This has been a strange year. We still seemed to be struggling to get this pandemic under control, which really is easier than it seems if people would just do the right thing and think about everyone else besides themselves or thinking that their “rights” are somehow think are being violated. Lighten up, Francis!

I am forever hopeful that intelligence and compassion will win over idiocracy and herd mentality. I hope, because I want to the world to get back to normal, where friends can gather and create new happy memories, enjoying each other’s company. So, here’s to 2022 and that we make that step towards that little goal. But I got to say, it’s getting harder and harder to remain optimistic anymore. So please, let us all help a little bit to show that we are a better species than that. Just take a moment and do something positive. Tell someone something positive, whether it be a friend or total stranger. Give some help to someone that might need it more than they are letting on. It can be something so simple that could change that person’s day.

2021 wasn’t a great year for the Krypt, in that my updates were nowhere near as plentiful as I always hope. I used to try and have something posted daily, but there were times when I could barely get a Mystery Photo up for the week. Sure, this is because of several things, such as more writing work for other outlets, being pretty busy at my real job throughout the year, which in turn caused more stress (more than I should have let it) and more hours away from the site. As well as starting a new endeavor, which I’ll get to in a minute. But the real reason is throughout the year, I was simply just struggling with just a lack of motivation. Trust me, while my love of the genre has not faltered in the slightest and the passion still is pushing me, there were many times sitting at the computer when I just didn’t feel like doing anything. Even my movie-watching and book reading was considerably lower than it has been over the last few years as well. It was just the creative juices that weren’t flowing. I know I just have to push myself to get out of this funk and really start the process moving again. So, for those out there that might struggle with the same thing, know you’re not alone. Just try and stay focused on the goal and keep at it. Now if I could only follow my own advice!

Highlights

2021 brought the return of conventions and a bit of travelling. Granted, there were a lot of rules set up (which is only the smart way to do it), at least we were able to have a few shows to get back in the swing of things. Granted, it was a little harder jumping back on that horse than I thought it would be. While we were packing up for the show or even setting up, you’d think it was our first time! We only did 3 shows, but it felt nice to get back to it. Here’s hoping that things don’t start shutting down again before the shows start next year. Plus, hitting the drive-in is always a great time and we did it several times in 2021. The best part is getting to see and hang out with friends that you don’t get to see that often. Even during these troubling times, it is the best time to seek these drive-ins out, show your support, and just have a lot of fun!

I also got to do a couple of retrospectives for HorrorHound Magazine, one for one of my all-time favorite films, Lucio Fulci’s The Beyond. And even better, I shared the cover with my friend Aaron AuBuchon who did the retrospective for Argento’s Suspiria, so it was a nice issue that I’m very proud to have been part of. Anytime we can possibly reach out to a newer audience that maybe not be as familiar with the Maestro’s work and get them to investigate the director’s career, then that is a big win in my eyes. Earlier in the year, I also did one on James Whale’s The Invisible Man (1933), which was a lot of fun, especially showing some of the geniuses that were involved in the making of this great classic.

While my son moving out at the first of the year could be considered a highlight, the real positive element of that is that I moved my Kryptic Office up to his old room, which gave me a lot more space for bookshelves, meaning more books! In my old office, there literally wasn’t any more space to add another bookcase, but now I have plenty of room for expansion. At least for a while. So yeah, horror reference books are something that I truly believe in and spend more money in building it than I should, but I know that when I need to look something up, it will be there waiting for me!

And I still have room for quite a few little tidbits to display around the room, including a nice display case for my Black Sunday and Demons masks, keeping my Dr. Hill head company! I do think it is very important to surround you with images and items that bring you positive thoughts. Even if it is a little escape from the world, if it brings you joy, then it cannot be a bad thing.

Probably the biggest highlight of the year is the start of the Discover the Horror Podcast, along with my friends Aaron AuBuchon and Damien Glonek. Not sure why I agreed to do this because my time was already stretched thin, but it has been a lot of fun doing these. I kind of wish the technology part of it was a lot easier and didn’t have to deal with it, especially all the social media aspects of it and making sure it is available in all these different formats, but that is just me being a grumpy old man and want things to be easy! But nonetheless, we just published our 7th episode, and the show seems to be getting a positive response, getting some good feedback and comments. I do really appreciate those that have taken the time to not only listen but also letting us know what you think. Maybe we’ll be able to hire someone to do all the technical stuff and social media stuff for us next year!

Which leads to something that will probably disappoint a few people, which is the Kryptic Army will once again come to an end. While it isn’t a ton of work for me, it still is more on my plate now that I’m struggling with. Plus, while I really appreciate those soldiers that continue to participate in the monthly challenges, there are just not enough people that I had hoped. Even some that were bummed when I stopped it the first time, never seemed to participate when I did revive it. I really hope that those that have continued on these last two years have enjoyed it and hopefully discovered some entertaining films during the process. Thank you for your service!

Next Up: Those We Have Lost, But Not Forgotten