Today is Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. It’s a national holiday celebrated in the United States, Canada, some of the Caribbean islands, and Liberia. It began as a day of giving thanks and sacrifice for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year. It’s celebrated on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the U.S., and around the same part of the year in other places. Although Thanksgiving has historical roots in religious and cultural traditions, it has long been celebrated as a secular holiday as well.
Here in the States, Thanksgiving is a magical time when loved ones gather together in a traditional celebration featuring gratitude, joyous fellowship, and the cruel mockery of insufferable millennial friends, co-workers, and relatives. Just kidding.
In the spirit of the holiday, we asked several of our contributors and friends what they were thankful for this Thanksgiving. Here are their responses.
“I want to THANK all the people who have ever lived before and most notably one who lived 100 years ago. All his suffering, sacrifice, trials & errors and success has paved the way of life for our lazy, spectator, submissive lives we so much CRAVE in a small rectangular screen that fits in our pockets and microwaves our genitals. Thanks a lot TESLA!” George Peter Gatsis
“I am thankful that my father has beaten cancer this year, that my family has supported me going back to school, and that the community of people I have met online are an amazing bunch, especially those who watch and support the shows I help create.” Kat Rocha
“I consider myself very fortunate for having a chance to sound off an post my ramblings about the industries that I love here at Bleeding Fool. Working with these people has been a great learning experience for me. I really value the knowledge and insight that all of you have. Happy Thanksgiving!” Jamison Ashley
“I’m thankful for what has been a tilt in the right direction toward the fans and customers. Be it the quality put into work by people like Hickman and Tomasi, or the attempts to bridge the conversation gap by people like Snyder and Hill. The world of comics IS getting better, and the fact that people are becoming more willing to listen to reason rather than shouting is something all of us can appreciate. And last but not least… I’m personally thankful for every single person who engaged with me and my channel, good or bad. Your feedback, likes and hates are all appreciated: thank you for keeping me honest and engaged.” Comic Perch
“I’m grateful for Mrs. Nerd-Roddick who has been amazing and supportive as our Youtube channel has grown. I’m grateful for all the new friends I’ve met in the past year as well! Despite some of our favorite things like Game of Thrones, Doctor Who, Star Wars, and Star Trek being destroyed, it never ceases to amaze me how people can come together and find something positive out of a very bad situation and that’s what Fandom Menace is. Most of all, I’m grateful to be clean and sober today! I am one month away from 6 years after a horrible relapse and every day is a gift.” Gary Buechler, Nerdrotic
“I am thankful that I was able to retire from my main profession at a young age in order to pursue another one — one which I absolutely love. (That’d be *writing*, natch!) And I am thankful for outlets like Bleeding Fool which give me opportunities to indulge that love!” Dave Huber
“I’m thankful Rian Johnson is releasing another movie this year so I have another example of how not to tell a story to learn from.” Matthew Kadish
“I’m thankful for a lot in life and I feel truly blessed. I have an amazing Youtube channel now that I’m thankful for every single sub. Not to mention an amazing support system I’m thankful for, including an amazing man! I may deal with crazies and chaos in all this, but at the end of the day, I also have sanctuary… and totally not in a heroes in crisis kinda way! Happy Thanksgiving!!” Tristen ‘Nerdette’ Just
“I’m thankful for pencil and paper. It represents the potential to build anything from nothing- and the foundational freedom that no algorithm can ever touch. Our overlords desire to control creativity, but at most they can only suppress it. If we maintain our resolve and that crucial spark, the true nucleus of creative force is eternally untouchable and available to us. And that’s something. ” David Lillie
“Personally thankful for that I am working in a less toxic environment than some of my previous years and people are waking up to the fact that sometimes you don’t have to be outraged all the time. Whether you are liberal or right wing being outraged all the time by outrageous headlines and poor marketing tactics isnt worth your time and emotion. While 2020 brings a lot change including the possibility of my younger brother moving to America I know everything will work out in the end.” Kevin Bourke
“Cheers from Mexico City! I’m thankful for this damn hot international community of friends and journos I have been fortunate enough to find through our struggle of keeping our beloved hobbies honest. I’m also thankful for studios like Top Cow and Udon who still give a shit, and talented creators like Alan Moore, Joshua Howard, Stephan Franck, Peter Semeti, Brian Pullido and everyone making a new independent path in the canon of comics history!” Spike Valentine
“I always feel silly coming up with things to be thankful for. There is so much good in my life, that to single something out feels strange. As always I am thankful for my family and friends. I am also thankful for finding this great group of fun and entertaining nerds and geeks. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!” Joe Pulford
“I’m grateful this year for the following: 1. My family, friends and dog for supporting me and loving me 2. My audience for supporting me and making my work possible 3. I’m grateful to now be a contributor to Bleeding Fool, a nerd website I’ve long read and now am blessed with the amazing opportunity to work with them!” Peter Pishcke
