More History

Why? because it's my birthday! So, you can indulge me, or you can just come back tomorrow, either or, but, if you stick around, you're gonna learn how this came to be.

I could be an ass and say, "well, it all started when I picked up X-Force..." but you've heard that story. No, really, the tale of how this blog came to be begins on a message board. An AOL message board at that. Yes, it was comics, the X-Men board.

I stumbled on it one day at my former job (where I pretty much screwed around all day doing nothing until we had a customer) while trying to fight off some boredom. I'm pretty sure I had given up on comics at the time, or if not I was close, but reading the goings on led me to seek out some of the X-books, which led to a little set of reviews I would do on there every week on all the stuff I picked up. Like most boards, it began to dry up and die, but there was a guy on there who I had a sort of kinship with (I'm not certain that's the right word) named Patrick Drury, he started a forum on the Delphi site so a few of us migrated over there and I began to do my little routine again. Eventually that too began to dry up, and Patrick began blogging, I started my own forum, but it failed miserably, I think I had 5-10 posts in the short months that it existed. so, without a little site to call home, I began my search through the Delphi forums to find somewhere a dork like me could be accepted.

Then I happened upon the Comic Book Galaxy forum, and while I'd like to say I was an instant fit, it wasn't exactly so. But, I tried, and I eventually fit in okay, I got to know just about everyone and felt free to pretty much post til my heart was content (and I did, I think I was in some desperate mood back then to fit in, no matter where it was, but that was then...). I will be honest and say that I immediately thought I wouldn't like Alan at all, he seemed damned determined to push the comics he was reading on others, whether they wanted to hear it or not, and back then I just wasn't open to something like that (now I do it myself, oh the irony) I read what I read, and I didn't want to read anything else. Yes, yes, stupid me. So, I caved and got Castaways and then I realized that I was wrong, and this man who I almost didn't like knew what the hell he was talking about. He was right, I was the stupid one with my head in the sand.

After that it was a whole different ballgame, and while I didn't read everything Alan recommended, I understood where he was coming from. I should also mention D. Emerson Eddy, who I immediately loved. The man embodied everything (writing wise) that I wanted to be. It may not be noticeable, but he was extremely influentual in how I tried to shape my writing, as was Alan. Now, Alan can correct me if I'm wrong here, but I think it became a hassle and/or wasn't free to use the forum any longer, so it went the way of all those before it, but fortunately we were left with D.'s forum, and it was great for awhile, but it too petered off like all forums have a habit of doing (except the ones run by idiots, those last for fucking ever apparently, I'm looking at you John Byrne!), and again I was pretty much left homeless on the net.

That brought me here eventually. Things get a bit fuzzy in this area. I know the Galaxy closed up shop (good lord what a sad day, it was like losing your compass when your lost in a sandstorm) but Alan was still blogging, but eventually that took a back seat to his life (who needs one of those?) and he "retired". This is where Alan and I might be most alike, and I don't want to speak for him, but if he's at all the person I think he is, he just couldn't NOT come back, it's in his blood. There have been many days where I thought I should just drop it all, but every day I get up and get excitied about voicing my damn opinion, or thoughts, or whatever the hell I feel like, I just want to write something (it's self-serving, yes, but EXTREMELY satisfying). Alan is passionate about comics, and passion just doesn't die, when it's there it's extremely hard to contain, so he came back, as I hoped he would. Slowly everything fell into place and it led us to this point. I'm now reviewing for the site (which I'm sure everyone knows...) and I'm in heaven.

So that's how I got here. A misguided superhero comics fan posting on idiotic message boards to writing for the best damn comics site on the Web. It's definitely odd to look at the progression of your life from that outside point of view, and realize you are not the person you used to be, nor are you the person you think you are, it's eye-opening. But, like most people, tomorrow I'll see it differently, but today is the day where I always like to reflect, and while I haven't had the most fulfilling life, at this particular moment I don't think I could be any happier.

If you stuck around that long, thanks for reflecting with me, if not, well, you're not reading this anyway.

One last quick note, I got a few packages in the mail (one from Alan, thanks man, I really appreciate it.) and another from Mike Sterling. Inside Mike's was a copy of Bluesman #1. I knew it was coming, but actually holding it makes me elated. I cannot wait to dive into it, it's almost a full circle, Castways all but led me here and now I'm getting to look at Bluesman not from just a fan's standpoint, but a critical one as well. I get to shout the praises from my self-made mountain as well as my critical outlet, Comic Book Galaxy. Mike is a prince among men for finding this and holding onto it for me.

And your geek moments for the day-I also got a poster from him, with fav character Cable on it, and I'll be getting the Holy Trilogy tomorrow on DVD.

So, yeah, I'm done now, I swear!

-L