BOOKS
Favourite: Maddaddam, by Margaret Atwood. Giving voice to the Crakers is a delight.
Disappointment: all of Fleming’s James Bond novels. They have not aged well at all.
Surprise: Destiny Disrupted, by Tamim Ansary. The history of the world comes from more than one viewpoint.
Change: I actually read books this year! 21 in total! I haven’t read that much in years…
COMICS
Favourite: Astro City. Welcome back, Busiek & Anderson
Disappointment: Valiant comics. But only because they’re so expensive and I can’t keep up with them all. Or any of them, actually. I folded after the immensely satisfying Harbinger Wars event.
Surprise: Monkeybrain Comics. I rush towards every new issue of Edison Rex, High Crimes, Bandette and Masks & Mobsters.
Change: The kids’ comics outnumber my purchases by 2-1.
MOVIES
Favourite: The Wolverine. Call me crazy, but 2/3 of an excellent Wolverine story is better than
Disappointment: Star Trek Into Darkness. Risible dreck, saved by the great 30-minute alternate take on Wrath of Khan. Then, I believed.
Surprise: Gravity. I mean….c’mon. The only film truly worth the expense of IMAX 3-D.
Change: Now, I’ve seen most films with the kids, but I’m also more willing to go to the theater alone.
TV
Favourite: Orphan Black. Believe the hype. Tatiana Maslany is AMAZING.
Disappointment: Dexter. Just…no. Business defeated art in this case. Everybody should stop watching with Season 5.
Surprise: The Americans. I tried this show on a lark, and spent a week glued to my computer. Made me think of the old Falcon and the Snowman novels I read as a kid, for some reason. Must the low-tech espionage.
Change: Netflix and iTunes are my main sources of shows these days. The cable cord is staying cut!
GAMES
Favourite: Castle Dice. The best Kickstarter purchase from 2012 wins over all comers.
Disappointment: RPGs. I gave away a passel of books this year, keeping only the cream of the crop in hardcover.
Surprise: OGRE Designer’s Edition. I knew it would be big. I HAD NO IDEA HOW BIG! Kudos to Phil Reed for the factory tour video
Change: I didn’t buy a single boardgame this year in a store, and backed only one game project on Kickstarter (Moby-Dick, or The Card Game). I’m going through a fallow phase.
MUSIC
Favourite: Heartthrob by Tegan & Sara. The full hookup/breakup cycle on one danceable album.
Disappointment: Invisible Empire/Crescent Moon by K.T. Tunstall. I feel bad that she’s sad. She made better music when she rocked.
Surprise: CBCMusic.ca is now my go-to streaming portal for tunes and music discovery. Kudos to their curators, and their social media team.
Change: I bought about one album a month this year, up from previous years. Who said that digital doesn’t drive sales, again?
KICKSTARTER
Favourite: Veronica Mars. My goodness, that film funded quickly! I’ve got my stickers, and I’m hoping the theatrical release reaches Montreal. If not…I’ll have my DVD!
Disappointment: Inspector Spacetime. Both attempts to fund a more ambitious 2nd season failed. I doubt very much there will be a third. Maybe it can be funded one episode at a time.
Surprise: Nelvana of the Northern Lights.The first comic-book superheroine (beating Wonder Woman to the newsstands by 6 months) is Canadian! And two hard-working archivists/documentarians are going to reprint her adventures. Can’t wait!
Change: I funded 3 projects this year compared to 19 last year. The bookmarking system on Kickstarter has allowed me time to track interesting projects without committing to them. Sober second thought is good for my wallet.
SIDE PROJECTS
This is a year when I worked on hardly any side-projects: 4-5 short pieces for StormBunny Studios, a longer piece for Zombie Sky Press, and a single logo for Kobold Press. I had to turn down two large contracts because I knew I couldn’t make the deadlines. 2013 may be the year that I conceded there are only 24 hours in a day (and I need at least 7 of those for sleep).