My real nose is not that big.

Hi, kids.  I’m James Melville, creator of and main writer for the kick-ass blog you see before you.  Once upon a time, Rooster Illusion was a weekly review column in the Hill News, St. Lawrence University’s student newspaper.  The title is a reference to Tropic Thunder, which freshman me had just seen when he was trying to think of a column title back in 2008.  I didn’t know what I was doing when I started, but if you write something once a week for four years you either get a lot better or learn to live with the disappointment of your friends and peers.  Which one did you end up doing?  A little bit of both, actually.  

If you want some context, here’s a link to my final review for the Hill News at their website.

Less than a month after that touching finale, Rooster Illusion was reborn as a blog.  I spent the summer writing reviews on my own until I felt that the world was ready for a Rooster Illusion with more writers and bigger guns.  Guns?  Oh, wow.  Sorry.  I meant puns.

So here we are.  Rooster Illusion is a little over five years old and still growing.  I may be super biased, but I think he’ll make a fine young man someday.  Maybe find a nice website to settle down with, raise a few tumblr accounts.  Dude, you’re rambling.  I’ll tell you when I’ve had enough.