Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving, all! Hard to believe how quickly the holidays are blowing through! It's already going to be Thanksgiving! Wow. Anyway, I know it's been a while since I've written here, but I'm hoping to change that and write on a much more consistent basis! I'm climbing back into the saddle with a list of a few things I'm thankful for in the year 2012! This year has brought me much good fortune, and I'm certainly counting my blessings for it!

New supporters - I can't make this career work without all of you. I'd especially like to thank anyone that's been following me here, on Facebook, Twitter, and DeviantArt, especially those that have just started doing so this year! An artist's career is not a lucrative one, so every last commission and kind word of encouragement help! Even the very talented voice actor Stephen Stanton got in on the commissions!

Upper Deck, Cryptozoic, & Topps - 2012 brought with it my first professional foray into other franchises besides Star Wars. This year, I abruptly became a Marvel artist when doing work for Upper Deck's Avengers Assemble set, as well as their Marvel Beginnings II and Marvel Beginnings III sets. I also got to play in the D.C. sandbox with Cryptozoic's Batman: The Legend series! Finally, I jumped into my first non-Star Wars Topps set, in their quirky Mars Attacks! Heritage set. All of these really made me feel like I'm starting to truly branch out as an artist!

Star Wars Family & Celebration VI - What can I say about these guys. They're the home away from home. Jazz, JC, Ruark, Sarah, Drew, Francine, Chrispy D, Ryan P, Dajuan, Ben P, and anyone else I forgot to mention, meeting up with you guys is the highlight of any year. You always treat my friends and I as your own, and I'm extremely thankful to have met all of you and keep in touch with you all. Your generosity knows no bounds, and I cannot wait until our next family reunion!

Hurricane Sandy Aftermath - Okay, let's specify here. I'm thankful for all we HAVE NOT lost! The majority of my friends and family came out virtually unscathed in comparison to so many folks along the East Coast. We are really counting our blessings. It was also a real wake-up call, showing just how reliant we've become on technology. Not to mention, a huge reminder on what is really important in our lives -- Friends and family!

As You Wish Project - This became much bigger than I thought I would. I am SO grateful just to have been a part of such a project. It surpassed my expectations once the bidding began, and my Commander Sequential raked in a jaw-dropping $3,300, which went straight to the Make A Wish Foundation. As an artist, donations are not something I can make on a normal basis, so knowing that my work took in that kind of pricetag in the spirit of charity is practically overwhelming to me. Thank you for everyone who bid, for the person who dropped the 3.3k on the final bid, and for all the love and support of all those spreading the word on the project (including StarWars.com! I can't believe they featured my helmet!)

James Arnold Taylor - Words fail to capture the level of gratitude I have for this man. He's been a beacon of positivity, warmth, and generosity since the moment I met him, and it's been nothing short of an honor to work both for and alongside him this year. From the continued (paid!) work he's given me to contribute to his show, to the time he's dedicated to projects of my own, James has surpassed an inspiring amount of tact and humility that fans like myself can only dream our idols would possess. I'm so excited to keep working with him into the future and thankful for all the work that's passed! Speaking of James, that brings me to...

The Siren of Dathomir's success - Wow. This one really just blew me away. Between James Arnold Taylor's astounding contribution to the project, and the OVERWHELMING support of friends, family, and strangers alike, TSOD has been unlike anything I've ever experienced. What started as a simple unofficial Star Wars motion comic turned into...well, a simple unofficial Star Wars motion comic with an absurd amount of support and publicity. So many folks spread the word, to an emotional degree, and expressed their enjoyment of the work put into it. And to this day, it still has not one "dislike" on YouTube. Some notable shoutouts came from The ForceCast, Dark Horse's Facebook page, StarWars.com, and the most gratifying of all for me as both a fan and an artist...the approval of Genndy Tartakovsky. It convinced me to work on two more follow-ups, starting with Panic Over Muunilinst in 2013.

In 2013, I've got a lot of work to do if I'm going to trump 2012! Happy Thanksgiving, folks!!!