yawn over those ????
Keep up the noise.
A big fan
***
Subject:
Dear Mr. Perkins,
I'm a college student and would-be cartoonist who wants to give a brief
comment on your last few T.M.W's. I don't usually write fan mail but I
wanted to give my appreciation of your cartoons focussing on the WTO.
You
succinctly summed up what the general pressed missed about why people
came
to Seattle to protest, and did it with great wit and style. I've always
enjoyed your work, and upon coming home from Seattle it was a great joy
to
find out you'd trained your keen eye on the World Trade Organization and
the
demonstrations ("Who wants to be a Billionaire" was brilliant). Its been
weeks since I got back from Seattle but the events of that week still
ring
through my brain, its gratifying that so many overcame ignorance and
apathy
to take part, and your most recent "millenium" cartoon is a great
challenge
to all of us to keep doing so. Best wishes to you, keep up the great
work!
***
Subject: Dec 20th 'comic'
Dear Mr. Tomorrow,
I just read your December 20th cartoon on the WTO, the elite and the
protests in Seattle, and I have to say:
*Bravo*
I have read more uplifting, inspiring leftist articles, commentaries,
etc.
in the past few weeks than I have in the past few *months* in
preparation
for the Millennium and in hopes that the People will find their voice
once
again and take stand for what is theirs, and for what is right.
Your voice is a clear and beautiful bell ringing true amidst clouds of
corporate media static, and I just wanted to write you today to thank
you
for voicing yourself through fantastic wit and satire. :) You are
greatly
appreciated, and I look forward to reading more in the future.
***
Subject: No Subject
Do you honesty believe that that incident in Seattle represents a
serious
shift in American thought? Free trade is the way of the future, and
there's
not a thing you can do about it.
***
Subject: 700 club and wto
I'm sure it must be a pain in the ass having readers send in suggestions
about comics, but I happened to see something on the 700 Club today
(december 28) that seemed to be of enough interest to pass along. Gordon
Robertson (Pat's son) linked the violence in professional wrestling to
the
"violence" of the WTO demonstrations, and then pointed out how he had no
idea why anybody would demonstrate against a mere "trade
organization"....
Coming from Canada, I really didn't watch much WTO coverage on the
American
networks, so I didn't know exactly how bad it was. I know you've done a
few
strips lately that dealt with the WTO, but I thought that was worth
passing
on.
***
Subject: WTO Strips
Yeah, it was a miracle, wasn't it, Mr. Perkins? Here in Chicago we had
all these mainstream columnists poo-poohing the demonstrations, saying
that all the matter of kook was out there, that none of the people knew
the
issues, etc. These same yahoos have been kvetching for ages about the
apathy of the citizenry. Believe me, my little fingers were tired from
all the vicious e-mails I was sending out to all these people.
***
Subject: http://www.salon.com/comics/tomo/1999/12/20/tomo/index.html
Howdy-
I just wanted to drop you a note thanking you for your spectacular
comic.
A co-worker of mine posted a print-out of your 12-20-99 comic on the
wall
of her cubicle, which got me thinking about the fact that, when it comes
to how I feel about the world, I talk the talk but don't really walk the
walk.
In short, congratulations on having become a widely-read voice of an
underrepresented opinion. You are having a positive effect, and please
keep up the good work.
***
Subject: WTO demos
I hate the little shits from Eugene who were up there breaking windows.
But - would there have been as much coverage without them ?
I am not sure how the average American perceived all this.
I swallowed all of Clinton's pushing NAFTA until I went to El Paso and a
Mexican-American gentleman explained the maquiladoras to me. It's
different when it's being gestured to a mile away.
Aside from that, keep up the good work.
It's actually fairly amazing that you are published, speaking about
matters of substance.
***
Subject: tom tomorrow
I just wanted to drop you a short line and tell you how much I loved
your
comic strip about the protests in seattle and the corporate problem. I
was
just sent it by a friend that was there with me! If you want to get
involved
with some protesting of capitolism....let your anger out on May 1st.
There'll be a bunch of different locations around the world where people
will
be using the May Day week to show more opposition and get more wide
spread
awareness. I think you can find out about some of the schedules on this
site
= www.50years.org.
Just incase you were interested! :)
Take care!
Date: Mon, 20 Dec 1999 12:27:53 -0500
Date: Mon, 20 Dec 1999 12:20:39 -0800
Date: Mon, 20 Dec 1999 14:56:17 -0800
Date: Tue, 21 Dec 1999 01:29:49 -0500
Date: Tue, 21 Dec 1999 15:15:37 -0500
Date: Wed, 22 Dec 1999 13:26:04 -0500
Date: Sun, 26 Dec 1999 12:12:04 PST
Date: Mon, 27 Dec 1999 12:59:56 PST
*Bravo*
*Bravo!!*
Date: Tue, 28 Dec 1999 02:46:55 EST
Date: Tue, 28 Dec 1999 12:28:18 PST
Date: Sat, 1 Jan 2000 15:38:58 -0800
Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 06:39:56 +0000 ( )
Date: Sat, 25 Dec 1999 04:50:06 +0000
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 23:59:42 EST