Life In Four Colors #30
2009 A YEAR THAT WAS COMIC RELATED
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way"
Charles Dickens-A Tale of Two Cities
2009. A year that seemed to come and go in just a blink of an eye. A year that signals the end of one decade and the beginning of yet another. On a personal level this past year has been one of the most trying years of all my accumulative time spent walking the face of this planet.
And for better or worse...this past year was 365 days that would change my life forever.
When 2008 came to an end in what felt like just six months or so ago I wrote a special column looking back on what all that had occurred in the past twelve months that was Comic Related. The column was well received and I planned to do another one this year, much in the same vein. But as this year came to a close I had very mixed feelings about doing a column that mirrored the one I did a year before.
There was a lot of discouraging news that made the headlines this past year. As a collective fan base to all things that are Comic Related and followers of pop culture in general we as fans said goodbye to way too many of our cherished film stars, musicians, and comic creators. Some on the very same day. And we all felt the losses of not only those fallen stars, but the more personal loses that hit at the very heart of the Comic Related family more than once this past year.
For obvious reasons I did not want to recount those tragic events.
I wanted instead to focus on more positive events....like the fact that Dan Royer and Cary Kelley, members of the Comic Related family and brothers in arms, were both married this year. And just so there are no mistaking the fact...no...they did not wed each other.
The Comic Related website made format changes late last year that also dictated that I would have to make changes in this year's look back at the year just ending. I was no longer able to flip through the archives and find post dates for news that included the month and actual day each news article or event was posted. So I had to change my way of thinking this time around. I would instead simply focus on everything this website, this circle of friends, this extended family of sorts had achieved in 2009.
This site was created to inform, promote, and cover all things Comic Related while at the same time build a network of not only comic fans, but comic creators. I am proud to be included in that ever growing number of extremely gifted people. Comic Related achieved a lot this past year...it has achieved many goals. Fantastic goals. And so have the people associated with the site.
This retrospective look back at the fading year that was 2009 will spotlight not only the extraordinary achievements of the Comic Related site as a whole....but I want to also take a moment to spotlight the hard work and determination that forged dreams into reality by the many people who call this site home.
Comic Related has grown to a point that there are 21 different columns that are associated with the website. Some of these columns come and go. In fact some focus on a book or the making of a film and of course if that book becomes cancelled, the column naturally ends as well. The same is true for movie production columns. Once the movie is completed and released, there is no need for that column any longer.
But there are 16 of these same columns that do appear with a degree of regularity. In 2009 the site added 9 new columns written by several new members of the Comic Related family that touch every possible subject that range from regular book reviews, creating comics, independent comics in general, or a look at web comics. The "F-Word" even pops up from time to time as one of these new columns focuses on the role "female creators" play in creating comics. Oops...I'm guilty of using the "F-Word" right there.
The Comic Related site boast a membership of 6,771 registered members at the time that I am typing this, and I have no doubt in my mind that number will have already increased by the time this column gets posted. There is a very solid core group that keeps the site running and active. The site has evolved in the few short years of its existence to something that can no longer be managed by only one man. Although Chuck Moore is the true father of one of the best...if not the very best comic web sites on the internet...his dream has grown so large, so rapidly that he now employs a crew or I'm sure he would rather use the word team of about half a dozen people to keep the site functioning 365 days a year.
Some of these guys branch over into many areas, helping to cover conventions, record podcasts, post active blogs, and participate in the forum. They are joined by yet another group of forum regulars that keep the community page not only one of the busiest of such pages, but at the same time one of the friendliest and respectful message boards of its kind. Sure things can get heated at times (not everybody likes Deadpool) but the site watches out for its own pretty well.
Towards the end of 2009 close to 7 million people a month would be hitting the site. Let me repeat that. 7 MILLION PEOPLE A MONTH. And the Comic Related family would include not only members scattered all over this country...but the world. Canada, the Philippines, Ireland, Great Britain, Sweden, Australia, and Scotland to name just a few countries that I know of.
In 2009 Comic Related would absorb the Sketch Magazine forum into its own bringing with it thousands of new members, hundreds of new viewpoints about the creative process of comics, new voices to be heard, and new friends to be made.
