This post was originally called 'a year of no more comics' but I thought I'd change it as I'm really not sure that would be a realistic objective for me.
The last 12 months has been a bit of a period for me and my love of comics. While I started last year in good spirits and a positive light, the need for another mid-year break from burnout, as well as the end of an era with Pipedream Comics going on indefinite hiatus, 2022 turned into something of a chore as it ended.
Well, chore is the wrong word because, as we reached Christmas, things certainly improved thanks to Do A Powerbomb, Ryan North's arrival on FF and, of course a Birthday and Christmas double bill which provided me a slew of quality trades.
Still, much of the middle of the past year sure felt like a hard slog.
However, with 2023 now here, I've found myself with a renewed sense of hope and optimism (which will hopefully last beyond the six month mark) as I make my plans for the next 12 months.
So, with that, I thought I'd go through all of my goals/resolutions for 2023!
1. Scale down the backlog (considerably) - This one has been a mainstay of my life for a couple of years now, but at this point it has become more of an absurdity than ever before. With a pile of graphic novels sat beside my bed (which includes a couple of collected editions from Christmas and even one from last Christmas), not to mention a small bundle of digital kickstarter rewards and enough comixology based comics that would certainly put my physical collection to shame, it feels like this year has got to be the one in which I make some serious headway on this backlog. This was primarily the reason why I was originally going to say no more comics, although it certainly is a foolish thing to say because there will always be a comic which acquires my intrigue. However, when all is said and done, burning through this backlog has to be my highest priority because what's the point in having all of these comics if I don't read them.
2. Reread older series, in order to trim down my collection - Speaking of reading, another 'resolution' (for want of a better word) is my plan to re-read a tremendous portionof my older comics. The reason for this is because, at nearly 40 years old and with a family including 2 small kids, space in my home is at a premium and now (thanks to that aforementioned pile I've just mentioned), my comics are overflowing at an insane level. However, not being a person who is particularly good at simply throwing things away, I've decided to try and re-read as many comics as I can (because, again, what's the point in having them if I don't read them). This way, if I find my tastes have changed to the extend that these particular comics no longer appeal to me, then I can arrange to sell/donate/throw away (maybe not so much that one) these particular comics and, thus, reduce some of the clutter in my home.
Also, it would give me plenty of fodder to write down my thoughts on. Speaking of which ...
3. Try and become something of a replacement for Pipedream Comics - This has been something I've been pondering about for the past couple of months. Since Pipedream Comics closed its doors, I've found myself with more time than I originally had (certainly for a couple of years now). Certainly, the site going on 'indefinite hiatus' was an opportunity to take a break and reassess things, especially given that, as of the time that the decision was made, I was going through a degree of burnout as my enjoyment when reading was waivering somewhat. However, now I've given myself a break and am in a better place, I'd love to try and make the time to bring focus to comics that might not neccesarily have as many eyes on them. Of course, I am aware that any credibility I had came from the site I worked for and so, there is little influence I can offer. However, the chance to try again at this kind of thing would certainly be something I wouldn't want to say no to, although it would be less a resolution and more and invitation to be taken up by others.
In the meantime though, there is one other resolution which can focus my attention ...
4. Build and release a kickstarter campaign for Predators - This is a resolution which has been a year in the making. Five years in fact, when you take into account that my previous comic making endeavour and subsequent discussion about it laid the first stones into the path. However, with almost continuous listening of podcast interview with other creators, as well as all of the terrific comics I got to read during 2022, I feel like I'm at a place where I want to move forward with my own current creative endeavour; Predators. The only issue is that, due to the cost of Living crisis (thanks Boris, Liz and the gang), trying to put together a legitimate amount of money to ask Robert Ahmad to finshed what he has already started (with two glorious pages) is being nothing short of difficult. Therefore, like many before me, I'm contemplating building a kickstarter campaign to gain the rest of the funds needed to finish the pages needed. Now, this is probably a fools errand and I can wager that I'll lose my confidence in achieving this many times over the coming year, but I want to try and do something given that I'm not getting any younger.
Speaking of not getting any younger. Finally ...
5. Remember that comics isn't the be all and end all - This should be a given but, if the last couple of months (as mentioned above, again) have shown me anything, it's that comics does tend to take up a tremendous amount of my thinking capacity. However, in the run up to Christmas, I did think that I found a better balance between comics and life than I've tended to have for a good long while. With that in mind, my last resolution is to continue to maintain that balance so that I continue to read plenty while not also overdoing it.
And there you have it, my resolutions/plans for 2023. Of course, I do have others, e.g. losing weight, getting fitter, all those stereotypical resolution that'll not doubt fail by the end of January, but these ones are those which relate to comics, which of course make them most important.
Hopefully I can follow through on all of these.
Fortunately, I've already made a start on them as I've already begun burning through Kieren Gillen and Stephanie Hans' Die.
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