Tuesday, November 2, 2021

"And That's the Way it Was..."

 


Redartz:  Time is a strange phenomenon. Five years can be a very short time; it may also be a rather long time. In five years you can start  college and graduate. You can, possibly, witness three different US Presidential administrations. You can buy and read 60 issues of a monthly comic book, assuming you don't miss one here or there. You can also have a lot of fun, make a lot of friends, and generate a lot of blog posts. This last item is what brings us to where we stand today. 

Five years ago, Martinex 1 and I left the fondly-remembered Bronze Age Babies and opened a new path here at Back in the Bronze Age.  We didn't really know where this road would take us, or how far. Most importantly., this road has been a very enjoyable one, traveled in the company of the finest, friendliest group of companions the internet could offer. Together we've examined countless subjects,  debated many questions,  laughed a million laughs, shared several lifetimes worth of memories. All things considered , that's a pretty rewarding expenditure of any span of time, even more so five years' worth.

Funny thing about time,  it's kind of a relative thing. I stated above that 5 years can be short , and long. It's hard to believe how quickly so much time has passed,  and yet it also seems that after such a stretch it's time to turn the page; to finish the story. There are other roads to take , other responsibilities to fulfill,  other adventures to experience. Every one of us needs a break now and then, when we know the time is right.  And so, with this post,  "Back in the Bronze Age" is concluding. 

Concluding, yes, but with this important caveat: our Twitter feed continues,  wherein Martnex1 remains at the reins, bringing you topics, trivia and much more. Additionally, although there will no longer be new posts appearing here, the site will remain up, giving you access to all the archived posts from our five years together. Comments can still be left , should you be so inclined.

Before riding off into the virtual sunset, there are some people to thank.

First off:  many thanks, and much respect, to Doug and Karen- the creative powers behind "Bronze Age Babies". It was there that my blog career began, and without their guidance (and the high bar they set as examples) I'd never even have considered this endeavor. You two are the best. Incidentally, if you haven't, check out Karen at "Planet 8 Podcast". You'll be glad you did. 

Next, a huge "Thanks, buddy" to my partner and friend Martinex 1. Marti carried the heavy load of designing this site, handling the Twitter posts, and most of the practical elements of the blog. Not to mention the multitude of entertaining posts he created, many emailed consultations, and most importantly, his friendship. Here's to you, Marti; there wouldn't be a BitBA without you. 

Additionally, a big "Thank You" to all of you fellow bloggers: Dr. O, Mike W, Steve DC, Groove, and all of you who fill our screens and heads with pop cultural wonderment. You have all been supportive, helpful, and inspirational; I salute you all. 

Finally, here's the deepest, most heartfelt thanks to all of you who have visited, perused, commented (or not commented) and truly formed the community that is BitBA. You've always made the efforts seem worthwhile, you have never failed to entertain and educate with all your observations. Your attitudes have been impeccable; your  manners flawless, you are a credit to the Net. And more, you have all been friends; a wonderful group with which to have traveled this nostalgic road. 

Therein lies the most bittersweet part of this ; I will greatly miss our ongoing conversations. It has truly been a pleasure. But this isn't 'goodbye'; I'll be seeing many of you over at "Steve Does Comics", and at some of the other various fine blogs that we've always listed on the side.  Plus I hope to encounter any of you who may haunt the realms of Facebook and Twitter (and obviously on our Twitter feed). Will this blog ever return? Who can say; let's see where the road takes us from here. And so, until next we speak, take care, and bless you all. 

And here's one final Bronze Age byte: the test pattern! We all remember seeing these appear on tv at the end of the broadcast day. Accompanied, generally, by a rather creepy "ooooooooooooooo" tone. Of course I don't wish to creep anyone out, so we'll do with just the image. And so we conclude our Bronze Age day...



 

40 comments:

Killraven said...

Well, I finally get a Tuesday off to get on the ground floor of the discussion and...lol.

Anyway, thanks Red for all the incredible, thought provoking posts. It's proof that nothing beats the 'Bronze Age of Pop'!
seeya in the funny papers!

dangermash aka The Artistic Actuary said...

Yep. Thanks for all the entertainment you've provided here and we'll all see you over at Steve's or at Peerless Power.

Anonymous said...

Redartz,
We understand - and appreciate - your generosity with your time, in producing this blog. The mental and emotional energy for blogs like this to be written, is considerable. Not only finding the material, but reading it - then coming up with ideas, and organizing & arranging what you're going to write, before finally proofreading it - if you've got time, prior to the deadline! People sometimes forget the time & energy all this takes. Once again, thanks, Red! I think comics blogs need a team of writers/contributors, so one person isn't shouldering too much of the burden. See you at SDC!

Phillip

Anonymous said...

