So, thanks to @WendigoVDB’s July 1st post, I had a thought.

I believe that the best way to make a change is to create what you want to see in whatever area of your life you can. A lot of us here seem to agree that LGBT pride and support shouldn’t be reduced to a charade that people keep up for the duration of June, and are disgruntled that companies are doing just that.

Well, guess what? We’re on Newgrounds. We don’t depend on those companies for ad revenue, and we’re a small enough community that ideas can really spread throughout. We are in the perfect place to be the change we want to see.

So keep drawing pride art, keep your profile pics the same, keep your flags up, all that good stuff. Let’s see if we can keep going long enough to celebrate Prideoween, Pridemas, Pridesgiving. Valentine’s Day would be an especially great time to be confident in who you do or don’t love!

I told all this to a friend over text, and she added on that July is also Disability Pride Month, where we support individuals in the LGBT community who have disabilities of any kind. I haven’t said this to most people yet, as I don’t make a big deal out of either of these things, but I myself have autism and, thanks to my propensity for overanalysis, a terrible case of the questioning that doesn’t seem to be getting any clearer. So I’m going to try my best to love myself this month, for all of the weird ways my brain functions, and keep self-deprecation out of my mouth. (I hope I can deliver on that last one).

Here’s a comic she sent related to why Disability Pride Month is important.

Feel welcome to join in, or not, whatever suits you best. But I think it’ll be more fun if more Newgrounders get together and do something cool. How about you?

-Cass (Thetageist)

Welcome, everyone!

After some deliberation, I’ve picked up on some of the traits I liked from the usernames you suggested me and come up with one of my own. EscapistProductions is now the more punchy, more spooky, more concise, Thetageist!

This was a change that I’d been ramping up to for a while without knowing it - not only have I been drawing more dark and horror art, but my concept of self has changed quite a bit, and I’ve defined myself more beyond simply being someone who “escaped from” toxic platforms in the past. I’m not afraid of showing off a little weirdness anymore; I’m comfortable in my own skin. And now, with a gift of Supporter, I’ve taken on a new name to reflect that.

To commemorate this rebranding, I’m hosting a collab for my followers! Take a look here!

-Cass (Thetageist)

I want to thank you personally. I feel like a “thank you, kind stranger” isn’t enough (and feels cliched, but that might just be how much I lurk on Reddit.)

Regardless of if you ever step forward: Thank you. I’m happy to be on the cheer squad for NG, and I’ll make sure to enjoy this to the fullest.

I'm so excited to celebrate my first-ever follower milestone on Newgrounds! 50 of you guys got to know me and liked me enough that you wanted to get updates about what all I've been up to!

It may not sound like much in the big scheme of social media, but 50 people means 50 unique lives, personalities, and creative drives that all exist simultaneously. If all 51 of us, including me, were in a room together, talking to each other, that would be a lot of conversations going on - and I'd have to buzz around like a bee between the different groups to keep track of it all! 50 people also means my attempts to put myself out there and build confidence have been paying off, and many more supporters than I would have if I'd stayed in the shadows and let social anxiety restrict me to just posting art and hoping for the best. It's 50 people I can count on to support me when I'm feeling lonely and isolated, and living proof that my sometimes awkward navigation of the Newgrounds forums has not defined who I am on this site. I'm grateful to everyone who's shown their appreciation - it truly does mean a lot!

I wish I could celebrate in a bigger way, but unfortunately I'm sandwiched between a lot of art that I need to finish and a lot of real-life things I need to be working on. So instead, I'll do what I've always been good at - getting my friends introduced to my other friends. Go down into the comments and get to know my other followers! Let's talk amongst ourselves and connect - who knows, maybe it could be the beginning of some lasting friendships between you!

In the near future, you can also expect a little more engagement from me - art challenges, events, and other stuff my brain cooks up in its spare time - so keep an eye out in your feed and the forums!

Thanks again, everyone, and have fun!