Mike Eakins
Welcome back, your dreams were your ticket out
Welcome back, to that same old place that you laughed about
Well the names have all changed since you hung around
But those dreams have remained and they’ve turned around…
“Comics, Culture, & More” is back! Sometimes life gets in the way and old guests decide to come back, and you find yourself struggling all over again to regain footing. When you are surrounded by an extremely strong support crew, they are no longer referred to as friends, acquaintances, or “people you know”. They become family, and at Comic-Watch that what we are…FAMILY. I started writing for the site last March. My first article was a video by Donny Cates announcing the big Marvel event Absolute Carnage. I was so jazzed that I finally get to write about comics, the hobby, etc. for a legitimate website. At first, I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into when I first emailed Cody our content manager. I was referred to Cody by a dear friend from High School, Adam. See, the great thing about social media is that you get to re-know folks from your past and realize that you had way more in common than you knew, which was the case for me and Adam. Our conversations in high school were filled with discussion about bands that we were into and not comics, collectibles, etc. 20 years later I’m watching his podcast, and he’s recommending to Comic-Watch. As time went on and I became more comfortable I started to look around the proverbial house a bit more and tried my hand at reviewing books. My first review was for Count Crowley: The Reluctant Midnight Monster Hunter, and from there it was all downhill. As time went on and trust began to grow, requests started to come in. Whether it was about new books, my opinion on the direction of Comic Watch, or when I was asked to co-host our podcast, I started to feel more at ease. I pitched “Comics, Culture, & More” out of wanting an outlet for this “thing” that has been lingering around since high school.
I wanted to write an editorial about comics, and how they not only affect my world but others in the culture. When I got the green light for this, I was stoked. In this short year with Comic Watch, I have grown to know some of the best people this world has to offer. Finding strength sometimes can be tough. That’s why I consider myself ever so lucky. I have a great family at home, I have great friends, and I have Comic Watch. Not only is Comic Watch a safe place to share your most heartfelt thoughts, but a place for family to gather and talk about anything. I can’t think of a better way to bring this editorial back than on my Comic-Watch 1 year anniversary. It is with the same love and admiration that I’ve been shown, that I say thank you to the editors, fellow press hounds, and everyone in between. If I can spark conversation and maybe give birth to new thoughts, that would be great. If not, that’s OK, because we’re still going to have fun. These are my thoughts, and this is me.