The Greatest Bond Year Ever?

The Domino Effect

As we bid a fond farewell to 2012 and slide into 2013, I can't help but wonder if this was the best Bond year ever (with the possible exception of 1953 and the birth of Bond in Casino Royale).

We not only had a new Bond movie, but Bond bounced back as good as ever and its $1 billion+ box office haul proves to detractors that Bond isn't just a misogynistic old dinosaur at all and guarantees a long life ahead! In addition we saw the return of Moneypenny and Q, a new M and the next Bond flic already on course for an on-schedule release in 2014! And we had the entire series released in Blu-Ray and the debut of a great Bond documentary.

For Bond book lovers we had scores of new titles to add to our shelves, most eminently being Jon Gilbert's masterful Ian Fleming bibliography and the definitive 'Bond Archives'....and the announcement of the author of the next Bond continuation book.

Visitors to London and Toronto had the Designing 007 exhibition to entertain them.

Collectors had new offerings from Factory Direct...not to mention Royal Doulton's Jack the Bulldog and several other licenced Skyfall collectables.

And of course there was the Skyfall wardrobe and prop hunt on which we got an early start thanks to leaked info and photos, film sneak-peaks and the hard work, eagle eyes and diligence of so many AJB members. Although there were the usual arm-and-a-leg Tom Ford bits of cloth and the rarer-than-hen's-teeth offerings from last season, we also had more economical and plentiful bits and bobs that were available to anyone even on more modest budgets.

What a year. Probably never to be repeated...which is just as well as I am broke!

Napoleon Plural

I was going to suggest the years 67 and 83 when we had 2 Bond movies, but you may have convinced me... Then again, back in the 60s everything was Bond crazy anyway.

Silhouette Man

1981 - For Your Eyes Only, the most Flemingesue of Roger Moore's Bond films, a lot of Bond books issued, and the start of John Gardner's run as James Bond continuation author!

2008 and 2012 were pretty good too for obvious reasons!

scotty8692

I must say I enjoyed this year-new film, my 3rd trip to London where I saw an DBS parked out my hotel, where I sampled (for the first time) a Vodka Martini and a Vesper, where I went to the Barbican exhibition, as well as seeing some locations from SF. Skyfall was cool as I know a lot of people I knew who would not usually watch a Bond film saw it, and liked it. It may not turn them into hardcore Bond nuts, but at least they will see why I am so enthusiastic when it comes to Bond! In terms of merchandise, I bought (and received) a fair amount of stuff, particularly buying stuff used/worn by the cinematic Bond, buying an Omega SM, some Marco sunglasses, as well as purchasing the Levi's jacket with a Barbour on the way.

Blackleiter

Agreed - a great year for Bond!

The Domino Effect wrote:

As we bid a fond farewell to 2012 and slide into 2013, I can't help but wonder if this was the best Bond year ever (with the possible exception of 1953 and the birth of Bond in Casino Royale).

We not only had a new Bond movie, but Bond bounced back as good as ever and its $1 billion+ box office haul proves to detractors that Bond isn't just a misogynistic old dinosaur at all and guarantees a long life ahead! In addition we saw the return of Moneypenny and Q, a new M and the next Bond flic already on course for an on-schedule release in 2014! And we had the entire series released in Blu-Ray and the debut of a great Bond documentary.

For Bond book lovers we had scores of new titles to add to our shelves, most eminently being Jon Gilbert's masterful Ian Fleming bibliography and the definitive 'Bond Archives'....and the announcement of the author of the next Bond continuation book.

Visitors to London and Toronto had the Designing 007 exhibition to entertain them.

Collectors had new offerings from Factory Direct...not to mention Royal Doulton's Jack the Bulldog and several other licenced Skyfall collectables.

And of course there was the Skyfall wardrobe and prop hunt on which we got an early start thanks to leaked info and photos, film sneak-peaks and the hard work, eagle eyes and diligence of so many AJB members. Although there were the usual arm-and-a-leg Tom Ford bits of cloth and the rarer-than-hen's-teeth offerings from last season, we also had more economical and plentiful bits and bobs that were available to anyone even on more modest budgets.

What a year. Probably never to be repeated...which is just as well as I am broke!