Happy New Year! It’s been a wildly successful and exciting year at RetroZap, and it’s only speeding up in 2016!
Happy new year! I sit here, in the very spot as I did last year, at the very time I did last year, to write a happy new year post in the same manner that I did last year.
But how can I? So much has changed in 12 months. Last year, this site was a small blog–a place where I could practice long form writing and learn about what it took to create and manage a pop-culture site. Since then, multiple articles have gone viral, writers have expanded to a staff of 14 including regular contributors, and there are now 8 shows that are part of the RetroZap network.
There were also a number of huge milestones. For example, we reached one million views in our first eight months–an impressive feat for an independent site. Content was published nearly every single day this year as well. Additionally, Brews and Blasters blasted off and formed a beautifully loyal following and got the chance to interview amazing people as well. The site has evolved from a place for one Gen-Xer’s thoughts to a place where writers and content creators of all ages can spread their ideas and hone their craft with the support of a vibrant community. It’s been an amazing journey, and I am excited at the prospect of what I’ll be able to write about in 12 months.
I thought it would be fun to take a look back at what I predicted last year, and see how things matched up. Then, maybe I’ll make a prediction or two for 2016, to see just how spectacularly the best laid plans of mice and men can go awry.
We’re smashing into the new year at top speed, and have a lot of exciting things coming your way!
Continuing Coverage: Stay tuned for more coverage of Star Wars, The Walking Dead, Marvel and much more!
Well, we sure covered Star Wars, that’s for sure. In fact, RetroZap has evolved from a pop-culture site that specializes in Star Wars into a Star Wars site that also specializes in pop culture. So, while it’s obvious where our base lies, RetroZap will also always be a place to branch out into other areas of interest.
Trust me, there are still many plans underway to provide more coverage beyond the realm of Star Wars! Stay tuned in 2016 to see where things go.
New Content: look for expanded coverage on RetroZap! into other areas of narrative art. We’re going to roll deep in retro gaming, and well as retro collecting. Also, editorials will have a big spotlight in the coming year.
Ok, we didn’t roll deep in retro gaming at all. What I discovered in 2015 was that what we really roll deep in is editorials–and we strive every day to provide insightful, unique, and original perspectives. We succeeded immensely in this area. But we still want to cover retro games in 2016–and we’ve never been better poised to offer a lot of fun content int his space.
Podcasts: Look for the triumphant return of Brews and Blasters, plus other special podcasts!
RetroZap has grown from the home for Brews and Blasters into a full-fledged podcast network. As of tomorrow, we are home to the following shows:
- Brews and Blasters
- We Know Nothing
- The Trade Federation
- Skywalking Through Neverland
- Talking Apes TV
- An upcoming Marvel comics show featuring Richard Woloski and Randy Martinez
- And our newest member of the RetroZap network–please welcome The Deucecast to the family!
- And of course, there are special podcasts as well–we did movie commentaries for Terminator 2 as well as Back to the Future!
Expansion: Along with our continued support of The Collectors Hutt, we’re hoping to have more announcements coming your way.
See above. Our affiliation and support for The Collectors Hutt is stronger than ever, and we look forward to great things from Chris in the coming new year. Chris Salton was, is, and always will be an important part of the RetroZap family.
Ok–on to 2016.
So what can we expect this coming year?
More Writers
More Editorials
More Topics
More Articles
More Podcasts
More Videos
More OPPO!
Finally, a massive THANK YOU to every reader, every listener, every visitor, every guest, every friend, and every supporter who’s been there with RetroZap along the way.
Again, Happy New Year! Stay safe, be excellent to each other, and party on!
Joseph Tavano is the owner and editor in chief of RetroZap. Born just months before Luke found out who his father was, he has been fortunate to have had Star Wars in his life as long as he can remember. Growing up just outside of Boston, Massachusetts, he can remember substituting sticks for lightsabers and BMX bikes for speeders. He loves comics, retro games, vintage sci-fi paperbacks, and maps. Though an accomplished drummer, he doesn’t crave adventure (as much) any more, and prefers his old haunts north of Boston, Massachusetts, where he resides with his family. Buy him a glass of whiskey and he’ll return it in kind.