Ed's last post of 2004...

I fear that everything will fall by the wayside now that I have both a SIRIUS Satellite Radio and a ReplayTV (like Tivo, but more generic!). While I'm often the last person to accept new technology because of my congenital aversion to things that whir and buzz, these almost make me want to be a tech geek (although my big fear is now that my wife can watch her As The World Turns whenever she wants, I'll end up becoming hooked on that as well, and I really don't need to be watching three different soap operas). The upside is that the ease of recording means that I'll be able to finally catch up on Justice League Unlimited while the wife is at work/school/wherever, as she absolutely refuses to watch it.

While the ReplayTV is handy, the satellite radio feels necessary, and makes me wish I had jumped on the bandwagon months ago. I spend at least thirty hours a month in my car, with my long commute and perpetual cabin fever, and I often tire of the albums I own. Unfortunately, I don't live in an area with good radio. I know it sounds quaint, but I've got more than a little love for radio broadcasting. Growing up in northeast Pennsylvania, I lived in a radio nexus point where I could find broadcasts from the local area, New York City and Philadelphia. The mornings I spent working in the Pocono resort industry during my summers off school (which I miss greatly - perhaps the reason I often tire of real jobs is because I spent five years getting paid to play ping pong, read, flirt with strangers, and listen to music) were spent with WXRK, one of NYC's "alternative rock" stations and home to the Howard Stern morning show, and WQHT ("Hot 97," radio home of Funkmaster Flex, Ed Lover and Dr. Dre at the time), and three different NPR stations, including WRTI (Temple Public Radio, which may well have the most jazz programming of any NPR station in the country - and right now, their site has a list of the top 100 jazz tracks of 2004, while we're on the "Best of 2004" tip). As a pretentious high school kid, radio was essential - it was much easier to scribble in marbled composition books while listening to the radio than it was with a television set blaring in the background.

All these thoughts and feelings are surfacing now that I'm faced with - and daunted by - the stations that SIRIUS offers. Despite the risk of sounding like I'm plugging them (and it's not like they sent me free comics or anything), I still feel compelled to talk about it. The channel listings dominated my lunchbreak, which normally would have been spent reading comics-related stuff. The unit the wife bought me has space for thirty presets to make changing channels easier while commuting, and I didn't think I'd be able to fill them all. However, with four hip hop channels, two NPR channels, five jazz channels worth listening to (one listed Kenny G in the "artist frequently played" note, so I felt confident that the "Jazz Cafe" station wasn't for me), and other assorted music, news and entertainment stations, limiting my choices to thirty made me almost appreciate the struggle some comics fans must face when looking at the seventy-five or so X-Men titles they have to choose from... well, maybe not so much. I was sad to see that neither of the NPR stations broadcasts Morning Edition, which I've used to pass the first half of my commute for three years - part of the reason I chose SIRIUS over XM was so I wouldn't lose NPR halfway through that show - but having Fresh Air in the morning makes up for it. Right now, though, I'm just happy they have Backspin, which plays non-stop old school hip hop.

Alright, now that I've got that little nerdgasm out of the way, on to comics stuff. Everyone's doing year-end wrap-ups, but I don't feel qualified to do a comprehensive "best of" list, because this hasn't been the best comics year for me. Sure, there were comics that made me remember why I still dig on the medium, but I can't say my reading is as comprehensive as it should be to give any weight to what I'd say.

I did spend more time than ever reading about comics, though. This whole blogosphere thing has been a lot of fun, and as silly as it may sound, I've gained more of an appreciation of the whole comics things through the way the medium has gotten so many people to assume the pundit hat (a garish accoutrement, but one some of you wear very well).

Yes, I get maudlin at the end of the year, "Auld Lang Syne" and all that crap. Shut it. If it's too "yearbook-y," my apologies - I'll go back to being a bastard next week.

