The 250th issue!
What a way to start the year!
It’s more than 250 issues, really, because I did what feels like a bajillion issues of the newsletter before I really started keeping track. Oh, well. Those don’t count! If you’ve been reading this newsletter (in whatever form it took) since the beginning, thanks for sticking with me! If this is the first issue you’ve read, I’m happy that you’re here! Let’s see if we can cook up some amazing nonsense for 2025!
I received a text message from my brother a few days ago. He doesn’t reach out often, so when he does, I know it’s important. The message read:
WHEN IS OLD CHRISTMAS?
Important indeed!
Now, of course I knew that Old Christmas was January 6th, even though I often forget the holiday exists at all until the very last minute. Old Christmas falls on January 6, marking Epiphany or Twelfth Night. The tradition began in Britain, where the English observed this as Christmas day before the mid-1700s.
When I was a kid, my old man used to surprise us with Old Christmas gifts, telling us that they were left my the mysterious Old Buck in the night. The gifts, coming so soon after Christmas, were usually small, but fun. (The only one I really remember was a Batman… or maybe Superman… string art kit that I botched pretty badly upon trying to put it together.)
In certain parts of North Carolina, the Outer Banks in particular, the tradition of Old Christmas is still recognized. Oyster roasts, dances, homemade masks, candy, carols—these festivities were (and are) part of Old Christmas. At some point in the celebration, Old Buck, a bull-like creature known for haunting forests and tormenting cattle, shows up. In addition to being a mischief maker, he represents a connection between the living in the dead. On Old Christmas, long gone loved ones are remembered. For some reason, Old Christmas parties involve a puppet Old Buck who prances about, causing chaos, before retreating to his haunted woods.
I guess somewhere through the years, my dad decided Old Buck also brought presents.
Old Christmas has stuck with me for all these many, many years. There was something weird and eerie about it. I even incorporated a version of the Outer Banks celebration into HARROW COUNTY… with art from guest illustrator Carla Speed McNeil.
I haven’t kept the tradition up as well as my dad did. Every year around this time I feel a little blue that I didn’t do anything in honor of Old Buck’s visit. I’m thankful, though, that my dad introduced me to Old Christmas. In that way, I guess I remember him a little more vividly every year around this time. Old Buck keeps us connected, after all.
So… happy Old Christmas to you!
With the new year starting up, I wanted to point out ways you can keep in touch with me. Obviously, this newsletter is a great way to see what I’m doing. Please feel free to share it with your friends!
But there are a few other places where you can communicate with me and keep track of all the cool projects I’m working on.
You might not know this, but I keep a daily log of all the work I’ve been doing on Patreon. This is a free feature. You can subscribe for free to the Patreon and get these updates on all the work I’m doing. And—hey!—if you decide to throw some support my way, that’s great! You’ll get short stories and behind-the-scenes intel and sneak peeks at comics and more!
I also host a Discord channel—Cullen Bunn’s Monster Club. I like to think of it as an online convention. We discuss comics, books, movies, music, RPGs, role-playing, and more! And… it’s free to join!
I’m also on various social media platforms. I’m trying to become a little more active. Twitter became such a shit show that I lost interest in all social media for a bit. These days, I’m trying to build up some momentum on Blue Sky, Facebook, and Instagram. You can get links to all those places on my Linktree.
I’d love to see you at any or all of these online hangouts!
I’ve started planning some events for the year. I’ll shore them up (and add a few more) in a more formal list in the near future. Thus far, though, here are the conventions and events I’ll be attending:
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February 20 - 22… ComicsPro Comic Book Industry Meeting, Los Angeles CA
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March 6 - 9… Emerald City Comic Con, Seattle WA
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March 21 - 23… Planet Comicon, Kansas City MO
Much more to come!
Here’s your weekly Betty Santanico Pandemonium Food Gremlin update. The kitten is doing great. She went to the vet last week and got a clean bill of health. So… she has started fully integrating with our other pets. Jumpscare, as you might imagine, likes her a great deal. The others… not so much. Betty is pretty fearless, though. As I’ve said before, she is pure alley cat… and she’s stared death in the eyes without blinking.
This week, I re-watched ALIEN: ROMULUS, parts of which I liked more than the first time I watched it, parts I liked less.
I also watched NIGHT BITCH, which was a solid surreal indie film about the pressures of motherhood… with a bit of a body horror angle. It was not what I expected AT ALL, but I still liked it.
I started the new season of SQUID GAMES. I wasn’t sure I would like it, but my son and I agree it’s been pretty terrific so far. We’re slow-rolling it, really, only three episodes in so far.
I acquired his piece of coolness this week.
That’s the demi-lich dice holder. When I was in 2nd grade, my friend Vardell brought his older brother’s copy of TOMB OF HORRORS to school. He showed me a picture of the demi-lich, and I was instantly in love with the game. It only makes sense that I would add this to my collection.
My pal Josh says that perfectly describes my approach to collecting… and I can’t argue.
THE SHOCK SHOP - My online store, where you can find exclusive covers you can only get directly from me!
PATREON - Here, I post a serialized novel, a serialized comic book, short stories, and other cool materials.
THE CULLEN BUNN DISCORD SERVER - A place for fans to hang out and talk about comics, books, movies, games, collecting, and whatever else strikes their fancy.
MY AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE - Listen. You should always shop at your local comic and bookstore first, but if they don’t carry the books you want, you might be able to get them here. And, if nothing else, leave some reviews of the books you love!