Ah, here we go again. Another year. In my last post about 2023, I admitted that I had a rather rough mental year, and hoped 2024 would improve. And, well–I wouldn’t say it improved, exactly, but it came with highs and lows. As usual, I suppose.

A Year of Nothing (?)

I said that 2023 was mostly waiting. This year was a lot of the same, but with no pay off, which makes it feel like a complete waste. It sucks to have a year feel like it contributed nothing, and I know it wasn’t by all means a waste, but in certain areas it was a real bummer. I’ll cut to the chase: comic-wise, I moved a lot of stuff aside this year so that I could make room for working on my next graphic novel (Lost Time was a two-book deal, this is the second book in the deal). Unfortunately, that ended up stagnating hard. I didn’t end up using that time, and now I’m left frustrated with a year that I could have used to make so much and yet. And yet. Here I am with no book. To be clear: the project is still in the works, just progress is very slow, and something I’m going to now better account for next year.

But it wasn’t a totally empty year. I was working on Augustine pretty much the whole way, barring a couple little breaks here and there. Chapter 2 is mostly done, but it’s such a big long chapter that it didn’t get finished, which also makes me feel like I didn’t ‘complete’ anything this year. This is compounded, but also maybe helped?, by…

I finished my 10-year comic (sort of)

I decided this year I would need to end SanCirc. 10 years is a long time to have something still kicking. There were only a few chapters left, but they were doozies. I decided I just needed to pull the trigger on this thing and post the script of the final chapters just to put something out there. I couldn’t leave it without an ending, that felt worse. I can’t say ending it this way makes me feel that much better about it. I don’t know. Frankly, I don’t think I can really put my thoughts into words on it right now–it needs to simmer a bit longer before I can parse it.

I will say: the amount of downloads has me floored. I really did not expect to get this many, and it’s still going as I write this. So, thank you, to those who’ve done so.

Just Life Stuff

Work screeched to a halt this year (at least in terms of comic work), but life kept on truckin’. For better or for worse. Early this year, my partner and I managed to get our cat Ghost to the vet (this was not easy as he does not appreciate being handled at all and is very hard to catch). We got the bad news that he, like his brother last year, would need his teeth pulled. It was a rough start to the year but it was done and hey, Ghost (now toothless) is a funny little guy, much more personable and affectionate than he ever was. I get to wake up every morning now with him laying on me. Yay (?).

Mentally, I think I’ve come to the difficult realization this year that uh, there’s just something up with my brain. Maybe. I feel like coming to this conclusion elicits either a “duh” or a “that’s just the easy excuse”, or at least that’s what I’ve been telling myself for ages, but I guess neither of these are helpful at this point. I feel like I’m running through a mental gauntlet for every single thing I do–and some days are easier, but a lot of them are very hard. Maybe that’s normal, maybe it’s not. I have no idea anymore. I’ve lost the ability to enjoy a lot of things I used to engage with before, too: reading, music–even art and writing has become something harder for me to find joy in.

One of my goals for 2025 is pursue getting some answers, and maybe some solutions. That’s probably a tall order, but I’m starting to learn maybe that path of suffering is more worth it than just the path of suffering needlessly. You know? We’ll see, I guess.

Anyway, I don’t want these posts to be downers. As much as I keep lamenting about not doing anything this year, it’s not true! I did do things! So here’s a list of good things I did that I’m proud of:

• I’ve been going to the gym on and off for the past few years, but 2024 was the first year I was entirely consistent all year. I think it shows, too; I’m enjoying the changes to my body as I continue to go. I hope I can keep that up in 2025.
• I drew a lot of large pieces this year, probably more than I have in a while.
• My partner and I did more conventions than ever before! Including several new ones that proved to be really fun.
• We won VIP tickets to a drag show for Pride next year. Thank you to the mysterious dykes who gifted us those raffle tickets.
• After gym, during the warmer months, my partner and I also got into the habit of chilling for a little bit in the nearby park, which felt nice. I wanna upkeep that too.
• I did do more reading this year than last year–I got a few books knocked off my shelf. It’s not much, but it’s more than I have in years so that counts for something, dammit!!
• The “Moby Dykes” characters my partner and I made really kicked of on tumblr which has been great. People send little asks about them and I love answering them.
• I got a new tattoo, (in Toronto when I went for TCAF!)
• I completed Dinovember again for the first time in years.
• I’m ending the year with revamping the W&W website (again… look, it needed it) and it LOOKS GREAT.
• I made PLUSHIES this year. That was something I always, always wanted to do, so crossing it off of my list has been so nice.
• W&W had its first product consignment at the Artist Alley shop here in Montreal! It’s been going great so far!
• I finished a long, 5-year Pathfinder campaign with my Dwarf ranger, Urva. She went all the way from level 1 to level 20! It was such a fun experience.
• I’ve tried out GMing a lot more this year! I’m currently running a Pokemon Mystery Dungeon game for some friends, and also ran a Halloween one-shot of it for some others!

