Oct. 31, 2024

7 Years of Hacks, Slashes, and the Labor of Love

I was raised in Florida for the first 5 years of my life. After that I moved around every 1-2 years until I moved back home in the early 2000’s.

I was only home a few years before I left for the Navy, and I grew up — really became an adult — on the deckplates of a warship.

My naval enlistment was a little over 5 years, and my time spent with Virginia as my home base spanned nearly 11 years.

Within that 11 years, though, everything was transient. I moved apartments every 1-2 years. I spent 2 years at one job before switching to another career, and ultimately switched back to my original job after 2 more years. My longest committed relationship was five years, and ended a few months before I started this podcast.

For someone so deeply bound to monogamy and routine, my life has been filled with borderline turbulent amounts of change and disruption. As soon as I grew comfortable in something, I ejected and pivoted to something else entirely…

…except for Hack or Slash.

It’s simultaneously hard to believe this show has been around that long, and difficult to remember a time when this wasn’t part of my routine.

I feel like I can look back and see every step of this journey as if it happened yesterday. That’s largely because the heart of this journey has always been you — our listener. Our community. Our family.

When we launched Hack or Slash back in October 2017, I couldn’t have imagined where we’d be today. I was just trying to keep my head above water, learning how to produce a podcast while also building a brand and voice that felt authentic, and fighting through the depths of my own depression. The beauty in this show, though, is it filled me with hope — even if it sometimes felt like we were flying by the seat of our pants.

In all honesty, there was a long while there where we didn’t have it figured out. Regardless, you’ve been there — you’ve seen us through the ups and downs, you’ve celebrated our returns, and you’ve encouraged us to keep going.

You’ve helped us shift our focus from simply reviewing horror movies to creating a space for diverse voices to share a love for the genre. We started as an idea, but with your support, we found our voice and our mission.

I say this often, but it’s worth repeating: your support, whether it’s tuning into our latest episode, joining us in the Discord, becoming a patron, or sharing Hack or Slash with a friend, has meant more to me than I can say. You’ve taught me to think bigger and push boundaries I never thought possible.

2024 has been one of the most challenging years of my life, but there have been so many moments that have been exceptionally rewarding in ways that, at times, felt impossible.

This year taught me things I never expected to learn, and when it seemed like things were piling up faster than I could handle, Hack or Slash was the constant that kept me grounded. Our podcast, this community, and each of you have been a lifeline in ways that I can’t fully describe.

Hack or Slash has always been more than a show for me. Over the years, it’s become a place to pour my passion, to connect with all of you who find meaning in the genre, and to explore horror as a lens for understanding ourselves and each other. But this year, it became my anchor.

When things were at their most difficult, the show gave me something steady to hold onto, a purpose that carried me through some of the toughest days. Having Hack or Slash meant that no matter what was happening outside, I had a reason to show up, to create, to connect.

Every time I sat down to prep for a new episode and looked over the conversations in our Discord I was reminded that — even in hard times — there’s value in creating something that brings us all together.

So thank you.

Thank you for listening. For being part of this family, for sharing your love of horror with me, and for showing up every time I felt like I needed a reason to keep going. Hack or Slash was my outlet, but this year, it became a lifeline because of you. You kept me going, and I’ll never take that for granted.

As we look forward to the next chapter, I want you to know that everything we’re doing is with you in mind. Hack or Slash wouldn’t be what it is without you, and I’m excited for all that’s still ahead—new projects, new experiences, and hopefully, many more years of horror movies to dissect together.

Thank you for being the heartbeat of this show. Thank you for being here, through thick and thin, and for making Hack or Slash a space where horror brings us together.

Here’s to the horror that binds us and to all of you who make Hack or Slash what it is.

Here’s to you and this journey we’re on together.

Here’s to seven years and counting.

Let’s keep going — through the highs, the lows, and everything in between.