Friend's London Trip

An online friend of my went to London recently and posted a diary of her trip. I thought it looked really cool.

Oh, and check out her blog here.

ECC @ Ingenuity Cleveland wrap-up

The Evolution Control Committee show was the highpoint for me of this year's Cleveland Ingenuity festival. I'm happy to see that they linked to my photos on Flickr and mentioned me by name.

A video that I shot (my first with my camera so it is a little shaky) is up on their video page as well.

Ingenuity Fest Cleveland 2008 was a grand success, and The ECC had a couple very successful and well-attended shows there, debuting new lights on the Thimbletron, new music, and more.

Very cool, and thanks for a great set!

The ENnie Awards - Voting Page

The voting is open now for next year's ENnie judges. These folks do a pretty good job of things, and they are a good bunch of people. Dorkland, like last year, supports the judgeship of Zachary Houghton. He's a dedicated gamer, a good guy and takes his judging very seriously.

Welcome to the 2008 ENnies voting booth. On this screen you will see the nominees for the 2009 ENnies Judges. Voting for the 2009 Judge Panel runs August 10th to August 15th.

Before voting, please take the time to familiarize yourself with the applicants. A complete listing of the nominees is available at http://www.ennieawards.com/voting.html

For this ballot, you can vote for a single candidate or all the candidates. If you wish to vote for more than one person order them appropriately by placing your first choice on the first ballot, your second choice on the second and so on. The computer discards duplicate ballots.

Blue Dragon TCG Uses Roleplaying Mechanic

Konami's new Blue Dragon TCG (see 'Konami Gets Blue Dragon TCG Rights'), which it was demoing at San Diego Comic-Con, will use a roleplaying mechanic and carry the official title of the Blue Dragon Role Playing Card Game (RPCG). Players battle against each other using Command and Skill Cards, attempting to gain Experience in the game to learn new abilities, level up, and execute attacks.

Lifehacker: Five Best Desktop Media Players

You've collected hundreds of thousands of megabytes (and maybe even gigabytes) of digital music and video in the past 10 years, and as your media library has grown, so has the necessity for finding the perfect desktop media player. Not only must the perfect player be capable of playing back your media, but it also needs to be able to help you search through and find any song or movie you're looking for at a moment's notice. On Tuesday we asked to hear about your favorite desktop media player, and over 600 comments later we're back with the most popular answers. Hit the jump for a glimpse at the five best desktop media players, then help us choose the best of the best.

Twitter

In a recursive move, I am attempting to push the feed for this (my blog) into my Twitter account. Will it work? Only time will tell.

SovLit.com - Soviet Literature Summarized

Here's a cool little site for those of you looking for interesting period literature but you don't want something from the viewpoints of the West.

I'm sure that there's a lot of useful information for gamers to be found at this site.

The ENnie Awards- Voting Information Page

Voting is open for the ENnie Awards from July 28th until August 6th. Be sure to vote.

The ENnie Awards- Voting Information Page

BBC NEWS | Why is John Barrowman gay?

Torchwood star John Barrowman has known he was gay since he was nine. But was he born that way or did his upbringing have something to do with it? Here, he explains why he set out to try to solve this mystery, for the BBC One show The Making of Me.

I was in the closet for three hours once in 1972. It was dark, uncomfortable, and really cramped. Plus, I was convinced I wasn't alone (a crumpled jacket lurking in the corner looked pretty dangerous). I was five and my brother, Andrew, then 10, and my sister, Carole, 13, had shoved me into the coat closet because, well, really for absolutely no good reason. I mean what baby brother has ever annoyed his siblings to the point of needing to be locked up or tied down?

This story still gets a laugh from my nieces and nephews. Depending on who's doing the telling, Uncle John was either locked up for 30 fleeting minutes or for three long, tortuous, oxygen-starved hours. As simple as the story is I think it's an apt metaphor for the way I've chosen to live my life - openly, honestly, with no regrets. And, whenever I can, I try to confront the monsters in the dark. As my favourite Jerry Herman song proclaims: 'There's no return and no deposit. One life. So open up your closet.'

Robert Kirkman Made Partner at Image Comics

This is pretty big news in comics, I think.

22 July 2008 - As reported by the New York Times earlier today, THE WALKING DEAD and INVINCIBLE's Robert Kirkman has become a corporate partner of Image Comics.

'Image Comics has been a huge part of my life for as long as it's been in existence,' said Kirkman. 'Being inspired by the creation of Image, I've entered into my comics career not wanting to write corporate characters as much as I've wanted to create my own. Being a partner at Image, having the chance to help run the company as well as continue to contribute strong creator-owned series to its publishing line is more than I've ever thought possible for myself. I'm very excited to have the opportunity to sit at the table across from my fellow partners, and steer the direction of comics as a whole.'

Howard Chaykin's American Flagg! is Waving

This week, Image Comics and Dynamic Forces will release a hardcover collection of Howard Chaykin's legendary creator-owned series 'American Flagg!' to comic shops across America. At least, that's what Chaykin's been told.

