Celebrating Richard Armitage and his fans in 2012: Some “me + richard armitage” data

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What were your highlights? What do you wish for in 2013?

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From the annals of “it goes without saying”:

More that anything — what a year for Richard Armitage! When I think of everything he did and everywhere he went and … just … everything … I get a little teary!

I know I keep saying it, but it bears repeating — Mr. Armitage, thanks for everything you did this year. I wanted to make another vid, but ran out of time, so I’m reposting the Thanksgiving vid.

Thank you so much for everything you gave us, the amazing delight and pride you let us enjoy.

Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!

… and here’s to a 2013 that will be just as amazing.

And something that needs to be said:

Part of the reason the journey was so momentous this year was all the people whom we met along the way. Thanks to everyone who read this blog, commented, lurked, loved what was written, hated it, shook their heads. Thanks in particular to all the people who accompanied my journey with my parents and thought and prayed and hoped. Thanks to everyone who screamed when they saw Mr. Armitage step out onto that red carpet in New Zealand. Thanks to the operators of the big fan sites who supply us with information. Thanks to all the other bloggers who create conversational spaces. Thanks to the tumblr Army, the board discussants, the twitter folks, the people pinning at pinterest. Thanks to everyone who started a creative project and who encouraged someone else along the journey, however they did that. Thanks to all the donors at spReAdthelove and JustGiving and all the other places where we gave of ourselves and our resources this year.

And if you’re new — welcome to the group of Armitage fans — and to the journey that Armitage fandom has been for many of us. As someone keeps reminding me, the journey is the goal — and thus it, too, is an archetype. Grab hands with us and we’ll grab hands with you. I can’t imagine what will happen in 2013! Try and realize your dreams — what are you waiting for?

Top Twenty searches that led potential readers to this blog in 2012:

Posts with highest number of page views among those first published in 2012:

1. “One way Armitage pictures work for me,” April 20, 2012. A rumination on a detail in a picture that consoled me on a bad day.

2. Part 3 of the fan showcase with Jane, January 18, 2012. Comments were closed after some commentators started making personal attacks.

3. “If Richard Armitage fell in love,” June 15, 2012. I like this one a lot, even now.

4. “Armitage leads with the feelings: or, How thick is Richard Armitage?” December 5, 2012. Comments closed because I was tired of pointing out what I hadn’t said in the post, but I want to get back to this soon.

5. “Expecto Armitagium!” September 14, 2012. A post asking what your Armitage patronus would look like?

6. “On fantasizing about sexual encounters with Richard Armitage,” April 3, 2012. As much storm and hurt feelings as this caused, I’m glad I finally made this decision. I learned a great deal from everything that happened then, and later.

7. “Knit slacks Armitage: Brief thoughts on that new photo,” February 8, 2012. A remnant of a photo shoot I guess we’ll never see.

8. “Have Richard Armitage’s forearms become that muscular?” March 1, 2012. The “is it Richard?” debate from one of the vlogs for The Hobbit.

9. “Richard Armitage: Brain musher or creativity spur?” March 5, 2012. Both, it turns out.

10. “Why Richard Armitage had to be beautiful,” June 8, 2012. Thoughts on why North & South was able to penetrate the haze of paralysis I was living in when I saw it the second time.

Most popular funny or satirical post in 2010:

“Suspects face arraignment in beard assault case,” July 18, 2012.

Top Ten most visiting, least visiting countries since February 25, 2012:

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My highlights:

I don’t think I can list everything.

Three fan meetups!

FanstRAvaganza 3!

King Richard Armitage Week 2012!

Armitage message to fans on November 28th!

My feelings on November 28th before the premiere!

Richard Armitage in Wellington on November 28th!

All the publicity after November 28th! For me, especially seeing Armitage with Prince William at the Royal Premiere on December 12. OK, I’m one of those Americans.

A lot of the Armitage stuff that appeared. OK, OK. Despite my reservations, I especially liked the WETA workshop Thorin figure and still do.

Finally getting to SEE THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY!

I didn’t go back to my writing very carefully — but I wrote more this year than ever, which, considering what an awful year it was emotionally, makes me feel like I stood up to a lot of the challenges that were testing me and even if I didn’t win, I held my ground. Significantly, I wrote more that I was proud of for various reasons, especially my series on Mr. Thornton and the things I wrote about desire. And I finally started blogging an interpretive Richard Armitage biography.

Twenty searches that made me smile this year:

 

~ by Servetus on December 31, 2012.