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Get ready, Comic-Con fans! WonderCon 2025 is around the corner, and for my third consecutive year, I’ll be back in action at the Anaheim Convention Center from March 28–30. But this year, I’m not going solo—I'm proud to be joined by my newest patron and partner in creative crime, Realtor Jacki O! With her support, we’re showing up in full force to celebrate the art of storytelling, mental health awareness, and the wild wonder of the human imagination. At our booth, you’ll find a showcase of passion projects that challenge norms and flip scripts. Headlining the table will be my...

So last night almost turned into a gang fight at the group home. One guy tried to fight me and actually broke a door down in the chaos. Another guy—someone I’ve been more afraid of, honestly—followed me outside while I was having a smoke. He’s the type who could either stab you or hug you, depending on the mood and the moon. But strangely enough, we ended up talking about God. Now, I’ve always identified as an atheist, but the truth is more complicated. With these cancer tests looming, I find myself quietly reconsidering what I believe. Maybe I’m not...

If you always try to be the smartest person in the room, everyone else will leave the room. As a published writer, I know that a poet fights with words. But wisdom lies not in wielding them like weapons—but in knowing when to sheath them. And that’s why, in this delicate yet hostile time of quitting smoking, I’m learning to be careful with what I say. Agitation creeps in from the withdrawal, anxiety flares without warning, and if I’m not mindful, my words can do damage. “Sticks and stones may break my bones…”—sure, we’ve all heard the proverb. But let’s...

Nicotine is a drug, and alongside some of the over 100 chemicals in a cigarette, it acts as a sedative. Smoking suppresses emotions, numbing out stress, anxiety, and even anger. So, when I quit, those emotions come back stronger, like a backlog of feelings waiting for their moment to shine—or, in my case, explode. For some, quitting smoking brings out depression and tears. For me, it’s mostly anger. I get irritable, short-tempered, and downright mad at the world. This is hard on me, but it’s even harder on the people around me. No one wants to be collateral damage in...

This morning, I had a plan. I was going to space my cigarettes out longer, especially when I first woke up. I’ve been trying to cut back, and for the past few days, I had successfully reduced my smoking from three packs to one pack a day. That was already a big step in the right direction. But today? Today was different. It started with anxiety, the kind that creeps in and takes hold before you even realize it’s there. No caffeine, no extra stimulant—just stress. A phone call with my mother left me on edge. Arguments around the house...