I would like to refer to something that I had written five years ago, a couple of lines.

On the question of criticism, I had explored four or five alternative tasks that the critic

can undertake and had said finally that the essential duty of the modern critic is, I believe,

the frank articulation of his own response

how does the picture function as an active agent in his own emotional and intellectual life

and then I went on now suppose he tells you the next question is who cares and a few days after this was published, I met a couple of friends, artists actually,

who were delighted with those two words, the most useful words they've ever seen in any

art criticism, because that's really it. Who cares? Nobody cares what the critic claims.

Well, I didn't think they had quite got my point because they had stopped reading.

The next sentence said, it is indeed a very fruitful question and deserves more space than I have left this month.

And I never went back to the problem.

This is four or five years ago.

But the answer, also a two-word answer, I had ready up my sleeve, and I would still use

it now.

I still believe in it.

The answer to the question he cares, surprisingly enough, in my opinion, is nearly everybody.

Okay out there at Marvel and Facefront, this is Stan Lee speaking.

Hey, who made you with this, Jackie Lee?

Well, well, Jolly Jack Kirby.

By the way, Jack, the readers have been complaining about Sue's hairdo again.

What am I supposed to do?

Do you a hairdresser?

...