Creators associated with Comic Related would have no problem finding artists, writers, inkers, colorists, letterers, editors, and publisher's to work with on any type of creative project. We're talking anything from ongoing comic series, graphic novels, web comics, comic anthology books, pulp fiction anthologies, recording of podcasts, even very recently the beginning stages of Comic Related video programs.
Creators have joined forces to record music, staff writing houses and art studios. Even start all new partnerships and companies.
The amount of original material created by Comic Related members would range from one company publishing 10 books (full length pulp novels) within ten months. Other feats by other creators would include several original graphic novels and more than one high quality on-going comic series would be launched this year. Thought provoking limited series and weekly web comics sprung forth from the minds of the members of this site.
These same creators stopped being just "guests" at conventions and actually started speaking on panels at conventions. We have friends and family members producing work for Image Comics and having books that they have worked on featured on national television shows. Other creators have their work published by IDW and find their work constantly selling out on a distribution level through Diamond.
And still others choose "The Read Less Traveled" and publish their works through their very own publishing companies. Nothing beats being your own boss!
Comic Related members are recognized at comic shops and comic conventions throughout the mid-west (the official home base for the site is in Kentucky and the largest number of members seem to be concentrated in the Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan areas...with several core members in Chicago, New York, Maine, New Hampshire, and Texas). These same members have played large roles in organizing local events to help promote comics, regularly attend local book signings, Free Comic Book Day celebrations, and in some cases open or help open their own comic shops or put together their very own conventions.
Perhaps nothing says more about the true "heart" of this "cyber-community" than the fact it gives back to the community that supports these same members and creative talents. This past year members of this site helped organize and participate in events that have raised thousands of dollars for cancer research and raise funds to purchase a headstone for a local artist here in the Springfield Ohio area that passed away early 2000.
That says a lot about the people that hang out here at this site.
Let's take a moment to just look at the last word in that heading above this sentence. "Network". In the last 365 days we have seen "The Related Re-Cap", the original weekly podcast hosted 99.9% by Comic Related founder Chuck Moore launch an entire "Network" of podcasts. For those members that have just recently joined the site, believe it or not, there was time earlier this year when there was a new podcast EVERYDAY of the week and some days had more than one different podcast go live.
Brant Fowler's "Related Warp Wrap" ran daily. John Wilson's "Outside the Panels" ran weekly (usually Monday mornings if I recall correctly). Chuck's "Related Re-Cap", the show that started it all, ran every Wednesday night. "Zone 4" would appear on Friday nights and Eric Ratcliffe's "Why I Love Comics" column became a podcast as well that bounced between Monday and Wednesday nights.
That's a lot of podcasting...especially when you consider that some of these guys were doing a lot of other things for the site already, including appearing regularly on several of these other podcasts. The Comic Related powers that be...(Chuck, Brant, and John) came up with the idea to absorb the "Related Warp Wrap" and "Outside the Panels" into the flagship show "The Related Recap". Becoming in a way a version of the old Marvel comic called "Marvel Triple Action" that featured tales of the Fantastic Four (Marvel's very first comic of course to mirror CR's very first podcast sprinkled with doses of other characters from other comics/podcasts)
This idea not only worked out well for the three guys now involved with the same podcast, but to the listeners as well. Gone were the daily shows and the crazy schedules. The new version of the "Related Re-Cap" would go live every Wednesday night in its original spot. "Zone 4" would continue to find its usual home on Friday nights, ending up each week and in ways would become the "Avengers" of the podcasts that are available here. The cast of the show would morph and go through its fair share of changes. Original members would leave...and sometimes come back. New members would join the team. Reserve members would be called in from time to time to fill the roster when the call of "Podcasters Assemble" would ring out across the land. And there have been times when the team would have to go at it a man short.
But the show always went on.
The rotating roster for "Zone 4" being compared to the rotating roster of "The Avengers" makes a lot of sense. You have the original members...Brant as Iron Man, Cary as the Hank Pym (Cary and Hank Pym...two guys that share the same straight jacket), Jason as....is there any Avengers from Australia? (I'll have to check that out later)...and of course Chuck Kennedy as Hawkeye. (I know...not an original Avenger...but Chuck K. is so Hawkeye).
