HeroPress Review of 2021: Part Three

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR:

Because of the Covid of it all, possibly even more so than 2020 where there was a kind of "Dunkirk spirit" feeling of us all mucking in together to get through, last year was particularly barren in the "highlights" arena.

However, there's no denying the fact that getting Jenson Button to congratulate Rachel on her promotion to director status, was joyously memorable.

A slightly soppier highlight for me was our first stint at "dog sitting", when we looked after the lovely Obi for Rachel's friends' Mel and Graeme. 

The sheer joy of having not just Alice to play with but this giant ball of fur as well is hugely symbolic of how far I've come in my journey as a "dog person".

From someone who could never contemplate sharing his home with a canine companion to someone who simply can't imagine NOT having a dog around... and I owe it all to Rachel and Alice.

Obi makes his presence felt

 
YOUTUBE CHANNEL OF THE YEAR:
 

Even though every month there's exponentially more to watch on regular TV and streaming, I still find time for my favourite YouTube channel: Casually Comics.

I love Sasha Wood's wry, whim-driven, self-deprecating take on comics, particularly the older, Silver Age titles where nonsense ruled with gay abandon.

In fact, I enjoy this feed so much I even invested in some merch back in June:

PODCAST OF THE YEAR:

 

I've only been listening to The HP Lovecraft Literary Podcast weekly episodes for about six months, but whenever a new episode drops I always make sure it jumps to the head of my listening queue.

Hosted by Chad Fifer and Chris Lackey, The H.P. Lovecraft Literary Podcast aka HP Podcraft aka Strange Studies of Strange Stories takes a weekly dive into the world of weird fiction, complemented by a broad ensemble of talented voice actors reading select passages from the tale under discussion.

Currently racking up almost 600 episodes, the show has been going in some form or another since 2009, with the first 120 episodes concentrating on Lovecraft's fiction.

Each month now is dedicated to a theme or a longer work, with the hosts - and often a guest - unpicking the current story in informative, weekly, half-hour, easily digestible, but not overly serious, bites.

The first episode is free each month, with the balance being available to those of us supporting them on Patreon (for a very low monthly fee).