Happy New Year From the HMSS Weblog!

Our other annual greeting

To all our readers, we hope you have a great 2014.

And if you’re going out tonight for a New Year’s Eve gathering (like this year’s James Bond Gala in Washington, D.C.), Napoleon Solo reminds everyone to party responsibly.

RE-POST: HMSS Weblog marks its 5th anniversary

Originally published Aug. 19. Re-posted (with a few updates) today, the actual anniversary

The HMSS Weblog, a spinoff of the Her Majesty’s Secret Servant Web site, this year marks its fifth anniversary.

The blog was originally envisioned as a way for HMSS to maintain a presence between issues of the e-magazine. HMSS Weblog took a while to find its own voice. The first post on OCT. 8, 2008, concerned an omnibus of three Raymond Benson James Bond novels.

For a time, posts relied on embedding YouTube videos. The problem with that is such videos are often yanked from the video-sharing Web site. So, over time, that has been de-emphasized. What’s more, longer posts began appearing on a regular basis. (Click HERE, HERE and HERE for an early three-part example.)

The turning point was a series of posts leading up to GOLDFINGER’S 45TH ANNIVERSARY in 2009. The Rap Sheet, a blog devoted to crime and detective fiction gave the series a nice (and unsolicited) shoutout in a post about Goldfinger. That encouraging word along with other feedback indicated there was an audience for the kinds of posts HMSS Weblog was doing.

There are many James Bond fan sites. The effort here is do something when the blog has something to say.

Sometimes it’s a reappraisal (essentially a re-review) of films such as QUANTUM OF SOLACE, LIVE AND LET DIE and OCTOPUSSY.

Sometimes, there are posts about major anniversaries of Bond films or other spy-related entertainment. And sometimes, it’s keeping track of new James Bond and spy-related entertainment in posts like THIS ONE or THIS ONE. And don’t forget THIS POST dubbed “Goodbye, old friend.”

Also, don’t forget posts about EFFORTS TO MAKE A MOVIE VERSION OF THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. and a recent series on FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY.

Meanwhile, Her Majesty’s Secret Servant is on extended hiatus for various real-life reasons. A planned issue “best of” issue including Skyfall reviews in late 2012 was scrapped. The Skyfall reviews WERE EVENTUALLY POSTED ON THE HMSS WEBLOG.

The HMSS Weblog is mostly a one-man band except with exceptions such as MARK HENDERSON’S INTERVIEW WITH CARTE BLANCHE AUTHOR JEFFERY DEAVER or posts like THIS ONE about Aaron Sorkin dropping James Bond refrences into some of his television scripts. The blog will continue on as long as it’s fun and there’s something to say.

Earlier posts:

THE `BANNED’ 007 COMMENTARIES: WHAT WAS THE FUSS? (JANUARY 2012)

PRICE OF ACCESS TO 007? (JANUARY 2012)

THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. CURSE (NOVEMBER 2011)

007 FIDELITY INDEX; HOW CLOSE ARE THE FILMS TO THE BOOKS? PART I

DR. NO’S 50 ANNIVERSARY CONCLUSION: LEGACY (September 2012)

HMSS Weblog marks its fifth anniversary

The HMSS Weblog, a spinoff of the Her Majesty’s Secret Servant Web site, this year marks its fifth anniversary. This post is to celebrate a couple of months early before the flow of news picks up in September.

The blog was originally envisioned as a way for HMSS to maintain a presence between issues of the e-magazine. HMSS Weblog took a while to find its own voice. The first post on OCT. 8, 2008, concerned an omnibus of three Raymond Benson James Bond novels.

For a time, posts relied on embedding YouTube videos. The problem with that is such videos are often yanked from the video-sharing Web site. So, over time, that has been de-emphasized. What’s more, longer posts began appearing on a regular basis. (Click HERE, HERE and HERE for an early three-part example.)

The turning point was a series of posts leading up to GOLDFINGER’S 45TH ANNIVERSARY in 2009. The Rap Sheet, a blog devoted to crime and detective fiction gave the series a nice (and unsolicited) shoutout in a post about Goldfinger. That encouraging word along with other feedback indicated there was an audience for the kinds of posts HMSS Weblog was doing.

There are many James Bond fan sites. The effort here is do something when the blog has something to say.

Sometimes it’s a reappraisal (essentially a re-review) of films such as QUANTUM OF SOLACE, LIVE AND LET DIE and OCTOPUSSY.

Sometimes, there are posts about major anniversaries of Bond films or other spy-related entertainment. And sometimes, it’s keeping track of new James Bond and spy-related entertainment in posts like THIS ONE or THIS ONE. And don’t forget THIS POST dubbed “Goodbye, old friend.”

Meanwhile, Her Majesty’s Secret Servant is on extended hiatus for various real-life reasons. A planned issue “best of” issue including Skyfall reviews in late 2012 was scrapped. The Skyfall reviews WERE EVENTUALLY POSTED ON THE HMSS WEBLOG.

The HMSS Weblog is mostly a one-man band except with occasional exceptions such as MARK HENDERSON’S INTERVIEW WITH CARTE BLANCHE AUTHOR JEFFERY DEAVER or posts like THIS ONE. The blog will continue on as long as it’s fun and there’s something to say.

Earlier posts:

THE `BANNED’ 007 COMMENTARIES: WHAT WAS THE FUSS? (JANUARY 2012)

PRICE OF ACCESS TO 007? (JANUARY 2012)

THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. CURSE (NOVEMBER 2011)

007 FIDELITY INDEX; HOW CLOSE ARE THE FILMS TO THE BOOKS? PART I

DR. NO’S 50 ANNIVERSARY CONCLUSION: LEGACY (September 2012)

Happy Fourth of July from the HMSS Weblog

And don’t forget: Don’t yield, back S.H.I.E.L.D.

Happy New Year From the HMSS Weblog!

To all our readers, we hope you have a great 2013.

And if you’re going out tonight for a New Year’s Eve gathering (like the James Bond Gala in Washington, D.C.), Napoleon Solo reminds everyone to party responsibly.

HMSS Weblog on Twitter

We’ve only mentioned this in passing in responding to comments on some posts: the HMSS Weblog is also available on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/hmssweblog. It’s a modest presence, but we’re linking posts here.