August 2013 In Review

I didn't do much tweaking to the blog in August, but I thought I'd share with you which posts drew the most interest.

Top Ten Posts For August 2013

Post Name                                              Date Posted         Views
1. The Conan Chronologies                      April 4, 2013             60
2. Daleks Love Doctor Who Breakfasts     August 23, 2013       36
3. Postcards from San Diego Airport         August 12, 2013       29
4. Daleks & the Judgment of Solomon      August 16, 2013       22 
5. Norman Clegg's TV House                   July 30, 2013            22
6. Red Dalek Builds Lego Star Wars         August 1, 2013          21
7. Another Way to Train Your Dragon        August 5, 2013         19
8. Catching a Glimpse of Norman Clegg      May 24, 2012         17
9. Looking for Alec & Zoe Calendar: Pt. 1    Nov 28, 2012          16 
10. Ruining Frank Thorne's Red Sonja Art   August 8, 2013       16

"The Conan Chronologies" really caught people's attention. This post covered how Robert E. Howard wrote the Conan stories out of sequence.  I thought many casual fans might not be aware of this, as our concept of Conan is largely structured by several chronologies that were worked out for the barbarian's life.  L. Sprague de Camp and others used this to organize the Conan stories in the landmark twelve-book paperback series.  Then again, readers might merely have liked it because I provided a link to an online Conan comic audio/visual adventure.  While Blogger lists it as having over 80 page views (and climbing) on my total posts list, it hasn't yet added the post to my Top Ten in the Statistics section.

As of yesterday, "Norman Clegg's TV House" had gotten 52 views, which meant it would have placed higher on the list, had I posted it a few days later.  Amazingly, no Last of the Summer Wine fans have snapped up his house in Holmfirth yet.  Come on, folks: this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, to own a piece of precious TV history (and support your favorite fictional character).  If you all don't get with the program soon, I may have to have another talk with my wife. After all, I've been assured that British Matter Transmissions (BMT) will build a station in Holmfirth in the near future.  (Oh, and by the way, my dearest, most beautiful wife, we could always add a bathroom to the first and/or second floor).

"May To December" was created and written by Paul Mendelson,
produced by "Doctor Who" producer Verity Lambert,
and originally starred Anton Rodgers and Eve Matheson.

British comedies in general fared well in August, with three of the top entries related to "Last of the Summer Wine," and the final one related to "May To December."  I wrote three entries on our visit to the English village of Pinner, where the series was set.  (The other two entries were "Looking for Alec & Zoe Calendar: Part 2," and "Verity Lambert's Other Great TV Show.  They rounded out November, 2012).  I know why people love my "Last of the Summer Wine" entries: the series proved so popular it lasted over thirty years.  Sadly, "May To December" remains a little known (or remembered) show, but I'll love it until the day I die.  Ironically, the post didn't actually talk about Pinner, or what I loved about the TV show.  Instead, it focused on how surprisingly difficult it was to find Pinner, and the difference between the English and American road systems.  Ah well, I suppose anyone who's ever gotten lost while driving, or felt lost on the great journey of life, can relate to that.

My article on Marvel Comics' "Red Sonja" Issue 2 didn't generate as much interest as my posts on Issue 1, but I now realize I should have given you folks a summary of that story, so that you could better appreciate readers' reactions to it, and then commented on that. (Maybe I can do that in September).  Still, for one Conan blog and one Red Sonja post to reach the Top Ten Posts for August: that's not a bad reflection on the enduring impact of Robert E. Howard. 

Finally, I must cheer the fact that three out of five Dalek posts in August made the Monthly Top Ten.  What can I say, people love Daleks.  (And Daleks--at least my Daleks--love you).  Three cheers for Daleks!  Hip hip exterminate!  Hip hip exterminate!  Hip hip exterminate!

Dragon Dave 

"Hold on, Dragon Dave!
You forgot about your dragon entry!"

P. S.  Oops!  I can't sign off without mentioning Cressida Cowell's novel How To Train Your Dragon.  It's a fun book, so different from the movie, and yet a story that should be read by all serious dragon lovers.  (And perhaps all non-serious ones too).  Her book reminded me that it's okay to loosen up in your storytelling style, as long as you entertain them.  Like her unconventional story, her illustrations demonstrated the power that even the simplest artwork can wield.  Truly, we're never too old to learn to learn from others' achievements.

P.S.S.  I did add one new feature this month.  At the end of each post, you'll find a line called reactions.  There you have three ways to rate my post, as either funny, interesting, or cool.  So if you've been dying to share your reaction to a particular post with me, but had trouble boiling that down into words, all you have to do is check a box.  That's it, just tick a little box.  It's like voting...actually, it is voting.  It's Democracy in action.  It's your chance to voice your opinion, to make yourself heard, and in so doing make a lasting impact on your world!

P.S.S.S.  I've updated My Ten Most Popular Posts.  If you'd like to read to, you can reach it from the Pages section, or by following the above link.  

Psssst!  I'm through pestering you with the postscripts now, so you can get on with your busy--and hopefully fruitful--day.