“I’m thankful for my wife, the life I have, the family and friends that i have. I’m thankful for all that God has given me, most importantly his salvation.” Jon Castellanos
“I’m thankful for all the wonderful people I have met in this online community. Despite all of the arguments that you see there is much more positivity out there then we often realize. I truly feel like I’ve gained many new friends.” Captain Frugal
“I’m thankful for my family and my friends. And with this website, I never face Monday morning blues, because of fun topics, writers, and readers like you. Thank you all. I hope you enjoy your time at home with those close to your heart this holiday season!” Meghan Murphy
“I am thankful for our community publications that give so many of us a voice and who projects our voices out into that void. There they find meaning, purpose and life. I’m thankful for this enormous family of ours and everything they do everyday without ever knowing just how much of an impact we have on each other no matter where we are. I’m grateful for all of you and thankful to each of you. I especially want to thank Chris (Braly) for being an unlikely rock that I came upon in the river when my boat had tipped over in a torrent. He helped me set my boat right and get it going down river again and I’ll be forever grateful to him for encouraging me to turn my head and look in another direction. We’re a family and we should be proud. We show it everyday in the way we grow and continue to expand outwards. Defend each other and support one another. This is family. ‘This is the way'”! Mike Rogers
“I am thankful for good health, great friends, a wonderful family, and the opportunity to honor God each day with my vocation.” Douglas Ernst
“A heartwarming thanks to you our readers for the hope, laughs, and love that you bring to my life. May we all be surrounded with the love of your dear ones on this festive season. I’m really glad that we’re one big family here at Bleeding Fool!” Mandy Parker
“This should be a tough Thanksgiving, because I got laid off from my day job in early October. So why do I feel so darn thankful? Well, I still have a roof over my head, a loving wife, and a delightful 4-month old daughter who has lately taken to making what we call “pterodactyl noises. There’s also comic books. I fell in love with comics as a teenager, but decided to put away childish things. I moved to DC for seven years, where I was surrounded by people with Real Jobs, either running the government or influencing it. At some point, I realized I’d made a horrible decision, moved back home, and started reading comic books again by the truckload. And now I have taken to making comic books with some really talented but underappreciated and underutilized artists. Folks like Doug Curtis, who draws Movie Men; Daniel Caval, who drew the first issue of Ptero and would really like for me to send him a script for number two; Shawn Langley, who is drawing AUMF; and several more. If this sounds like a plug, that’s unavoidable. When I get back art from these talented folks, it makes my day. I’m very thankful that they’re working with me, and that people are starting to buy our comics.” Jeremy Lott
“I’m thankful to still have my father in my life. Thankful for all of my friends.” John Lemus
“I’m thankful for my fans who have stuck around with me this past year. My inconsistent postings and various rants have taken a bit of a toll, but I’m truly thankful to those who still enjoy my stuff and continue to tune-in. I’m also thankful to a few individuals who I have been able to talk to throughout the roller coaster that this comics community has become. With some of the unfortunate infighting and demands to pick sides, etc, it’s sometimes hard to know who you can count on. For those who are still supportive, I’d have given up on my videos long ago if not for you! And I’d like to give a special thanks out to someone else, who will remained unnamed, they know who they are. I’d like to thank them for being there for me from the beginning of my videos and for really being there this past year. They’re a strong, exceptional individual who has persevered through all sorts of hardships far more than I’ve ever gone through. Their strength is an inspiration to me! More than anyone else, that person gets my thanks! Lastly, of course I want to thank Bleeding Fool for helping me get my videos out there (and editing my articles so they’re more presentable LOL)! Thank you all for so much!” Robert Willing
“If there’s anything I’m thankful for this holiday, it’s that there are independent creators who’re providing better alternatives to mainstream comics, like Billy Tucci, Brian Pulido and various others. I hope this’ll help. Happy Thanksgiving!” Avi Green
“This year I am grateful for Battlestar Galactica, because it is apparently the single most interesting topic I’ve ever brought up. I’m still laughing at the hate-clicks I got.” Alec Lloyd
“I’m thankful for the family, friends, and creative community that surround me and tirelessly encourage me to get after my callings in life. I would have probably given up long ago if not for all of them. And thank YOU for sharing my occasional meanderings with your readers, Bleeding Fool! I’ve enjoyed your site and being a very small part in it as it has grown the past couple of years. I hope you and yours have a great Thanksgiving!” Eric Talks
“On this Thanksgiving, I’m thankful for all of our clever contributors, as well as my family, my work, and my God. And from all of us here at Bleeding Fool, we want to share our genuine appreciation for you, our readers. We wouldn’t be where we are today without you! Much thanks to you!!” Chris Braly
You can’t be a happy person if you aren’t grateful, and you can’t be a good person if you aren’t grateful. Almost everything good flows from gratitude, and almost everything bad flows from ingratitude. Here’s a rule of life: ingratitude guarantees unhappiness. It is as simple as that. So Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Now jump into the comments section below and let us know what you’re thankful for today!