P.S. - The daytime UK test pattern/card played music, such as 'Popcorn' & 'Love is Blue' !

Phillip

Redartz said...

Killraven- ah well, glad you got the first word in today anyway! And yes, the Bronze Age rules the pop cultural world!

Dangermash- you're most welcome; thanks for being a part of the fun here. Will definitely be seeing you!

Phillip- yes, putting together a blog such as this is a task, but it's a pleasant one. A labor of love, as they say. Many thanks, and be seeing you!

Colin Jones said...

Red, at first I thought this week's discussion was about Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and co but then I scrolled down and the terrible truth dawned. This is a sad day but thank you so much for the last five years and all the fascinating topics we've discussed and thanks very much to you (and everyone else) for leaving comments on my "Follow The Leader" suggestions. See you on Steve Does Comics :)

Anonymous said...


Red!

Like Colin, as I read your post and realized where you were heading, I was instantly all ‘NOOOOOOOOOOO’. Tuesdays will never be the same! But I totally get it. Thanks for welcoming me into your virtual clubhouse. It’s been a blast.

I’m sure we’ll bump into each other (and Colin and MP and HB and KR and DM and Phillip and Sean and Charlie and all our other Brothers From Other Mothers) at Steve’s place.

Cheers, pal!

b.t.

Mike Wilson said...

I'll miss coming here every Tuesday, but thanks for all the fun over the years.

McSCOTTY said...

I was thinking the same thing as Colin and b.t. and was getting ready to mention my childhood favourite ( though not WBs) Fearless Fly. Anyway thanks for the great memories it's been fun reliving those comics and songs from another time and place.As we say up her in Scotland, Lang may yer mum reek .

McSCOTTY said...

Lol Not that it'll make much sense to our North America cousins but sorry that should have read " Lang may yer lum reek" not your wee "mum", predictive text is the bane of my life!

Steve Does Comics said...

Red, you've done a sterling job over the past few years, in not only curating a blog but in cultivating an online community. Thanks for all the work you've put into it. :)

Anonymous said...

I reckon ‘May you mum reek’ is at least somewhat less horrible than ‘May your bum reek’. Tho then again, maybe not….

(GOTTA have some thread drift in this last round of BitBA)

b.t.

Edo Bosnar said...

Thanks for all the effort you put into the blog, Red, and big thanks also to Martinex. It was nice having a sort of continuation of the Bronze Age Babies and being able to interact with some of the regular commeters there who carried over, as well as the guys who came aboard later.
But yeah, nothing can go on forever, and obviously you have to organize your life and time in the way that works best for you.
So thanks again, best wishes to you and Martinex, and hopefully we'll interact/communicate elsewhere in the future.

Redartz said...

Colin- Sure glad to have had your presence here, and glad you enjoyed the posts. Most likely I'll be joining you in offering an occasional topic over at Steve's...

B.t.- it's been a pleasure getting your great comments! And it'll also be a pleasure meeting up with our pal Steve...

Mike W- many thanks to you for your patronage, and also for the efforts you put into your posts! Take good care!

Redartz said...

McScotty- Thanks hugely! Your input is always enjoyable, and often prods me into research! One day, perhaps, I'll make it over your way for a visit (my ancestors hailed from Scotland; my Dad was so fascinated by ancestry that he wore a kilt from time to time). Oh, and "Fearless Fly" was a great part of a great show" "Milton the Monster". Still love to pull episodes up on YouTube).

Phillip- forgot to say: thanks for the info about your test patterns. That sounds much more pleasant than ours- nothing was more unsettling than dozing off watching the late night Friday Creature Features, only to wake up to that cold, graphic eye staring at you in the darkness accompanied by that unearthly tone...

Steve DC- many thanks; that's high praise from a top notch blogger. I've always gotten a kick from our periodic 'cross pollination '. I'll certainly be stopping by your place frequently; can't let Charlie be the only Hoosier representative...

Edo- thanks so much for all the kind words, my friend! It's been great, from the days of BAB to the present day. I too hope to keep in touch; be well!

Charlie Horse 47 said...

Red!

Has it really been 5 years? My gosh!

It's been a great trip, a wonderful journey!

Thank for sharing your time and insights over these 5 years.

Thanks to you (and Martinex) I've met some fine people: you, Martinex, Doug, and Colin B from the UK. The 5 of us attending the C2E2 in Chicago 2019, was really an experience of a lifetime.

And, while at C2E2, you turned me on to the Avengers-Defenders War (from 1973) which was a great read!

In any case, I am going to to assume we will rally for at least one more Comicon / C2E2... 2022? :)

Cheers Robert and look forward to "seeing" you still at Steve Does Comics! Thanks again for the generous donation of your time and hope you have a wonderful holiday season!

