Well gang... Here we are. The end of an era!
Okay, so, maybe not that. But certainly the end of a dethkomic. For now, hehe.
I want you guys to know something. I want those of you who have only been with the fandom for a little while to know someone.
That's me... a younger me... in front of my artist alley table at NYCC in 2013. The Klokateer on the left is my friend, Holkie.
Her real name was Holly, and she was a New York native who braved the ridiculous train and subway systems that day (It was Saturday, so things were nuts) just to come out and meet a random person she met through the Metalocalypse fandom. I was surprised and delighted to see her for the first time, live and in person. I gave her some of my werewolf comics, we talked MTL, and generally had a good time. Unfortunately, that was both the first and last time we'd ever see one another in the flesh.
Holkie died in late 2020, just a few months before the Metalocalypse movie was announced. It's a shame she isn't still here to see the show conclude. But I'm willing to go on record and say without her, and her dedication and genuine hard work as a fan, we might not be getting a movie otherwise. She ran the original Dethklok Minute on Livejournal and continued that work here on Tumblr for a time. It kept us fans up-to-date and looking forward to more Dethklok in a time when news about the show was hard to come by, and interest threatened to wane in-between seasons(that's just how it is when you're a fan of an animated series).
I know wherever she is, if there's any justice to be had in this life and whatever happens after, she's somewhere biding her time before the premiere with my other friend (and yours) Jon Schnepp. And in the great hereafter, the two of them will have front-row seats in a theatre with a kickass surround sound system. And there'll be a 3D IMAX option. And Dorito dispensers. And candy snake tits. Whatever they are.
I thought a lot about Hokie when I wrapped this comic. I got emotional more than a little when I was writing the eulogy given by her own Klokateer OC, Janet. You might guess that Janet's speech had as much to do with Cherry as it did Holkie, and you'd be right about that. But more so, I wanted it to be a statement to all of us.
When you have a fandom like ours -- a bunch of people who believe in a little cartoon show about heavy metal idiot-gods that hasn't had the ability/huge budget of other shows to churn out official content on a regular basis... and in spite of that -- in spite of apparent cancellation, even -- it still manages to come up with a great storyline, memorable characters, and captures the imaginations of talented masses like yourselves who have managed to make some of the most compelling fan-content on the internet for over a decade, now... It defies probability. And in our case, it defies being cancelled without a resolution.
I think that's something quite special. And it's worth celebrating.
Today is Halloween here in the USA. In our fandom, it's also the last day of Kloktober 2022. To me, this has always been a special time of year -- and I sometimes feel, even more than January 1st, it's a time of celebration for what has come to pass. It's a time of reflection and looking back. It's a time of looking forward to what will be. I can think of no better time to say thank you to each and every one of you dethkomic readers out there, for making this a kickass year. Thank you all -- my MTL friends from the internet, casuals who lurk in our fandom, people who are or who have worked on the show, and everyone in general, for keeping the faith. Thanks for keeping the torch burning.
Holkie, wherever you are, we hope we're doing you proud. This comic has been dedicated to you. And I really miss you. We all do.
Here's to the end. Here's to what's to come. Here's to you all.
Remember... Dethkomic loves you.
