I've been thinking about doing this for a while now.

I'm done here.

"Seven Hells!" is done.

I really can't think of anything more that I can do here.

This blog has been limping along for the better part of 8 months and with everything it had meant to me, it deserves better.

When I first started this blog, I was in a very confused place. Exactly six months to the day of my mom's death and one day out of a break-up. Not the best of circumstances to start something that would eventually be known as "funny." With not the best head on my shoulders, I went out there and tried to hold onto something that had always been good to me:

Comics.

Comics helped me learn to read. Comics helped me learn to write. Comics helped me learn to draw. Comics taught me about character. Comics took me to places I never could have imagined. Comics taught me to overcome fear. Comics showed me wonder. Comics gave me quiet when I needed it the most.

For this I am forever grateful.

The reasons for the lack of activity are many and I'm only willing to touch upon a few:

Time: I don't think anyone knew just how much time went into my making a post here. I would literally spend hours, if not days, working on a post, working it in draft form until it sounded like "Devon" or "Kyle Rayner" or "Lady Cop" and Lord, don't even get me started on those Viking Commando things. Lately, I just don't have that sort of time anymore.

My priorities have changed. Somewhere along the line, I grew up a bit and the world I'd created on the internet seemed a bit small to me. I hate to say it like this but I realized I was creating worlds and not being paid for it. My bank account bore this out. Decisions were made, some by myself, some by others, that forced me to grow up, fast.

These decisions took me out of a place where writing advice from a fictitious Norseman owned by a major media conglomerate and not myself seemed sort of trivial.

The other reason for the closing:

There's a lot of pain here. I can go back and look at the dates I wrote certain things and know what type of shape I was in, good or bad. The bad hurts a little bit too much to look back on, some days.

Do not get me wrong, there is freaking gold in a lot of this stuff and I can look back and go, "That kid was alright," but really it's too much like staring backwards at this point in my life.

I'm happy. I can say that and for the first time in my life, I know it to be true and I know that it won't leave me.

Writing this blog brought me, at times, immeasurable joy.

YOU played a huge part in this. To those who visited I say a simple "thank you." Your continued visits and comments were invaluable in keeping me going in more facets of my life than I could ever truly express. I wish I could express the joy I felt when I put a post out there, unsure of how it would be received and the comments would come. You all let me know we were doing something special here.

To the comics pros who took time to visit and comment, "Thank you SO much!" You have no idea what it felt like to see your names associated anywhere near mine.

Special thanks to Kurt Busiek for going as far as making me a character in the DC Universe.

Special thanks to Gail Simone for giving Lady Cop a true home, where she belonged, The DC Universe.

To my fellow bloggers, thanks for inspiring me. Thanks for giving even more reasons to love this medium as much as I do.

To Sean Fahey, a "thank you" for asking me a simple question, one I hope to continue to answering nearly six years on, "Yes, I can write." My mom went away knowing I was writing again. That meant more to her than you could ever know.

So, thank you all.

Thank you for putting up with me while I tried to figure it all out. The archives will stay up and if you ever want to find me.

"Seven Hells!" like any good thing, is come to an end.

Labels: Seven Hells