2016

So, I think the general consensus for everyone is that 2016 was an absolute nightmare and we’re all happy to see it gone. I think it was a hard year for everyone. I can only speak from my own, personal experience, but it was a hell of a year. In January, I lost my father. I spent most of February trying to simultaneously mourn, take care of his wishes and figure out his disastrous financial situation.
Orlando became a national spotlight in the worst way. I wasn’t personally affected, but I had been in that building, I could recognize faces, and people I cared greatly for were given new reasons to be frightened to even step outside for fear of what might happen.
My apartment building got struck by lightning. We didn’t need to move (well, not then, anyway) but several things had to be replaced. And just days ago, I had to go with my family just after Christmas to have our 18 year old cat put to sleep. It’s been a year.
But I can’t pretend that good things haven’t happened either. 2016 has been very, very dark, but there are some things that have happened that were kind of amazing. And I don’t want to ignore them, or take them for granted, or feel anything but grateful for some of the experiences I’ve been lucky to have this year.
I’ve made some amazing strides within my field. People began following my writing at Wicked Horror in a way that’s still insane to me. The response I get on a day to day basis is nuts. It’s so amazing to know people want my opinions, even when my opinions are terrible. A few months ago I started writing at Tom Holland’s Terror Time, which was great, as I’m a fan of both the site and the man behind it. Within the past month, I’ve gotten to start writing at Dread Central, a site that I’ve been reading nearly every day since high school. And just in the past few days, I’ve begun to write for We Got This Covered, which–like Dark Knight News–gives me a place to express my love of the comic book medium.
And the interviews! I’ve been so lucky to be able to talk with so many talented people throughout the year. It’s been amazing to speak one-on-one with filmmakers I grew up watching, and am currently watching, so many of whom I consider to be among the best people working in the genre today. Jordan Ladd, Mark Pavia, Courtney Joyner, Steve Alten, Tom McLoughlin, Karyn Kusama, Adam Green, Joe Lynch, Alexandre Aja, Hannah Fierman, Alex Vincent, Bill Moseley, Tom Savini, Kane Hodder… best of the best. I’m so grateful. Some of these people are among my biggest inspirations.
It’s been a great year for horror movies too. That, I think, is only going to keep getting better. Horror returned to theaters in a big, promising way. As difficult as some things were this year, I took several enjoyable trips to the movie theater. That counts for something. Entertainment is one of the biggest things we have to get us through the rough patches, especially if that’s already where you plan to make your home.
Yes, sometimes 2016 was downright awful. And I have no idea what’s coming next. It might be terrifying, in which case we’ll need good stories more than ever. I’m going to do my part to contribute on that front and I’m going to absorb all the joy, horror, comedy and grandiose heroics that I can. Maybe it’s going to be an uneventful year, and that would be an unlikely relief. But it won’t be, of course, because rumor has it I’ll be getting married in August.
I have no idea what to expect from 2017, but I know it’s promising a lot of great entertainment. And I’m going to be there writing about it every step of the way. Because I love these things. Movies, comics, TV, all of it. I love it so much and I want to share that passion however I can, however often.
No matter what the Facebook comments say.