New Year, Who Dis?
January's Pugsteady Update!
Hey all! I just got back from a long holiday (well, 10 days, but that’s long in freelancer time!), and I’m eager to get back to work. Looking over my to-do list… oh hey, I can check off “write the Pugsteady newsletter”! Progress!
Social Media Detox
I haven’t made a big deal about it, but I’ve been steadily making my way off social media throughout 2021. I haven’t been on Facebook for most of the year, and Twitter is down to my professional account, which I check occasionally. These days I hang out on Discord, which is a convenient intersection of private message app, video conferencing software, and collection of micro-communities that I can opt into and out of. It’s not perfect — no option is — but I’ve been finding my mental health has been steadily improving.
That said, it wasn’t easy, and still isn’t. A lot of websites and apps still push to sign in with Facebook. I sometimes miss big events in my friends’ lives because they posted something online and I didn’t see it. And lots of times people will post a link to the latest online drama, and I have to keep myself from engaging.
But you know what? I’m finding that I have more time to think. I’ve been more creative in the past year than in the previous two. I found time for a whole new hobby (building models) that I didn’t have before. I’m learning German through Duolingo. I never really realized just how much time I was losing to social media, and how bad it was making me feel. And I certainly don’t miss people screaming at me online about how terrible of a person I am.
News Roundup!
But if you’ve been screaming at me online about how you don’t know what I’ve been up to, let me correct that now!
Trinity Continuum: Anima’s Kickstarter wrapped up last month, and we did well! Over 1,000 backers pledged just over $55,000 USD to bring the project to life, which is amazing. I’m so proud of the team, and I’m glad their hard work is finding a receptive audience. Pre-orders for people who missed the Kickstarter should be up soon, so keep an eye out!
It’s a little bit late, but if you’re a fan of Vampire: The Masquerade, I wrote a free adventure set during a New Year’s Eve party called Auld Sanguine. Here’s the promo text: Auld Sanguine is a story for Vampire: The Masquerade. It is best suited to a coterie of about four to six neonate Camarilla vampires, although it can be adjusted to use in an Anarch chronicle. The entire story takes place within a few hours from dusk to midnight on December 31st, making it a good game to play during a holiday or as a small side story between larger chronicle events. I don’t know how long it’ll be available, so check it out!
Speaking of the new year, DriveThruRPG’s “New Year, New Game” sale is going on now! There’s a lot going on, including some great Pugmire products, so if you’re looking to learn a new game, now’s a great time to do it!
I’ve also started a new podcast! It’s called Genreless, and it’s a podcast where I chat with my friend Chris Spivey of Darker Hue Studios about our favorite genre television shows, movies, and more. Our premiere episode is about Star Trek: The Original Series, which is a personal favorite of mine. We’re still figuring out the finer points, but if you like my rambles about media, I think you’ll like the show!
Speaking of…
My Media
Comixology is trying to kill me. After the last sale on Marvel Epic Collections, they ran two more sales on both classic comic runs and the Marvel Masterworks editions. I have way way too many comics to read right now, but it’s been really fun rediscovering old favorites like The New Mutants or experiencing new series like Ultimate Spider-Man. And honestly, when you can get 300 pages of comics for less than a couple of bucks and you have some gift cards from the holidays, it’s hard not to splurge!
But really, the thing that’s on my mind the most right now is Hawkeye. I cannot get enough of this show. First off, it’s based on one of my favorite comic runs ever, the Matt Fraction/David Aja series from 2012-2014. Secondly, it has so much inclusivity of people like me. Hawkeye’s struggles with his hearing loss struck so many cords with me, and I teared up more than once at seeing a struggle on the screen that I’ve dealt with in my normal life. Clint Barton’s hearing loss wasn’t something to make fun of (aside from some good-natured ribbing from friends), and it wasn’t a plot point for him to heroically overcome. It’s just a part of him, like it’s a part of me.
Seriously. When we’re all at shows and it’s safe to have a drink at the bar, I will happily go on for hours about how much I love this show. Hey, maybe I can talk about it on Genreless….