Chuck Moore as Captain America would join the roster to replace Hawkeye. John Wilson as Thor would replace Cary's Hank Pym. Frank Raynor as the Hulk, Gordon as Wonder Man, Lisa Moore as the Wasp, Scott Simmons as The U.S.Agent, Eric Ratcliffe as the Vision, and even...me...as the Beast...would all be called to arms from time to time.
The "Why I Love Comics" podcast with Eric Ratcliffe would start to appear regularly every other Monday....changing places every two weeks like Rick Jones and Captain Marvel with the Comic Related podcast (a curious entity known as the RaynMan Power Hour) Comic Related had a brand new show that would switch places with Eric every 14 days after an extended period of time in the Negative Zone.
Currently Comic Related offers four different, high quality podcast "shows" at designated times and days that cover totally different material. If you like comic reviews "Why I Love Comics" every other Monday is the show for you. Creator interviews, comic commentary, and all the news around the world of comics and here at Comic Related..."The Related Recap" every Wednesday is probably more your cup of tea. No holds barred round table comic book discussion what you looking...look no further than "Zone 4" every Friday...and fat guys debating why Rom the Spaceknight is or is not cool something that might peak your interest? Catch "The RaynMan Power Hour" exchanging molecules with Mr. Ratcliffe every other Monday.
Of course there's nothing that says you can't enjoy them all...and we hope that you do.
A very dedicated team of comic book reviewers join forces with Eric Ratcliffe (who reviews a ton of comics every other week on his podcast), Andrew Dowdell (who reviews several books from the DCU in his column "From the Hall of Justice"), Chuck Moore, Chuck Kennedy, Dustin Carson, and Brant Fowler who all take turns focusing on the "Hot Shot of the Week" feature on the home page...and Ron Fortier and myself who occasionally review an independent comic from time to time.
David O' Leary reviews mostly Marvel books for the site, and he reads a lot of them posting very precise comments.
"Decapitated" Dan Royer specializes in all things horror comic oriented.
Russell Burlingame looks at specific titles...like Booster Gold in his Gold Exchange column.
Marvel, D.C, Indy books and horror comics...what more could you ask for?
How about monthly discussions about the latest issues of Green Lantern, The Secret Six, and Doom Patrol over in the forum usually led off by Glen Davis?
And just to prove you can't keep a good geek down check out G-Man's Pick of the Week also in the forums...always guaranteed to raise an eye brow or two... (or maybe just one if you have a unibrow).
But comics are not the only thing reviewed on the site. Comic Related movies get a good once over by Eric and Russell ( poor guys didn't really have much comic book movies to talk about this year...only four and only the Watchmen was really worth seeing. Wolverine was only good for the first 54 minutes...Whiteout was horrible...and I think Russell was the only person brave enough to go see the Surrogates...he's still recovering from the experience.)
Other movies that were not really Comic Related in origin often get discussed in detail in the forum by many different members. Motion pictures like Terminator: Salvation (liked it...didn't think it was as bad as everybody made it out to be), Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (no thank you...I'll pass), G.I. Joe (two passes for me), Paranormal Activity (now we're talking), Star Trek (yeah buddy...now that's what I call a movie!!!), Public Enemies (okay...worth seeing), Sherlock Holmes (pretty damn good) and Avatar (AWESOME!!!) were all talked about by several different members of the site. (And trust me I'm going to be talking much more about Avatar.)
Television shows also generated a lot of conversation and some of the favorites this year seemed to be Fringe, Flash Forward, Doll House, Ghost Hunters and Smallville.
You know what...the latest music releases, concerts, baseball and football games are also get kicked around on the forum. Because one cannot survive on comics alone.
One of the most interesting and entertaining additions to the site this year was web comics. Seven different web comics debuted over the course of 2009....a few have gone into indefinite hiatus for various reasons...and currently there are three that appear regularly on the site.
One of the great things about doing web comics here at Comic Related is that you really get a chance to see the creative talent the site has to offer really diversify and try something different from what they would ordinarily do...and in some cases creators try their hand at writing and drawing something on a regular basis for the very first time. Another great aspect about the web comics offered here at CR is everybody gets to see exactly how the networking factor of the site comes together.
Killer Robots Love You is brought to you by Chuck Moore (writer), Tony Miello (artist... web comic veteran who produces the hilarious weekly web comic Gapo the Clown elsewhere), and Tim Tilley (colorist).
