2006 was a very different time. Trump as President was no more than a bad joke, we couldn't yet stalk people via Google Street View, Marvel's Cinematic Universe was still to revolutionise cinema and ChronicleChamber was but a humble message board.
It's been twelve years since the beginnings of ChronicleChamber and the site has grown in ways I could never have imagined all those years ago.
We've become the resource on the 'net for any and all Phantom news and content. We've built some amazing relationships with both creators and fellow phans alike. We introduced X-Band, the world's first Phantom-centric podcast which has taken off in ways we could never have imagined. Most recently we launched the Phantom Preservation Project which has the goal of preserving Phantom media for future generations of phans. It's a list of achievements I am hugely proud of!
With the Phantom experiencing something of a second coming in recent times we've had more excitement and awesome stuff to look forward to than any previous year in the site's existence! As such, now makes it a perfect time to move on. As they say, go out with a flourish (or, whatever the digital equivalent of that is...)
A few years ago, just after my move to the UK, I made a post about how I'd be taking a step back in the running of ChronicleChamber and leave most of the day-to-day stuff to Dan, Steve and Jermayn. And they've done an amazing job, too!
Life took another huge - but exciting - turn late last year when I married my beautiful English girlfriend. Thus, I'll now be staying on in the UK so we can start our own little family. Given this, I felt it best to hand over not just the reigns, but the horse and the kart as well.
I am moving on from ChronicleChamber.
It's been an amazing journey to run this website. Starting out as a passion project I never thought would still be around in 12 months after it began, let alone 12 years! I can not begin to describe how humble the success of the site makes me. From all the amazing people I've met through the running of the site to the awesome news I've been privy, to before the general even heard a peep about it, to the...fringe benefits (eg; bribes) of some cool gifts, running ChronicleChamber has been a phan's dream come true!
But all things must end for something new to begin, and for me the adventure of running a comic strip hero fan site is at a close. However, I feel safe in the knowledge that the site will be left in the right hands.
Of course this doesn't mean I'll stop being a phan. Far from it! I can't wait to catch up on all the books I missed over 2017 and only recently picked up during a trip back to Australia. It'll be nice to simply be "just" a phan again.
The Boys (as I call the other three fellows) have kindly left me an open invitation to write an article for the site from time to time if I wish, so I may pop up here again. However, for the most part I'll simply be with all of you; commenting on Instagram, Reddit, Facebook, Google+, YouTube and Twitter and eagerly awaiting the new adventures of the Ghost Who Walks.
Until the next time, happy Phantoming!
- Joe Douglas, retired Not-So-Unknown Commander of ChronicleChamber.com
