Merry Christmas and Happy New Year (or Whatever!) (Patreon)

Hello.

I wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and/or whatever it is you may or may not celebrate or observe. As I’m writing this, I’m on the verge of recording for the final time in 2021; I’ll hit publish when I’m done to mark the beginning of a weeks-long break for me and the crew.

There’s no break for you, however. As you know, all of our shows will publish uninterrupted right into next year. That means Sacred Symbols, Defining Duke, KnockBack, and more, all on-schedule and ready for listening or viewing at your leisure.

As we turn the calendar, I want to thank all of our supporters, whether here on Patreon or over on podcast services or YouTube, for making 2021 Last Stand’s biggest year ever. Because of your generosity -- because you subscribe here on Patreon, or buy merch, or support our advertisers, and more -- we’re now a six-show-a-week company with a staff of four full-time employees and six freelancers. Ours is the best team in the gaming podcast space, full stop, and I want to thank the entire roster from the absolute bottom of my heart for their hard work, dedication, resilience, knowledge, and heart.

None of this exists without Dustin and Ben, editing and publishing the shows and producing all of our content. I wouldn’t have a packed slate of interviews or an uncluttered schedule (and therefore a saner mind) if not for Micah. There is no Defining Duke without Matty and Cog. Chris’ brand of irreverence and insight is completely emblematic of what we’ve built. And yes, I know. I totally get it: You all wish Dagan was your brother. I’ve heard it a million times. But, hey, let’s be honest: You wouldn’t know shit about the game’s industry Adult Matters without Rick Hoeg, and yet, at the end of the day, we can always rely on Lockmort to make us reflect on the insanity and laugh.

I like to send my team members a hand-written note with their bonus at the end of the year, but this year, I wanted to give them something extra to commemorate such an awesome 365 days. So I contracted a listener -- an artist from Idaho -- to handcraft wooden emblems of the show’s logo most associated with the person. (Yes, I bought a bunch for myself, too.) You can see a picture of what I grabbed attached to this post (along with our Christmas card). Yes: That's a one-of-a-kind, handmade Fireside Chats crest. I couldn't resist.

Our logos remind me of the journey that we’ve been on together, and I’ll always associate them with the people who helped bring this vision to life. It was a small way for me to say ‘thank you’ to a wonderful group. With many thousands of you out there -- the thousands who have made Last Stand the biggest games podcast network in Patreon’s history -- it’s a more difficult task to effectively show my gratitude. I am humbled daily by the size, scope, makeup, and character of our community. Each and every one of you in some way fits into the puzzle that makes us whole. I know that so many of you have made life-long friends with each other, just as we have with one another in making the content. But more importantly, I know how much Sacred, KnockBack, and Duke mean to you. I’m so pleased you’re still with us nearly five years after Last Stand first launched, and needless to say, we’ll continue to earn your support through the quality and consistency of our content. Nothing else will do.

Alas, it’s time for me to scamper off for a few weeks. I’m so pleased we’re able to provide the entire company with this time off… but as for me? Well, I’ll finally be writing the full bible for Lillymo’s next game. I’ve held production up long enough, and I’m pretty sure Barry wants to punch me in the throat. So there will be far less rest for me. But what a wonderful problem to have, writing another video game!

So, wish me luck, as I wish you and yours the absolute best. See you in ‘22, friends. And I mean that literally. -Colin