Wednesday Comments – Memory Lane

Columns, Top Story

So, as of yesterday I’ve been doing the whole “writing on the internet/blogging” thing for a decade. Even typing that sentence it has yet to sink in.

Like most of the original members of Comics Nexus, I started out at 411mania back when they had a section for comics. Ben Morse was looking for someone to write a Q&A column about the DCU. (I want to say that we bumped into each other over on the old DCU boards, but I’m not 100% certain that’s the case.)

Anyway I sent Ben a sample column; he ran it. In case you’re wondering what it was like here’s it is in all it’s nascent glory (mind you this is the IP version, the 411 Mania version no longer exists.) Anyway that’s the secret origin of Who’s Who in the DCU.

I’ve got to say that WWITDCU was an incredibly fun experience. Not only was it great to share my knowledge of the DCU, but it also allowed me to learn some of the more interesting minutia about characters and storylines.

I also got a chance to collaborate with few genuinely good guys. As Who’s Who evolved, I started having a “cohost” for the column. It started out with Daron Kappauff, then to Ben Morse and finally ended up with Tim Stevens. It was a really fun ride.

But after six years of answering questions about the DCU, I got tired. No, that’s not fair. I actually got burned out from answering a plethora of questions about Blackest Night. It was a huge crossover that involved the resurrection of the dead of in the DCU and after 70 years there were tons of dead characters. And every week I had to answer questions about dead characters, who they were and how they died. It got old.

So, I retired that column.

Every few months I give serious consideration to resurrecting the column. Part of me really wants to, but given that Flashpoint rebooted the DCU, I really don’t know if there’s a place for a column like that anymore. But never say never, right?

Anyway, I after Who’s Who ended, I tried to resurrect an old Comics Nexus column Words of Questionable Wisdom. I basically wanted to set it up so that it would be a column with no regular writer, but any Nexus writer could step in and vent about anything. It never took off.

I opted instead for Wednesday Comments. One of the things that was stifling about Who’s Who was that I didn’t really have a chance to do any writing on a single topic. I figured with Wednesday Comments, I’d get a chance to flex those muscles. It’s been pretty fun to actually use my voice, so to speak.

It’s been pretty fun writing about comics for the last decade. It’s provided me many opportunities. Not only has it allowed me to combine two of my passions (writing and comics) but it’s also given me the chance to email some of the creators who’s work I’ve enjoyed.

Thanks to my occasional reviews I’ve heard back from creators from Barry Kitson to Clem Robins. Ben Raab sent me an email explaining how the script he wrote for a comic differed from the finished product. I even heard back from Geoff Johns about a column I wrote about his work. And I also got the chance to interview Cliff Chiang. My writing even allowed for me to be a judge for the 2009 Glyph Awards.

But one of the best aspects of the past ten years was been the guys I’ve worked with. The aforementioned Ben Morse is now an Associate Editor at Marvel.com and he’s a regular contributor at The Cool Kids Table.

Tim Stevens is a regular contributor at Marvel.com with his Psych Ward column. He’s also got a some writing projects going on.

Daron Kappuff is not only an author, but a professor. He can be found over at his blog.

Dr. Manolis Vamvounis is another old chum. He’s a regular contributor at Bleeding Cool.

Matt Morrison and Chris Delloiacono were also there in the beginning. Chris contributes to pulpline.com and “Starman Matt” has his own blog, My Geeky Geeky Ways, that’s certainly worth checking out.

There was also someone named John Babos, but I don’t know whatever happened to him. (I’m kidding of course, he’s not only still around, but he’s still around here on a weekly basis.)

Mike Maillaro is another “old timer” from the 411 days who’s got. He’s still kicking around here keeping the whippersnappers in shape. He’s got a regular column as well as reviews!

Of course I want to thank Widro for allowing me to write for his various sites and for Grey Scherl for keeping the proud tradition of Comics Nexus going.

And last but certainly not least, I’ve got to thank the readers. You are the ones who kept Who’s Who in the DCU going strong for six years with your questions. You’ve even commented on Wednesday Comments, which I appreciate. The readers really make it all worthwhile.

So there you have it. That’s my trip down memory lane. It’s been a fun decade. Here’s hoping the next is just a fun.

As always, it’s Wednesday go and read some comics.