Anthony’s Notes 2016 year in review

Updated on June 14, 2022

This is my final blog post for 2016, so it’ll be a year in review one.

There’s many reasons this year won’t be fondly looked back on by many. However, taking a more optimistic approach, I’ll look back at this year’s most popular posts in several categories. Information’s based on site traffic between January 1 and December 26, 2016.

Overall

1. My review of digital video stores
2. A review of Marvel Unlimited
3. How to watch the Summer Olympics online
4. Cartoons that should’ve entered public domain (but didn’t) in 2016
5. Minorities in cartoons: “The Prince of Egypt”
6. DreamWorks’ creation of a “Home” TV series for Netflix
7. My Xubuntu Linux 14.04 post-installation guide
8. A week with the Toshiba Chromebook 2
9. Minorities in cartoons: “Ready Jet Go!”
10. How wealthy is Superman?

By far, the digital video stores comparison was the most popular post I wrote this year.

The Marvel Unlimited review was also popular. Posts about digital comics in general seem to draw traffic.

The Summer Olympics saw a lot of interest in people wanting to know how to stream the games.

My post on what should’ve entered the public domain this year points out the flawed nature of modern copyright lengths.

“The Prince of Egypt” was the most popular minorities in cartoons post from this year.

Other than the Marvel Unlimited review, the only comic-related post to make the top 10 is the #10 slot. Half of the top 10 posts were guides, tips, and reviews, all tied into technology (including digital comics).

Animation

1. Cartoons that should’ve entered public domain (but didn’t) in 2016
2. Minorities in cartoons: “The Prince of Egypt”
3. DreamWorks’ creation of a “Home” TV series for Netflix
4. Minorities in cartoons: “Ready Jet Go!”
5. Donald Trump in cartoons
6. Hillary Clinton in cartoons
7. Minorities in cartoons: “The Loud House”
8. Minorities in cartoons: “The Deep”
9. Animated TV shows not yet on home video
10. A “Scooby-Doo” film reboot is in the works

Coming in at #5 is my post about Donald Trump references in cartoons. Unfortunately, it’ll stay relevant for at least the next four years. Clinton’s right behind the Donald in sixth place.

Comics

1. A review of Marvel Unlimited
2. Cartoons that should’ve entered public domain (but didn’t) in 2016
3. Leap Day in cartoons
4. How wealthy is Superman?
5. Jughead Jones is asexual
6. The Hanna-Barbera comics reboot
7. How big is Smallville?
8. DC Comics’ “Rebirth” details
9. DC announces its “Rebirth” revamp
10. The return of “My Cage” as a webcomic

The most popular comics-related post was my Marvel Unlimited review.

DC’s “Rebirth” revamp drew attention as this year’s biggest Big Two event. It represented a rollback or undoing of the worst of the New 52. One such change was the return of the post-Crisis (i.e., 1986 to 2011) Superman to continuity.

DC’s Hanna-Barbera reboot also got some attention and sales (basically “darker and edgier” Flintstones, Scooby-Doo, etc.). Of note is that DC’s now putting out three monthly Scooby-Doo books: regular “Scooby-Doo,” “Scooby-Doo Team-Up,” and “Scooby Apocalypse.” This is probably the most comics attention the Great Dane’s ever received.

Jughead acknowledged as being asexual is a big change for a Golden Age comics character. That said, a few other Golden Age characters (Marvel’s Tom Hale, DC’s Catwoman) also have recently been acknowledged as non-heterosexual.

Media

1. How to stream the Democrat and Republican national conventions
2. A year since the demise of Teletoon Retro
3. How to view the election results
4. NPR kills its comments section
5. The New York Public Library releases Creative Commons images
6. Why hasn’t renting or buying digital videos caught on?
7. The 2016 Oscar nominees and issues with diversity
8. How to spot fake news on social media
9. PBS Kids announces a digital subchannel
10. How original are 2016’s summer films?

As expected, the election was prominent even in media-related news.

Issues brought up this year include net neutrality, the fake news problem, and comments section problems.

Technology

1. My review of digital video stores
2. How to watch the Summer Olympics online
3. My Xubuntu Linux 14.04 post-installation guide
4. A week with the Toshiba Chromebook 2
5. Star Wars ranks among 2015’s worst passwords
6. 7 tips to writing and organizing online content
7. The most valuable companies in 2016 versus 2006
8. How to watch Super Bowl 50
9. Alternative services to Yahoo
10. Revolv and the Internet of Things

Hands down, the most popular tech-related posts were various tips, guides, and reviews I wrote.