Happy 2024/Birthday Updates

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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

September Updates

It’s been a pretty busy two weeks since I last checked in! If you’ve been following me on any of my socials, you probably already know the big Archie news. But if not, feast your eyes upon these two beauties:

These gorgeous pieces of art are both by the incredibly talented artist Matt Talbot, and feature Michael Myers from the iconic Halloween film franchise stalking Sabrina, Betty, and Veronica. These art prints are exclusive to the H45: 45 Years of Terror in Pasadena, CA the weekend of 9/30-10/1. This is Archie Horror’s first time tabling at a horror convention, and also my first time ever visiting California! If you’re on the West Coast and planning on attending, make sure to stop by the Archie Horror booth and say hi!

You can read all about it over on Bloody Disgusting: EXCLUSIVE: Michael Myers Stalks Archie Icons on Special Prints for "Halloween: 45 Years of Terror" Event! - Bloody Disgusting (bloody-disgusting.com)

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In personal writing news, my newest essay for Razorcake is live now! It’s about navigating other people’s issues and crises while also maintaining my mental health. I’m always grateful to have a safe space in Razorcake to share these personal thoughts and mental health and anxiety analyses. Art below from my dear friend Jenn Martinez-Flood.

And in one last bit of personal writing news, I will be returning with a new article on my Substack this week. If you haven’t subscribed, it’s called “Streams of Unconsciousness,” and I use the space to wax poetic and write critical analyses and essays about pop culture and life in the 1990s and 2000s. It’s an ode to nostalgia and, without giving too much away, here’s a little sneak peek at what this week’s article will be about:

You won’t want to miss this one. That goes live on Friday.

But before that, I'm trying something new on my Substack. Moving forward, paid subscribers will get some additional content, including album reviews—where I revisit formative albums from my youth and teen years as an adult—and diary entries. These diary entries are either plucked straight from my online journals from my teenage years or written in the current day as a recollection of key moments in my youth - early 20s. These will be a bit more freeform and personal, hence the paywall. The first one is called “Manic Girl Summer,” and goes live tomorrow, so if you’re interested, now’s the time to sign up!

That’s all that’s fit to print. Now it’s time to get some sleep!

Spooky Season is Upon Us!

Happy September, friends, or as it’s better known: Halloween-Eve!

If you know anything about me, it’s that I live for Halloween. My husband’s birthday is on Halloween. We were engaged on Halloween. It’s the best holiday there is, and I’m all for the idea of expanding its celebrations throughout October and September.

So you can imagine how grateful I am to work at a company that’s also all-in on celebrating Halloween. Heck, Archie celebrates it pretty much year-round! But to kick off the more official Spooky Season, I wanted to update you on a few new titles that’ll get you into the spirit!

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First, out RIGHT NOW (if you can still manage to nab a copy) is the SABRINA ANNUAL SPECTACULAR comic, featuring a brand new story I wrote!

It’s always a thrill to work on these fun, classic stories. It’s even more thrilling when I get to work with the fantastic Holly G! Her unbridled enthusiasm for all things Archie, but especially for everyone’s favorite teenage witch, is unmatched—and it shows in every page of art she turns in! The unstoppable group of Jim Amash on inks, Jack Morelli on letters, and Glenn Whitmore on colors are rounding out the team. It’s always neat to work with such a legendary crew!

Editor-in-Chief Mike Pellerito had the brilliant idea to bring more magical characters into the Archieverse, starting with Sabrina’s new nemesis, Amber Nightstone, who was introduced in last year’s Sabrina Anniversary Spectacular. He expanded on that even further by giving her two nefarious sidekicks: Jade and Sapphire. Together, the three have powers of fire, wind, and water. It was a blast getting to work with these new characters and bring them to life! Expect to see more of them in the future!

If your local comic shop is out of stock on this one (which it very well might be!) you can grab a copy on the Archie webstore while supplies last.

