This is an awesome use of what is probably a master's degree if not a doctorate and I am 100% thrilled that she shared it even though it was embarrassing and she squeaked.
The old school lack of transparency on tumblr is amazing because you assume the people you follow must all be equivalent to you and then you see someone write āI brought my youngest to college todayā and someone else write āmy mom wouldnāt let me listen to Ariana Grande when I was a kidā and then your head explodes
honestly one of the best things we can do for ourselves is realize that people of different ages than us can still be the same kind of person as us. it's humbling and it gives everyone involved a sense of continuity, and it busts those stupid generational stereotypes media is so fond of.
The Heartstopper webcomicās first update dropped on September 1st 2016. Today, on April 11th 2026, the story has concluded.
I donāt quite know how to put all of my feelings into one letter. Heartstopper means more to me than words can express, but Iāll try my best.
Heartstopper has defined the past decade of my life. It started as a fun side project and quickly grew into something much bigger, eventually becoming my career. Despite that huge and unexpected change, making the Heartstopper comic feels the same to me as it did on day one. When I sit down to make Heartstopper, I feel at peace. When the world feels so scary and difficult, I have been able to return to Heartstopper, and everything feels okay again for a little while.Ā
Nick and Charlie first appeared as supporting characters in my first novel, āSolitaireā. In Solitaire, Nick and Charlie represent the idea that hope, love, joy and connection can persist and thrive despite the trials and tribulations of being alive. So maybe itās ironic that Nick and Charlie have come to represent this in my own life. They have brought me joy. They have given me purpose. They have given me everything, really. And Iām so grateful for every moment I have spent with them.
Heartstopper is profoundly special to me. Which makes it extremely hard to say goodbye.
But it is time. I always knew that Nick going to university would be the end point of the story. And despite how sad I am to be bidding farewell to these characters, I am so, so proud and excited to have made it to the end and concluded the story exactly the way I wanted to.
Any webcomic creator can tell you that making a webcomic requires a heavy amount of determination and endurance. To draw a page almost every day for the past ten years has required a lot of sacrifice and a lot of energy. But every moment was worth it. And now that it is complete, Nick and Charlieās story can be experienced from beginning to end, for the rest of forever.
I wouldnāt have made it here alone. From the very start, Heartstopperās readers have offered so much support, love, community, conversation, and enthusiasm. Knowing that there are people out there who love these characters just like I do has given me the strength to keep going. Iāve also had the support of many colleagues, friends, and family members, whoāve all helped in different ways at various points in the past decade. Thank you so, so much to everyone who has been here for the journey.Ā
I have no idea what Iāll make next. For now, Iām taking a break. And I know that Nick and Charlie wonāt simply vanish. I expect I will always return to drawing them and writing about them, probably in smaller ways, for the rest of my life, as long as my body allows.
Nick and Charlie will forever be in my heart, hand in hand on a beach somewhere.
as 2025 comes to an end, and everyone is posting their achievements, or their personal news like engagements, pregnancies, first house bought. i need you to know, sometimes just surviving the year is the achievement. sometimes just pushing through the heavy dark days is enough.
10 years ago I never would have thought I'd be right here. I wasn't capable of imagining my life because I was so sad and hopeless. How could I ever be happy again without my grandma? It caught me completely off guard. But here I am, 10 years later - living, breathing. With my own little family. I wish she could have met my husband and her great-grandson. I like to think she'd be proud of me.
New level unlocked, 2026! Here's to the start of your new adventure!
New pet the cat feature for this year! Likes or comments of hearts all count. ā¤ (It would be fun to total all the hearts to see how many pets the cat got!)
Sometimes I look back on the year in December and feel like nothing even happened. It turns out, my memory is just bad! š It was full of important and meaningful things! š
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