Congratulations to everyone who voted for "Tuscany/Faded Pink" in the poll to pick Ray's new shirt color! Light green came in second two years in a row, so maybe it'll get lucky next year!
I had a lot of trouble deciding on the tone for this year's panel. I consulted with a lot of friends and got the impression that most people were glad to see 2023 go. For me, however, 2023 was the first relatively "normal" year in a long while. Perhaps the recent past has lowered my standards, but it really didn't seem unusually bad or good, just average. And with the United States headed into what promises to be a chaotic presidential election year, I worry that 2023 is the calm before the storm.
Still, while there is worry, there is hope. Many of the people I talked to who had a rough 2023 were looking forward to 2024 as being a better year. My theme for this year's panel, therefore, became "Nervous, but cautiously optimistic". I truly hope next year's panel will validate that optimism.
To everyone who reads this comic, thank you for all the support you've given me over the past year. May 2024 be the best one yet.
Rock on, guys, and never stop drawing.