Friday, July 25, 2008

Blogoversary- Four Years of Joy, Tears, and Love!


Today is my four year blogoversary. I can hardly believe that time has gone so quickly! It seems like just yesterday that I started on my journey here. It feels good to know that I am still here, and I am especially humbled by the many friends I have made here. I cherish and respect you all!

Thank you for all your input and support. Without the positive feedback and the dialogue, I might have just faded away. There were moments when the occasional burnout would set in, and I feel lucky to have great friends that pulled me back. It is the reason I continue, along with my incessant need to wonder why things are not working at times, and to complain about the industry not using the business model I think they should!

On that note, I am going to sit and reflect a bit. The evolution of my blog has been interesting to say the least. What I felt was more of a pop culture site has at times been a path for my feminine (feminist or not) musings. I have tried to figure out how to fix things. It has also been a sounding board to folks with similar interests. It certainly hasn't been the same old grind (for me) even though I was called predictable a time or too. A person just has to roll with those moments!

To this day, I wish I did more reviews. I wish I blogged in a more timely fashion. I wish I was funnier and more interesting. There are many things I wish for.

Will they happen? Maybe. I hope to have many more years to see what happens.

Thank you all so much!

15 comments:

RedheadFangirl said...

First to say Congrats! Keep it up girly!

Unknown said...

Congrats, Heidi! Keep up the great work!

Your sincerity and positive attitude are a refreshing oasis in the comics blogosphere. Keep on being yourself.

Craig said...

Congratulations!!

Saranga said...

4 years eh? Congratulations! Now that's dedication to the nerdy cause!

John Holland said...

Congrats! Here's to four more years...and many more!

Unknown said...

Happy 4th blog-a-versary, Heidi! As generic as this might sound: keep up the excellent work!

(And for your next "is this gratuitous" column might I suggest the appalling cover of JLA #23. I'd like to organize a lynching of Ed Benes. I am sick to death of his sexist adolescent depictions of women characters!)

James Meeley said...

And for your next "is this gratuitous" column might I suggest the appalling cover of JLA #23. I'd like to organize a lynching of Ed Benes. I am sick to death of his sexist adolescent depictions of women characters!

deirdre:

You know, plenty of folks said similar things about artist Michael turner and now he is gone. If you don't actually mean that kind of nonsical and hateful tripe you spewed above, please refrain from saying it, because whatever you think of a creators work, odds are they are not out to cause anyone any kind of harm.

To suggest someone be lynched over you (or ANYONE else) not liking their style of art or artistic expression, is no different from the bigot-minded fools who said to do so because a person is black, or jewish, or a muslim. You may only have meant it in a hyperbolic way, but such things are wrong. And are always wrong.

You don't have to like Ed Benes' art, but you damn well need to respect that he is a real human being. More so than Wonder Woman, Power Girl, Batgirl or any other super-heroine made of ink and paper. What does it say about you (and those who do like you did here) that you put a character that doesn't even exist in more higher moral regard, than a fellow human being (which, last I knew Ed Benes was)?

I, personally, am sick to death of that type of mentality coming from supposed fans of comics. If you haven't got the maturity and self-control, to refrain from making such statements, you don't deserves the privilege (and that's what it is, not a right) to enjoy comics or even get to view them, as far as I'm concerned. And you and that crowd who does so are no different than any other bile-mouthed hatemongers that any rational and civil-minded person would find morally and ethically repugnant.

And lastly, Heidi's "is this gratuitous" feature, has never been about ripping up creators, or fostering hatred towards them. It has always been about bringing people together and getting them to express their views, with intelligence and tact, which can hopefully lead to a better understanding between fans and creators and fans and other fans. And if you haven't figured that out by this point, then I don't think you really want to know what that says about you.

Sorry to go off like this, folks. I know Heidi works very hard to make this a place where all can feel welcome and safe to express their points of view. But hatefuly clap-trap, like calling for an artist to be jynched, over something as trival as not liking their art, is something I cannot, and WILL NOT, tolerate, for anyone. Some things are wrong and they are ALWAYS wrong. And people who engaging in that kind of behavior need to be put squarely into check, before they actually cause real damage.

