Dear Comic Vine,
It's hard to believe it has been four years: four years of my working here at ComicVine. It feels like only yesterday when Whiskey Media brought me out to San Francisco for a face-to-face interview and offered me a position as Associate Editor of the site. It's kind of surreal to think about -- being plucked from a community I loved, fresh out of college and being given a chance to live on the other side of the United States (where I knew absolutely no one!) doing something fun and getting paid for it. I took a risk accepting a job and moving to a place I didn't know, but it was so worth it.
Come to think of it, I was pretty lucky: how many people get the chance to read comic books for a living? Not very many. Now, with four years under my belt, and hundreds upon hundreds of articles, editorials and video interviews, it's time for me to say good-bye.
It's crazy to think back to how I was hired. I remember how excited I was to go to New York Comic-Con for the first time and can recall asking Jim Lee for a short, on-camera interview -- guerrilla style. I had borrowed a camera and my sister held it for me while I asked Jim questions. He was at his table and he was even nice enough to sign my copy of HUSH. Years later I would interview Jim Lee and he would tell me "great job on the interview, Sara -- you've gotten a lot better." I had gone from stuttering nervousness on-camera, to being composed, calm and collected -- and a big shot like Jim Lee had noticed.
I can remember my very first San Diego Comic-Con, my first interviews (yes, the ones where I was wearing a Wonder Woman costume…those boots nearly killed me!). I remember the excitement and the feeling that I was doing something really interesting -- I was getting an opportunity to work with the comics industry. Not only was I getting a chance to write about some of my favorite characters, I was also given the opportunity to present information, opinion pieces and interviews on camera to all of you. I hope you all enjoyed it, because I know I did.
Working for Comic Vine for the last four years definitely changed me: it gave me opportunities to meet exciting and interesting people, go places I had never been, and move far, far away from home. It forced me out of my comfort zone and taught me a lot about my self, my abilities as a writer and on-camera journalist, as well as what I want to do with the rest of my life. I won't lie and say this letter was easy for me to write, because it wasn't. In fact, it was pretty damn difficult. I'm glad I was there early on to meet so many members of the community, to share in the excitement of the conventions, and to watch as comic books and comic characters become popularized through other forms of media.
I just wanted to take time to thank you all the members of the community for giving me the opportunity to work for you. Thank you for the support you have given me, another member of the community, over the years: your opinion of my work has meant a great deal. i just want you to remember; it's you who make this site what it is, and that's not something I have ever forgotten. You are what makes Comic Vine unique and different from other websites. That sense of community, the forged friendships and the interactions are what is most important about CV.
Saying goodbye has never been easy for me, so for now, as they say in France, I'll say à bientôt!
Be easy,
Sara
P.S. - If you want to follow what I am doing now that I will no longer be working on the Vine, you can head to my own site, limabeanie.com. And of course, you can still follow my ramblings on Twitter.