I have been called many things in my time, but "hard-ass right wing sorry piece of road kill left in the summer sun, stinking, putrid and maggot ridden" ranks up there among the best.

Fan mail can take many forms. Mostly it`s full of great vengeance and furious anger.

"What is it - are you stuck with permanent PMS or Small Willie Syndrome?`` Jasse from Yorkey`s Knob, no pun intended, wrote.

Speaking of knobs, Ruben from North Cairns sent in a text message saying "King won`t go 2 Sydney `cos there he wouldn`t be noticed, he would be 1 of 1000`s of knobs``.

Gail from Whyanbeel labelled me a "lazy sexist" and Mich from Cairns believes I`m "completely ignorant, short-sighted and narrow minded".

I keep every single note, letter, web comment and email sent in by readers, and they total in the hundreds.

I`m appreciative of the time people take to send them in and I enjoy reading every one of them, including this one from a bloke called "Father Garry".

"Every time we (most of the people with IQ over 50) even see your name we shudder with loathing," he wrote.

"Do you have to try very hard to be so utterly like road kill left in the summer sun, stinking, putrid, maggot ridden, untouchable?

"You`re like poison, filthy words just dribble from your depressing bigoted mind."

Other, more sensitive souls get upset about my columns touching on touchy subjects such as sex.

"I was absolutely disgusted that Gavin King`s editorial was firstly written, yet alone published in a newspaper that is read by people of all ages, including children," Leanne from Mooroobool wrote.

"If newspapers were rated like movies, this editorial alone would have made it into the MA rating, with its sexual references and coarse language.

"If it's any consolation to you, children and morally upstanding elderly folk also read the local newspaper, and are subject to this filth."

Steve from Kewarra Beach cut straight to the chase.

"Subjecting minors to explicit ravings of a sexually deprived lunatic is not on - Gavin King you should be ashamed and then sacked!"

Ron from Mission Beach wondered if I was getting any, well, you know what.

"You know what they say about a man that constantly refers to sex - that it is often indicated as an obsession due to not getting any,`` he reckoned.

"I wouldn't mind betting that is his problem, after all which girl in her right mind would go to bed with a man that is such a waste of space.``

But the topic of politics really gets the readers riled up, and both the Left and Right have expressed their disgust in equal measures.

Labor`s Warren Pitt wrote us a letter saying "there are many unflattering words that could be used to describe a newspaper columnist...unreasonable, unfair and unfit are just a few.``

Former Liberals MP Warren Entsch was also upset I`d had a go at him in the final days of his political career.

"Forgive me if I sound offended that a lazy, opinionated blow-in trying to make a name for himself after five minutes on the job is allowed by his editorial masters to pass off this sort of diatribe as serious political commentary.

"I suggest 'The King' get out of his ivory tower and talk to his 'subjects' a little more if he wants to retain any credibility in this town."

But, as a Kuranda hippy might say, it is important to focus on positive vibes.

So I will end on this bright note from Mayor Val Schier, who sent me an email about a year ago complimenting my work.

"Good on you! I have not read something as clear and direct for a long while," Cr Schier wrote.

"Hope to read some more hard hitting stuff from you."

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