A Detour to the Second City

Normally, when I would write a post like this, it would start with a warning in big, bold letters in a different font - In the interests of full disclosure, a complimentary ticket was provided for this post. However, the tickets came at the right time for me emotionally - my mother has been in and out of the hospital for the past few months, and my sense of humor was sorely out of whack. (But not so much that, when one coworker asked for another coworker's headband, I asked if he was planning to wear red leather and sing "Working for the Weekend"). But I've only been to Second City once before, years ago - dating a woman on a regular basis (my first "real" girlfriend), not going anywhere, but howling with laughter at News for Dogs with its generation-defining cry of "snacky wacky time" However, the current review, America - All Better!, was a complete and absolute blast. Obviously, it's taking aim at the slightly over-the-top hopes in the wake of the Obama presidency...but it contains some real comedic gems. And oh, is it funny....two couples at various relationship stages have a discussion. Mayor Daley impresses the Olympic committee. Students in a public speaking class face their fears. Two WWE wrestlers And my personal highlight - a wedding DJ makes some...well, unusual choices for an impending event. To say any more would be spoiling a wall-to-wall entertaining show. Although the entire cast is simply brilliant, major kudos need to go to Lauren Ash. No, it's not necessarily her resume or her ability to handle herself onstage...it's just that, well, I imagine with our combined intelligence, wit, and looks, we could create a race of genetic superbeings destined to rule the planet. So Lauren, please, call me. Seriously. But anyway, enough of my yakkin' - in recent months, it has felt like I've been going through the motions in many aspects of my life. So much so that I've felt like my blogging has become cookie-cutter, with a lack of personality to it. Thanks to Second City for the reminder that sometimes, it's best to just work without a net...and that improv is more than just a theatrical tool.

Ave Atque Vale: Fifteen Years is Long Enough, Isn't It?

And now, the end is near, and so I face...No, I won't make that obvious reference. You've been too good for that, Dear Reader.

When I started this blog in May 2004, I was bored at work. Seriously. So I started typing away on this platform about comics, Doctor Who, and all sorts of other things. In the then-emerging comics blogosphere, I was...hell, I was a minor player, if even that. But this blog took me through another long distance move (from St. Louis to Chicago), my mother's liver transplant (and later illness), and the passing of my father and way too many friends. But I was able to translate this blog into various other parts of my life: my initial foray into writing with Comic Related, acquiring jobs in social media and copywriting, and developing a strong sense of discipline...even if it meant that I couldn't blog every day or every other day.

You've probably noticed that I haven't been posting frequently on this blog for the past few years. Much of it has been due to various life situations, but mostly, it's because my pulp writing has been really taking off. (As much as I had relied on this blog for search optimization through Google Plus, that's no longer an issue since G Plus no longer exists) Between looking for work, caring for Mom, self-care, running Chicago Doctor Who Meetup and blogging for Chicago Now and I Hear of Sherlock, I have been....not stretched too thin, exactly, but I've had to let go of many activities. And it looks like this blog...is going to be one of them.

So this is my formal "goodbye' to the blog...but I'm not necessarily letting it go altogether.

My new "content creation" activities will be focused on building my author Patreon page - some content will be public; others will be gated. (Trying to develop those "alternate revenue streams" that I keep hearing about). My blogging efforts will be focused on Chicago Now's One Cause At a Time (and yes, I'm reading some materials for I Hear of Sherlock) - that will allow me to write on professional topics, plus I need that sweet, sweet SEO. You'll always be able to catch updates via my author Facebook page, Twitter, and you can contact me through my personal website.

But I'm not just going to abandon this site to the Unholy Internet Gods...there's plenty of evergreen content on the site that can be reused. It will mean changing graphics, broken links, and reposting through Patreon. (My "Where Stories Come From" writer's commentaries will be early access posts on that site). I've already updated my DIY Doctor Who DVD Guide and this Micro OneTouch razor review as proofs-of-concept, and this is going to happen when I get the odd moment. (Especially since I'm seeing a slight uptick in traffic, especially since I was cited in this Wikipedia entry on The Prisoner: Shattered Visage. I won't be giving up this blog completely but will try to keep things up-to-date and ensure that this blog doesn't completely disappear.

So for everyone I have met through this blog, and those of you who have read any or all of these posts...thank you. Thanks for keeping me writing, for sharing your stories, and for really making this worthwhile. Every writer's secret wish is to be read...and I'm glad you helped me start on the road towards a career in writing.

Thanks. And we'll meet again at some point. I promise

C2E2 Panel - Video

(Thanks to Beth for her excellent camerawork despite the less-than-ideal setting; also thanks to Cristal, Dawn, Daina & Michi for being excellent panellists) 

C2E2 Doctor Who Panel Update