We Had A Good Run…
“It’s a damn shame. I’d hope to give them a proper sendoff…”
Back when I was still learning the ropes in my current occupation, I had a few managers I previously worked under. Most would be reshuffled internally, but one of the last ones I had before moving to a different position came from outside our then current team. It was a bit of a surprise given most of our candidates were either internal or had some technical background. I vaguely recall some grumbling about it, yet what they lacked in expertise, they made up for in management. Simply put, they made it a priority to make sure our team was adequately equipped with what we needed.
At their farewell lunch when they eventually left to pursue new opportunities, they gave me some parting words that stuck around. “Kid, someday you’re gonna be leading your own team. Whether by title or otherwise, they’ll need someone to look out for them. This may be a tech field, but we are in the business of people. And the day we are unable to provide for them is a sign that it might be time for a change.”
The company would restructure a few more times after that, and while I’ve been fortunate to have stuck around the longest, it weighs on me more now that well, I’m kind of the senior now responsible for the new upstarts we bring on. Basically, I’m an old man now — or I might as well be given how long I’ve been in the field!
I’ve been at AniTAY for slightly longer than my current employer, worked on my crafts independently, got to know people, and turned in some of my best work. In terms of seniority and regular output, I’m probably the second most frequent contributor right behind DoctorKev, been an editor when we moved to Medium, and got to put together some of my wilder ideas to paper, all for a shared passion of a medium.
It was great — I don’t have anything I can add to it! I’m writing a lot of this in one sitting, so bear with me. This won’t be my usual length essays!
Doing the two together over that shared period, it recontextualized a lot of what I want as a writer and what I need if I want to continue to operate with the Internet’s ever-changing nature. Having finished my recent long-term project, I realized how long I’ve been “away” even though I’ve been physically here. The site is at a different place than when we started, my, as well as some of our regulars’ priorities, have shifted and we’ve all got other things going on we’re pursuing independently.
Speaking for myself, about two months ago, an interesting opportunity arrived at my desk. And not unlike the silent voice in my head all those years ago convincing me that this might lead somewhere, I kind of just read the writing on the walls and said “sure, why not?” Needless to say, I’m excited to see where this new path takes me (details to come later).
Now for the not so exciting news — today is my last day at AniTAY. I’ll give you a minute to let that sink in.
You can tell I’m not very good at goodbyes, right? It’s because I’ve made so few of them. Also, I didn’t edit this piece with the same level of detail as my usual work, so it’s going to be a little raw. Now, I could continue to drag this out with some long-winded explanation about some of the cool shit I’ve worked on, what it’s meant to write for AniTAY, etc., but I’m not going to.
Besides, when have I ever done things by the book?
Instead, let’s not make this about me. Let’s highlight some of the folks I’ve worked with over the years (and Requiem)!
In no particular order:
DoctorKev and the artist currently known as Naruto Johnson: As the two other regulars around these parts, it’s safe to say I’ve looked up to you gentlemen as my inspiration, teachers and rivals. Kev, you have the work ethic to rival a thousand men. I have no idea how you manage to put out such quality content across sites and run your day-to-day life — all without skipping a beat on the podcast with that trademark accent.
“Naruto” (ugh, that feels weird writing), we go back a long time. I’ve known you since the Kinja days when I was just a reader, so I owe you partially for getting me involved in this weird little hobby. I told you this once before, but you’re the guy I most wanted to beat, and when you left the site to go on a training arc, it was never the same. In fact, it’s still not the same! Regardless, I’m happy that you’re doing well for yourself — but if I see you Naruto-running Area 51, I’ll hit you.
ShadowHaken, Checkmate (Skybeat), Thatsmapizza, and possibly Gugsy at one point: The Fire Emblem Heroes squad! Or Gatcha squad depending on the context! Seriously, there are few games I play consistently, let alone with a community, so just having one here has been a treasure I’ll remember fondly. Though I won’t be around to react to the next banner, you’re all welcome to add me if you haven’t or keep in touch through my socials.
Haken and Pizza specifically, you guys have done a terrific job on the blog side of things. Pizza with the podcast editing and Haken when you first ran the sequel guide which has since traded hands a few times. They’re lucky to have you guys. Speaking of…
TGRIP and Arcane: I can’t thank you gentlemen enough for all the advice and general pleasantry of being able to work with you guys over the years. TGRIP, the annual AniTAY awards has always been a favorite of mine and the site owes you a huge debt in running it all this time. Likewise, Arcane had some very big shoes to fill for the sequel guide and while I don’t think I participated as frequently as the seasonal collab (I’m not a big sequel person), the few times we did, it was always in high spirits.
