State of the Herald: A New Year, And New Opportunities

10 months ago 51

My fellow anime fans, good evening, We�re quickly approaching the end of the year, as we prepare to say our farewells to 2023 and welcome 2024 with open arms. As the final moments of the current year tick away,...

My fellow anime fans, good evening,

We�re quickly approaching the end of the year, as we prepare to say our farewells to 2023 and welcome 2024 with open arms. As the final moments of the current year tick away, though, it�s difficult to hide those lingering feelings of nostalgia that rush in like a chilly winter breeze.

And, despite this year hosting our thirteenth anniversary, it�s difficult to say that things were anything but positive for Anime Herald. This year, we welcomed several new members to our staff. Cy Catwell and Trent Cannon both joined our editorial team, while Borealis Capps and Lauren Orsini are both coming aboard as new columnists. They�ve already been doing outstanding things behind the scenes, and I cannot wait to share what they�ve all been working on.

Furthermore, I�m pleased to confirm that development on our redesign is continuing apace, and is on track for a first-quarter 2024 launch, barring major delays. The previews we�ve received from Katy and Chris have been nothing short of exciting, and we look forward to sharing a preview with our backers when we get closer to launch.

With regards to our articles, to say that 2023 was an active year is an absolute understatement. From the day we returned from our hiatus to today, we�ve published eighty-seven articles and interviews. We�ve worked with writers around the world to explore the anime fan scene in Nigeria and chatted with Voltes V Legacy director Mark Reyes about the special significance that the mecha franchise has in the Philippines. We celebrated the legacies of Newtype USA and Protoculture Addicts, and solved the mystery behind the sudden appearance of rare historical relics on a major retailer.

On top of that, we were able to cover an anime convention or two, alongside our annual Anime Boston features. Likewise, we were able to bring numerous articles from our patrons to life, including a history of anime cutscenes in video games, to an investigation into why ice hockey remains such a niche subject in the anime realm.

And, through the entire year, we�ve been fortunate enough to be able to pay a fair rate of $50 per article to our writers and editors alike, thanks to our incredible Patrons and Ko-fi supporters. They�ve empowered us to keep growing and evolving, as we build a foundation that will allow us to stride confidently forward into 2024.

I�m genuinely grateful to our team, who�ve brought their skills and expertise to help us deliver something genuinely special to the world, week after week. I�m thankful for our backers, who�ve put their faith in us and supported us in our Discord and comment sections and continue to inspire us to deliver our very best.

And I�m thankful to you, dear reader, for supporting us for all of these years as we�ve become the publication you enjoy today. I�m excited to enter this new year with all of you, and I hope you look forward to everything that we have planned for the days to come.

Happy New Year,