18 years ago today, when most of us first came here to Rob's boards.

The kids who were born at that time are graduating high school this year. I was 38 when it happened, now I'm 56.

For many years, I feel a little sadness every time I see a movie or TV show where the World Trade Center is shown as part of the New York skyline. If not sadness, at least a constantly re-triggered awareness that the world has changed significantly. Those are images of the world that was, a world that instantly changed the morning of 9-11-2001.



I just saw an interview with the current New York police chief, citing that 241 police officers, and 201 firefighters have died in the intervening 18 years, from diseases related to their selfless work on 9-11 and in the weeks after.

Amid the destruction, it's an inspiration how many ran into the danger, led others away to safety, knowing that while saving so many lives by doing so, that they by staying were assuring their deaths. Amid the 19 hijackers who demonstrated humanity at its most evil, these selfless and courageous first responders showed us the very best of what humanity has to offer.

I honestly don't like to think too much about it. Even 18 years later, it's a sad thing to contemplate.
And insanely, the 5 Al Qaida terrorists they've had in custody for almost 2 decades, are still awaiting trial. The last report I saw a day ago said they are now scheduled to be tried in 2021. Not exactly satisfying retribution.

The 9-11 attacks had a particularly hard impact on comics writers and artists, who at that time were still concentrated in the New York area. The 9-11 artist jam 2-volume paperback tribute I thought were a great cross-section representation of the entire comics field. Two I can think of offhand that had an impact on me were William Stout's contribution, and Craig Russell's. Some of the wordless single page illustrations have an impact that can move you to tears. But again, while I viewed them very favorably when I purchased and read them, they invoke strong emotions I'm not eager to revisit.

The topics about 9-11 are still here, preserving our thoughts at that time exactly as they were written. These boards existed for 18 or 20 months before 9-11, but that's when most of us made the exodus here from the DC boards, at Rob's invitation, and the RKMB's really began.