Normally, I steer wide of GAMA politics these days. However, three of my good friends–Hal Mangold (of Green Ronin), Michelle Nephew (of Atlas Games), and Paul Tevis (of Have Games, Will Travel)–were elected to the GAMA board at Gen Con. Condolences Congratulations to all three!
Vacation Unplugged
My latest post for Storytellers Unplugged is up. This month, I talk about the vacation I took between Comic-Con and Gen Con, as well as what it’s like to try to leave the office behind. I’m never very successful at it, sadly, but that’s just fine.
Here’s a shot of my office for about 10 days of that time. It came with Wi-Fi via a nearby satellite dish–but no running water.
The ENnies
On Friday night at Gen Con, I took home less than 1% of a silver ENnie for the small part I played in Hobby Games: The 100 Best. Still, I’m proud that people recognized what a great book it is, as well as what a great job my friend Jim Lowder did in pulling it together.
Congratulations to all my fellow authors on HG100 and to all the rest of the winners too!
Gamers and Goldfarb
Michael Goldfarb, an aide to John McCain, recently wrote a blog post about the flap over whether or not McCain stole his “cross in the dirt” anecdote from legendary author Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. While trying to make his point that the similarities between the stories are perfectly plausible, he writes:
It may be typical of the pro-Obama Dungeons & Dragons crowd to disparage a fellow countryman’s memory of war from the comfort of mom’s basement, but most Americans have the humility and gratitude to respect and learn from the memories of men who suffered on behalf of others.
I’m Baaack!
I got back from Gen Con last night after three and a half weeks on the road, and I’m suffering from a self-inflicted case of happily exhausted. I launched this summer voyage with a quick trip out to the first couple days of Comic-Con, then spiraled into two and a half weeks of a working vacation in the Northwoods, followed by a power dive through Gen Con. I’m still digging through a backlog of mail, bills, e-mails, etc., but I hope to be back on track soon. Regular posts should start again from there.
Mutant Chronicles at Comic-Con
ICv2.com recently posted an article about the preview showing of the Mutant Chronicles film at Comic-Con. I left the show early and missed it, but I consoled myself with the fact I’ve already seen the film twice. The article also mentions my upcoming novelization and calls me a “bestselling fantasy author.” Who knew?
Sullivan’s Olympics
My fellow Alliterate and good friend Steve Sullivan has a wacky idea he calls The Tournament of Death. He’s challenging himself to write a fantasy novella inspired by this year’s Olympic games while the games are going on–and then post each chapter as he goes.
Be sure to check up on him as he goes!
Diana Jones Award Ceremony
The time and place of this year’s Diana Jones Award ceremony have been set. If you are an adventure gaming industry professional who will be attending Gen Con, you are cordially invited. If you do not have the details yet, drop me an e-mail, and I’ll send you a note with everything you need to know to attend. Thanks!
(Sorry, folks, but it’s not open to the general public.)
Prints of Floods
I know I’m late coming to this, but my pal Aaron Acevedo and his wife Jeannine came home a while back to a flooded house. To help pay for the repairs, he’s having a flood sale on his excellent art prints. Be sure to check them out!
Back from Comic-Con
I had a wonderful if too-brief time at Comic-Con. I flew out of Milwaukee early on the morning of July 23 and arrived too early to check into my room at the Horton Grand or to get my badge for the show. I wandered around a bit, caught some lunch, then got into the room.
I worked for a couple hours on my laptop and then headed over to the show. I ran into Aaron Allston and Jeff Carlisle on the way in and chatted for a bit, along with Andrew Bates for a whle. Then we went our separate ways as we surfed the wave into the insanity of the show.