I’ve had a crazy busy time since Gen Con. I just turned in my first draft of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Drawing Manga, Illustrated: Fantasy Creatures, which my pals at IDW commissioned from me under a tight (read: insane) deadline. As the sequel to The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Drawing Manga, Illustrated, it’s been a fun book to work on, and the time pressures have made every bit of it fast-paced.

As a comics fan, I’ve read some manga over the years, although I hardly consider myself an expert in the field. Fortunately, my co-author, Tomoko Taniguchi, is a bang-up shoujo (girls’ manga) artist who really knows her stuff. I just follow in her wake and describe what she’s doing as best I can. She was a true pleasure to work with, as were my editors at IDW.

Next up, a short project for Mattel that’s due on Wednesday. Perhaps after that, I’ll be able to take a shot at that Gen Con report.

This summer, Patrick Sweeny pulled me back into working on roleplaying games for the first time in nearly two years. I only wrote the first couple thousand words of Tournament of the Fey, an introductory pack for Faery’s Tale, but you can download them now for free. No cost. Zip. Nada.

Patrick handed me a copy of Faery’s Tale at Gen Con, and it really was one of the coolest things at the show. If you have kids you’d like to introduce to roleplaying games, Faery’s Tale is the perfect choice.

If you find yourself getting lost wandering around Gen Con, that’s probably because you didn’t stop by the Firefly Games site to pick up their faery’s map of the exhibit hall. They should also have copies of the intro pack I worked on for their new Faery’s Tale family storytelling game.

I’m gearing up for Gen Con Indy, which opens to the public this Thursday. This is the great-grandaddy of gaming conventions, and for me it’s always like a combination of summer camp and Christmas in August. It’s a chance to see all those friends I only run into a few times a year, as well as to check out all of the coolest things gaming has to offer.

I won’t be tied to a particular booth this year. Instead, you can find me charging all around the show. Here’s my public schedule:

Thursday, August 10:
11—11:30 AM: Signing at the Wizards of the Coast booth, along with James Wyatt.
1—3 PM: Signing at the Sabertooth Games/Black Library booth.
3—4 PM: Signing in Author’s Alley, along with Keith Baker, Ed Bolme, Tim Waggoner, and James Wyatt.
5—6 PM: “Lifetime Freelancer,” a seminar, in the Celebration Hall at the Hyatt.

Friday, August 11
12—1 PM: “Designing Licensed Games,” a seminar, in the Celebration Hall at the Hyatt.

Saturday, August 12
1—3 PM: Signing at the Sabertooth Games/Black Library booth.
3—4 PM: “Fantastic Adventures,” a seminar about working in Robert E. Howard’s worlds, in the Mt. Rushmore Room at the Hyatt, along with Leigh Stone and Thommy Wojciechowski of Paradox Entertainment, Mike Stackpole, Charlie Krank of Chaosium, Jason Robinette of Comic Images, Alex Fennel of Mongoose, and Shane Hensley of Pinnacle Entertainment Group.
4—5 PM: Signing in Author’s Alley, along with Keith Baker, Ed Bolme, Tim Waggoner, and James Wyatt.

Sunday, August 12
1—2 PM: “Game Design 101,” a seminar, in the Celebration Hall at the Hyatt, along with James Ernest, Gwendolyn Kestrel, Sheri Graner Ray, and Mike Selinker.

Otherwise, you can probably spot me wandering around the exhibit hall, gabbing with friends, and roaming around with a happily dazzled look on my face. If you do, be sure to say hi.