Last Updated on: 26th June 2018, 12:29 pm
When it turned 25, I wrote a little bit about News of the Weird and how much it’s meant to my life. If you recall (let’s be honest, you probably don’t), I closed that post by saying “Happy anniversary to both Chuck and his amazing, strangely lifechanging creation. Here’s to as many more as you can handle.”
When I said that, I had no idea how many more there would be, but as people do with most things I just sort of assumed it would go on until the end of time. But of course, as happens with everything, it is not, in fact, going to go on until the end of time.
Yesterday this extra note came along with the regular weekly column. Turns out the answer to the question of how many more anniversaries he could handle is about three.
Dear Weirdettes and Weirdbros,
I am retiring very soon from News of the Weird and Weird Universe.
My final weekly NotW column (my 1,534th) will be posted on July 2nd, ending 29-plus years in the saddle (28 of them as distributed by Universal Press Syndicate, now known as Universal UClick). (I don’t know what Universal’s plans are for the column, and I am not part of that discussion.) The reason for retiring is that I am simply exhausted, i.e., so many stories to process, slower-firing synapses with which to process them. In fact, my synapses don’t so much “fire” these days as they kinda “lurch.” I know that some of you (because you’re kind) will be moved to shout out a few nice words to me, but, as I say, I am exhausted and thus may not (or may) respond. Just let me say that I will forever and ever be so very grateful to readers (and editors) for allowing me this gig. Y’all take care of yourselves.
Unsentimentally Yours,
Chuck Shepherd
WeirdNews at Earthlink dot net (until Dec 2017) / P. O. Box 18737,
Tampa FL 33679 (permanent)
God, I’m going to miss that guy. Sundays just won’t be the same from now on, and it’s going to be odd dropping bye WU and not wondering if I’ll stumble upon one of his midweek experimental columns.
Get some rest, Chuck. You’ve certainly earned it. I hope retirement treats you well. Oh, and thanks for everything.