What’s Poppin’ Thegronis?!
Yesterday, as is our wont, we released Welcome to the Horizon Part 9: The Mountain:
As you may have caught on by now, Welcome to the Horizon is about community and learning to take care of each other despite our differences. Epitomizing that is our glorious Frank. Frank is a walking poetic ode to the Standard American Curmudgeonly Dude. He eats oatmeal in the morning, he complains about the Portland Trailblazers, he’s never happy to see anyone but he doesn’t like it when someone’s not okay. There are all sorts of mind-bending and mysterious things going on in Hood’s Pocket and I have a lot of fun with Frank’s desire for all of them to just go away so he can get back to his boring oatmeal and books about Japanese furniture joinery.
Hood’s Pocket constantly tries to up the ante on Frank, but despite the introduction of something like a secret military base, Frank refuses to abandon his “Normal Dude” status, and manages to shake “Sergeant Major Joos” to her core by simply bothering her about boring neighbor shit.
And that’s also Hood’s Pocket in general. Weird things keep happening, and those weird things are handled and defeated not by complicated plans or strange inventions, but by people being true to themselves and doing so together.
-Joe
Alice's Art History Corner of Community: Prelude to the Usual Snark
I am someone who has spent a lot of time loitering within the community of Midnight Burger. From August 2022 to the present day, I've taken the time to build myself a small home amongst the words that Joe has written. Now, my degree is in art history, but my capstone took a focus on community creation as a form of art. The idea was inspired by Midnight Burger, and in the final nights of my degree I could be found in the discord server voice chat writing my final paper and practicing my presentation.
This is all to say that community is at the forefront of Welcome to the Horizon, and to Midnight Burger as a whole. Midnight Burger instilled in me the idea that the best way forward was to find my people and do what I can, where I can. There's not a lot within our control, so when you have the choice to be with the people of your community, you take it.
Regularly Scheduled Programming
Despite having been a slightly wild college student, I can say with extreme authority that June has got me beat. How many people can say they got drunk and successfully found a secret military base? The most I can talk about is stealing alcohol from fraternity parties for fun. But June? June is living the dream. And poor Deidre is living the nightmare. I'd say Frank is also living the nightmare but he's a homunculus that doesn't require sleep any longer it seems, so he's just… living the best way he knows how: being the snarky neighbor without the added benefits of being charming.
There's something about the way Joe writes these characters that makes me think, “Ah yes, this person is very important to me.” And he manages to do that with every single character. Every interaction we hear makes me ache a bit. Frank speaks and I think about my stepsister, sarcastic but well-meaning. I listen to the great bond between Trinkett and Doug and I get homesick for my faraway friends. June provides comfort and hilarity, and I remember times when I needed someone like her, or times I was her. Where I was the one leading the weird adventure in the middle of nowhere, picking up the best stories to giggle about with friends.
QUESTION TIME:
Is the Mungo still around or did Lucian Thunderstruck meld back into the ether?
I'm sorry, does everyone just casually know Sesame Street lore? Am I missing something?
What's gonna hit first, the comet or the volcano? It's comet-cano season y'all.
LISTICLES, BALMS FOR THE SOUL:
Song of the Episode:
Best line:
PRIVATE KENNEDY- Excuse me. Your full name?
JUNE- I’m sorry. C.R. Iptid.
PRIVATE KENNEDY- ... You’re clearly just spelling the word “Cryptid.”
JUNE- Well God forbid somebody have a funny name around here.
Most badass character of the episode: It’s a tie. On one hand, Verge on a rescue mission? Chef’s Kiss. On the otherhand, I still believe it would take a lot of theoretical skill to find a secret military base whilst drunk.
Cat(s) of the episode: My nieflings Goose and Otter
FANART, THE ONLY ART THAT’S COOL (PUN INTENDED)
Finally, Announcements
Young Leif, Issue #1 coming in 2025!!!!!!!!
Young Leif Comic
That’s. Right. Written by Tom Moorman, the voice of Leif, and drawn by Awnrii, another one of the best Midnight Burger artists… You just KNOW this comic is going to be phenomenal. You can feel it in your bones. Young Leif, Issue #1 will arrive this year! Stay tuned to this newsletter for more previews and release dates!
Voicemail
We’re starting a public voicemail! Go to our public website, linked down below, and tell us about yourself. We’re in the business of meeting people, that’s the point of the diner. So sit, drink a cup of coffee and tell us what you’re up to.
Fangs Out merch
Designed by one of our favorite community artists, Ramsey Hong, WE’VE GOT NEW MERCH! AND IT’S SO GREAT!
Fangs. Out.
What’s Next?
Keep an eye out for January 14th and the release of “Chapter 42: Speedrun!” when the diner goes on a mad shopping spree for lost refugees. Then on January 31st will be Welcome to the Horizon Chapter 10: Phoenix, where we debate on the possibility of comets and going to the moon. Of course, our subscribers on Patreon, Supporting Cast, or Apple Podcasts can listen to both of those right now, along with other exclusive benefits, you should check it out!
Your support means the world to us. Be sure and stop by our website sometime to send us a message, leave us a voicemail, or shop for some merch!
We'll be out there, somewhere, lookin’ for ya’.
-Joe and Alice