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Next up, on sale in bookstores everywhere 9/12, is probably one of the projects I’m the proudest to have ever worked on: the ARCHIE HORROR PRESENTS…. CHILLING ADVENTURES GRAPHIC NOVEL.

This graphic novel anthology collection features the first seven one-shot/anthology style comics Archie Horror has released. This is a bit of a testament to the start of my tenure as Senior Director of Editorial at Archie, and to see it all together in such a beautiful package (with striking cover art from horror master Robert Hack), is kind of jaw-dropping. For more info on the stories inside, check out this infographic:

This beauty is available in comic shops right now (since 8/23, as you can see) and, as mentioned earlier, in bookstores everywhere 9/12. Archie Horror is here in a big way this Halloween, and if you’re looking for a great jumping-on point, this is the perfect book for it. As always, you can also purchase this easily from the Archie Webstore. (Psst… if you order now, there’s a special sale going on, too!).

If you find the lovely Madam Satan gracing the cover and interiors of Archie Horror Presents… Chilling Adventures rather alluring, then fear not! Her story also continues this month with the MADAM SATAN: HELL ON EARTH one-shot comic, on sale 9/20!

Don’t forget to grab a copy of this gorgeous Madam Satan: Hell on Earth variant by artist Soo Lee!

Madam Satan has become a horror icon for us, and her journey is far from over. Pick up this comic in comic shops or on the Archie webstore to experience another frightful leg of our journey.

And show your love of all things Madam Satan with our brand new collection! T-shirts? Coffee mugs? Water bottles? We’ve got it all!

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And if you’re going all-in on Halloween now, too, we’ve got a whole section for your happy haunting needs!

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Ok, folks! That’s all the news that’s fit to print! Be back with more updates in the very near future.

Stay cool, and stay spooky!

I'm Baaaaaa-aaack!

Me, not updating a blog for years and leaving it deserted, like the ruins of an abandoned mall? Couldn’t be true!

It’s been a while, and I figured I’d start to utilize this blog once more to post about upcoming projects, be it writing my personal essays on Razorcake, my Substack, my Archie Horror column on Daily Dead, or any writing or major editing projects I’ve got coming up!

I typically stick to social media for immediate promotion of work (or not so immediate, as it often can be). Still, with a general hope to lessen my social media time, I figured it couldn’t hurt to revitalize this blog to share updates and contextualize them as need be too.

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So, keep your peepers peepin’, because I’ll be posting here again soon! Very soon! Then hopefully continuously after that!

Talk soon,

Jamie

Creeptober 2020 Writing Challenge Day 31: Wedding

“Wedding”

“It should be illegal to have a wedding on Halloween,” Rachel lamented to her girlfriend Abby. She examined the run she got in her stockings from getting into the Uber.

“Well, hopefully they’ll at least get into the spirit of the day,” Abby responded, always the optimist. Rachel shrugged off her comment and started haphazardly applying lipstick. As always, the two of them were running late. Rachel wasn’t necessarily jazzed about giving up her favorite holiday to celebrate the wedding of a friend she barely liked, and thus took her sweet time getting ready. She tossed around the idea of dressing in costume, just as a middle finger to the bride and groom. Abby talked her out of it, but she still snuck a small masquerade mask in her purse, just in case.

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The wedding hall was beautifully decorated with pumpkins, mums, leaves, and other seasonal items. It looked like it was ripped straight from a page out of Modern Bride. Despite all the autumnal accoutrements, however, it was decidedly not Halloween-themed. Rachel surveyed all the decor and, picking up on the non-spooky vibe, made a beeline to the bar.

“Sorry, alcohol and will only be consumed during the reception,” the bartender pointed to a sign that confirmed is direction. Rachel wanted to cry. This was definitely going to be the worst Halloween ever. Abby grabbed her arm and guided her into the reception area. Noticing the pained look on Rachel’s face, Abby tried to make her feel better.