So, here's my informal list of blogs and such that have rocked my cock this year:

The Comics Reporter: When Tom Spurgeon first started blogging, I think I said something along the lines of "well, us comics sites can pretty much pack up and call it a day," and I still stand by it - Tom's view of the comics industry is the most catholic and the least likely to be swayed by PR, fluff or hype. His "Sunday Magazine" gives me a reason to hit the internet on Sundays, when I should be doing other things.

Fanboy Rampage: Graeme's given me hours of enjoyment, and has me addicted to some message boards the way I used to be enamored with Weekly World News. I still miss his "Grim Tidings" column, though, because his brand of humor and insight works even better in longform than it does in shorter snippets. He's also one of my favorite people on the planet, but that's a post for another day.

Thought Balloons: Like Tom's site, Kevin's blog is essential for someone who wants more out of his comics news than "Woo hoo! This is kewl!" His sparing use of snark gives his occasional barbs a stand-up-and-notice vibe, and I'm always pleasantly surprised when he bares his teeth just so. Now that he's branched off into covering more than just comics, Kevin's turned me on to a bunch of things, and I also have a list of things that I still need to get around checking out (that Jonathan Strange novel at the top of that list). Also, our likes and hates overlap nicely.

Precocious Curmudgeon: Like John Jakala before him, David makes me want to read more manga. His manga obsession, though, isn't so dominant that it makes him a one-trick pony; his comics-reading is varied enough to command my attention when he says something is really good. Also, his new column at Comic World News (along with Shawn Hoke and Rich Watson's columns) makes me miss the bigger involvement I used to have with the site, as it is finally starting to develop into something worth reading.

BeaucoupKevin: I kind of want to be Kevin when I grow up. His comics tastes run more towards superhero stuff than mine do, but he's funny as fuck, has fabulous taste in music, and a lot of his personality comes through his posts. Just a joy, generally.

Comics.212.net: I just have to say I fucking love Chris Butcher. I can't think of anyone in the blogosphere as fearless as Butcher - of all of us, he's the least likely to parse comments to appease morons. Also, his Previews Review is more essential reading - it gives equal time to both the front and back half of the Previews catalogue.

Yet Another Comics Blog: Really, it's anything but - David Carter seems to read more comics than anyone I've ever known, and writes about them cogently. His quick reviews have been essential in getting me to try new things.

Near-mint Heroes: Shane's got this link-blogging thing down pat. What I like best probably isn't the comics-related stuff, but that he links tons of other things that I otherwise wouldn't notice, particularly design-related stuff. He's on my short list of people I wish would post more.

Cognitive Dissonance: You know, I prefer Johanna's blog to her main site. She's brash and funny, and a good writer on top of it. Also, she didn't give me too much grief when it took me months upon months to send her something I had promised her.

Comics Should Be Good: Joe, Alex, Brian, Paul(s) and Tadgh made December for me. Overly passionate and often scatalogical, they openly embrace their fanboyhood, and it shows. The tone there borders on schtick, but it's schtick that almost always works.

Peiratikos: Steve and Rose are the other people on my short-list of bloggers I wish would post more, but when they do post, it more than makes up for it. They go beyond simply looking at plot, which is an increasingly rare trait in comics talk. I hope 2005 brings more interviews to their blog, because the Bryan Lee O'Malley interview was easily my favorite interview of 2004.

Progressive Ruin and Postmodern Barney: These two are linked in my mind, but it might be doing them a disservice by listing them together. Even though our tastes in comics are often radically different, reading their retail-related posts is always a joy. They're funny, opinionated fuckers, and I appreciated it in 2004.

Highway 62: I hope Matt finishes whatever it is he's working on, because I miss his blog. Somehow, Matt manages to be highly opinionated without ever (or, at least, not often) coming off as abrasive. Also, he's the one person who can get away with breaking-into-the-industry related posts without my brain instantly switching off, because he does it with honesty and humor.

This, of course, is just a short list. There are others, so if I missed you, apologies. Maybe next year, if I'm still doing this.

Unless I hate your blog. That might be a reason, too.