History

The classic 1st logo (more logos here)

Fall 2001 - It begins. Yeah, we only had 5 forums back then, and like 10 members, but you gotta start somewhere.

...then we upgraded (losing all the old posts, sadly ), and our members got colors!

Around then (summer of 2002), board member SSJ4 Benny - aside from a much-appreciated donation - took on the ambitious project of designing an RPG for the forum. Only 3 copies of it still exist; I have one.

The board in its current incarnation (Invision Power Board), which premiered late 2002...notice the tie scores? I found it kinda odd.

...Yeah.

September 22nd, 2003 - Under new management, the board re-opens its doors, now called Hondo's Bar, a public discussion forum.

May 31st, 2004 - the board hits 50,000 posts - congrats to everyone!

June 1st, 2004 - The Googlebot learns how to post! Only, he didn't quite pull it off...you know, this wasn't very memorable, but when you've only been open for roughly 3 years...you dig a little.

June 16th, 2004 - It's an eventful month, people...Robitussin EF sets a new record, becoming the first Hondonian to make an amazing 100 posts in one day (and 7 new topics)! Several of them were significant, too.

June 18th, 2004 - New Hondo's record: 13 users online at once! Sure, no one went in the chat, but the board was jumpin' that day anyway. Good job guys, let's see if we can break that record this summer!

August 6th, 2004 - Irish Cowboy unwittingly loses the previous 2004 data, eliminating a number of members, dozens of trolls, and about 10,000 posts.
Fortunately, much was recovered, and the members were forgiving...hey, let's not talk about this part much.

August 9th, 2004 - Hondo's re-opens! Yes, let's focus on this part, the "rising from the ashes like a phoenix out of arizona" part. Members forget their anger in a slew of new smileys...look, smileys!

August 21st, 2004 - Hondo's board updates to Invision Power Board 2.0, and gets a whole new look!

September 8th, 2004 - Showing that Hondo's has not only recovered, but came back better than ever, we break multiple records in one day!

1) 50,000 total posts (again), plus a few hundred!
2) Robitussin again holds it down for her old member of the day record, posting 103 times in a single day!

3) An all-time Hondo's record: 22 users online at one time!
Thanks to everyone for coming out.

picture courtesy of miss Ruby's Angel
This record would later be broken in the multiple search-enging invasions of '04, where the max number is something like 300, but anyway...

Late September, 2004 - The 1st Annual Hondo's Awards!
Ceremony by Da Cap'n, images by MetalHeart

-Best Looking Dude - Da Cap'n ?
user posted image

-Hottest Chick - La Lindsay

-Best Avatar - Defgoddess
user posted image

-Most Obsessed - Benny

-Nicest Hondonian - MetalHeart

-Most Talented - *missarah*

-Funniest Hondonian - 2Track

-Smartest Hondonian - Irish Cowboy

-Most Missed - PiggyLover

...and, as a shout-out to the bitterest man who didn't win...

Next, in an odd moment, the forum decided SuperEeyore was the most unpopular girl of the day, and actually gave her -1 messages, somehow. I think that means she received 2 PM's, and it deleted 3, or something. I'm still not sure.

Finally, closing out the busy fall season, *missarah* makes a big announcement - she and Da Cap'n are having a baby! Here's Solara circa, early:

February 2005 - Despite minor setbacks from server changes, hackers, and paying the rent, Hondo's breaks 80,000 posts!

Though you may not see him on this list, The Great Sarcasmo was present for the event.

March 23rd, 2005 - Pythagoras, Hondo's latest attempt at a mascot, is unleashed upon the world. May god have mercy on us all.

March 31st - April 4th, 2005 - The greatest April Fool's our board has seen is played, as Hondo's returns to...Drunken Deities!?

July 6th, 2005 - In an amazing testament to the board's (somehow) survivability, after almost 4 years (and over 400 members)...
Hondo's Bar reaches its monumental 100,000th post!
Props to King of Snakes for doing the honors, and dante for the shot:

Summer/Fall 2005 - 2nd Annual Hondo's Awards: The Horror....

