He's a Coral Reef!

The Holsom Appreciation Blog

[omgcheckplease]

Howdy. 👋

Not only will there be a new volume of CHECK, PLEASE! in the works...

But CHECK, PLEASE!: YEAR FIVE will be...

…THE YEAR OF THE FROG. 🐸 🏒 ✨

Below, find a summary of what the newest volume of CHECK, PLEASE! will have to offer… highs, lows, and a whole new SMH!!

Samwell mens hockey’s favorite baker—and championship-winning senior captain—has graduated! How will the team survive? Problems abound as their new captain, Dex, learns that the effortless balance Bitty maintained on the team isn’t as easy as it looks. Then, ultra-aloof Nursey must finally drop his “chill” and get vulnerable in a senior poetry seminar. And to make matters worse, Chowder faces the dreaded ‘SSGS’ and is having the worst season of his college career. But when change arrives at Samwell hockey, it not only threatens to rip the team apart, but could destroy Dex, Nursey, and Chowder’s friendship forever. Before they graduate, to save their team and themselves, the three seniors must come together and ask the question: ‘What does Samwell hockey mean to you?’

I can’t reveal any more spoilers, but I’ll leave you with that question—what does Samwell hockey mean to you? Look out for more Check, Please! news in the months to come!

Subscribe to the Check, Please! newsletter!

Follow me on patreon for more exclusive news and to see me draw this goddamn comic!!

[wholesome-holsom]

I'm not ready

[omgpostsplease]

Jack tries to watch heated rivalry.

[halfabreath]

I think we as a fandom need to grow up and acknowledge that Ransom and Holster very likely have a finance podcast by now. I’m sorry but we can’t keep ignoring it like this even though it hurts

[omgcheckplease]

👋 Hi Wellies,

First—

Ukazu says, a rising tide lifts all boats, including the S.S. Check, Please! She’s hopeful that the success of Heated Rivalry, as well as another queer romance graphic novel-turned-TV show Heartstopper, will make the dream of seeing her work onscreen into a reality: The book has been optioned for adaptation. — Vanity Fair

Check, Please! has been optioned for a film/television adaptation. A while ago, actually—and that’s lovely. Nevertheless, the vast majority of options do not become television because it takes a million things going right to get projects off the ground.

That being said.

Ahem.

Speaking of getting projects off the ground...

From when Bitty first stepped out into the rink at Faber, to when he kissed the ice at graduation, we've all been part of this fun, weird, magical world of Samwell hockey. But when I left the world of Samwell hockey, I left knowing Jack and Bitty's story was done. Bitty's journey as the first openly gay NCAA Division I hockey captain was done. We baked the last pie; we shut off the lights at the kegster; the story was complete.

…But as I looked around I realized, I had one more story to tell.

Which is why I'm thrilled to announce that a brand new volume of Check, Please! will be serialized in 2026. Dozens of new comics, exciting update drops, your favorite characters with brand new storylines, and characters you've yet to meet.

Hello, Internet Land—SMH is coming home.

This fifth year of Check, Please! will be filled with shenanigans, drama, hockey, pies, Haus parties, and a new message of acceptance that is near and dear to me. And it's been brewing over the last year and half! But with the latest boom in queer hockey stories, I figured, hey! ¯\(ツ)/¯ Here's another one to look forward to. :)

Marginalized athletes still face harmful bigotry, and for this reason, queer sports stories are more important than ever. I love Samwell hockey and how each of you has embraced this roster of athletes.

There's so much more to come.

Ngozi 🏒🥧❤️

=

MORE NEWS? SURE:

I’ll be at Emerald City Comic Con 2026, and yes, I will be dropping exclusive details about Check, Please! Year Fived during my spotlight panel: Ngozi Ukazu - From Check, Please! to DC and Back! (Be there!)

Follow me on Patreon for behind-the-scenes on the making of Check, Please!: Year Five. I'm gonna livestream...a lot.

If only there were an original mm romance that you could read right now while you wait for more Year Five updates! Good news—John Rich & The Big Picture is very cute and laugh-out-loud funny and you can read it now, for free.

My latest graphic novel FLIP has made the best-of lists for the New York Public Library, the A.V. Club, Kirkus Books, School & Library Journal—and more. Get it here.

[skullism]

I'M SO CALM AND NORMAL ABOUT THIS

source

[theonion]

Accusing the HBO drama of egregiously misrepresenting their experiences off the ice, the National Hockey League Players’ Association blasted Heated Rivalry Friday for what it described as incredibly unrealistic depictions of anal sex between players. “The show’s portrayals of hockey players having sex with each other are wildly misinformed, and we are disappointed by the producers’ utter failure to accurately represent what we do to each other behind locker room doors on a daily basis,” read a statement cosigned by each of the NHLPA’s more than 750 active players, adding that the series’ glitzy, overwrought lovemaking scenes miss the mark on even the most basic details regarding the day-in, day-out sexual encounters that define their lives between games. 

Full Story

[generalghosty]

John, outwardly: "After taking home the championship last year, SMH is poised to make it to the Frozen Four again. What aspects of last year's approach are you hoping to replicate?"

John, internally: The stupid hockey team is on a winning streak, so suddenly they put half the paper on the sports beat? How am I supposed to write an article where the interviewee says "obviously" fifteen times?

[omgcheckplease]

Happy—30TH BIRTHDAY ERIC BITTLE?

[pandabibble]

Congratulations to all AO3 users! Important Milestone reached!

Bookmark database overran!

[destinationtoast]

[reddit comment] [atlassian page for ao3 bookmark migration (linked from the reddit comment)]

(note that # of bookmark ids is not the same as bookmarks, but they still didn't plan for this many)

[omgcheckplease]

Goodbye for the Summer is up on Webtoons. :)

[omgcheckplease]

"Graduation" is up on Webtoons. 😊

[homobiwan]

Now that check please will likely have a resurgence in 2025 we need to talk about how fucked up it is that ngozi deleted the tweet about nursey and dex having one (1) night of passion and never discussing it ever again

[aboxofscraps]

I just love them so much, you guys

[omgcheckplease]

Bitty JUST finished up his 1st year on the Samwell men's hockey team over on Webtoons! It's the perfect time for the uninitiated to jump in!

Read (or, quite frankly, re-read) Check, Please! on Webtoons 🥧

Check, Please!

Eric Bittle is a former Georgia junior figure skating champion, vlogger extraordinaire, and amateur pâtissier. But as accomplished as he is,

[decaf-draws-deactivated20230923]

yeah, no, for sure

[omgcheckplease]

We hit 3000 subs on Webtoons!!

Absolutely cracking up over the readership makeup though, lmao. HEY! One and four readers are new! 25%!!

>>> follow my page >>> read on webtoons

[omgcheckplease]

We're at 5000!!

[omgcheckplease]

If you're planning on coming to SPX next month! (I'll also be at Geek Girl Con in Seattle, WA in October!)

I'll have a very limited amount of merchandise at SPX, because it's all leftovers shipped from the Kickstarter fulfillment warehouse. If you'd like a lovely character illustration in your hardcover, try coming on Sunday! I should have more time to sign then.

I'll also be delivering the keynote speech before the Ignatz, so if you want to see me write some comic specific jokes, attend the ceremony. THANKS!

[omgcheckplease]

reblogging this one last time for anyone going to SPX!