Dinosaur Dracula’s 1st Birthday!
One year ago today, Dinosaur Dracula hatched. It’s my baby’s birthday!
Let’s party.
I guess I should start with the obvious. As you can tell by the site’s new look, Dino Drac’s birthday coincides with the launch of its SUMMER SEASON — a three-month spread of the usual mixed with the unusual, and, I promise, at least two Jersey shore trip reports. We are going to have A TIME, my friends.
(Psst: I even resurrected the Summer Jukebox. See it?)
I’m very excited about what’s coming later, but even with my muddied brain – a byproduct of my SUPER IRONICALLY TIMED head cold – I know better than to jump the gun. First, let’s let the dino have his day:
Man, they even have Hawaiian Punch soda. This shit is legit.
This past year has been great. There were ups and downs, but for someone like me who continues to do something like this, there will always be ups and downs. Mostly, though, this past year has been one colossal learning experience.
People will think I’m bullshitting, but for most of X-E’s last years, I didn’t pay much attention to the internet. Not seriously, anyway. I put myself in the tiniest bubble and just did my thing. I guess it was a matter of self-preservation. It wasn’t until X-E’s final stretch that I started to really look around and realize how much had changed, and that there would be no jumping back on the saddle without missing a beat.
That was one of the reasons why I wanted a fresh start. I suppose I wanted to fit in better than I had been? And, to be honest, it’s taken me most of this year to realize that not only is that impossible, but it isn’t even what I’m actually after. Screw it. I’m old and I’m a weirdo. And I am comfortable with this.
Hey, it’s Harley. Raucous little bastard.
Harley reminds me of Dino Drac’s 1st Halloween Countdown, which, largely, was probably the best run the site’s had so far. I say that, but it’s not because I remember tons of things getting passed around, or feedback being at an all time high. If I really think about it, it’s because I was simply doing the things I liked doing. Writing about things I cared about. Shooting videos about things I enjoyed. Hanging around with a giant rabbit from one of Jupiter’s moons. Braving a hurricane to make sure my rotten apple had his annual bash. In retrospect, all I remember is having fun.
And that’s the point, right?
Moving forward, that’s what I’m going to try to remember. Fun comes first. Everything else is gravy. I am not laboring over some novel that has to succeed. I run a website about trivial garbage! Its only merit is in its potential to spread cheer! If you play Santa with a grimace, you’re a shitty Santa.
Now, back to the party.
Who is this mysterious guest sitting to the left of Dino Drac, you ask?
Dudes. His name is MUMMY SHARK.
Yes, Mummy Shark, the official mascot of my new website.
Uh huh. Seriously. Mummy Shark Dot Com.
Let me explain.
I’ve been using a Tumblr account for Dino Drac since Day 1, but as of late, it’s sort of settled into just being another spot where I plug my articles.
Well, I saw an opportunity to kill 800 birds with one stone. Mummy Shark has “taken over” that Tumblr account, and will now serve as a second blog to house not just plugs, but a constant stream of utter nonsense that would never fit in on this site.
It’s not that I’m afraid to be silly here, but the fact is, it’s counterproductive to spend hours on an article and then immediately bury it will 5 or 6 super short ones. So, Mummy Shark will be my place for super short things. Photos, quickies, whatever. If Dino Drac is where I put my essays, Mummy Shark is where I’ll throw my doodles.
Pay it a visit! By Sunday, you’ll have a much clearer impression of what I plan to do over there. You may even come to enjoy it more than Dino Drac. (Which is fine, so long as you NEVER, EVER TELL ME.)
So where does this leave Dino Drac? Here, it’s full steam ahead! Maybe I say in a thousand words what could be said in ten, but over this past year, I was pleased to learn that there’s still a market for that.
For me, writing is writing. The topic rarely matters. In fact, the worst topics can bring out the best writing, because they need to. There was a time when most of what I put online was total trash, but make no mistake, writing was always my first love, and it’ll always be the only thing I’m wholly comfortable doing.
And as for what I write about? Hey, I still love that stuff. Maybe it’s beating a dead horse, but whatever, it’s my dead horse to beat. I didn’t start this shtick because I knew it’d get me somewhere. I adore the art of curating. I will never get tired of finding the forgotten and making a huge fucking deal about it.
Speaking of which, there’s a new feature up. Go read about Eight Great Monsters!
I’d also like to keep trying new things. New things are good for us!
My videos are pretty stupid, but I have fun making them. It’s a new horizon, and an excuse to explore sound effects libraries. I will continue to make them.
Asking readers to build alien apartments for a badly Photoshopped skyscraper didn’t change any of our lives, but it sure made a few nights more memorable. I will continue to do things like that.
I’ll also do things I’ve never done before, as we should all try to do. I’ve built a site that has no set theme, and I should always be taking advantage of that.
I will!
My 15 Fave Posts From Year 1:
1. Freddy’s Greatest Hits!
2. Old Internet Junk!
3. Five Random ’80s Action Figures!
4. 1-900-909-CREEP!
5. You’re Going to the Movies!
6. Roseanne’s Tunnel of Terror!
7. The Christmas Morning Vlog.
8. Dinosaur Dracula at the Beach Fair!
9. Madd Matt Reviews an 18″ Michael Myers Doll.
10. The Best Chest.
11. Five Great Things About Garth Algar.
12. Goodies from Goodwill!
13. Jaws: The Revenge eBay items!
14. Matchbox Con-Nec-Tors!
15. The Simpsons Easter Basket!
Thank you all for the kind words and encouragement over these last twelve months. Whether on here, or over email, or on Facebook and Twitter, your participation in “this” has never been taken for granted. Motivation is a fickle mistress, and you do so much to keep it flowing. Thank you!
We’ve made it through a year, but the best is yet to come.
I think that’s all I really wanted from this site. Knowing that its best days are ahead, not behind.
And they are!
Happy birthday, Dinosaur Dracula.
PS: A tremendously huge thanks to the crazy talented Jason Week, for building such fantastic logos for Dino Drac and Mummy Shark, and to The Amazing Cliff, for making all of the new codes and designs work! These guys have been absolute godsends for everything I do here.