-Hottest Chick - Heartless

-Smartest Hondonian - Defgoddess

-Funniest Hondonian - Skeeter

-Most Obsessed - WhoDey (Poker)

-Nicest Hondonian - MetalHeart

-Most Talented - Silent Bob

-Best Signature - Jax

-Most Missed - 2Track

-Most Valuable Poster - IC

-Hondo's Hacker - Dante

-Best Thread - Chief (Story Challenge)

Hondo's Villian - Jont....what the..?

-Best Couple - WhoDey/KaraSwims

-Rookie of the Year - KaraSwims
-Most Underrated - Baka no kuro keko
-Best Avatar - Jack's Meandering Thoughts
-Best Looking Dude - King of Snake

...and, of course, the inevitable fallout:

November 29th, 2005 - Hondo's evolves to 3.0!
Not without a few hitches, according to Jont...

Also, teh lovely MetalHeart rolls 4's.

...while on the same day, Hondo's total data reaches:

...which finally explains our vibrant history of crashes..

March 11th, 2006 - Jumbie reigns supreme, recognized by his homeland of Guyana as a master-debater (heh). We're all very proud of him.

circa Winter 2005: BCW (before Civil War)

Spring 2006: Hondo's Civil War

Shit went crazy, and in the end, some people ended up closer, while others left entirely. Like the Great Crash of '04 and the Spider-Clone Saga, this is one of those things that's gonna be better to talk about a few seasons later. Meanwhile, 2Track owned us all this one day.

..and then, Fight Club got Lucky 7's

May 22nd, 2006: The Night of 1,000 Posts!

June 2006 - The 3rd (semi?) Annual Hondo's Awards!
it almost went off without a hitch this year!

Best Username - IamBaytor

Best Avatar - MetalHeart

Best Thread - Hondo's Bar VS The Grassy Knoll - 2Track

Most Obsessed - Apanchalypse Now - Zombies

Hondo's Underdog - Picture of Dorian

Hondo's "Sexiest Villian" - Skeeter

Rookie of the Year - Senshik

Nicest Hondonian - MetalHeart

Funniest Hondonian - 2Track

Smartest Hondonian - Archangel

Hottest Chick - La Lindsay

Hondonian or the Year (& best signature) - MusicManiac

...yeah, i did say "almost".

Oh, and the Music forum went evil this month, too.

...and when the dust settled, new members & classic ones alike came back, and life was good.

September 2006 - Userbars catch on like hotcakes. SB does some fine custom work.

May 2007 (lotsa stuff happened, but i forget since the userbars)

Hondo's 4th Annual Awards! Hosted by Skeet and uh, it went off with no more or less of the usual controversy.

Purdiest Avatar/Best dressed - Silent Bob

Makes-best-with-funny-haha/ Class Clown- 2Track

Classroom flirts/Cutest Couple- Nickurtins

Most Underrated/The Claude Raines award- Silent Bob

Prom king- Skeeter

Prom Queen Senshik

Most Talented/Most likely to Succeed- Silent Bob

DramaQueen/ Most creative Troll- IamNotaSpammer

Most Chanted name- Alive She Cried

Favorite Class/ Best Thread- BollyWood

Favorite Moment/ Hollaback Girl Award - Musicmaniac runs afoul of a rainbow, takes a metalheart to the head

Brainiac/ Chess Club Champ- Arch

User Group/ Cafeteria Kings- DrunkenDeputies

Best Sig/ Sweetest Ride- Skeeter

Nicest/ Be my Valentine- Metalheart

Instigator/ Schoolyard Bully Award: Arch

And Snidest Liberal/ NapoleonicColonic award: Jax

Rookie of 2007, aka The next big thing- Alive she Cried!!!

And for all the cows, Most Valued Poster, aka the Most popular award goes to... Jack's Meandering thoughts!!!!!!!

January 2008 - Boogie takes homage up a notch with the first Hondo's metalcraft!

April 2008 - 250,000 Posts ZOMG

Irish (x) also hit 30k himself, or whatever.

In other uneventful news, Hondo's monthly emails hit a new low as well.

June 2008 - Flying in the face of all reason & actually having a good crowd around, Hondo's holds their 5th Annual Awards anyway. Open ballots made this the first year Hondonians chose their nominees, and open voting was uh, interesting too.

Much love to MetalHeart, Darth Fluffakins & Silent Bob for the award banners!

and of course, this year, we also received the Fluffies.