I just received a copy of Games Quarterly #12 in the mail. Among other wonderful things, it features an interview I conducted with actor Billy Campbell. I really enjoyed talking with Billy, and I think you’ll enjoy reading the results. The magazine also comes with articles by Jeff Tidball, Mike Selinker, and Mur Lafferty, plus an interview with Will Shortz, …
My Better Half in the News
My wife, Ann, is a school social worker in Janesville, Wisconsin. She works with grade-school and middle-school kids and supports homeless students throughout the district. Whenever I wonder about how useful what I do is–especially in the face of how screwed up society can be–I take solace that Ann’s out there fighting the good fight for the kids who need …
The DS, the Wii, and a Good Spanking
Recently, I needed to pick up a Nintendo DS Lite for a project I’m working on. It’s a great little machine. The PSP dominates it graphically, but the DS touch screen makes for a fun, innovative interface. On a similar note, I embarked on a hunt for the Nintendo Wii. After a few days of searching, my pal Jason Blair …
IGDA and Karma
I had a great time at the IGDA meeting in Madison on Wednesday night. The speaker, James Gee, did a fantastic job, with much of his hypotheses about gaming and learning dovetailing nicely with Raph Koster‘s A Theory of Fun for Game Design and another project I’m working on. Tim Gerritsen and I sat on a panel with James at …
IGDA Meeting Tonight
This evening, I’ll be at the meeting of the Madison chapter of the IGDA. Our speaker is James Gee, a professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. If you’re a local member, I hope to see you at the Casbah tonight.
Another Complete Idiot–For D&D!
I’ve been authorized to reveal that I’m in the middle of writing The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Creating Dungeons & Dragons Characters via IDW Publishing and Alpha Books, a division of Penguin. I hadn’t written any D&D or d20 material for a while, so this is a welcome return. As a part of this project, I’m collecting a list of …
Origins Awards Deadline Extension
I’m told that the deadline for submissions for the Origins Awards has been extended to March 1. See the press release after the cut.
Manga in May
My next book, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Manga Fantasy Creatures Illustrated, is scheduled for a May 1 release. Here’s a shot of the cover by the talented Tomoko Taniguchi (my co-creator on the book) to whet your appetite. It’s one of the most colorful books I’ve ever worked on, by far. Given my list of credits, that’s stunning–in many …
The Carpal Tunnel Martyrs Brigade
One of the regular commenters around here–Brian Bird–and his friends have set up a writer’s group called the Carpal Tunnel Martyr’s Brigade. They started out as a Google group but now have set up a snazzy new website to promote themselves and their upcoming science-fiction zombies anthology, Dead Space. Stop by and check them out–or join if you’re so inclined. …
Progressive Minnesotan Candidates
Al Franken declared his candidacy for the US Senate today, as a resident of the great state of Minnesota. Much more interesting–to me, at least–is the fact that my good pal John Nephew of Atlas Games also declared his candidacy for the city council of Maplewood, Minnesota. It’s always great to see smart, articulate people get involved in the civic …