A New Look

I’m playing around with a new theme for the site. I like this one a lot, although I’ll likely tweak it as I go. I’ll add a new header graphic for one. In the meantime, if you see anything missing here (like something you enjoyed from the old theme), let me know.

One cool thing about the new theme is that you can collapse any of the boxes in the sidebar by clicking on the little green bulb in the upper right. Also, you can rearrange the boxes in each column however you like. Just click on them and drag them around. They can’t move between columns, but this should give you, the reader, a fair amount of flexibility with how you like to use the site.

French Blood Bowl

The fine people at Bibliotheque Interdite have translated Blood Bowl (my first novel in the series) into French! If you parlez Francais, here’s your chance to read a culturally specific set of running jokes written by an American author for a British publisher and now published in French.

I wonder what will happen if the Blood Bowl novels ever get translated into German. Would they change all the joke translation names (Dunkel Hoffnung, for instance, is German for Dark Hero) into English or leave them as they stand?

Seriously, I’m thrilled to see another of my novels translated into a different language. It only makes me wish I could read more languages so I could see how the books transform. Many thanks to my stalwart editor Mathieu Saintout and my brave translator Olivier Fanton!

Comic-Con Plans

I just finalized plans to be at Comic-Con again this year. As with Wizard World Chicago, I don’t have any planned appearances, but I’ll be wandering around, seeing old friends, and hitting the parties.

Due to personal commitments that weekend, I’ll only be at Comic-Con from Wednesday night through Friday morning. If you’re around and need to meet with me that week, be sure to let me know.

Wizard World Chicago

Next weekend, I’m sadly giving Origins a miss and heading down to the much-closer Wizard World Chicago instead. I don’t have any scheduled appearances or signings. I’m just going down to wander around, catch up with friends, be a fan-boy, and have some fun. If you’ll be there, too, be sure to let me know.

Free RPG Day

In case it’s slipped past you (and it nearly did me), tomorrow is Free RPG Day! If you have a friendly local games store, be sure to head down and check out this year’s free offerings sometime on Saturday. The official site has a list of participating stores and the kinds of goodies you can expect to see.

Some publishers are joining in the fun online too. For example, my friends at Super Genius Games have just released The Forgotten Tomb of Felgar the Goblin King, the first in their “One Night Stand” line of fantasy RPG adventures. It’s available for free through RPGNow.com right now and through the weekend.

Idiot Superheroes Cover Up

CigsvjpgMan, I love that title.

Aaanyhow, here’s the cover for my next “How to Draw” book, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Drawing Superheroes and Villains, Illustrated. Because we didn’t have the rights to use any established characters, I came up with a slew of brand-new costumed heroes and crooks, which the awesome Argentine Yair Herrera shows you how to draw, step by loving step.

This book is scheduled for release on September 2, just in time for going back to school. And learning to draw new things.

Killer Contract Acquired

Wp-Content Uploads 2008 06 Bloodbowl-1-AAs you know, Blood Bowl: Killer Contract #1 hit comics stores yesterday. My authors’ comp copies are on the way, but I couldn’t wait. I drove over to the best (and only!) comic-book store in town, AK Comics, where owner David Loftus had a copy of both Cover A and Cover B waiting for me.
I wrote the issue, I’ve seen the art, and I’ve even read a PDF proof of the final pages. Still, there’s nothing like holding the final product in your hands: full-color, glossy-coated tree pulp and all.

However, due to the graphic nature of the book–hey, it’s Blood Bowl!–I can’t share the book with my kids. And let’s just say it runs perpendicular to my wife’s usual tastes. They’re all happy for me, of course, but this one’s just for me–and those of you who share my tastes!

While I was at AK Comics, I signed the rest of their stock and left it there on the shelves. At the moment, these are the only autographed issues in the universe, so if you’re in the neighborhood be sure to stop by and grab them fast.

[Edited to update link to Boom Studios’ spanking-new website.]