No Origins for Me

I regret to report that I won’t be able to make it to Origins this year. I have too many deadlines over my head to justify taking off the better part of a week or more to go to Columbus, Ohio, no matter how fantastic it would be. This is also why I’ve been quiet here lately. Too many things to do has left less time for blogging (and sleeping).

On the upside, once I finish with my current project, I should be caught up, as most of my other deadlines are a long ways off. Wish me luck, and if you happen to be in Columbus this weekend, tip a pint in my direction, please.

Join the Industry

Sometimes people ask about hiring me on full-time someplace. I’m always flattered by this and willing to talk about it. I’m picky, though, and it would take a lot for me to give up freelancing and leave my hometown behind. I have an incredible support structure here, and I couldn’t buy the kind of help I get from friends and family in the area. Still, I chat with people about these things because you never do know what might happen.

In the meantime, though, I thought I might pass some of these opportunities on to you in the hopes that you might be a better fit for the positions. I’d love it if another of my friends ended up in a powerful position in the gaming industry.

So, here are two job opportunities that crossed my virtual desk this week:

Hasbro is looking for an associate toy/game developer in their Rhode Island offices. If I was in the mood for a move, I’d consider this one myself. It sounds like a blast, and I know a couple of the people who run the departments there. This is one of the top mass-market game development groups in the world.

Closer to home (for me, anyway), Patch Products (which makes family games, foam sports balls, and puzzles) is looking to fill a few positions here in Beloit, Wisconsin. Patch is a successful, family-run company owned by the guys who printed the first ever AD&D books in their former lives. They have a great reputation here in town and an excellent benefits package, and Beloit’s cost of living rate is dirt cheap.

If you’re interested, good luck. Even if these don’t do anything for you, let me know if I’m wasting your bandwidth bothering to post such things.

Hungry Little Monsters Ready to Eat

No, this isn’t about my kids. Hungry Little Monsters is an all-star jam d20 RPG book of monsters. All profits go to FoodForAll.org, a worldwide initiative to end hunger. You can buy the book now through DriveThruRpg.com or RPGNow.com for just $7, a bargain for a 63-page book that comes with separated artwork (placed in a separate file so you can print them out and show them to your players when they encounter those monsters) and tabletop counters for use in your games.

The talented and generous Sean K. Reynolds made the project happen. He rounded up dozens of contributors, including Ed Greenwood, Aaron Acevedo, Claudio Pozas, Wil Upchurch, Scott Bennie, Hal Greenberg, Alex Jurkat, Aaron Rosenberg, Robert Schwalb, Owen K. C. Stephens, Dale Donovan, Janice Sellers, JD Wiker, Jeffrey Visgaitis, Toren Atkinson, Scott Purdy, and many others, including me.

So, if you play D&D at all, run out and pick up this PDF now. It’s good stuff for a good cause.

New iBook

My new computer showed up yesterday. It’s an iBook, just like the last two I bought. I’ve had a lot of luck with these machines. I got a 12“ model, which had everything I wanted but a DVD burner (which I’ll add externally, for much cheaper). I bumped the RAM up to 1.25 Gig myself and had the factory install Bluetooth and a larger (80 Gig) hard drive. It’s much faster than my last iBook, which is three years old and showing every minute of it.

Dave Sutherland Dies

I’m a few days late on this, but my good friend Jim Kitchen called me tonight about it. Dave Sutherland, one of the first artists hired at TSR, passed away on June 6, just over a week ago. You can read a solid obituary on GamingReport.com. I never met Dave, but I knew his work. Anyone who picked up the original D&D books did.

Jim also adds that Dave’s funeral will be held in the Twin Cities on June 22nd at the Fort Snelling Memorial Chapel, near the Twin Cities International airport. Plans are currently a visitation with the family at 9 a.m. followed by a memorial service at 10 a.m. A military burial is planned for 11:30 at the Fort Snelling National Cemetery.

Sadly, I can’t make it, but if you’re in the area, consider paying your respects.

Shark Boy and Lava Girl

I went to go see Shark Boy and Lava Girl in 3D with my eldest son on Saturday night. It’s a bit of a change-up for Robert Rodriguez, as this is a kid’s film and his last effort was Sin City. Still, Rodriguez did a great job. Marty and I both loved the film. (“I can’t wait for that to come out on DVD!” he says.)

The story reminded me a bit of The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster, a book I read to shreds as a kid. There are all sorts of clever constructs like the Train of Thought, etc. If you have kids in your life–or are a kid at heart–I recommend it.

H. P. 8-Ball

Paul Tevis’s recent stab at being a prophet caused me to do some on-the-fly research concerning everyone’s favorite oracular device: the Magic 8-Ball. I chanced upon this enlightening article written the style of a Lovecraftian investigator probing the secrets of the mysterious artifact. Here’s a sample:

An Opinion was Obtained
The cylinder of fluid and device are still able to render opinions without the protection of the outer shell. At this point, the authors enquired whether the Oracle was enjoying the disassembly. “Outlook not so good,” was the pensive reply.

The Big War of the Worlds Release

No, not the Spielberg-Cruise film. Everyone knows about that. Instead, try War of the Worlds: New Millennium, a novel that updates the classic H. G. Wells tale for the 21st century, by none other than Doug Niles. Doug says it’s the best thing he’s ever written, and I’m inclined to believe it. I got to sample some bits of it during our monthly Alliterates meetings.

Doug and I have been fellow Alliterates for years, but I first met him when I was just a kid, although neither of us remembered it later. I discovered it when moving into my office before the quads were born, and I stumbled across my old Dungeon Masters Guide. As a new Dungeons & Dragons player at my first Gen Con, I ran around and collected autographs from every TSR employee I could find. Doug’s signature sits on one of that book’s end pages.

Anyhow, I’m looking forward to reading the whole of Doug’s latest masterpiece as soon as I can get my grubby little mitts on a copy, and you should be too.

A (Very Special) Gamer Olympics

This just in from a Gen Con press release at GamingReport.com:

Brand new this year – Gamer Olympics! Ever wonder if a person could accomplish some of the feats if a Dungeon Master lays in front of a role-playing character? Now is the chance to find out! Test strength by swinging a sword as hard and as accurately as possible at a target. Test accuracy by throwing a javelin at enemies. Test combat prowess against a warrior of Edhellen Armoury. Test dexterity when crossing the “Chasm of Doom” and running through heavily trapped “Passage of Death.” The final test will be one of grace and a keen eye: The Archery Range. Once a final score is determined, prizes will be awarded.

Ah, but here’s the best part, which isn’t listed in the release: play-by-play and color commentary by Keith Jackson (as channeled by Ken Hite) and Bob Eucker (as approximated by myself). If you’ll be in Indianapolis the weekend of August 18—21, don’t miss it.