Graham said...

Sorry to see you guys go, but I understand. My blog has been sputtering along for a couple of years now. Other things have come up over the past four or five years and I struggle to do one post a month these days.....it's been two months since my last one. I still enjoy it, but there's too many other irons in the fire.

I've really enjoyed this blog....I really don't contribute much, but I've always enjoyed reading your posts and the comments. Hopefully, our paths will cross again soon. Job well done, guys!!

Colin Jones said...

Red, the BBC test pattern was a girl playing noughts & crosses on a blackboard accompanied by a creepy clown doll. If you google bbctestpattern you can see it - for us Brits it's one of the most iconic images of the 20th Century. Back in the '70s the BBC closed down for long stretches during the mornings and afternoons so the test card girl and her clown doll were a regular feature of TV in those days.

Redartz said...

Charlie- yep, five years, amazing isn't it? But yes, it's been a fun five years, and all the better with your participation. And we'll absolutely stay in touch; hopefully including I convention next year! Oh, and it's gratifying to know you enjoyed the Avengers/Defenders war. A classic . Hmmm, maybe it deserves another reading...

Graham- Thanks so much for being a part of the fun here! If we brought an occasional smile, it was all worthwhile. And I fully understand your "irons in the fire"; life sure requires some degree of expertise in juggling. Best of luck with your blog, and with all you do!

Colin- checked out your test card: yes, that doll is troubling (repressed shudder). Oh, and you mentioned "noughts and crosses". Sounds like another fascinating variation in terminology. Over here it's referred to as "tic tac toe". Don't ask me why...

Humanbelly said...

[Author's confession: the following originated as a semi-private email to Red. . . but for the life of me I can't come up with as genuine-feeling a testimonial a second time, so Red, if it doesn't seem inappropriate, I'm going to share the bulk of it here with the entire entourage, eh?]

Ahhh Red (Robert) (--- Red Robert? Holy cats-- perhaps you've been, like, a Mystery Man this whole time??)-- you have been a CHAMP for all of us, and I don't think we can thank you enough for the extraordinary effort and hefty time-investment you've put into BItBA. It's been one of the nicest corners of the internet a person could ever find-- and it was a perfect extension of our old Bronze Age Babies hangout. You've done a superb job throughout-- and I don't think any one of us could ever fault you for saying, "I think it's time to wrap this stretch up". Indeed, all good (and this case, exceedingly good) things do come to an end-- There are lifespans for everything. Possibly, comic books have not kept us properly conditioned to that fact, since they seem to be the one form of continuously serialized entertainment that does NOT have a finish line--- if it's even remotely possible to avoid one--- but book series, television series, YouTube series and so on-- they all do finally come to a close, and it is SO MUCH better to do so when they are still creatively alive and engaged and, well, good-- for lack of a more elevated word.

I absolutely think of you and this gang as a group of pals I've never had occasion to hang with in person, but have always been pleased to be in your company nonetheless.

I wonder, I wonder, I wonder--- would we perhaps like to start a very informal FB group for us BitBATs (Ha! I just coined that!), simply as a means of saying hi and keeping in touch as the mood strikes us? Sharing the odd personal milestone; posting a favored comic here and there; letting folks know if we might be coming other folks' way on vacation, etc? But no expectation for anyone to post at all unless they've a mind to-?

This is HB, by the way--- I'm Thomas Howley in my civilian identity (Tom-- though I even think of myself as HB now in a few select spaces---).

And again Robert, you have been a shining example of how to carry oneself with unfailingly goodwill and dignity in an often-contentious on-line megaverse-!

Well-done-
HB/HumanBelly/(Tom)

Redartz said...

HB /Tom- you're very kind, my friend! Knowing that our efforts here have been enjoyed by folks like you truly makes those late evenings feverishly searching for a topic worth the effort! Sorry for the rather clunky sentence...
After all these years of chatting, it feels like we could have been grade school buddies. We probably would have been! Anyway, thanks for your comments, your guest posts, your humor and your presence here!
And for anyone interested, I am considering putting up a Facebook group. If/when it comes together, I'll try to notify everyone, and will post a notice on this site.

Humanbelly said...

Red-- I strongly suspect we would have been part of the same circle in grade-school/junior high, yup. And had you lived in the teeny-town embrace of Cassopolis, MI you would automatically been within a bike-ride of hangin' with me and my best-pal Bryan (my early childhood comic-book cohort in crime--), as well as our extended circle of slightly-alternative geeky types. Honestly, I can picture you there with us with amazing clarity. . . a very nearby alternate universe, perhaps--? (Some of the requirements: MASSIVE bike-riding; endless speculative conversations about comics; snow sledding; drawing & sketching-- which I KNOW you have a facility for!; badminton; swimming in the lake; marathon board game binges; watching cartoons; playing backyard sports even w/out any discernible ability (esp basketball--); eating ALL the snacks---)

And-- what I especially like about a FB group is that it affords us the ability to post images and videos-- which has always been the one drawback of ol' Blogger's format, here. (And it becomes yet ANOTHER place that I can post interminable photos of my parrot-- woo-hoo!!)

