Two Shots, KPop, and What's To Come

It was one of those weeks where it felt both very long and very short. A billion things happened — and no, we're not going to talk about the thing that happened, you don't have to worry about a jumpscare — but I spent the beginning of the week sort of half-functioning while I recovered from getting this year's updated flu and COVID vaccines.

Currently, each week is a combination of filing every application I can for the very few jobs that are to be found, pitching the few editors I know accepting commissions while everyone sits in a budget desert, and writing the few assignments I'm able to scrape up. Last week I reviewed The Long Walk. This week, I decided I still had way more to say about the film so I went long discussing what makes The Long Walk's ending hit so hard. Be extra careful with that last one though, it's filled with spoilers (yes, even if you've read the book). If you read my review last week, you know that I'm pretty freakin' enamored by the latest Stephen King adaptation. So, if you've been wondering if it's worth your hard-earned cash now that it's finally in theaters I'm gonna say that the answer to that is an unequivocal "yes!"

Shoot Your Shot

I cold-emailed the managing editor of one of the oldest trades in existence yesterday. "It's not about what you know, it's about who you know" is a common (and unfortunately true) adage across all industries, but you probably won't be shocked to learn that it is often particularly true in entertainment and, unfortunately, this trade is one of the exactly two that I don't have any contacts at. So, I had one of two options: just apply and let my resume and hard-won cover letter (ugh) get thrown on the bottom of a pile to be ignored for eternity, or reach out wherever I could. There was no clear recruiter listed, and the people on the vertical don't seem to have active LinkedIn accounts, so the Managing Editor it was! It will either a) get me noticed, or b) result in him telling his team to not hire me under any circumstance. That sounds extreme but, from my perspective, it still took my chances at the job from like 5% to a little closer to 50%. Shoot your shot.

I'd also like to take this time to say that I hope all of the bots on LinkedIn die painful, digital deaths and that their creators all stub their pinky toes every day for the rest of their miserable lives.

What I'm Obsessed with Right Now

Like most of the planet, I can't stop listening to the KPOP Demon Hunters soundtrack. Seemingly unlike the rest of the planet, it's not "Golden" or "Soda Pop" that have my heart, but "Your Idol" and "How It's Done." I'm thrilled to have something to focus that obsession on until Hazbin Hotel Season 2 drops and I spend the next year hyperfixated on that soundtrack as well.

(Yes, I have been notified that Mira is alarmingly me-coded. I have sent my demand letter for royalties already.)

How Is This Newsletter Going to Work Now?

The new format of the website has resulted in some questions, so I wanted to clarify a couple of things. First and foremost you will not get every single post I write sent to your inbox. That would be terribly annoying! When you publish on Ghost (our new platform), you have the option to post it natively, post it natively and send a newsletter, or just send a newsletter. Anything published during the week or that isn't a newsletter will just be published natively, and newsletters will be sent out once a week (currently on Fridays, but I reserve the right to change that as needed). So, if you want to be sure you're never missing a piece from me, they'll still be linked in this newsletter weekly. If you want to be sure you're seeing them as they publish, the best way to do that is to follow me on social media!

Up Next:

We're off to Fantastic Fest next week! The lineup for the festival's 20th anniversary is absolutely stacked and I cannot wait to dive in. I'm very excited to see all of my friends, gorge myself on BBQ, and bring you back tons of coverage on everything I see.

After that it's straight to New York Comic Con. I can't tell you what I'm up to just yet, but I can say that it will be one of the biggest moments of my career yet.

If you or someone you know happens to be an assigning editor and needs coverage or a host/moderator out of either event, my contact page is officially up and running.

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