1000 Posts Later: What if I Started a Blog and No One Came?

1000 posts. Really.

I can't believe it either, but I am happy about it.

Some people get to the magic number much sooner then I did. It isn't a feat of quantity for me. What means something to me is that I have consistently blogged for over three years. I admit to missing days here and there and sometimes posting videos or short posts at times but never once do I think I compromised myself just to post. Sometimes there was nothing to say of interest. Other times my life away from my computer took precedence. That is okay in my mind as this blog was never started as a money maker or an attempt at internet domination.

Comics Fairplay came about because I wanted to talk about comics and pop culture without any constraints or pressures. There was also a need in me to have my own home on the 'net. I wanted somewhere I could bring my principles and interests, giving friends and strangers a safe haven to disagree and/or support each other in learning or enjoying a subject. This may seem egotistical, but it really wasn't. It was more about being able to express opinions whenever I felt like it, even if no one came to see them. God knows the DC boards scared me badly so that wasn't an option.

Interestingly, there were not near the number of female bloggers as there are now. The women I looked to back then were Laura at Bloggity-Blog-Blog-Blog and Elayne at Pen-Elayne on the Web. I was fascinated at the way these ladies were able to mix comics and culture with their lives and wanted to find my own way in that grand tradition. A bit later I discovered Heidi MacDonald, whose reporter style caught my attention, first at The Pulse and now at The Beat. These women are very important links on my blog and I continue to visit them daily, enjoying their wisdom and outlooks.

What is ironic is that feminism in comics was not neccesarily the focal point of discussion at any given time, but that female fans had a voice that was unique and visionary (and still do in my humble opinion). Feminists attitudes didn't just happen in the last six months, as is the general consensus. What has happened as that through sites like When Fangirls Attack, Occasional Superheroine, and Sequentially Speaking, the voices have gotten louder as the number of bloggers has increased. There are many more sites now, but these three sites mentioned each have a completely different take on the industry and have garnered a following through their originality and professions. I especially enjoy visiting Lisa and Valerie for their even handed and intelligent take on feminism and the comic book world.

Don't get me wrong though. I am not touting myself as a feminist visionary here. I think that others have done a great deal more then I have in that respect. What I like to try and do is look at things from my perspective and try and appreciate what the opposition thinks even if I don't like it. There have been times that I have been so truly pissed at what I have seen at other sites that it takes everything in me not to jump in the fray. What stops me is that I don't want to lose sight of myself just to prove a point. That is why my "gratuitous" posts are not so much a damning attack as they are a chance for dialogue between men and women from all the angles. Hopefully I can continue that focus and continue to grow in that respect.

Reviews have got to be in my future. I think Augie De Blieck Jr. at CBR's Pipeline makes a great deal of sense when he talks about blogs in general not reviewing like has been done in the past. The pure reviews of yesteryear have certainly got lost along the way here. God knows I pretty much only do "quick takes" anymore and that makes me a bit sad. I have got to get past the "fast food mentality" that permeates my brain and work on my chops. For a long time I reviewed for 4 Color Review and I loved it. Now feels like the time to get back down to business. Cross your fingers for me!

Never in a million years did I think anyone would come to my blog. I just thought it would be this small corner of the universe that gathered cobwebs. Going to the Emerald City Comicon the last two years and having a booth has changed my perspective. It hasn't made me feel any cooler to be sure- I will always be a bit of a dork. What I have loved is meeting new people. Without my blog, I would have never met Laura and her nice hubby and sister, Pamela and Kirk , Dr, Scott and his sweet wife, Swinebread, Shon and Joe, and Brian. I also have made friends with many of my fellow bloggers- John, Eaglewing, Mark, Lisa, Nick, Vaklam, Elayne, Lea, Devon, RAB, Redhead Fangirl, Shelly, Britt, Melchior, and Loren. I know I am missing someone... crap!! Please forgive me any omissions as I am not as young as I used to be. Heh.

Rather then sit and talk about myself anymore, let me just say "thank you" and tell you how much I appreciate everyone that has ever come here. My blog is not a "top site" or a big hit getter, but I have fun and I have met and talked to the nicest folks I could have ever hoped to meet. For that I am eternally grateful.

On that note, cheers! Here is to 1000 more posts of good times and good friends!