Closed for Remodeling...

This is not an easy post to write, but if you've been sort of, kind of following this blog for a while, you must have noted my waning interest in it. In December, I posted twice; in November, I posted ONCE. That's ONE time and pretty pathetic for a blog that I used to post on almost daily.

Part of this is work. Over the past 5 months I have been intensely involved in the redesign of the Comic-Con International website. I stress the word intensely, as this project has been on my plate close to two years now, and since August I have pretty much been devoting all my time to it. In addition to a total redesign of the site (which is pretty much all me, graphically), I'm also now the person responsible for the new Toucan blog, which has new content posted at least twice a week. This in addition to all of my other duties, including the three show books (WonderCon Anaheim, Comic-Con International, and APE, the Alternative Press Expo), and collateral material devoted to those shows. And as anyone who does any kind of blogging knows, it's like a furnace: you have to keep putting fuel (content) into it to sustain it. The Toucan furnace is being stoked each week; Innocent Bystander not so much.

But part of this, sadly, is just me growing old. I no longer have the "fire in my belly" to write for myself like I used to. Maybe that will change at some point (like retirement, which is looming off there in the not so distant distance), but right now, work pretty much fulfills me creatively. I went from a position that was more of an organizational one to one that is responsible for a lot of written content and design work, most if not all of it dealing with my first love, comics. That job, stressful as it is at times, does scratch that creative itch I've always had, and that's what I enjoy about it the most.

I started this blog in November of 2004. Eight-plus years is a long time. And while I'm NOT saying I'll never blog again on here, I have downgraded my plan so that I'm no longer paying for it. This means a simple "micro-blog' design, no more links to Amazon.com, and other bonuses, such as banners utilizing my own photos*--have gone away. I just can't see myself paying for something I no longer can--or want to--support.

I'm not saying I'm going to totally stop blogging. But I can't promise when--or if--there will be another post. I do have an ending in mind for this blog, but I can't quite bring myself to totally pull the plug at this point. This is hard enough as it is. Most marriages these days don't last eight years, and this blog saw me through some very cold and lonely nights.

So for now, I'm adopting the sign I frequently see on local restaurants: Closed for Remodeling. They cover the windows with craft paper and shutter the doors. Most times, they never come back, or they come back with a new name. I haven't made that decision yet.

Thanks to all of you who have kept up with me over the years. It's been fun. Maybe I'll come back. Maybe I won't. Only time will tell.

*ADDED: Okay, I found one theme that allows a customizable photo, but I HATE the green background, which I can't change. We'll see if the green grows on me.

Comments

[www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1269960289]

I will miss you.