Eight years!

Today marks eight years of doing a daily comic strip for me. It's kind of a big day for me because doing this is the one thing that I really dreamed about doing when I was a kid. It's a lifelong fantasy, and I am so loving the fact that I've been able to pursue it.

It's a time when I like to acknowledge the people who make it possible for me to live this dream. Tops on that list is my wife, who puts up with untold amounts of stuff when it comes to my life in comics. If she didn't believe in me, I would have never made it past Year One. She is the model of the perfect life partner, and I pity anyone who hasn't found their particular version of her in their lives.

And secondly, it's you. I've said it before, and I'll never get tired of saying it: You guys make this worth doing every day. Your comments; your reactions; your excitement; and your support. It all makes this a dream-come-true for me.

And that's why I'm going to celebrate this anniversary by giving you a present.

And... well... I think you're really, really going to like it. I can honestly say, I haven't been this excited about something in a long time.

But I'm not going to unveil it until Monday.

Till then, please accept my heartfelt gratitude for eight wonderful years.