While I've discussed this topic in a few different comment threads, I thought it would be more efficient to tackle it all in central location rather than repeating myself and having the same discussions over and over.
At the beginning of the month I launced two more sites (SFFGazette.com, FearHQ.com) and added them to the BLS Network ("Best Little Sites"). Sister sites aren't anything new, as AnimeMojo.com, GameFragger.com, and TheRingReport.com have been online for years. I'd like to give a little rundown of each, and then address the reason that I've chosen to layout the site architectures the way that I have. SPOILER ALERT! Those that believe it's about "clickbait" or attempting to make more money off of CBM users are likely to be dissapointed.
First, I would like to mention one thing that some users may not know - ALL of my sites content is created by users like you. Anyone and everyone can contribute and there's even the possibility to earn money doing so. Think of something along the lines of YouTube, but writing instead of recording videos. Please visit the Partner Page if you're interested in contributing. Some of the best contributors currently writing for the sites started off doing it for fun and the love of the topics that they covered. Some have even gone on to do things and meet people that they never dreamed was possible.
Second - If you have an account on any of the sites, you have an account an all of the sites! There's no need to create seperate accounts for each site. They all run on the same codebase and share the same user database.
Unfortunately I don't have the universal login working yet (login on one site logs you into all of them), but it's in the works. It's a one-man shop, so it sometimes takes me longer to get to things than I would like. 🤓
BACK TO THE SITES
AnimeMojo.com
I bet that you didn't know that Anime Mojo was one of THE original sites launched along with CBM back in 2003. Crazy, right?! As the title suggests, Anime Mojo primarily focuses on Japanese anime, manga and light novels - pretty much anything related to those three topics, including video games and live-action adaptations. I relaunched it back in 2015, updating both the frontend and backend to the same layout and codebase that I use for CBM.
GameFragger.com
I launched Game Fragger back in 2008 as "HolyFragger.com". It was really the first sister site launched that was on the same basic codebase that I had created for CBM around that same time. I created it for two reasons. 1) I REALLY like video games... almost as much as I like comic books. I wanted a place where I could cover some of my favorite games at the time (Gears of War, Diablo, etc.). I also loved creating wallpaper and images for games, so it gave me a place to post my work as well. 2) I wanted to see if I could create a site from the ground up and build it, by myself, by posting content and creating wallpaper. I eventually changed the name for something a little more generic, and here it is today.
TheRingReport.com
The Ring Report came online a few years ago (2017) more out of the interest of users and contributors than any grand scheme of mine. I grew up with my grandfather taking me to the local Portland and Eugene professional wrestling matches and watching the WWF on TV. I even watched it a bit into my twenties after I got married, but my wife at the time banned it from the home when we had our first child (something about it being too violent). With my stint in MMA and some local matches here, the thought was to have it cover anything and everything that happens in a ring, whether it's professional wrestling, MMA, boxing, or something else entirely.
This brings us to the two new sites. I'm going to discuss them briefly here as there's not much history to share since they're brand new.
Toonado.com
Toonado is one of the more recent sister sites added to the network. I launched it in 2018 after coming to the conclusion that some of the more child-friendly shows and content needed a home. Plus I wanted a site that my children could visit for the shows that they were interested in... Not to mention the great cartoons and animated movies from the 80s that I grew up with (Transformers, G.I. Joe, Thundercats, Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors, Robotech, Silverhawks, etc.). It's pretty fun to see so many things that I enjoyed as a boy be brought back for my own children to enjoy. Granted, it's pretty hit-or-miss, but it's a fun time nonetheless. While CBM *could* have continued to host a lot of that content I had two issues with it; 1) I feel like it reinforces the stereotype and incorrect belief that comic books are only for kids, and 2) I know how out of control the comments can get. I didn't want my young children, or anyone elses, running into that pit of vipers if I could somehow prevent it.
FearHQ.com
I was born in the 70s and raised in the 80s by a step-father who LOVED horror movies. I remember as a young boy going to bed terrified to go to sleep because I thought Freddy Krueger would visit me in my dreams. Hiding behind the couch after I was told to go to bed so that I could see what happened with the spooky house in The Amityville Horror. Don't even get me started on The Exorcist! While I don't watch a lot of horror movies nowadays, I do have a fondness for the genre and a love for creepy things (Stranger Things). As some of the contributors can attest, a horror site has been on the list for sister sites for several years.
