Exiting Stage Left, Lowering the Curtain, & Turning Off the Lights

The self-financed and self-produced one-man show lasted approximately five years, so I guess, when viewed objectively or subjectively, this niche-within-a-niche blog had a pretty good run, if I may attempt to extend the off-broadway (or off-off-broadway) analogy and closing sequence suggested by the admittedly long title of this final post to NO PAINTING REQUIRED. Switching to more familiar terrain (see what I did there?), this solo and fairly wide-ranging campaign (faint echoes of Monty Python voices saying “oh, he’s done it again!”—5 points for the reader who can cite the movie and scene . . . hint: it involved shrubbery) was interrupted in late July of 2022 due to personal and professional circumstances (no further details were supplied as everyone has their own stuff to deal with), and then resumed in October of the same year, even though both the figurative and literal enemy armies were more powerful, better armed as well as supplied, and led by more experienced commanders. 

Anyway, rather appropriately I think - given the season (one year drawing to its inevitable close, and another year is chomping at the bit to make its entrance) - I should like to wave the white flag, sign whatever documents might be required, and move into what might imaginatively be called solo wargamer’s retirement. To the extent that any substantial comparison can be made and defended, I am joining the ranks of James Roach and, I imagine, dozens if not scores of others. (James Roach stopped posting on December 6, 2024. The reason or reasons remain unknown, at least to me, and perhaps to his hundreds of followers. In the grander scheme of things, a rather minor occurrence or point. However, within the small wargaming community, I would remark that this mysterious and disconcerting development has repercussions. The gentleman debuted his excellent blog and his wargaming ability and artistry in 2008. Anyway, if you are not already aware of it, please see https://olicanalad.blogspot.com/.)

Again, objectively or subjectively, when I look back on my history of writing about wargaming, which might be a fair record of my participation in the hobby - albeit marching to a very different kind of drumbeat - it might be suggested that a decent amount of material has been produced between the years 1993 and 2025. To be sure, the quality of this varied material and its usefulness might be the subject of some debate. Then again, perhaps not. Battle reports and other articles or pieces drafted, revised, and then submitted to this or that publication and editor became, in a sense, historical artifacts. Some of these reports and other pieces are, of course, older and more fragile than others. The newer layers of battle reports and other material (March 2021 to November 2025) will remain in, I am guessing here, an electronic or similar existence until whatever program or system that controls this blog decides to store it someplace else, or simply delete the contents in order to create space for younger and more capable bloggers, regardless of their passion and or topic of interest. My reasonable guess is that this 30 years, approximately, of material will be left alone to gather even more dust.

In the process of researching how to “exit stage left” (there he goes, switching figurative contexts again - sigh), I copied and pasted some suggestions regarding content and format that were made in less than two seconds by AI. After seven or eight attempts at adapting these suggestions into a more comprehensive final post, wherein I compared and contrasted this blog to others, considered the wider world of wargaming blogs, and delved into other subjects - some more related to the matter at hand than others, I decided to ignore most of what AI had returned and recommended. It occurred to me, after some additional reflection and review, that it would be “good form” as opposed to the other kind (see the exchange between characters during the baseball game in the 1991 film “Hook”), to focus more on expressing gratitude than anything else. In rather stark contrast to the simple and single sentence published in late July of 2022, I offer the following individual and or specific expressions of gratitude. The following list was created by starting at the top left of the blog follower icons and proceeding to the right, until the end of that short row was reached. The simple process was repeated until the comparatively small list of names or other identities was completed. 

Ozzie - 

Cheers, Ozzie. Thanks for following my blog. I hope you found something of interest. 

Shawn Comrie - 

Thanks for following my niche blog, Shawn. I hope you were engaged and or entertained by some of the posts. 

nc dh - 

Thank you for “coming on board” or “booking a tour” on this rather poor sailing vessel. I should like to think you found something or some things that were thought-provoking. 

 

Greg M - 

Cheers, Greg. I appreciate you for following this blog. Here’s hoping you found a post or two that were inspiring or at least reinforced your approach to wargaming. 

Roger Cooper - 

Hi there Roger. Thanks for being a small and evidently silent part of a comparatively small blog/experiment. If memory serves, we “conversed” - on occasion - over on the WGC Forum about Triumph!

Kim Salkeld - 

Thanks for following my blog, Kim. I hope you found something of interest. Cheers. 

Dave Mack - 

Hello Dave. Thank you for your readership. I trust that there was a post or two or even three that you found worth your time. 

David Barnes - 

Cheers David, I appreciate you for choosing to follow this blog. From what I could find and see, there is a lot out there to choose from. Thanks for putting this blog on your list. 

anonymous: just a plain silhouette icon - 

Thanks for your time and consideration. 

