Celebrating Goomba Stomp’s One-Year Anniversary

It was a year ago today that we launched Goomba Stomp, and little did I know then that our online community would grow into what it is now: a worldwide collective, boasting dozens of writers contributing from five continents. I say “community” because over the past year, I’ve made many new friends, and what I love most about GS is how our editors, writers, podcasters, and readers have come from all walks of life, from all around the world, and their continued input and support are what keeps this website alive and well. It is remarkable just how far we’ve come in such as short span of time, and I am forever grateful to all of you who have supported us these past twelve months.

For the unfamiliar, my name is Rick da Conceicao, and I guess I’m what you’d call the editor-in-chief of this joint. This is isn’t the first online magazine I’ve launched. Back in 2007, I founded the now-defunct web publication known as Sound On Sight. What began as strictly a film-related website gradually expanded over the years, steadily rising in terms of web traffic and industry recognition. It was, at the time, one of the most prominent independently-owned sites of our kind in Canada, covering over 40 film festivals across the globe, and boasting dozens of incredibly talented writers who’ve all since gone to write for some of the biggest publications online. Running Sound On Sight was always an uphill battle and a full-time job, and stepping down as the editor-in-chief was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make. It wasn’t easy walking away from an eight-year project but at the time, I was left with little choice. I could barely keep up with the site’s monthly costs, which increased dramatically due to the amount of video and audio podcasts we produced, nor could I keep up with the amount of work it demanded of me as the site’s ringleader. I was heading back to school and I just didn’t have the time nor money to manage the site, and so I searched for someone who could take over and hopefully turn Sound On Sight into what we always hoped it would be – an online publication that could actually pay its writers. At the time it was the only option I had, and so I handed over the keys to the kingdom to a gentleman who said he could turn things around – and he did. Unfortunately for everyone involved, that didn’t last long, and from my understanding, he pulled the plug six months later.

And now here I am, starting over. The truth is, Goomba Stomp was never meant to be what it is now. Patrick Murphy, Tim Maison, and I launched the site simply to archive our NXpress Nintendo podcast, and somehow, someway, it sort of blew up. Funny how life works, considering Sound On Sight began much the same way – founded upon the Sound On Sight movie podcast before expanding to written form. I guess things really do come full circle, and often life does repeat itself. The trick now is to try and not repeat any previous mistakes.

As hard as this crazy journey has been, looking back now I know I made the right call, and it isn’t too hard to see why. Just look around! Our primary focus may have shifted from movies to games, but everything that made Sound On Sight special is present and accounted for here at Goomba Stomp. Much like Sound On Sight, Goomba Stomp is an independently-owned-and-operated publication, started by a couple of film students with no financial backing (much less any web programming knowledge) – and much like Sound On Sight, I believe we’ve accomplished a lot. As with any business, launching our website and trying to find an audience when surrounded by thousands of corporate-owned publications, was, and still is, a challenge, but we’ve found a way. With little to no resources, we’ve somehow continued to grow each and every day, and I am proud to say that it was all worth the time and effort – the blood, sweat and tears. If I could, I’d do it all over again. On a personal level, Goomba Stomp has absolutely changed my life, and not for the ridiculous amount of work it demands from me every week, but because of the incredible people I’ve met along the way – all who’ve taught me much about myself, the arts and the world we live in. I am immensely thankful to all of those who have contributed to the site – be it a writer, reader, reader who became a writer, and/or former writer who remains a reader, a podcaster, an editor and even those friends offering moral support.

Celebrating one year may not seem like such a big deal, but anyone who has ever tried running an online blog with multiple authors publishing daily posts can tell you how hard it is. A year later, I believe the Goomba Stomp will continue to expand and improve well into its double-digit years. I, for one, am excited about our future. With a slick new design (courtesy of yours truly), along with the addition of several new contributors and our very own hosting domain, we hope to remain an independent voice that you can count on for insightful commentary on the industry without ever resorting to either producing click bait or churning out the same boring news stories found on every other website. Thank you again.

Sincerely yours,

Ricky da Conceição