SFFGazette.com
The Sci-Fi an Fantasy Gazette covers anything and everything sci-fi and/or fantasy related. I'm a BIG fantasy and sci-fi fan going back to watching the first Star Wars as a boy and reading lots of fantasy beginning in 5th grade when I got into novels (The Hobbit, Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, etc.). I also got very much into Dungeons & Dragons a year later and still read quite a bit and play to this day.
My uncle David passed away last month. Some of you may know him by his sci-fi writing name "David Wolverton" as he wrote books such as The Courtship of Princess Leia and On My Way To Paradise. Others may know him by his fantasy pen name of "David Farland". The author of the best-selling series The Runelords and Of Mice and Magic. His sudden passing prompted me to launch the Sci-Fi and Fantasy site to give lovers of those genres a place to go and share that same fondness. It was launched in part as a tribute to him and the magic that created and shared with others.
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY, ISN'T IT?!
I'm constantly amazed at how many people are of the belief that everything revolves around money. If you took the time to read any of the above you'll notice a theme emerge - I create sites to cover things that I'm interested in or passionate about. Money has very little to do with it. If it did, I would be creating sites for a very different industry and user base.
SO WHY TAKE CONTENT AWAY FROM CBM?!
That's probably the one question that I've seen pop up a few times over this last month and what's prompted me to write this. It's a fair question, but to answer it I need to go back to the beginning...
I mentioned earlier that Anime Mojo was initially launched back in 2003 alongside Comic Book Movie. The thought was that there would be a multitude of sites. Each one dedicated to its own genre and topic. These sites would in turn all connect to a central hub. Think of the wheel on a bicycle if you will, with each site being a spoke on that wheel. Each site would be dedicated to it's own niche and they would all share content between one another for people that might be interested in those other genres. If they were, it was only a click away.
In reality what ended up happening was that CBM took off like a rocket ship, so all of my time and resources went towards it. Fixing bugs, adding new features, optimizing things, redesigning, etc.. CBM consequently became the "Hub", but it's really always meant to have been one of the spokes...
I know that there are some web sites out there who prefer to keep everything under one roof, and even some here who have voiced that same opinion. While I completely understand that line of reasoning, I've received a lot of feedback, both on the site and via email, from users who like having their content segmented.
I myself, as a user, fall into that second group as well. I'm not a fan of sites that throw the entire kitchen sink at me and it's for one simple reason; I have a hard time finding what I'm actually interested in because it's lost in the shuffle with the hundreds of posts covering other topics that I'm not interested in.
In the end, it really has very little to do with CBM or its users. The new sites are for new users to find their way to the topics and content that they enjoy. With any luck they'll realize that they are also interested in superheroes and the other genres and topics and join those communities and sites as well.
Note that there will be times that topics crossover and appear on both sites when it makes sense. I completely expect Star Wars comic book news and reveiws to appear on both SFF and CBM. Video games based in the Marvel Universe should appear on both CBM and Game Fragger. Bautista appearing in the next Guardians of the Galaxy should have content appearing both on CBM and The Ring Report. I think you get the idea.
Will this upset some users? Based on my experience with the community, and online behaviour in general, I'm sure it will.
Will it make some users happy? Along the same lines as the above, I'm sure it will.
I long ago came to the conclusion that there will be unhappy users regardless of what I do. If history is to serve as an example, the changes in the way that the comments on the site work over the years has proven it out repeatedly.
Will it make some users unhappy enough that they leave? I hope not. I think CBM has the best community online. Hands down. No contest. I hope others feel that same way and will continue to come and enjoy reading and discussing their favorite superheroes and shows.
The fact that a lot of other sites don't even allow users to comment absolutely blows my mind. Some see it as too much work or legal risk. I, for one, love coming to the comments and seeing what others like, or dislike, about a topic.
THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING
You may already know about some of the plans that I have for CBM and my network of sites. Such things as an updated design and site layout for desktop and mobile, as well as some new features that will make things a bit more personal and interactive. Adding more sites is really the tip of the iceberg, as I go back to a lot of my original thoughts and designs for how I want things to work.
YOUR THOUGHTS
Please feel free to share your thoughts below. I'll make sure and check in throughout the day and answer any questions or concerns that may come up.
As always, sharing opinions is encouraged. Trolling, attacking other users, or being rude just to be rude isn't allowed.
As some may have noticed, I've removed most of the mods and only have a select few that are able to remove and edit comments. NO, contributors aren't able to do so. You can stop blaming Josh for deleting your comments. He hasn't been able to do so for years. 🤣