So last Sunday, the 6th of January, was the eighth anniversary of the day I signed up for a Blogger account so that I could get back into the practice of writing. And in true Modern Age ISB fashion, I was too busy writing for other things to update the blog. Whoooooops.

But yeah, it was a pretty big milestone. I started this thing when I was 22, working in a comic book store and wondering if I was ever going to be able to write, and now I’m 30, writing professionally, and I had my first OGN (cowritten with Chad Bowers, with art by Scott Kowalchuk and letters by Josh Krach) announced at New York Comic-Con, in front of a room (half) full of people, some of whom were nice enough to comb New York City for Sun Drop and bring us cans to drink on the panel. That’s pretty big, and it’s something that I can trace right back to the day Phil convinced me that blogging wasn’t a self-indulgent waste of time — or at least, that it was, but it’s the kind of self-indulgent waste of time that I like to do.

Last year, my New Year’s Resolution was to write more and not let the ISB get so fallow, and I think I did okay at it. The “problem,” if you even want to call it that, is that I was doing pretty okay as a freelancer, and most of the stuff I wanted to write was stuff people wanted to pay for. So while the ISB got some reviews of 3 year-old video games (which are still good darn it) and exactly one proof-of-concept recap of Impact Wrestling, I wrote some comics, one of which was actually released to the general public where a few people bought it, and did work for ComicsAliance, Grantland, WithLeather and Wired, writing about stuff I liked to write about. It’s pretty cool.

But anyway, before I get too maudlin and sappy, thanks to everyone who’s reading and is not a jerk (up yours if you are reading and are a jerk), whether you’ve stuck with me for the whole time or you’re new, or if you were just doing a search for vaginal ghosts and wound up here. That is my legacy as a critic, and I have come to accept that.

Did you guys know there’s a comic book convention in San Diego this week? Yeah, apparently it’s a big deal.

I’m heading out there to check it out, shoot some video, do some interviews, buy some comics, you know how I do. So while I’m gone, the ISB is going into a little thing I like to call No-Updates mode. I’ll most likely do a roundup when I get back of what goes on while I’m out West, but until then, keep an eye on ComicsAlliance for everything that happens during the con! We’ve got some really good stuff planned, even beyond me forcing someone to take me to In-N-Out burger.

While this isn’t actually a part of the Action Age Comics Never Look Back Never Say Die World Tour 2011, it’s definitely a tie-in, or possibly a Secret Files. Point is, the unstoppable Dr. Andy Kunka and I will be signing copies of Write More Good this Saturday, May 21!

We will be at the Barnes & Noble at Magnolia Mall in Florence, South Carolina from 1 PM to 3 PM, so please plan your Rapture accordingly. For more information and other Bureau Chief signings that might be in your neck of the woods, click here, and if you’re in the area, come out and say hi!