As the two people on the server already in the writing field apart from Kev, you’ve set a high bar in terms of what we should be striving towards professionally, creatively and independently. I wish I had better advice to leave you on but keep doing what you’re doing and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
Koda: We keep bumping into each other, yet I’m surprised we don’t talk more regularly! Anyways, I’ve enjoyed your company and I know we’ll still keep in touch over on the socials. Your retweets never cease to put a smile on my face, especially on the days where I’m not at my best. I’m keeping this brief not because I didn’t have a way to pair you up by group, but because this isn’t goodbye, just see you later!
Tenshigami: I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. Aside from Viking, you are my favorite person on the server and a lot of the reasons behind why I’ve been able to stick to the content I want to make. I know we both share some of that self-deprecating humor, but I wish you weren’t so hard on yourself. You’ve got a great personality, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen you lose your cool, which is saying something given how stressful this industry can be! Or attended a con for that matter (don’t ask). If we ever meet irl, we should hang out.
Reikaze, Alistair Hyde, Marquan, Cheroro, HipHopJorge, Stanlick and Umrguy: Y’all are some of the nicest guys on the server. Like JLU’s Batman told Green Arrow, this team will always have a need for someone to keep things honest. Though I’m not smart enough to leave you all with a contingency plan, I know I don’t have to worry about leaving things here.
Requiem: I lost my chain of thought as I was about to roast you (lol)! As much as you joke on the podcasts about being the “interim” hosts, you and Hybrid have been doing a fantastic job holding the podcast down. At this point it’s safe to say you are the permanent hosts if you’re not already. You’ve always been nice enough to listen, even if some people don’t appreciate our “eccentric” tastes for lack of a better descriptor — except for Tonikawa. (Seriously? 10 shows and you gave this TWO votes?!)
Nior: My man! I’ll keep this brief since we interact more on the TAY server. There aren’t many people I trust with recommendations, so you are one of the few in this group I give priority to whenever it comes up. You have a charming sense of humor and have always been a good sport in spite of my creature habits and on the other server moderating. I never feel out of place when you’re around, so thank you.
Ishmael, Edmundton and Viking: As I wrap this up, I’m giving a shout out to our former colleagues. Ish, we’ve known each other since the TAY days. I highly doubt you’ll see this, but I’ve always been appreciative of your perspectives back in the day. I still see you on the socials, so I know you’ve still got a good head on your shoulders.
Ed, you are one of the main reasons I fought tooth and nail for the writers here. It isn’t easy to speak up, but the fact that you did show your resolve and commitment to keeping us honest. You probably don’t remember, and if not, that’s fine! I hope at least you’re doing well these days, and if you ever want to talk, my channels are open.
Finally, Viking. I have no way to know whether you’re still online, but I’m reaching out anyways. When I told everyone what my year long project was going to be, you were one of the first to reach out and tell me how excited you were. Come to think of it, you’ve always been supportive of my work over the years, and for that, you have my gratitude.
If by some miracle you happen to read this, just know that I was thinking of you as I wrapped up that project recently. And from one guy who is also leaving for parts unknown, rest easy friend. You can finally say “I told you so.” You probably wouldn’t since you’re not that kind of guy — but you can!
To the rest of my former colleagues, a special thanks to Raitzeno, Grex, Hybridmink, jonuiuc, kule, jamiethed, Shade, stevenblackburn, stinolez, Stranger, Rasoja, devinreal, JaeCreative, Mrkingdomheartsboy, nanttene, Savii, stanlick, Tengu, Messaika, Yohan and Max.
Also, A quick shout out to my other fellow TAY contributors who participated over the years if I missed your name (I didn’t cross check).
If you’d like to see where I’m going next, stay up to date through my Twitter or here on Medium where I will continue to post for the foreseeable future. I’ll be back sooner than you think, but until next time, this has been Dark Aether saying:
Credits:
(Oh, you thought I was going to pick Shine because of the Hellsing cover, didn’t you? Cut me some slack, I still know how to pick em!)