”Hey, at least the reception’s starting soon. And, hey, if it really starts to suck we can leave early and catch the tail end of the parade,” Abby’s words made Rachel feel better. She knew it meant a lot to Abby to be there, and she was still putting Rachel’s needs first. Rachel decided to try and get into a more jovial spirit, she wanted Abby to have fun no matter what.

The two located their seats in the hall. It was surprisingly bare inside, a stark contract from the abundance of decor in the hall and other rooms of the building.

“Geez, did they fire the decorator before she got to reception or something?” Rachel joked as Abby elbowed her to quiet down. Even the tables were fairly bare: there were no flowers or fancy silverware. There was just a bottle in the center of each table—it looked like some kind of tequila with a scorpion at the bottom of the bottle.

“Each table gets a bottle of tequila? Maybe this night won’t be so bad after all,” Rachel quipped.

Others eventually started to filter on, all taking their seats. It was eerily quiet, no music playing, even if just for atmosphere. Then Abby and Rachel realized something: they didn’t recognize a single soul in the room. Abby considered asking if they were in the wrong room when the lights went out completely, shrouding them all in darkness.

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Abby and Rachel held onto each other’s arms, growing uneasy. Something was wrong. It all just felt so… off. When the lights came back on, albeit dim, everyone in the room was wearing a mask. Rachel scrambled in her purse to pull out her emergency mask and quickly placed it on her face. Abby barely had time to react before she was whisked away to the dance floor.

“Abby!” Rachel yelped as a person wearing a devil mask spun Abby around and waltzed with her across the floor. The music playing grew louder, an eerie, foreboding version of Danse Macabre. Rachel tried to get up, but it felt like she was being pulled back down to the seat.

“Why did you come?” A masked man sitting at her table asked Rachel.

“Excuse me?” Rachel replied.

“If you don’t want to be here, why did you come?” The man asked again.

“It’s my friend’s wedding!” Rachel replied as she tried to fight off the invisible force keeping her trapped in her chair.

“She’s not your friend. None of these people are your friends,” he responded.

He had a point. Rachel wasn’t the biggest fan of the bride, and sometimes she felt like Abby only stayed in contact with her to keep up appearances. Why were they both sacrificing a day that meant so much to them to celebrate someone they were barely holding on to as a friend. Once she was married, she’d move to another state and they’d likely seldom if ever see her again. This was all just a charade to keep the status quo.

But Abby looked so happy on the dancefloor, twirling happily around. Rachel thought maybe she had just been projecting her own views onto Abby. She had been so miserable in the days leading up to this. And, for the first time in what felt like months, Abby looked genuinely happy.

“Don’t worry,” another masked woman at Rachel’s table whispered to her, “we’re all playing a part in this masquerade.”

Rachel surveyed the room nervously before speaking again, “where are the bride and the groom?”

“There they are,” the masked woman replied, pointing to Abby and her dance partner.

”No! That’s not them. That’s my girlfriend. That’s my Abby,” Rachel protested, still unable to move.

Right at that moment, Abby’s dance partner leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. Rachel’s cheeks grew red, flush with anger and embarrassment. What the Hell was happening?

Abby turned and made eye contact with Rachel. She smiled at her. The music grew more sinister and the lights in the room came up entirely. Everyone seemed to be a watching her. She looked down to see someone loosening the ties that had been carefully wrapped around her waist, the ones she didn’t noticed that kept her trapped.

Abby beckoned Rachel to come over to her. Rachel approached her with trepidation, she didn’t know what was going on and she had never felt more frightened in her life. She stood a foot away from her love, petrified. Abby moved in closer. Closer. Closer. She put her lips up to Rachel’s ear.

“Happy Halloween,” she whispered.

Rachel pulled back, confused. The lights dimmed again and music started to play. It was the Monster Mash. Everyone started dancing.

There was not going to be a wedding that night. There never was.

Too bad everyone drank the tequila, and no one would live to tell the story of the greatest Halloween party ever thrown.