Posted in: Comics, Current News | Tagged: anniversary, birthday, Lying In The Gutters

Bleeding Cool Is Fifteen Years Old This Month

Fifteen years ago, Bleeding Cool began when Rich Johnston was headhunted by Avatar Press from Comic Book Resources and Lying In The Gutters.

Fifteen years ago, Bleeding Cool began. Headhunted by William Christensen and Mark Seifert of Avatar Press, taking me from Comic Book Resources, where I had written the Lying In The Gutters column for seven years. Before then, I had been reporting on comic books on Usenet, Twist And Shout, The Gutter Press and All The Rage for ten years at that point. Tot it up, and yes, I have been reporting on comic books online for thirty-two years. But only then did it become an actual career. Which also makes me the longest-standing digital reporter on anything in the world. Bleeding Cool initially grew up around me, but now it is its own creature, of which I remain a small, if hopefully notable, part.

Looking back on day one, I reported that "Wanted and Kick-Ass co-creator Mark Millar and Watchmen and Martha Washington co-creator Dave Gibbons are working on a creator-owned comic book series." Initially denied and then confirmed, it would later become the Kingsman franchise. Not bad for day one.

Neither was the report of Marvel's General Counsel and Executive Vice President to the Executive Office, John Turitzin talking to a financial audience at the Cowen & Company Technology Media & Telecom Conference. He said that the price increase on a number of Marvel titles from $2.99 to $3.99 was part of an ongoing process of testing just how much money they can make from publishing comics. And they believed that enough Marvel fans would pay the increased prices. But if they didn't, those prices would come down. Well, they didn't come down, did they? We were also able to break the news that Marvel had a goal to make two movies a year. That happened from 2013, jumped to three a year in 2017, and so it has continued aside from in 2020 and only dropped down to one film this year. But next year has four already.

Anyway, I mentioned the anniversary on social media and got many responses back. Here are a few fun examples from some familiar names.

Reilly Brown: Happy birthday!

AWA Studios: Happy Birthday!

Jimmy Palmiotti: One of the best comic sites ever.

Luigi Novi: Congratulations. Rich. Here's to 15 more

PM Buchan: Now you're making me feel like I'm 100…

Jenni Gregory: Way to go!

Sam Hart: Congrats!

Paul Swain: Happy Birthday! (Not so happy to be reminded of the passage of time, personally, but…)

Dennis Barger: Too old for Gerard jones… too soon???

Wayne Murphy: Amazing. Congrats! I remember All the Rage and Lying in the Gutters from the good old days, and have been a reader ever since. I loved the traffic light system!

Harold Strickland: Better stay away from Drake and R Kelly.

Richard Boom: Been following it for 15 years. Blimey

Tony Panaccio: They grow up so fast. Are you getting BC a driver's license? Your insurance is gonna go through the roof.

Jason Roth: Happy Birthday Richard! PS Whatever happened to Ten Thoughts? I've been looking after every episode this year, miss it…

Dan Wickline: Congrats!

Robert T Patey III: Good on you man. When I was writing for Ain't It Cool I would always side trip to BC each week and enjoy your alternate view of the industry.

Mark Wheatley: Congratulations! That's downright ancient for Internet time.

Peter Hogan: Do we give you the bumps, or what?

Jonathan Christopher Matthewson: Happy Birthday Chap!

Byron Brewer: Congratulations!

Gus Ponce: Congratulations Rich! I remember the early Lying in the Gutters days

Brian Cronin: Congrats!

David Brooke: Congratz! 13 for AIPTcomics.com!

Gary Esposito: Noice!

Fo Leon: loved every second of it

WC Shepherd: Haha! We're old now.

Joe Harris: Congratulations, Rich. Though your institution-ness goes back a lot longer than that.

Nyobi Komix: congrats

Brian Truitt: Congrats!

Filip Sablik: Congratulations, Rich! Quite the achievement.

Pau Scorpi: Congratulations, Rich!

Mike Wellman: Congratulations! And kudos to you for enduring all of the hate you get along with the love! At the end of the day, Bleeding Cool is the only industry site that lets creators know when there's "bad actors" publishers and the like out there not holding up their end of the contract. Not CBR, not newsarama… or whoever else is even reporting on comics out there. Thank you!

Patrick A. Reed: Oh, but you've been the most-hated man in comics for far longer, let's be fair.

Marc Lombardi: In another 2 years Dave Sim will no longer be interested in it.

Bill Ramey: BATMAN-ON-FILM.COM is 26…I understand. And congratulations as well!

Alex Fitch: Congratulations!

Jemal Flores: Congratulations

Gail Simone: Congratulations, Rich!

Jennifer M. Contino: Nice

Brian Tidwell: Is that all? Feel like it's always been there.

Hunter Gorinson: Congrats, Rich! Here's to 15 more! 

Eugene Hoyle: I remember what a big deal it was. I was so happy to be there on day one. I did miss your stuff at CBR though.

Mike Hintze: Happy Anniversary to my daily check-in!

John Siuntres: Way to go Rich

Olly MacNamee: Happy Bleeding Birthday.

Trevor Mueller: That's awesome! Congrats

Mia Violet: Oh wow, congrats! I've always felt you've done a great job of being a voice of grounded and BS-free analysis in the comics sphere. Doubly so now that so many classic comic sites have folded, or merged into places that feel like they just regurgitate PR.

Richard A Morgan: Huge congrats Rich !!!

Juan Ferreyra: Happy Birthday BC!

David Leon: So great. Congratulations!! Your site brings me a lot of happiness and I suppose I should say thank you. Soooo Thank you!!

Dave Elliott: Happy birthday!

David Avallone: Soon it'll be too old for Bryan Singer.

Ryan Richards: Congratulations on crawling from the gutters!

Brian Keene: I thought "Only 15? Seems longer than that…" but I guess I'm counting LITG. Regardless, happy birthday. Be proud.

Fifteen more? Does that seem too much to ask?

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