Redartz: Welcome, everyone; and thanks for joining us today. Indeed, thanks for being a part of BitBA over this past year. Yes, today marks the first anniversary of "Back in the Bronze Age". It's hard to believe it's been that long; what is it they say about time flying when you're having fun? And it has indeed been fun; entertaining, and educational. Whether it's been putting together a post, working with my Esteemed Partner Marti (who is the hardest working, most diligent co-conspirator anyone could hope for), or reading all your kind comments, it's been a good ride. Challenging, at times, but always rewarding. Here at our one-year mark, it's a good time to look back, and to look forward (and fear not, our topic lies just ahead).
I'll start by looking forward. It's been a great experience working with Marti here, and we still have much more to cover. It has been a close shave, at times, getting a post up in time (Karen and Doug- oh, now we understand...). Life does have a tendency to intrude, sometimes. With that in mind, Marti and I will be making a change to our posting schedule. As our 2nd. year begins, we will feature posts on Mondays, Tuesdays ( continuing our "Follow the Leader"), Thursdays and Saturdays. This will still put four posts out there weekly- and from time to time we may well insert additional posts as well. This adjustment will give us a little breathing space, and maybe time to read one of those Bronze age comics or two. And, it will give everyone another day to comment on topics- some subjects certainly deserve two days discussion! And fear not, you can look forward to more upcoming sessions of "This and That", "Quarter Bin", "Retro Metro", and all the others. You may see a few new categories show up, as well. So keep your seat belts fastened, the ride is just beginning!
Martinex1: Likewise Red, it has been a blast working together this past year. It is hard to believe we have made it through 365 posts of Bronze Age topics. Like you said, sometimes it was hectic and tough and at other times the ideas flowed quickly. I am very thankful for the commentators, viewers, lurkers, and passer-bys that we have had. Their interaction is the fuel that keeps us going. And thank you for jumping in whenever the going gets rough.
Anniversaries are often a time for retrospection, so I thought it might be interesting for the readers to know what post conversations we enjoyed the most. One of my favorites was the guest post by our group of friends from overseas regarding the Marvel UK. That ranked very highly in terms of views and interaction. Also, Doug from the BAB site suggested a topic around "Bands that Jump the Shark;" that too garnered a large amount of views and I had a lot of fun reading the comments. His guest post on "DC's Imaginary Stories" also ranked highly among the readers. I thought your column recently about Colorists was great and I slapped my head as to why we hadn't covered that before; it was excellent. And I have also been enjoying the Follow the Leader topics. It is nice to be surprised once a week.
Redartz: You're right Marti, that UK Marvel post was a definite highlight of the past year. It was quite entertaining, and immensely informative for those of us 'over here'. I also enjoyed Osvaldo's post and survey, and PFGavigan's artistic contributions. And Marti, I always am impressed by your Panel Discussions and Quarter Bins- your in-depth research never fails to amaze. Also, I too enjoy the Follow the Leader topics. Great variety of topics results, and always fun.
And now, our topic today: appropriately, Anniversary Issues! Which were the best, most memorable ones? Which truly honored the history of the title they represent; which were best forgotten? Take a look at our cover selection below and see if any thoughts are triggered. My personal favorites are the JLA 200 issue ( truly spectacular cover, and the insides are excellent as well). Also loved Batman 400, and Iron Man 150 (well worth the price if only for the cover).
Martinex1: My favorite anniversary covers are Avengers #200 (despite the horrible and even offensive storyline), Spider-Man #100 which was extremely cool and different, and Daredevil #100 because it was nostalgic and kind of mimicked the early bronze age premiere issues (Iron Man, Sub-Mariner, and Captain Marvel).
Redartz: Good call on the Spider-Man 100 cover; a Romita masterpiece. And yes, Avengers 200 is a great cover and , well, a great cover. Now how about you all? Did I miss any classics? Let your voices be heard.
And speaking of your voices, many thanks to each of you, those who speak up and those who just follow along. Knowing you all are out there really helps keep us going. And kudos to you, Marti; thanks for everything! Can't wait to see what lies ahead for the old Bitba.
Martinex1: Cheers to you Red! I look forward to another year. It may contain less posts but I believe the ongoing quality will be extraordinary.
