It’s hard to believe that in just a few short days I will celebrate my one year anniversary of writing for The Horror Syndicate. It has been an absolute blast. The opportunity came at a time in my life where I absolutely needed it, and it has been most fulfilling. This year has not been easy, but being able to write about something I have a passion for has helped immensely.
Way back when THS was being started I remember talking to our fearless leader, Rayzor, in some horror Facebook group. He was discussing the need for writers, and I passed him some older stuff I had done on a horror blog my best friend and I maintained for a few years. At that particular time I ultimately decided I had too much going on in my life that I would have a hard time devoting myself to being a regular contributor. Although I didn’t join then, I had become a loyal reader.
I became such a fan of the things that were going on with The Horror Syndicate. There was a really cool personal connection for me as well, as THS’ own Bryan and I had been friends since early in our youth. In fact, Bryan has a lot to do with the early development of my horror fandom. I made known my interest in contributing to the site, and Bryan put me back in touch with Ray. The rest, as they say, is history.
Horror fans are a special group. I was welcomed to the fold with open arms, and have been treated like family ever since. I am incredibly grateful to Ray and company for affording me the opportunity to do what I am doing now. Writing for THS has enhanced my fandom in numerous ways. The friendships I have made have been a highlight of an otherwise tumultuous 2018. Highlights of the year included that very first article, my first time being on THS Lives, meeting Jenny at Monster-Mania, and meeting award winning director Mike Lombardo at a local signing.
Few who will read this are probably aware, but in June I lost my father to cancer, somewhat unexpectedly. This took an unbelievable emotional toll on me. I feel like I had been on a roll for the first half of the year, but then I hit a wall. For the first time in my life I was overwhelmed with anxiety and apathy. While I took time to sort myself out, the folks here at THS stood by me. No one complained about my lack of productivity, and they all told me to take all the time I needed. Because I’m a genre fanboy, and contributing to this site has been important to me, I was relieved to know that my spot would be here. It was, and it helped me A LOT as I dealt with my own personal struggles.
This previous year did not go as I anticipated. I’m not naive enough to think that 2019 will go off without a hitch. That being said, I am absolutely looking forward to creating even more memories. I am excited to ramp up the output and continue to delve more closely into the genre that has meant so much to me for so many years. I can’t express my gratitude enough for YOU, the readers, who make this all worth it. It still tickles me to no end to see folks “sharing” things I write on social media. I also owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Ray for giving me the platform to do something I love, and to the rest of the THS staff for being so supportive and welcoming.
