Short Month, Short Posts

The line between being hard on myself and being honest with myself is razor-thin.

As I have gotten older I realize the difference is being honest with myself leads to positive change and motivation based on reality. Being hard on myself can lead to change but that change is fueled by being harsh, sometimes cruel, on myself and distorting reality. It’s not something I want to do anymore.

I came back to Los Angeles on January 1st, 2025, with my list of goals ready to go. Because the 1st was on a Wednesday, I gave myself a few days to acclimate to life in Los Angeles again, get my apartment together, eat some LA food that I missed, and then get started with everything I wanted to do.

Professionally, I have crushed it. I am very proud of myself. The last week of January especially, so many great things happened, this year is going to be awesome. The momentum I built up in 2024 has carried over into 2025, and I have already completed several professional comic writing jobs. I’m working on a couple more, and I know this year is going to be a big one for my career.

Personally? It was a very tough month that highlighted all the goals I wanted to aggressively pursue. A lot of that was due to the LA fires, which I have no doubt you saw on the news, and a lot of the folks who subscribe to this Newsletter checked in on me during that time and I couldn’t be more grateful. Now, I was fortunate, I did not lose my home and I did not have to evacuate. Like most folks, I just had to stay inside, and be prepared to leave should an evacuation notice come my way. Staying inside, not seeing people, and staying close to my go bag is what was necessary in the moment, but it meant delaying my main personal goals. Which included going out more, seeing friends, going outside, and enjoying LA more. Spending weeks being scared of LA and being isolated… was not awesome.

But that was not my fault, and I’m not going to treat myself like it was. I would have in the past. Those circumstances were far beyond my cosmic pay grade, but still…I’ve lost time with the personal goals I want to accomplish for the year. And in February, I’m going to hit the ground running with my personal goals so I can get them to the same place as my professional goals. And I know I can. I’m letting you read this because I know I can. I’m also writing this because…maybe the first month of the year didn’t exactly shape up perfectly for you, either.

Fuck perfect, let’s make this year work for us anyway.

This month, I am going to keep my posts shorter so I can devote more attention to my goals. I love writing this Newsletter, and I plan to keep it weekly. It’ll just be shorter and sweeter for a few months. But not devoid of good news and just the right dose of Dave.

Speaking of good news…

From Friday March 7th-Sunday March 9th I will be attending the Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle, Washington! I will be tabling at Artist Alley alongside phenomenal writer, Eisner Award-Winner, and friend of mine and this Newsletter Chris Robinson! We will be at table O-09. I have already made a Cyborg 009 joke about this to another friend of mine. If you are unfamiliar with that Shotaro Ishinimori manga and anime…the joke won’t work for you, but it delights me!

I have never been to Emerald City Comic Con, nor to the great city of Seattle. I am excited to do both. I have wanted to table at a convention again ever since LA Comic Con 2024 wrapped up and when Chris was kind enough to ask me if I wanted to table with him at this show, I knew it was the right thing to do.

So, if you are going to Emerald City Comic Con? Come on by. I will have books, I will have a wonderful personality and disposition to share with you, and Chris has terrific books and is an awesome dude to talk to as well. We’re going to have a great table. Bring me your Man-Bats, TMNT: Black White and Greens, Batman: Brave & The Bolds, Walmart Giant issues, and DC anthologies, I will sign them all!

I will see you next week.

Stay safe!

—Dave Wielgosz