by: Jay Carlson

The dates August 14th and 15th are pretty special to me. Chances are you had never heard of us before those dates last year. When I say us, I mean me, I was the only person writing on Indie Revolver back then. Those posts early on were probably not very good, I know I’d be embarrassed to look back at them now. Up until August 14th I was grinding away for quite a while, happy to just get a handful of daily clicks. I kept at it and when opportunity knocked I answered. The results of that knock were posted in the late afternoon of August 14, 2014 when I released the first images of the new Stormtrooper helmets from what was then only known as Star Wars: Episode VII. The images went viral and that one post was visited by over a million people in 24 hours. It was a whole new ballgame for us after that.

Since then we’ve been extremely lucky, I’ve had the opportunity to visit film sets, interview actors, writers and directors who I admire and watched a lot of films. Most importantly, I’ve spoken with a ton of other film fans. That’s what this was all about for me, meeting and talking to others who love movies the way I do.

I’d like to get gushy for a minute to deliver some specific thank-yous to some pretty special people…

There is my brother from another mother, S. Scott Stanikmas. Without S. Scott working like a madman, Indie Revolver would not be what it is. He honestly amazes me on a consistent basis, tirelessly spending his free time killing himself to pump out as many articles as possible… and he NEVER complains. Without him doing what he does, I would not have the opportunity to work equally hard, behind the scenes. I consider him a partner in every sense when it comes to Indie Revolver. I don’t say it enough, but thank you for coming on and shaping this whole thing with me.

There are my less frequent but still very talented contributors, Marcus Rivera and Adam Glass. You guys are a huge piece of Indie Revolver’s early identity and I’d love to see more of you both in the future.

Not to be forgotten is my wonderful fiancé and occasional contributor, Lizzy Ferro. I appreciate all the sacrifices you’ve made to allow me to pursue this thing and all the support along the way. It was your encouragement that kept me going early on.

I’d be remiss to not mention the help of Alisha Grauso. We haven’t talked in quite a while, but our talks and your encouragement early on meant a lot to me. I appreciate every opportunity and piece of advice you sent my way.

Andy Crump, we work in the same city and I see you out at screenings but we don’t talk nearly enough. You’re one of the most talented sons of bitches out there and are capable of making everyone else feel lazy and inadequate each time you post something new. You have been the most welcoming guy I’ve met while doing this. I owe you a helluva lot more than just a couple lines in this post.

Douglas, you’re one of my oldest and without a doubt my dearest friend. Your insight and critique have meant the world to me. You have contributed to what this has become in more ways than you could ever realize. You are the most talented, kindest and most generous person I have ever met. You make me strive to be better in every aspect of life each and every day. Julie, you get a gold star for allowing us to geek out about things that you and Lizzy Ferro could care less about.

Honorable mentions go to Gabriel Gray (whoever you are), Ervan Norman, Kelvin Chavez (a real class act), Umberto Gonzalez, Germain Lussier, Jeff Sneider, Jason Ward, Ryan Adams, Jaskee Hickman, Gallery 1988, Hero Complex Gallery and Maudie Garrett. Whether you realize your contributions or not, they were in there. (I apologize for anyone I left off, I’m sure there are a bunch.)

Most of all, YOU! You all make this so much fun. I am humbled by those of you who have sent words of encouragement to us. (Most recently @BenjaKenobi-it meant the world, by the way) I love talking to you all, so leave comments! I wish I heard from you all half as much as I hear from Droncz87. That guy is an all-star!

From the bottom of my heart, thank you all so much. We’re just getting started!

Alright, if you’ve made it this far I’d say you deserve a reward… What should it be….?

Here, have a look at a new piece of Star Wars: The Force Awakens concept art featuring Maz Kanata.

We’re told this image may come from the scene we referenced in our previous Knights of Ren article in which Maz is sharing a vision with Rey, Finn and Han. (Based off the description I’m reasonably certain this is the image that was referenced by MSW a while back here before we knew Maz was a she.)