I tabled at three conventions this year, two I had to travel out of state and stay in hotels to do, which is still a pretty big deal and cool to me. Shout out to the great Chris Robinson for getting me to do them.

At Emerald City Comic Con, Chris and I tabled next to the amazing comic artist Darick Robertson, who could not have been kinder to us and showed by example the career I would like to have: one that’s prolific, anchored by projects I co-create, and also full of strong work for companies like Marvel and DC. And he was amazing to his many, many fans who came up to him.

The amazing Collector’s Paradise in North Hollywood had me for my first LA comic book store signing. Organized by my friend, colleague, and phenomenal writer Meghan Fitzmartin who I was delighted to get to sign comics next to.

Added two comic publishers to the list of comic companies I have written for: Oni Press and REDACTED. Bringing the grand total to five": DC Comics, IDW Publishing, BOOM! Studios, Oni Press, and REDACTED.

Riley Rossmo and I collaborated on not one but two original stories, my first two original stories, “Tiny, Little Men” published in Hello Darkness #12 and “I Have An Alien in My Basement” published in EC’s Cruel Universe 2 #2. Both colored by the awesome Inaki Azpiazu. Both stories non-super hero, non-adventure stories that were me stepping out of my comfort zone.

Dude, I worked with MARK WAID on the New History of the DC Universe as a researcher. We are credited together, and I am credited as a “writer” on the DC timeline. What a trip! And I got to work on the project with editors at DC I love.

Vitor Cafaggi and I worked together on two stories for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Nation. ONE that was set in Northampton, Massachusetts which is a significant place to me and the TMNT. And the other I got to co-write for the first time, alongside my dear friend and colleague Andy Khouri.

I rediscovered the joy of editing this year. While I want to write 100% of the time in the future, I am still editing as the writing work builds up, and I had the great joy of editing a few projects that reminded me why I love it so much: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2025 Annual by Kenny Porter & Michael Shelfer, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Casey Jones Mini-series by Alex Paknadel & Amancay Nahuelpan, and the upcoming mini-series Operation: Iron Coffin by Kenny Porter & Tyrell Cannon which will be out next year from IDW.

The majority of my writing projects this year were still short stories. I’m grateful for all the work I get but I’m still trying to get longer work. One of the longer projects I got to do this year, and loved, was the Aquaman: Air Jaws Allies issue for DC and Shark Week that I got to reunite with artist Pablo M. Collar on. A full issue and I feel like we really got to stretch our sea legs. And Pablo drew the hell out of it. Fins crossed we can work together again next year.

Artist Tadd Galusha and I have been hard at work on a creator-owned project we hinted at ever so slightly on the Blue Tiger Revenge Podcast. What I can say is it’s my longest writing project since Man-Bat and I am hopeful we will be able to talk more about it in 2026.

Uh, my brother, the great Josh Wielgosz, got me a drawing of my favorite Marvel character Daredevil by my favorite Daredevil and Marvel Comics artist John Romita JR. That’s still one of the coolest things that’s ever happened.

I got better and less precious about pitching. The first two years of freelancing when something didn’t get picked up? I was devastated and let myself stay down for too long. Now? I’m getting more nimble. I have two pitches I’m shopping around that I worked on with Sid Kotian, one of my favorite collaborators. A friend of mine and I have co-written a pitch we are actively seeking a home for. I have a few pitches for licensed material under review right now. And I may have just sold a pitch with an artist I was working with for the better part of 2025. Stay tuned.

Traveling back east for FanExpo Boston gave me the opportunity to spend some time back on the east coast and reconnect with lifelong friends and some family. It was a much needed grass touching session.

During this year of Superman, I got to contribute a story about two beloved super heroes who have been called Superboy for DC’s Kal-El-Fornia Love Anthology with great artist Joey Vazquez.

I did three great interviews. One on the Blue Tiger Revenge Podcast, one on Podcast for Fun, and then the last for ShoutoutLA.

DC’s Supergirl Next Door will see me return to write a character I have written before and love…

The next assignment that gets announced from me will be for a character I have never written solo…and it was an honor to be asked to.

After 2024 where I saw very few movies in theaters I was back in the movie theater in force this year I saw over twenty movies in the theater and that’s a thing I am very happy about.

At FanExpo Boston I made a point of introducing myself to two comic artists I have had the great fortune of working with but had never met in person. The brilliant Hayden Sherman and the legendary Lee Weeks. Both incredibly kind. I saw Klaus Janson that weekend too, who I have worked with and met in person several times, but it was lovely to see him again.

For the third year in a row I have made a living as a freelancer, kept a roof over my head, and paid all my bills on time. And that is a massive mark of success for me.

When I began freelancing I started a notebook for all my paid writing projects, a few weeks back I filled that notebook up. I wrote about that recently on the Weekly UpDave.

This happened last year BUT the story was published this year…I was paid to write the phrase “It’s Morphin’ Time” professionally. Thank you BOOM! Studios and thank you Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers.

The biggest fanboy thing I did for myself was go to the Kamen Rider booth at LA Comic Con, which was awesome. Kamen Rider: Zeztz available on Youtube now for all who want to watch it.

This newsletter, the Weekly UpDave, has been a consistent part of my life and I have done a weekly update for the majority of the year. It has been a huge help to me as a writer, has connected me with people, and has just been a great way to let people know what I’m up to. I plan on having even better content for it next year. The audience didn’t grow as much as I wanted it to, but it did grow.

I am getting better at talking about when I am okay and when I can be doing better. At knowing that I am the person who decides what my worth is no matter what. And that I can’t let external forces be the master of my happiness. That’s all in my control.