Comics / Comics News

Oh, by the way, The Comic Book Bin is 8 years-old!

By Hervé St-Louis
August 10, 2010 - 22:53

I've been so busy all summer releasing new smartphone apps for The Comic Book Bin and working with our team to continue to deliver quality articles that I completely forgot that the Bin is officially eight-year old as of August 8 2010.

We started way way way back in August 2002. We actually kind of started earlier as I had the idea for the early Bin as far back as early January of 2002 but never acted on it. The domain was bought in February 2002.

This summer has been very challenging with so many new and interesting development at The Bin. We've released two new version of our iPhone app one in June, one in July. We've released two version of our webOS app one less than a month ago and the update will be available tomorrow for download from Palm.

And then there's the Android version of our app which is taking more time to develop but is on its way. I could put a beta out there, but I I know where the bugs are so it's not going out until it's perfect for a first release.

Next month we'll celebrate the first year of our mobile edition of the Bin. We were one of the first comic book -related site, and still one of the very few to offer a mobile friendly option for smartphone users. Of course, this mobile version of the Bin opened the door for the many apps and those that are not yet released from The Bin.

Our apps have been popular. It's an understatement. Let's put it clearly. Way back on October 2009, I was hard at work on the new version of our Website that would refresh our looks. We even had a competition to figure out what design to use on our new site. We even had a winner! Yet, almost a year later, we haven't moved on the new site design, but instead invested our resources on our mobile apps. There's a reason.

Oh, we'll still redesign the site. I have great ideas for that, but it's obviously not a priority.

The Bin has always pushed the envelope of what a news site is about. We are innovators. We are not happy with the status quo. We take risks, a lot of them. We've been clear and upfront in our opinions and haven't budge even when pressured to do so by the industry. We've remained true to who we are. We are not about comforting ourselves and relying on our past glory. We are about progress and moving ideas and rules. We like competition, we like things that move. We don't rest very easily.

I love the Bin. This site was started as a place where I could dump a list of the comics I wanted to sell on eBay. Let's put it this way, I don't sell comics on eBay anymore. I don't have time.

We're not considered by many to be the biggest or the most influential. I don't give a ***** about what our detractors think. The writers, those present and those that are no longer with us, and myself included have always worked hard at the Bin. We work hard. We have very limited resources. yet, we do with the little we've got miracles. That's our legacy. We are restless, and believe in our independence. We offer you our readers news and reviews on comics. We don't expect you to agree with us. But we know you recognize our integrity even when you disagree with us.

I as an editor, do not censor our writers. They don't have to agree with me. There are few places like that where a major media site allows its writers to be free of their opinions. All we ask, is that our writers write with integrity and adhere to our well regarded and comprenhensive writing guide.

Ah yes, the infamous Comic Book Bin writing guide that has scared many potential writers over the years. It's comprehensive, and it raises the bar. I haven't updated it in a year, but I don't need to. The principles remain the same. We don't gossip, we remain respectful, we are honest and we avoid conflict of interests. My own editors and some of my writers have used these values against me many times. Whenever I broke our own rules, rules that I designed, they let me know and they even edited my own articles when I went over the board. What other news site allows editors and writers to reign in a combative editor in chief/founder publisher? I'm proud of that. Some people think it's stupid. I think not. It means that ultimately, I like all of our writers am subjected to the same rules and standards. I'm a human, so I break our own rules. But our writers and editors have enough power and confidence to let me know when I go overboard, and boy, do I go overboard when I get started.

My friends know me for that. There's one word to describe me. Passionate. I don't give up. I've been described by an old friend as a pit bull. I just can,t let go when I latch on to something. I've latched on to the idea of the Bin 8 years ago.

I've been lucky to find others that also shared those values. Some of them have been with the Bin for seven years. That's crazy. They're pit bulls too!

Many people don't quite get us? Why do we do this why do we keep on pushing? Why are we restless? We can't. That's not in our DNA. We grow, we evolve but we are really really passionate.

We love informing our readers. The team behind the Bin, me excluded is smart, to say the least. These are talented guys. Without them, there is no Bin. I'm just lucky they allow me to preside over this rocky and funky experiment. They have renewed my mandate several times. They've deemed me suitable to lead them, and I want to thank each of them, including those that have left.

But most of all, I have to thank you our reader. Without you, there really is no Comic Book Bin. Ultimately, you hold me to high standard. I believe in all my being in customer service, even if all we really sell you are those adds that support our work. We do all this work for you. You the girl or guy who likes comics a lot or just casually, are the reason I spend those sleepless night thinking about how the Bin can keep growing and serving you better.

Thank you for those eight years of trusts and renewing our mandate! Wait until you see what we're up to next!

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12