I would like to personally thank the 24,000 different people who visited Pencilstorm last year, but that would take too long. Truth be told, I have exactly ZERO idea if 24,000 is a number of which to be proud or to be embarrassed by. To a life-long musician and coffee shop owner like myself, any number north of say, 45, seems like plenty, so imagining an arena full of people reading Pencilstorm is beyond flattering. 

However, I do have time to thank the individual contributors who have enriched my life during 2014 and hopefully yours.  

- Ricki C is my older brother in rock & roll and without him Pencilstorm might as well be fifty monkeys clanking out a Nickelback review for the Drudge report. In addition to writing great stories, Ricki edits and corrects all kinds of shoddy grammar, giving Pencilstorm just the faintest hint of professionalism. In gratitude to his work, I promise to google "How to Write a Headline" sometime in 2015. Thanks Ricki.

- It took me two years to finally finish Doris "I Wrote Team of Rivals" Goodwin's Teddy Roosevelt bio but it wasn't all for naught. Though I had heard the term "muckrakers" once or twice during 10th grade history class, I had no idea how important McClure's magazine was to shaping American life as we know it. That aside, editor S.S. McClure identified talented writers and gave them a platform to showcase their efforts and I knew I had to do a better job of reaching out in a similar way. There are just so many talented writers floating around in cyberspace. We may not have added an Ida Tarbell or Lincoln Steffens, but in my opinion we took a huge step up in 2014.

 Thanks to these new Pencilstorm contributors:

Brent Baver for covering OSU Football

Scott Carr for covering rock n roll history

The North Coast Posse for covering Browns football

Ryan Haye and Kevin J Elliot for covering Reds baseball

Jim Brazytis for covering Tribe baseball

Greg Bartrum for covering World Cup Soccer

Nick Jezierny for covering Watershed.

I'm sure I'm forgetting people but it's late and my brain just isn't what it used to be. As for our regular writers, surely you must be used to being taken for granted by now or you would have already quit. As always, I sincerely appreciate all your efforts in keeping this labor of love afloat. Love will keep us together. Unless you have already quit. Then love isn't keeping us together, but it's still an open relationship. No hard feelings. Sneak out for a fling whenever the mood strikes. I am usually working in the toolshed out back most nights after 9 pm…. and, if you know somebody who is over-achieving with their Facebook posts, have them send us something through our submissions page. We are always looking for new contributors.

Anyway, in closing, let me add: Pencilstorm rules, Grantland drools. Please tell a friend about us if you can. Not verbally of course, but that social media Facetwitter thing all the kids are into nowadays. Thanks again and Happy 2015.  - Colin G.