My latest essay is up at Storytellers Unplugged. Stop by and read all about “The Working Writer’s Dilemma.”
TSR Memories for Sale
Kevin Hendryx, a TSR employee back in the early ’80s, is selling his collection of TSR stuff on eBay. It’s a wild gathering of items ranging from business cards and character sheets to rare zines and even letters of resignation. The biggest find is the set of print negatives for the original, banned version of the D&D module B3 Palace of the Silver Princess, which is going for over $1,500. The auction ends tonight, so move fast if RPG history interests you.
Blood Bowl Comics!
The fine folks at Boom! Studios have authorized me to announce that I’ll be writing a five-issue Blood Bowl miniseries for them this winter, based upon the four novels I’ve written for the Black Library. The first issue is projected to hit stores in March. Look for the first solicitation, along with a preview of the a cover, in the issue of Previews that hits stores in late December.
Ow. I’ve been holding that one in for a long time. It feels great to finally be able to talk about it.
I’ve been itching to get back into comics, and I honestly can’t wait to see this one on shelves. I’ve had a wonderful time working with my editor Joe Abraham and our Games Workshop liaison Nelson so far, and I’m thrilled to be associated with the talented crew at Boom!
ChiTAG Saturday!
This Saturday, I’ll be at the Chicago Toy and Game Fair. Oddly enough, it’s to be held at the Renaissance Hotel in Schaumburg rather than Chicago, where it originated a few years ago, but you’re all smart people who can figure your way around that.
I’ll be taking part in the inventor’s forum on Saturday morning, just watching from the floor and soaking up the fun. In the afternoon, from 1-3 PM, I’ll be one of the experts in the “Ask an Expert” event. If you’re around, sign up for a 15-minute session with me, and I’ll answer your questions as best I can. Assuming you have a ticket to get into the show, talking with me is free, although they suggest you register for a time slot in advance.
If you’re in the area, I hope to see you there!
Bella Times
My pal Peter Adkison appears in the business section of today’s New York Times. The article covers Peter’s new company, Hidden City Games, and its hit CCG, Bella Sara (which my daughter Helen adores). Peter and his crew recently raised $15 million in venture capital to push Bella Sara.
The article ends unsure about the chances of Bella Sara‘s success. All I know is I’d put every penny on Peter and the rest of his team.
Words for Food
My sister Jody pointed out to me a new site called FreeRice.com. It’s a neverending vocabulary quiz, with sponsors that put up money to buy rice for the United Nations World Food Program. As a professional writer, I’m always happy to expand my vocabulary, especially for a good cause. Plus, it helps hone my Scrabulous skills, so it’s research time well spent, right?
Writers’ Strike
Given what I do for a living, it’s probably no surprise that I fully support the writers’ strike the WGA called for last week. John Rogers gives a good round-up of the reasons behind it, linking to other excellent analysis, and Christian Johnson provides quality commentary over at Cinerati. Be sure to check out UnitedHollywood.com if you’re interested in a steady stream of updates.
I’m not a member of the WGA, as I don’t work in fields they cover. They’ve made a few tentative steps toward bringing computer game writers into the fold, but none of that’s come to fruition yet. (I’m not sure it’s possible to unionize computer game writers, mind you, given the lack of any solid union in the rest of the industry, but that’s another long conversation.) Still, I count many WGA members as friends, and we’re all writers at the core, siblings in spirit if not union membership or blood. Best of luck to them, no matter how long it takes.
Nephew Wins!
My pal John Nephew of Atlas Games fame won his race for one of the two open seats on the city council of Maplewood, Minnesota, last night. Congratulations, John! It’s always great to see someone step up and try to make a difference.
Omnibus in the UK!
Those fortunate enough to live closer to the Black Library in the UK than I do can now officially get their hands on Blood Bowl: The Omnibus. This no-neck, gold-tusked linebacker of a book smashes all of the first three Blood Bowl novels (Blood Bowl, Dead Ball, and Death Match) together under one cover, plus a short foreword I wrote just for this tome. That’s 768 pages of hilarious, spike-balled mayhem for the low price of only £9.99.
The rest of the world has to wait until November 27. Oh, the humanity.
We’re Home
Yesterday, we moved into our new home here in Beloit. It’s much bigger and has a fantastic office for me. I’ve been working in an office downtown since the quads were born, and now I’ll be able to cut my commute down from 2 minutes to 20 yards.
Many new neighbors came by to welcome us to the neighborhood already, including Pam and Sam Lathrop, who live right next door. Sam’s the chief of police in town, and Pam is the administrative assistant to the city manager. She’s also the kind-hearted soul who brought us Sunday dinner every week for the first year we had the quads home. As part of their welcome gift, Sam mowed our lawn for us as we moved in.
Ginormous thanks go out to the strong-backed men who helped us move in: Andy Friedl, Mark Nosek, Lester Smith, Rob and Eli King, Don Perrin, and Dan Schooff. Also to Lori Gordon and Ellen Plunkett for watching the quads for the afternoon. As always, big thanks to my mom for pitching in at every chance.
More regular posts to resume shortly.