'My understanding is that it actually exists,' laughs the writer and artist, noting that he'll believe the long-delayed volume has been printed when he holds it in his hands. Announced over three years ago, the hardcover will include the first twelve issues of the series (originally published in the early '80s by First Comics) as well as an all-new Flagg tale by Chaykin. 'What delayed the process were the solutions to a series of technical problems that were created by a number of unforeseen circumstances - getting our hands on the film, things like that. That was what extenuated the process and made the process more difficult,' Chaykin says.

However, while the 'Flagg!' hardcover took a number of years to assemble, few would argue that the wait would not be worth it. While a number of younger fans today never experienced the series, the story of former TV star Reuben Flagg fighting his way through corruption in a giant, gang-infested mall in an America abandoned by the U.S. government for new digs on Mars is a keystone of creator-owned comics and Chaykin's groundbreaking graphic style.

Announcement of the Creation of Gygax Games

July 23, 2008 Trigee Enterprises Company announced today it will now be conducting business as Gygax Games. Gail Gygax owner of Trigee Enterprises Company and the intellectual properties created by the late E. Gary Gygax also recently brought on board, Spencer Wright as Director of Operations & Product Development.

Gygax Games will focus on a number of projects including Castle Zagyg™ and the Gygaxian Fantasy Worlds ™ products created by the late Gary Gygax.

Gygax Games has plans to re-launch the Legendary Adventure™ line in the future.

Gail Gygax stated she wants to focus on maintaining the integrity of the product lines and is dedicated to working with other authors to continue the legacy of her late husband.

Contact Gail Gygax
262 745 5577

Spencer Wright
gygaxgames@gmail.com

Castle Zagyg, Gygaxian Fantasy Worlds and Legendary Adventure are trademarks owned by Trigee Enterprises Company.

Calvinball Rules at Simply Calvin and Hobbes

Here's a compilation of Calvinball 'rules' through the years. Of course, they are all open to interpretation and contradiction...

Gi Joe: Warren Ellis Is Resolute About GI Joe

So, Warren Ellis has written the script for a PG-13 animated G.I. Joe movie.

The idea was, as I understand it, that bringing in a writer with absolutely no nostalgia for the property would give them the tone they were looking for. I think they were happy when I presented them with the initial list of characters I was going to just kill. And then the list of things I was going to blow up.

The people at Hasbro were actually remarkably supportive. And I did apologise after shouting at them those times. And they did give me one of those conversations that you never really expect to have when growing up:

HASBRO: No, Warren, you cannot wipe Beijing from the face of the earth.

ME: Shit. (pause) What about Moscow?

HASBRO: Wiping Moscow from the face of the earth would be fine.

Boom! Comic's Josh Medors Benefit

From Mark Waid via Warren Ellis' Mailing List:

This September, Boom! -- in partnership with Dan Taylor -- is releasing a one-shot anthology, PULP TALES, 100% of the profits of which will be donated to artist Josh (30 DAYS OF NIGHT ANNUAL, FUSED) Medors, who's fighting a losing, health-insurance-light battle against cancer. Steve Niles, B. Clay Moore, Josh Fialkov and Tony Fleecs are just a few of the artists and writers who've donated their time and effort to this project, and they're all bringing their 'A' game.

Mike Wieringo snuck up on us. The suddenness of Michael Turner likewise surprised us. Josh isn't as well-known as those two guys, but he's a talented man with a good heart who's done well by us all and has been a great spokesperson for comics with the way he treats his fans--and while our donations can't make his cancer go away, they can make life easier for Josh and his family in a way we didn't get a chance to provide to others.

We've got two editions of this book shipping--a $3.99 edition with a Ben Templesmith cover and, for those readers who'd like to kick in a bigger donation to the cause, a $9.99 cover by Josh himself. I'm a terrible shill and a lousy salesman, so I'm not going to hard-sell anyone on this--but if whoever's reading this can help us make a difference to a fellow professional and his family while we still can, while it still counts, I'd be very grateful. Thank you.

FUNimation Acquires Geneon and ADV Anime Titles

FUNimation Entertainment, announced that not only they have acquired a number of anime titles from the recently closed doors of Geneon, but approximately 30 recent titles from what is now the former (as of 2007) #1 distributor of Japanese animation in the United States, ADV.

Thomas M. Disch RIP

Science Fiction author Thomas Disch has died. According to Ellen Datlow he committed suicide on July 4th in his home.

Independent Government Observers Task Force

The Internet has created a new generation of individuals and institutes that practice the time-honored tradition of observing and reporting on the activities of government. These are reporters in the sense of court reporters, not journalists, auditors as in independent investigators rather than CPAs.

The classic independent observer is the court reporter, such as Henry Wheaton and Richard Peters, two businessmen in the early days of the Republic who took it upon themselves to collect, print, and sell the decisions of courts.

