Monday, April 30, 2018

Happy Tenth Anniversary Supergirl Comic Box Commentary


Where does time go?

Every year I talk about how I decided to do a comic blog back in 2007 but I didn't have a focus and so it was one post and done. And then on 4/29/08 I decided to try again, this time concentrating on Supergirl comics.

I decided Supergirl because I love the character and I didn't think she was being respected in the comics. At all.

It has been a decade.
The character is in a much better place.

And the site?
Over 2900 posts.
Over 3.7 million page views.
Countless friends made. And plenty of friends for life.

Incredible.

The focus has somewhat stretched to include Superman, Legion of Super-Heroes, other media representations of Supergirl, and basically DC Comics in general.

But, despite these blurred borders, I think I have succeeded in keeping Supergirl at the center of the proceedings.

I don't think I need to go into detail but suffice it to say that things have changed a lot for Supergirl over these 10 years, and mostly for the better. There have been some stops and starts. But there is no doubt Supergirl is a known commodity now, much more widely known than she was back in 2008. From comics to canned pasta to toys to television shows, she really seems everywhere. You only need to take a look at my overfilled collection of merchandise to see how big a deal she has been over the last 10 years (I'll have a post soon).

So on the site, the character coverage is the content but the audience is the atmosphere.


The traffic has been steady and climbing for the most part. And I also think that's amazing. 840K visits last year!

Every anniversary, I thank you all for coming here, listening to my rants, and reading my overly long and probably overly scrutinized comic reviews. Without you all and the Supergirl fandom, I would have given up on this long ago. I love the conversation. I learn so much from you all. And it is great to hear from other Supergirl fans! This is a community. And I love that it isn't an echo chamber. There is discussion and opinion but also respect.

So thanks again! Congratulations should be given to you as much as to me!

10 freaking years! Unbelievable.

I am planning a couple of fun anniversary posts because, gosh dang it, I think the place deserves it. So look for some fun 10 year retrospectives coming up.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for your site and everything you've done for the fandom, Anj. I don't think I'd be such a big Supergirl fan without it. And most likely I'd not be a Legion fan at all without it.

I agree, Supergirl wasn't respected at all back in 2008. Her book wasn't a best-selling title anymore, and she was regarded as a crappy character by long-time SG fans, Linda Danvers fans who resented her, Superman fans who hated her and never gave her a chance, comic fans who never cared for her...

Ten years later... Well, she's missing her own book right now, but she's gotten several good runs, her appearances out of comics have increased and she's more mainstream than before.

Nowadays, DC would have a harder time to get rid of her and replace her again.

(Well, it isn't impossible. But most of online comic-book fans seem to be willing to accept that, yes, she exists, and is part of the Superman/DC universe. There aren't so much people clamoring for Superman being "unique" again)

I look forward to your retrospective.

Martin Gray said...

Happy Anniversary Anj, thanks for all the hard work you put into this site, I love reading your insights and opinions. And as one of those people who's been able to meet you as a result of the blog, I'm extremely grateful!

Anonymous said...

Thanks Anj! I'm a new fan of Supergirl (and the Super-Family) and started following the series during the New 52 - I know, I know. I wanted to share my appreciation and find other fans and discovered this blog! It's been a real treat reading reviews, commenting on occasion, and discovering the character's rich history.

Congratulations on 10 years!

Sean Dillon said...

Thank you. It's actually thanks to you that I subsequently got into reading comics. It's been an amazing time reading them and I will be eternally grateful to you for that.

Anonymous said...

BTW I also wanna take a moment to laud the (for the most part) high minded debates in the conment field, I find I usually learn something from the strings if I hang in there long enough. That speaks well of Our Host's Stewardship.


JF

Anonymous said...

Very true, JF.

Hmm - the 1972 series only ran 10 issues. Hope there’s a new series that, through some numbering miracle, reaches 11 by this time next year, so you can feature its cover with the rest of the #11s.

T.N.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on your 10 year anniversary for the blog Anj! I've enjoyed your reviews of both classic and current comics over the years as well as your insights into the Super Family and for creating an enjoyable space in which to discuss comics amongst fellow fans. I look forward to your celebratory posts.

Louis

MacNille said...

I discover your blog through your reviews about Peter Davids run on supergirl. I am so glad to see another one here who has not forgotten about Linda Danvers and I found so much joy to read your reviews about her stories.
I have also gotten more interested in Supergirl in general.

KET said...

Thanks for still hanging in there, Anj! Long live Supergirl, and hopefully, your continued enthusiasm for the character.


KET

collectededitions said...

Congrats, Anj!

William Ashley Vaughan said...

Congratulations on ten fantastic years covering all things Supergirl. To someone who has been a fan of the character since the seventies and has been buying her series and comic book appearances since Elliot Maggin was writing her in Superman Family, your site is pure joy. When I first read her stories, I quickly developed the conviction that she had enormous potential if only she could find writers who were willing to devote the same talent and commitment to her that Denny O'Neil did to Batman and Jim Starlin did to Captain Marvel. It was good to find out that there were so many other fans out there who felt the same and were as happy as I was to have Peter David and Sterling Gates prove us right.