HB

Anonymous said...

Wow didn't know 5 years have passed! Feels like yesterday!

Thanks for all the memories, Redartz, Martinex1, Edo, Humanbelly and all the other wonderful members of this unique community. That's all folks!


- Mike 'contact me on Twitter at web_dragon, no Facebook - have phobia of Mark Zuckerberg' from Trinidad & Tobago.

Redartz said...

Mike- sure appreciate your being with us! Thanks for keeping the Bronze Age faith in T&T!

Charlie Horse 47 said...

Miss you Red!

Humanbelly said...

Yeah CH-- it's kinda weird, isn't it?

Even if I didn't post anything, the fun distinction for Tuesday was that it BitBA Day, right? (Tuesdays don't have a ton going for 'em otherwise, tbh---) (Ha!)

HB

PS-- Extra thought, for anyone who might stop in: What if. . . every Tuesday was simply an automatic Follow the Leader day? Is it possible for that to be a non-maintenance automated posting, you suppose? Would this bunch still be inclined to chime in? Hmmmmmm--- (And then Red, you could enjoy the freewheeling life of being a civilian commenter again-!)

Anthony said...

Redartz and Martinex thanks so much for being here. I haven't been around for a while and allowed myself to think you'd always be here. Bit time moves on and I completely understand that life takes you in different directions.

I'm so thankful for this corner of the internet where we could share memories of these wonderful four-colour adventures. I see that you'll be hanging out at Steve Does Comics. I'll be sure to see you there :)

Redartz said...

Charlie- yes, it seems a bit strange...

HB- yes, for awhile we did the "Follow the Leader " each week. I'm not sure if there is a way to make it 'automatic ', but it might be something to look into. At any rate, still looking into that possible Facebook group. Stay tuned...

Anthony- Thank you for the kind words, and for being a part of BitBA! Really glad you enjoyed it. Will surely see you at SDC!

Charlie Horse 47 said...

Still missing you Red. Santa has a box of goodies for you in the near future for all your years of service!

YES! I mean it! Thank you for your service my friend!

Redartz said...

Aw, thanks Charlie! You're too kind. Incidentally, Santa may be showing up with a little something for you, too...

Humanbelly said...

Ha-- I'll probably still keep checking back in here on Tuesdays for awhile. . . just to make sure nobody got locked in or anything. . .!

HB

Charlie Horse 47 said...

Me too HB. See you at Facebook!

Humanbelly said...

". . . And sometimes if you listen carefully on a Tuesday. . . you can still hear the faint voice of H.B.Humanbelly. . . calling to his colleagues through the ether. . . hoping to lead them to safe harbor on the shores of Facebook. . .

. . . Only now he is known as. . . The HAUNTEDBELLY---!!!

WooooooOOOOOOOOoooOOoOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo. . .. . .!

Redartz said...

I can almost see you standing there, alone, wrapped in the mist, pursuing your noble goals with the dedication of Don Quixote...

But as HB alluded to, if anyone reading this is interested, seek us out on Facebook (or, of course, on Twitter)!

Humanbelly said...

". . . TONIGHT YOU SHALL BE HAUNTED BY THREE SPIRITS. . . EXPECT THE FIRST AT-* ---hello? Isn't this. . . ? Where's. . .? Oh blast-- they've sent me to the wrong location AGAIN. . .! If I had a farthing for every time I've had to haul these dratted chains across countless leagues of Eternal Ether just to be left cooling me spectral heels on the some half-wit's doorstep. . . gnrrrrrRRRRgh!. . . "

HB Marley. . .

Colin Jones said...

Merry Christmas Red, HB, Charlie and anybody else who comes back to check on the old place :)

Redartz said...

Merry Christmas, Colin, and to any and all who read this! And a reminder, we are still active on Twitter, and the "Bitbats" Facebook group (feel free to join in!).

Dr. O said...

Hey hey!

I just now saw this! I recently announced that 2022 will be the final year of The Middle Spaces, so I am right there with you when it comes to moving on.

Thanks for everything and hope to see you around the internets!

Redartz said...

Dr. O- many thanks! Sure appreciate your comments, and most especially the engaging and in-depth posts you've presented. Best of luck to you, and see you at the dollar boxes!

Charlie Horse 47 said...

Belated Merry Xmas to you Colin!

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