Hi all! I hope 2024 has been treating you… well, as well as it can be. It’s an understatement to say things have been going easy this year, and I mean that on the most global of levels. But no matter what your situation is, I hope you’ve been able to find moments of joy when and where you can.

As for me, today is my 36th birthday. I’m very open about my age, I don’t know why. I just see no reason in not being. 36 is a strange number, it’s inching closer to 40 but it doesn’t really feel like anything. At least not yet. Minus the lower back pain, that is. I’ve also been showered all day with incredibly kind messages from some wonderful people. It makes me feel so very loved, and sometimes my silly little brain tries to trick me into thinking I don’t deserve that kindness. Today I’m allowing it, and I’m trying to allow it and pay it forward each and every day. I hope if you’re reading this, you experience that same kind of love on your birthday, and every day, and feel no shame in reaching out to the people you care about to let them know how you feel.

Now, for some housekeeping. You may have noticed I revamped this website a bit. I came up with the new logo while working on some logo options for my husband’s solo music project (check that out here, btw!). I liked my new one so much I not only wanted to reskin the website with it (and, hopefully, make it a bit more accessible), but I’m even considering making it into stickers. Let me know if you’d buy one! And now, a few fun things of note since the New Year:

• I’ve started contributing to a local newspaper, the Yonkers Ledger. I’m really happy to get involved with my community in a new way. My first article ran last month and was about a fabulous art exhibit called “Out in Yonkers,” on display at the White Plains Public Library until 2/29. Check that out here: “Out in Yonkers” Exhibit Celebrates the LGBTQIA+ Community (theyonkersledger.com)

• I had my final “Archie’s House of Horror” article run on Daily Dead, about Archie’s last two modern releases of 2023, Darkling and Sabrina’s Holiday Special. In this one, I talk about Dark Academia and it’s proximity to horror: Archie’s House of Horror: SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH: HOLIDAY SPECIAL and DARKLING - Daily Dead (happy to announce I’ll be continuing this column in 2024)

• I’ve been moderately successful at continuing to update my Substack, though I’m eager to amp up my output there even more. My last few nostalgia-fueled pieces were about emo, Y2K, and snow days. Friendly reminder that you can subscribe for free (or for a nominal fee to unlock bonus content) here: https://jamielrotante.substack.com/

• My Razorcake articles raged on! My last two were about never shutting up and learning to make friends as an adult. Please be sure to also give my good friend Jenn’s art Insta some love, as she creates all the fabulous illustrations that accompany my pieces.

• TODAY is the Final Order Cut-off for Archie Horror’s first release of 2024: Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe of Horrors: Fresh Meat. Missed the chance to lock your order in at your local comic shop? You can still preorder on our website. And beat the crowds by preordering in advance for April’s horror title, The Cult of That Wilkin Boy: Initiation.

• Archie Comics also announced a major event miniseries launching in May, called ARCHIE COMICS: JUDGMENT DAY. I’m incredibly excited about this project and am fortunate to work with the stellar team of writer Aubrey Sitterson, artist Megan Hutchison, colorist Matt Herms, and letterer Jack Morelli. A dream team for a bonkers project that you absolutely can’t miss. Read all about it over at TheWrap. (You can even start preordering it now, if you so wish!)

• Minor plug, but I bit the bullet after debating it for a while and purchased myself a FreeWrite Traveler. I can’t recommend it enough, it absolutely helps with distraction-free writing, which I so often desperately need. No commission or anything for clicking that link/purchasing, I just wanted to shout out a cool as hell product!

• I learned “Zombie” by The Cranberries on bass guitar.

Alright, gang, that’s all that’s fit to print. Now I’m going to indulge in a little video game-age and get some rest. I’ll try to make these less infrequent but, as always, I make no promises. Catch you on the next one!