New Comic Day features a team I feel very lucky to be working with on a weekly basis that includes Eric Ratcliffe (co-writer along with myself), Chad Strohl (artist...and many other things), and Lisa Moore (letters/colors, and cool ass NCD production videos)
The last regular web comic being produced at the moment is Kenn Minter's I'm Not From Here....and Kenn does everything on this strip.
Others that are currently taking some time off include...
Monkeys Make the Worst Friends done entirely by John Wilson...I always enjoyed this strip and the monkey in question "Chaching". So much so that I decided to....awww, but that would be telling.
It's All Related which featured a creative team of Brant Fowler and Darren Mueller as co-writers and Jackie Hernandez doing the artwork.
D34D L4$T-written by Darren Mueller, drawn and colored by Jackie, and lettered by Brant.
Robot Cowboy Ninja Pirate written by Liam Bradley, illustrated by Matt Zolman, and colored by Marc Vuletich
I think there's one more on the way that Ron Fortier, Eric Hurley, and possibly Tim Tilley may be working on together. I don't think it's really a Comic Related project but I wouldn't be surprised if it's not at least linked here to the site.
And I wanted to throw this out there. I think Comic Related needs at least one more web comic to kick off the New Year. I think I have another one in me...so if you are an artist or a letterer who always wanted to do a web comic but never could find a writer interested in working with you on one...let's talk. (I'm thinking maybe a detective web comic...like the old Steve Canyon strip)
When you get right down to it one of the things that Comic Related has always done and always done well is cover comic conventions. Back to the days when Chuck would attend a show by his self with a back pack, a camera, and a hand held voice recorder.
It was during these early stages of convention coverage that many of us met Chuck for the very first time.
Those days are long gone. When Comic Related covers a convention now they roll in like rock stars. We're talking a posse of three to four people (sometimes more depending on the size of the convention). At least one roaming high tech audio recorder and usually a table armed with a portable recording unit and three live mics. There's usually at least three camera's taking pictures at all times and if there's wi fi available at the site...coverage begins the moment John and Chuck sit down.
That is when they get a chance to sit down.
The Comic Related road crew this year included Chuck Moore, John Wilson, myself, my daughter Raichal Gladman, Darren and Krista Mueller, Brant Fowler, and Eric Ratcliffe. Together these Road Warriors covered 15 comic conventions or events.
We're talking everything from the Big Boys like New York Comic Con and San Diego Comic Con to small shows like the Lexington Comic Show and Buckeye Con.
Seasoned veteran shows like Mid-Ohio and brand new shows like Champion City Comic Con. Fan favorites like Heroes Convention and Gem City Comic Con.
Comic Related even played homage to the true root of comics, the Pulps...as Chuck, Raichal, and I spent an afternoon with Ron Fortier and Rob Davis at Pulp Fest in Columbus Ohio...a true highlight of the year for me. Nothing beats hanging with four of the coolest people in the world!
And of course there was S.P.A.C.E. 2009 that introduced the Comic Related world to Freestyle Komics (Komics with a K).
Looks like Comic Related will be covering at least nine conventions in 2010...come along for the ride. We'll try not to get lost!
There were changes made to the blog page here at the site in 2009 as well. A central link to a new blog page with direct links to all the many personal blogs.
Chuck gave his blog a make over and there's the possibility that more of this type of makeover is on the horizon for some of the more popular blogs.
Blogs like John Wilson's new blog "If You Give A Monkey A Computer". John's blog is always a joy to read. And he's just getting started. Do yourself a favor and drop by the Comic Related Blog Page about once a week and see what's going on in John's head and check out the other featured blogs.
You'll be glad you did.
I think that's a pretty fair look back at 2009 Comic Related style. Stick around...2010 has just started and there's no telling where we will be and what we will be doing 364 days from now!
Who knows...I'm still waiting for the Eisner nomination!
Until then....see you in the funny papers!
Bill Gladman - Bill is a writer and illustrator and currently working on several different projects including the first issue of an ongoing comic book series (Prodigy), an illustrated fantasy novel (The Book of Noheim), and the first of four illustrated science fiction/fantasy novels (Jack the Rabbit, Living Legend of the Purple Plains) as well as a light-hearted on going mini-comic (Three Wise Men). Bill also pens a column for Comic Related and will be doing a mix of regional convention coverage.
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