I value folks having different views than I do. I don't value hate speech, painted up as a rightous cause.

Thanks for letting me get that off my chest. :)

Melchior del DariƩn said...

Heartiest Congratulations, Heidi!

Lisa said...

Happy Year Four!!! It's a GREAT blog and I'm glad I found it.

Britt Schramm said...

To Heidi - Congrats on four glorious years of comics commentary. Here's to more Comics Fairplay for all to read.

To Jim - Thank you for addressing the elephant in the room. Hatespeak like that is easy to say on the anonymous world of the Internets. And like you, I always felt that Is It Gratuitous was more of a call to discuss how sexed up today's modern superheroes (most notably those of the female persuasion) are being portrayed; not as a vehicle to attack certain creators/artists. Heidi was right to leave you in charge while she was out of town.

Unknown said...

Hi James,
Please rest assured that my comment about lynching Benes was purely sarcastic. I would never seriously advocate lynching another human being. I have a very sarcastic sense of humor and friends and colleagues have often compared me to Kathy Griffin (but I consider that a stretch).

Yes I am well aware that these are imaginary characters but I do tie how they are depicted with broader concerns I have about the status of women in today’s society. I know many others who share my concerns and they are found throughout the blogosphere. I look around daily at the way far too many young women and girls are behaving and dressing and I cringe. It’s not empowering, it’s degrading. Intelligence and integrity are all too often mocked in favor of being dumb and materialistic (eg. Britney, Lindsay, Paris, etc.).

Furthermore, I’ve encountered a great many fanboys who speak in very degrading terms towards women. There are a great many who are progressive (and indeed I do believe the majority of comics fans, male and female, are progressive) but that sizable minority who aren’t do concern me greatly. Artwork degrading to women characters certainly does contribute to reinforcing those mindsets. When I see an iconic strong intelligent woman character like Diana being drawn in a thong (which makes no sense) it makes my blood boil. Gail Simone and other writers have gone on record many a time as not liking Diana or any other woman character depicted in a thong. I myself have a difficult time believing that someone who would draw women that way genuinely respects women and I regard it as a form of hate speech. As for the “it’s just a comic” argument that some people have thrown at my concerns, well this blogger have brilliantly summed up my feelings about that at this link here
http://blog.newsarama.com/2008/04/18/just-past-the-horizon-trivial-matters/

I’m not one of those people who pickets, chants slogans, shouts, etc., at people I disagree with. I may make the odd inappropriate sarcastic remark now and again, but I always calmly discuss things with people I disagree with (and who may disagree with me). I would actually quite like to one day meet Ed Benes and calmly discuss my concerns. I did write him a rationally-worded letter once but never got a reply. One might say he’s really busy but I’ve written to a couple of other busy people about similar concerns and received thoughtful replies.

Anyways, I hope this provides a better sense of where I’m coming from, James. So as not to colonize Heidi’s comments section any further, you or anyone else is welcome to email me about anything I’ve written here at: deirdremacg@gmail.com

All the best!
Dei

James Meeley said...

So as not to colonize Heidi’s comments section any further, you or anyone else is welcome to email me about anything I’ve written here at: deirdremacg@gmail.com

Dei:

Thank you. That is what I will do. The only final word I would say on the matter here is that you and everyone else should know, for future reference, that such words as those you used here, whether meant as sarcastic humor or not, is not and will not be tolerated. This is a place of intelligence, fair-mindedness and fun (hence the use of the word "fairplay"). That type of behavior is simply unwelcome here, from anyone. I would hope that you, as well as everyone else, keeps this in mind.

Best,

James

Swinebread said...

Happy Belated Blogoversary!

Here's to the next 20 years!

Carl said...

Haven't been able to get out here for a bit, sheesh, 4 years! Didn't seem that long that I found you and Jim. Here's to many more...

Krisy said...

Happy Blogoversary!!! Enjoy with your comics!