Good night everyone and happy Wednesday.
On Saturday, September 19, Anime Herald celebrated its sixteenth anniversary. Exactly sixteen years after that day, we started it all with a simple two-paragraph post introducing ourselves to the world.
Looking back, I can’t help but be humbled when I see how far we’ve come, both as a publication and as a community. In those early days, anime was in a very different place. The industry was recovering from a crisis that caused a seismic shift across the landscape. Stalwarts like Central Park Media and Geneon Entertainment had closed, while ADV Films, the former industry leader, breathed its last. Funimation moved to amass immense power in a vacuum, while Crunchyroll was quickly becoming a new favorite among fans and licensors alike.
In the years that followed, we were fortunate to have grown and evolved within this new world, working with new and old writers alike. We’ve grown from a solo operation to a full-fledged publication with a talented team, united in our mission to elevate the voices of anime fans everywhere. However, we do not walk this path alone; Our readers, friends and colleagues have continued to offer words of support and have given us the drive to do our best, day after day./
More recently, we took our first steps toward a new frontier. Anime Herald magazine, our new print publication, launched its first issue in December. We present you with ten new items from living legends such as Daryl Surat, Lynzee Loveridge and Erica Friedman, all brought to life through fantastic designs by Katy Castillo. José Salot (Pepegraphix) drew the stunning cover that ties it all together.
The whole book seemed like an impossible dream come true. I’m still amazed that we made it happen to this day. To date, over eight hundred people have enjoyed this inaugural issue and I simply thank everyone who has put their faith in us once again.
We launched our second issue last month, featuring ten all-new articles from incredible writers like Coop Bicknell, Caitlin Moore, and George Horvath. Katy Castillo brought the publication back to life with her standout layout designs, and Tim Eldred created a beautiful cover that sparks a summer festival vibe.
I still don’t know how to express how grateful I am that we get to do this. That we are able to publish a print magazine that stays true to our values while bringing together so many immensely talented people; paying fair rates to everyone; while doing the same online.
I’m really grateful that after all these years, we can still write and publish stories that make you think or just make you smile. Whether a dissection of Train to the end of the worldthemes and comments, or a story of Uma Musume The real-life inspiration for the character Oguri Cap, I’m proud of the fact that we still share the work of the talented writers and editors in the community and pay them fairly.
In 2012, I said for the first time that without you there is no Anime Herald. To this day, I still hold those words close to my heart. Without your energy and support, we would be just another voice echoing into oblivion. Your friendship and passion give us reasons to continue day after day, as we look to the future.
While I can’t predict what will happen tomorrow, let alone ten years from now, I sincerely hope that we can continue to produce Anime Herald as a publication you enjoy and trust, for as long as I can hold a pen. Even as the industry experiences another seismic shift, for better or worse, I intend to stand by them, as they have stood by us for the past sixteen years.
I am eternally grateful for your support and hope you stay tuned for what we will be working on over the next year.
Take care,
samantha ferreira
Editor-in-Chief, Anime Herald