Posted in: Comics, Recent Updates | Tagged: birthday, bleeding cool, Comics, entertainment

Happy Fifth Birthday, Bleeding Cool, From The Comic Book Industry

As everyone knows, the comic book professionals hate Bleeding Cool. Except when they love it.  So what did they have to say on this momentous occasion of its fifth anniversary? A few got in touch…

Congrats to Rich Johnston and the Bleeding Cool. The website,
Bleeding Cool, is one of my first stops in the morning to read the
latest comic and movie news. Polarizing he may be to some, Rich
Johnston is one of the most avid and fearless supporters of new and
old talents in the industry. I'm forever grateful for his early and
tireless support of my work since I started my professional career
many years ago. Congrats on reaching the 5 year mark, Bleed Cool, and
here's to many more! – Frank Cho

My first contact with Rich Johnston was him telling me that Alex Ross was pissed off at me and did I care to comment?  From that moment 16 years ago until now, the TMZ of comics continues to report on the comic industry, warts and all.  Some may not like it, but ultimately I see bleedingcool.com as a force for good as they call out bad behavior, thieves, dead beats and report the news I want to read about. – Matt Hawkins. EIC of Top Cow

Fuckin hell, man. That's mad. Well done! – Kieron Gillen

Congratulations to Bleeding Cool on 5 years of comics provocateurism! (Is that even a word?) My first website visit every morning. – Kaare Andrews

My general opinion of Bleeding Cool, and thereby Rich has remained steady over these past five years. He's a bottom-grubbing yellow journalist, who just so happens to have has an intense sense of justice, who can and often does use his evil powers in the service of good. If not for him, there would be little impetus by the comic press to ensure freelancers were paid, plagiarists were exposed, and assholes were shown to be assholes. Of course, there'd be little impetus to find out who said what while drunk off their ass at the bar at SDCC, but hey, ya win some, ya lose some. –  Tim Seeley

I'd send you a comment but the odds are you've already got it. – Keith Giffen

One should never trust anyone or anything that bleeds for five years and still refuses to die! – Tom DeFalco

Bleeding Cool, I believe, defines the maxim, "If you're not pissing someone off, you're probably not doing anything important." Rich Johnston has raised more than a few eyebrows over the years with his iconoclastic (but informative) site. But that's a good thing! Ultimately, BC is a celebration of comics and pop culture.  With it's breaking news, interviews, columns, and recommendations, BC has been and continues to be a must-read. I never know what to expect– or learn– when I go to Bleeding Cool. Congratulations on five years, Rich. Here's to many more!  – Batton Lash

Congrats on your five year anniversary and for becoming a place where every comics fan and pro goes to get the quick and dirty info on the business we all love. Just remember that "with great power comes great responsibility". – Ted Adams, Publisher of IDW

Bleeding Cool is the #1 destination for comic professionals, comic fans, and PR. Love him or hate him, Rich and company have made the site a celebration of indie comics, superhero showdowns, and pop culture. Happy 5th Anniversary! – David Gallaher

My Bleeding Cool memory: Every time I've had one of my late night Twitter conversations repeated out of context. – B. Clay Moore

Who knew Rich Johnston's red light/yellow light/green light confluence of comix controversy could transition into a premiere pop culture website in five measly years? (Raises hand) I knew. Besides free porn and pirating, the internet is ground zero for grumpy gripes and dirty laundry. Rich took the proverbial bull(shit) by the horns and made it his bitch. I'm not fond of that kind of stuff but, dammit, if Bleeding Cool didn't tickle the primate part of my daily procrastination that gobbles gossip like the next fool. I hate it. I truly hate it but, because I'm weak, I'll happily blame Rich Johnston for perpetuating the worst society has to offer. Luckily, I've had the fortune of meeting Rich-the-myth and, it turns out, Rich-the-man is just a fucking teddy bear. When I first met Rich, he'd just been slapped in the face by someone who'd had enough. The second time I met him, we took a picture together with our shirts off in a Latin gangster bar in midtown NYC. So, I've been privy to the softer side of what makes Bleeding Cool draw blood. However, Bleeding Cool isn't all about Hot Topics. In the last six-months, they've brought dignity to the fore with the editorial guidance of Hannah Means-Shannon. Where once I used to hide under the covers to quickly scan the comix kerfuffle, I can now peruse with my monocle in public while puffing on a pipe. Who knows, maybe Bleeding Cool will launch into an initiative that brings peace to the comix community? HAH! Just kidding. Cheers to another five years of Bleeding Cool. – Dean Haspiel

Bleedingcool.com was one of the first – if not the first – press outlet to expend any ink on my Image/Shadowline series "27." I can draw a direct line from that Bleeding Cool story to the work I'm so fortunate to be doing today. I'm not sure any of it would have happened without Rich Johnston. Period. Rich is one of the most tireless supporters of new voices in the entire industry, and that's a wonderful thing. Here's to his site continuing to find and support worthy new work for years and years to come. – Charles Soule

Bleeding Cool has been directly responsible for some of the most surreal experiences I've had in comics, chief among which has to be the 2012 Bleeding Cool Award ceremony, wherein I–after announcing Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo the winners of the "Best Fight Scene of The Last Twelve Months" category–was promptly told by a three-sheets-to-the-wind Joe Benitez (a boyhood hero of mine) to go…do something anatomically impossible. Joe and I have since reconciled (mostly due to the fact that he doesn't remember the incident, or have any idea who I am), and fate has conspired to make us incidental collaborators on Zenescope's WONDERLAND #25 (I wrote it, he drew the cover), which ships 7/16! – Eric Esquivel

Congrats Rich! As the only comic site I care to read on a regular basis, here's hoping to many more anniversaries! – Gahl Buslov, Midtown Comics

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