Media I dove into

Gonna end this with a new section just to blab about some of the stories I watched, read, or played this year that I really enjoyed.

Movies/Series

• Love Lies Bleeding: my partner and I saw this in theatres and fell in love. We immediately bought the DVD and have been rewatching it often. 10/10, incredible film.
• Sonic 3: the last movie I saw in theatres. I was not a Sonic Kid ™, but my partner was, so we’ve been going to see these movies and honestly? This one ruled.
• Close to You: we went to see Elliot Page’s newest movie in theatres and ugh, what a gutpunch. Very good.
• Grave of the Fireflies: I wanted more gutpunches this year, I guess. I hadn’t seen this one before, but its reputation proceeded it. Still didn’t stop the tears.
• I Saw the TV Glow: and more gutpunches. My time with this movie was spent in rapt fascination for the entire film, and afterwards smacked with the most haunting dread ever. 10/10.
• Godzilla -1.0: okay I think I saw this first last year but I’m counting it here because I rewatched it a lot this year. Extremely good, makes my heart swell every time.
• Alien: Romulus: actually a lot of fun? I was surprised by this one because I haven’t enjoyed much of the Alien sequel/prequel whatevers.
• Midnight Mass: this one also fucked me up. Extremely good and fun take with vampires. Thinking about it too much still makes me teary eyed.
• Arcane: ohH Arcane… Arcane. This show makes me feel feral. I rewatched the first season before the last one and ugh, there was so much MILF on MILF violence. Thank you for the feast.

Video Games

• Pokemon Legends: Arceus: I already played this when it came out, but I decided to play a new file this year and had a lot of fun. I think this is my favourite Pokemon game to have come out in years, easily.
• Pokemon TCG Pocket: oh god, this one has me in a vice grip. The cards were my one blindspot with Pokemon but dammit, they got me.
• Cult of the Lamb: Winter replays this one every year, but this year I got to play it with them with the multi-player update! It was a blast, honestly. Extremely good game.
• Dredge: I didn’t play this, but I watched Winter play it was a fun and unsettling time. Very good vibes.

Music

• Des Rocs (all albums): so this year we got Spotify and dug out some new artists. This guy rules, I don’t think there’s a single song I don’t like from him.
• The Clicks (all albums): also stumbled into these guys. An old Canadian queer bad, and turns out the lead singer is a trans guy. Really good stuff!!! So growly and messy. Ugh.
• Bastille – Ampersand: the new Bastille album keeps wiggling in my brain. A great album to put on when I need more chill time.
• Kiki Rockwell – Rituals on the Bank of a Familiar River: good feral witchy energy. Lots of fun to listen to.
• Dorothy – ROCKISDEAD: also more scratchy feral energy. I love women.
• The Kite Machine (Self titled album): I keep going back to these guys. Fun funky beats. Great to listen to when on the go!
• Spencer Sutherland – The Drama: I’ve been listening to this one on loop for the last few days so I guess it goes here now. A friend recommendation I’ve been eating up.

Books

• The Last Days of the Dinosaurs – Riley Black: a really great read, especially if you’re like me, and love dinosaurs. It’s written in the perspectives of different prehistoric creatures and takes you through the impact of the asteroid that killed the non-avian dinosaurs, from minutes after, to days, to thousands, and millions of years after. It’s so good. It also really put in perspective to me just how drastic this extinction was: one day, there were non-avian dinos, and the next, there just wasn’t. That’s insane.
• Airborne – Kenneth Opel: So Winter’s had this book on our shelf for ages, they never read it and I hadn’t either–but I was an avid Silverwing reader as a kid, and I remember hearing about this book and really wanting to read it. Winter intended to donate it but I wanted to read it before… and uh, well, it took me a few years to finally get to it but I did! And it was fun! I don’t think I’ll continue the series but I do really like Opel’s writing and imagination.

(Please go check out my partner’s new year round up for more, because I forgot a lot lol)

One last little obsession this year that doesn’t fit into these are, um, well–Blind boxes. Specifically little figures. Our local mall has a vending machine that sells them and Winter and I would get a few every time we visited because we were utterly hooked. I liked to collect the Ghost Bears and Winter loves the Farmer Bobs. I can’t believe we’ve become these kind of people.

Anyway, happy new year! Here’s to a wonderful and productive (??) 2025!