Our Second Anniversary! *

* On Substack. We've been married almost 11 years. Buddy and Romeo were created 10.5 years ago. So it's neither of those things. This is a Substackiversary.

THIS WEEK:

• Marking TWO YEARS of the Buddy and Romeo Cartoon Substack

• “Where Are They Now?” The Bad Day Book - Parenting Edition

• BEHIND THE PAY WALL: True cartoon confessions! Oh yeah, and the Super Bowl, I guess.

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Happy Valentine’s Day!

If you’ve been around here a while, you know we’re making a Buddy and Romeo holiday book. That means, each holiday, we post cartoons that hardly have anything to do with said holiday because we’re saving the cartoons that are actually about the holiday for the book. Buddy and Romeo: Alone for the Holidays is currently under review with a number of agents and publishers. We’re continuing to work our way through the submission process and sending it out for review. You can look forward to cartoons that are actually about Valentine’s Day when the book comes out this year if we self-publish; or in a different year if it gets picked up. We’ll probably know which direction we’re going by the summer.

February 15th marks two years since Buddy and Romeo climbed out of their hard drive tomb to make weekly Wednesday appearances on Substack. What a year it was!

We gained some new subscribers — and lost a lot more subscribers than that! This is a place for losing! And losers!

Truth be told, the number of subscribers dropped because DiPerri went through the subscriber list and purged what he suspected were bots. Readers (and humans) only please.

What will year three of this Substack bring?

Well, hopefully, more authentic subscribers. Like you! If you’re reading this, thank you! If you’re not subscribed, please join us. Some of this is free.

Feel free to share this Substack with your friends. The more the merrier!

And more of it isn’t. Each week, we post more cartoons, commentaries, and a look behind the scenes at past/present/future projects. Our existing paid subscribers have hand-made Buddy stuffed toys in their future. If DiPerri can get the sewing machine up and running again and finish that project, who’s to say if a Romeo stuffed toy eventually joins him too. I know: “Finish Buddy before you start thinking about Romeo.” I will. With today’s news of Joann Fabrics closing 500 of it’s 800 stores and a liquidator looking to buy the company, the clock is probably ticking on making Buddy AND Romeo plush toys…

UPDATE: As of an hour ago prior to the writing of this update, Joann Fabrics released a full list of the 500 locations they are closing. Two of our local stores are on the list but one, luckily, made the cut to stay open. …I just cross-checked the list of existing locations with those closing. Our local Joann Fabrics will be the only one left in our state! Gosh. Horrible day for the employees. Sorry…

The Substack average for paid subscribers is 10% — and we’re at 11%! Buddy and Romeo are above average! I don’t believe it! Our sincerest thanks.

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2025 will certainly be a year of failure and disappointment for Buddy and Romeo.

Another year of friendship; dumb fun; ill-fated dates; misguided socializing; and bad days begins next Wednesday!

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We have a cartoon in The Bad Day Book: Parenting Edition! We’re thrilled to be published alongside so many funny and talented creators including two of The New Yorker cartoonists we most admire: Ali Solomon and Sarah Morrissette.

Here’s the official synopsis:

Parenting . . . Whose Idea Was This Anyway?

If you've ever thought, "Is this normal?"-trust us, it is. You're not alone, and you're definitely not the only one asking, "Did that really just happen?"

Welcome to parenting, where chaos reigns and laughter saves the day!

The Bad Day Book Parenting Edition is a hilarious and relatable collection of stories from parents who have been there-and survived to laugh about it. These real-life tales of mishaps and messy moments will remind you that the struggle is not just real but also universal.

Whether you're dealing with teens, tots, or anything in between, these disastrous, embarrassing, and downright relatable stories will have you nodding, laughing, and maybe even crying as you realize, "At least I'm not the only one!"

So take a breath, embrace the mess, and remember: Someday, you'll laugh about all of this. So why not start now?

Order your copy of The Bad Day Book: Parenting Edition here.

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If you’re enjoying yourself at Buddy and Romeo’s expense so far, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. You’ll get exclusive comics and commentaries; behind-the-scenes drawings and project developments; and access to this entire Substack archive. Plus, the more coffee we drink, the more we’ll create.

Stick around after the paywall for Super Bowl recaps and the true tales behind last week’s paywalled cartoons.