That’s right — it’s time for the obligatory retrospective post, but I have to admit — as I sit here typing this while visiting my parents for New Year’s Eve, it feels good to look back on 2010, and the first year of Masked Manor in particular.
When I started sketching out ideas for the strip back in November of 2009, the characters were very different from the Boris, Franklin, Meg and Immie that we’ve come to know during the past 11 months. I had a story that I wanted to tell, and I had a starting point — but then something funny happened. Our Medsylvakian friends started steering me in a different direction, taking a devious detour that took on a life all its own.
I started to make a habit of writing myself into a corner — sometimes with spectacular results, sometimes not so much — but all in all, it’s the spirit of the characters that I kept returning to, and it’s that spirit that informs every new strip, even as Boris, Meg and company continue to grow and change. It’s funny how you can set a course for your proverbial ship and still not know which ports you’ll pull into until you get there.
Through it all, it’s been the support of all of you — readers new and old, perfect strangers and close friends alike — that has kept me and Masked Manor going, especially on nights where I had little or no energy and a strip deadline looming ahead. To those of you who have left comments on the site, sent me an e-mail, retweeted, or liked/shared a Facebook post, I offer my sincerest and deepest thanks.
I hope you’ve all had a wonderful 2010, and I’m looking forward to entertaining you into 2011 and beyond. Thanks again for coming along for the ride!
Have a Happy New Year!
Ruben
This Thanksgiving weekend, I’m thankful, first and foremost, for my daughter, my wife, and my whole family. I’m thankful that I’m able to find time to work on this comic while tending to all the other important things in my life.
I’m also thankful for you, the readers of Masked Manor, for coming back time and again to see what’s up in Medsylvakia. Your constant support has meant the world to me. To know that you’ve gotten a laugh or some suspense from my comic has been incredibly rewarding… and I hope to continue bringing Masked Manor to you for many Thanksgivings to come.
To all of you enjoying your Thanksgiving weekend, Happy Thanksgiving (again). And to those of you who don’t celebrate it, Happy Thanksgiving anyway. 
Happy Halloween, everyone! Things have been very busy lately so I haven’t been able to do all of the extra things I originally wanted to do for Halloween, but keep an eye out on the 31st (that’s Sunday) for a special bonus Halloween installment of Masked Manor.
Also, I wanted to throw a shout-out to Lee Grice and Stacey Whittle over at Small Press Big Mouth. Lee was kind enough to review Masked Manor recently on Episode 24 of their show. Thanks, Lee! Check out their blog here; you just might discover some new comics you haven’t read before.
Just a quick note to let you guys know that I’ve put up a new story guide page, which summarizes all of the story so far, broken down into episodes. If you’re new to Masked Manor and want a great way to catch up on the back story, or if you’ve been away for a while and want to get up to speed on what you’ve missed, this page is for you. It’s also a cool way to find one of your favorite strips if you remember the storyline it came from but not the exact date.
I’ll continue to update the page as more and more of the story develops. If you guys have any suggestions for other improvements I can make to the site, feel free to e-mail me.
By the way, this page was inspired by Meredith Gran’s super-cool Octopus Pie story page. Thanks for the idea, Meredith! If you’ve somehow managed to not check out Octopus Pie yet, you’re missing out. Head on over and give it a look. There’s lots there to love.
Today marks the posting of my 100th Masked Manor strip. I can’t believe time has flown by so quickly, but I guess that’s how it is when you’re doing something you love. In honor of my hundred-comic milestone, this week’s strips feature a bit of tall tale-telling inspired by some recent reader comments. Thanks for your feedback and your enthusiasm!
Meanwhile, for those who are interested, all is well in our world of new parenthood. If you’ve offered words of congratulation, thank you. It’s very much appreciated. Our little girl is doing well — and although my wife and I are still on a rather irregular sleep schedule, we’re quite happy… if more than a bit exhausted. Parenthood is at once draining, frustrating, blissful, rewarding, and mind-blowing… and we’re not even four weeks in.
