Vanessa Labi is deputy editor for Comstock’s and a writer who specializes in arts and culture. She earned her English degree from UCLA. She shares cultural commentary, essays and recommendations in her newsletter, The Vessel. See her work at Vanessa-Labi.com. On Instagram @Vanessa.Labi.

Ray Sotero was a reporter and editor covering mostly politics, government and business for 22 years for The Modesto Bee and The Sacramento Bee, Gannett News Service and USAToday. A veteran of two combat tours in Vietnam, he is a 1979 Nevada Journalism grad and retired in 2019 after 19 years as a communications director for five successive California State senators.

Growing up in Houston, Gavin was a naturally curious kid and would ask questions about anything simply to understand more about the world. Gavin would go on to find an adoration for film as an art and began reviewing movies in late 2016 as a pastime. 

Kate Gonzales is a Sacramento-based journalist who writes about class, culture and gender. She is currently the associate editor at The Imprint, a daily, nonprofit news outlet. She has worked in Northern California media for 15 years and earned her sociology degree from Sacramento State University.

Scott Thomas Anderson is a veteran reporter based in California. Anderson balances his hard news focus with cultural writing and travel journalism. He’s also the writer and producer of the “Drinkers with Writing Problems” podcast. On Twitter @STA_reporter and Instagram @scottanderson_journo.

Jesse Kathan is a freelance science journalist based in Sacramento.  Their work has appeared in The Mercury News, Eos, and other outlets. They have an undergraduate degree in wildlife biology from UC Davis and a masters in science communication from UC Santa Cruz.

Gerardo Zavala is a journalist based in the Sacramento area. He is currently working for the Woodland Daily Democrat covering the city, business and agriculture. Zavala was the broadcast editor for The State Hornet at Sacramento State and was the photography and sports editor at The Channels at Santa Barbara City College.

Becky Grunewald is a downtown Sacramento resident who has been writing about food and culture in Sacramento for 15 years. She’s written for the late, great, Midtown Monthly magazine, Sacramento News & Review (for which she served a stint as their primary food reviewer), Eater.com, The Sacramento Bee, and more. 

Robin Douglas is a freelance writer, artist and photographer based in Sacramento. She earned her B.A. in English at Sacramento State and spent 13 years in nonprofit communications before launching Robin Douglas Creative Services in 2020. She is currently studying graphic design in the Design and Digital Media program at Sacramento City College.

Dakota Morlan is managing editor for Comstock’s magazine and former editor for the Calaveras Enterprise, a newsweekly in the Mother Lode region. She has won awards for her reporting on crime and the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more on Medium and her website, dakotamorlan.com. On Twitter @DakotaNMorlan.