A Celebration of 16 Years - The Night Everything Came Together

November 15th, 2025 marked sixteen years of Rin’s Comet. Sixteen years since I started this dream, sixteen years of learning every part of comic making through trial, error, and determination. I knew I could not let the anniversary pass quietly. I wanted to honor the work, the people who supported it, and the version of myself who kept going even when it felt impossible. So I organized a celebration at the Asbury Park Brewery, a full night of music, art, and community. I booked a four band lineup with Lightpath, Lilies of David, Blush, and Redhead Redemption. Redhead even unveiled a brand new song written specifically for me, built from the music that shaped me. It felt surreal to hear something created in response to my own work.

Between each set I had something planned to keep the night moving. After Lightpath we kicked off some trivia based on my comics, where the winner would be crowned the Mushroom King and given a hand knitted mushroom hat made just for this moment. Almost no one studied, which made the whole thing fall apart in a funny and chaotic way, but people still participated and it was a good time. After Lilies of David I did an impromptu live comic reading of Rin’s Comet Part III, which officially released that night. My laptop died before I could finish, but the room laughed with me and we kept going. It felt honest and human, the kind of moment you cannot script.

After Blush I presented the project I had been working on for the past month, the part of the night that meant the most to me. I made a video that showcased one hundred pieces of artwork from the past sixteen years and told the story of how I got here. It was not a straight path. It was full of struggle, doubt, and long stretches where I had to choose to keep going. While the video played the room went quiet. People were fully engaged, reacting to the emotional beats, following the story of a life spent drawing and trying and growing. It felt like the room understood me in a way that is rare.

At the end of the video there was a moment I will never forget. The entire crowd fell silent and stayed that way, holding the final image on the screen. It felt like the whole room was suspended in the same breath, sharing the same feeling. It was awe, and gratitude, and something close to magic. After sixteen years of work, this night felt like a milestone that honored every version of myself who kept the fire alive. It was the most important thing I have done so far, and it reminded me why I started Rin’s Comet in the first place.

Watch the Retrospective video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugv_zpHFUUc