The Pink Phantom - 

Cheers. If I may be so bold, the moniker suggests some kind of Marvel-adjacent super hero or maybe super villain. Either way, thanks for adding your icon to the small field of followers. I hope you found something within this collection of material to your liking.  

Markus Bruckhardt - 

Hello, Markus. I suppose I should also type good-bye, but then that would add to the word count in a section that I want to keep within limits. Thanks for your attendance. I like to think that you and most of the other followers found something of interest while perusing the variety of entries. 

Dave Hollin - 

Cheers, Dave. Thank you very much for your constant support in this effort as well as for my numerous posts (even the poorly considered and or phrased ones) over on the SoA Forums. At the risk of appearing sycophantic, I rather doubt that the Society’s journal or its various forums would be as educational and engaging without your dedication as well as omnipresence. At the risk of extending this thank you, it was interesting to study and compare the lists of blogs followed under your two identities. Evidently, one is more wargaming-oriented while the other appears more hiking, walking, and oriented to the outdoors, which offers a nice contrast, I think, to the indoors and typically sedentary nature of historical wargaming.

notquitemechanised - 

Hello there. Thanks for taking the time to follow my blog. I have no doubt you will find - and easily - three, four, or 11 better blogs to take its place. 

Doc Gallagher - 

Cheers, Doc. Playing off your identity, I am tempted to tell you that it hurts when I raise my left arm. The standard reply to this old medical joke is: “well then, don’t raise your left arm.” Or something like that. Anyway, thanks for following this blog. I hope there was a post or two that provided a little enjoyment or entertainment. 

Dean Motoyama - 

Cheers, Dean. Thanks for following me as I navigated what might be described as “uncharted waters” while often mixing my metaphors in posts that tended toward the lengthy-side of the spectrum. 

Mas - 

Hi there, Mas. I appreciate you for taking the time to follow me as I experimented with this blog. 

Mark Flanagan - 

Cheers, Mark. Thanks for following this blog. I hope you were able to find something useful or perhaps even a little inspirational. 

Richard M - 

Hi there Richard. Thanks very much for following this blog. 

Jonathan Freitag - 

[standing at position of attention and delivering crisp salute] . . . Thank you very much General Jon, for taking the time out of your admirable and busy life to follow my blog. Thanks, too, for the more than several times you weighed in with an astute comment, or made a suggestion as to how a topic or perceived problem might be looked at from another angle. 

David Cooke - 

Cheers, David. I appreciate you for adding my blog to your list of blogs that you follow. Interesting to note the number of Daves or Davids that make up this short list of followers. 

Milton Soong - 

Hi there Milton. Thanks for following my blog. 

James Shevlin - 

Hi there James. Thanks for adding your name to the “catalog” of followers who may have found something worth their time in my various posts about solo wargaming and other topics.

Aaron Bell - 

Cheers, Aaron. I cannot recall when we first “met,” but I do know that you have always been engaging, kind, supportive, and thought-provoking (as evidenced by your numerous blog posts as well as your contributions to the SoA Forums). Thanks very much for following my blog. Thanks too, for your generosity re my “bucket list” trip to New Zealand and or that side of the globe. Realistically, I think this is going to be one of those items that is not going to be crossed-off. Good health and good gaming. 

Anthony Clipsom - 

At the risk of making a poor ancient Roman history comparison or of appearing obsequious, it could be argued that this veteran gentleman of The Society of Ancients shares a consular-like position with Dave Hollin. Anthony, or Erpingham, has been a fairly constant constructive commentator. He has also pointe out areas where I could have done more. I appreciate very much the extra time and effort he has spent in moderating this blog. Thanks very much. 

William Dowie - 

Cheers, William. My thanks for following the blog. As with the larger group of passive observers, I like to think that you might have found a post or two that was engaging and enjoyable. 

It occurs to me that I would be remiss if I did not offer a kind of “blanket note” of appreciation and thanks to those individuals who provided the occasional and to-the-point comment or compliment, but did not opt to become a follower. Off the top of my head (lacking much of the differently colored hair it had 25 years ago!), I believe the names Shaun, Mark, and Steven can be recognized for their infrequent but important contributions. 

I would be equally remiss if I did not provide an even larger “blanket of thanks” to all the unidentified readers and visitors, whether their time in the content of this blog was accidental or purposeful.

___________________________

Cheers and good gaming. May your dice always roll high; may you conquer your lead mountain; may your engagement and enjoyment with the hobby remain undiminished, and may your skill as a tabletop general of troops - regardless of era or period (but ancients and medievals are obviously the best) - always improve. 

Oh yes, lest I be visited by less comical and musically-assisted versions of the ghosts depicted in “Spirited” (Apple TV), sincere wishes for a warm and wonderful holiday season. May the coming year see you completing current or new projects, and conquering any and all opponents who dare challenge you. Good health, success (however you define it) and happiness (again, however defined) to you and yours.