Origins Award Winners

Miniatures Rules of the Year
Presented by Rick Loomis

Classic Battletech
Published by Catalyst Game Labs
Created by Jordan Weisman
Edited by Michelle Lyons, Diane Piron-Gelman

Saganami Island Tactical Simulator, Second Edition
Published by Ad Astra Games
Created by Ken Burnside and Thomas Pope

Forces of WARMACHINE: Pirates of the Broken Coast
Published by Privateer Press
Created by Brian Snoddy and Matt Wilson

AT-43
Published by Rackham
Created by Arnaud Cuidet, Jean-Baptiste Lullien, Nicolas Raoult, and
Jerome Rigal

Song of Blades and Heroes
Published by Andrea Sfiligoi
Created by Andrea Sfiligoi

WINNER: Classic Battletech



Miniature or Miniature Line of the Year
Presented by Mike Noe

Skarrd Raze #2
by Dark Age Games

George R.R. Martin Masterworks - Premium Miniature Line
by Dark Sword Miniatures, Inc.

Titania’s Fury
by Dragonfire Laser Crafts Inc.

Bronzeback Titan, HORDES: Evolution Miniatures Line
by Privateer Press

Dark Heaven Legends Fantasy Miniatures
by Reaper Miniatures

WINNER: Titania’s Fury

Collectible Card Game of the Year
Presented by Marcelo Figueroa

Bleach
Published by Score Entertainment
Aik Tongtharadol (lead designer), William Harper (rules editor)

Legend of the Five Rings
Published by Alderac Entertainment Group
Mark Wootton (lead designer), Charles Urbach (cover artist)

The Spoils
by Tenacious Games, Inc.
Josh Lytle (lead designer), Patrick Meehan (lead artist)

WINNER: Legend of the Five Rings

Historical Miniature Game of the Year
Presented by Pete Panzeri and Frank Chadwick

Axis & Allies Naval Miniatures
Published by WotC

Benghazi Handicap
Published by Test of Battle Games

“Check your 6!”
Published by Skirmish Campaigns

D-Day Campaigns for Normandy
Published by Battlefront Games

Might & Reason
Published by Caliver Books

WINNER: “Check your 6!”

Historical Miniatures Line of the Year
Presented by Frank Chadwick

British 7th Armored Division 15mm
Published by Battlefront Miniatures

British Napoleonic 40mm
Published by Sash & Saber Castings

Romano-British 15mm
Published by Splintered Light Miniatures

Buccaneers, Pirates and Privateers 28mm
Published by Brigade Games

Seminole Wars 28mm
Published by Old Glory Corporation

WINNER: Romano-Brit 15mm

Historical Board Game of the Year
Presented by Pete Panzeri and Frank Chadwick

Age of Empires III: The Age of Discovery
Published by Tropical Games

Asia Engulfed
Published by GMT Games

Athens and Sparta
Published by Columbia Games

Duel in the Dark
Published by Pilot Games and Z-Man Games

Struggle for Rome, Cataan Historical Series
Published by Mayfair Games

Tide of Iron
Published by Fantasy Flight Games

WINNER: Age of Empires 3: Age of Discovery

Origins Hall of Fame Inductees
Presented by Anthony Gallela
WINNER: R.A. Salvatore
WINNER: Vampire: The Masquerade
WINNER: Paranoia
(Accepting on behalf of the Paranoia designers: THE COMPUTER)

Non-Fiction Publication of the Year
Presented by Mike Stackpole

40 Years of Gen Con
Published by Atlas Games
Written by Robin D. Laws

Confessions of a Part-Time Sorceress: A Girl’s Guide to the Dungeons &
Dragons Game
Published by Wizards of the Coast
Written by Shelly Mazzanoble

Grand History of the Realms
Published by Wizards of the Coast
Written by Brian R. James and Ed Greenwood

Hobby Games: The 100 Best
Published by Green Ronin
Edited by James Lowder

No Quarter Magazine
Published by Privateer Press
Nathan Letsinger, editor-in-chief; Eric Cagle, editor; Josh
Manderville, art director

WINNER: Hobby Games: The 100 Best

Fiction Publication of the Year
Presented by Ed Greenwood

Astounding Hero Tales
Published by Hero Games
Edited by James Lowder

Dragons of the Highlord Skies
Published by Wizards of the Coast
Written by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

Frontier Cthulhu
Published by Chaosium
Edited by William Jones

The Orc King
Published by Wizards of the Coast
Written by R.A. Salvatore

The Time Curse
Published by Margaret Weis Productions
Written by James M. Ward

WINNER: Astounding Hero Tales

Game Support Product of the Year
Presented by Ken Hite

Dungeon Life: Bendy Walls



Published by by Z-Man Publishing

Gamemastery Flip Mat: Tavern
Published by Paizo Publishing

Crystalline Counters
Published by Three Sages Games

Hollow Earth Expedition GM Screen
Published by Exile Game Studio

Dr. Wizard’s Patented Elevation Indicator
Published by Stratus Artworks

Call Of Cthulhu Dice Set
Published by Q-Workshop

WINNER: Call of Cthulhu Dice Set

Tributes
Robert Lynn Aspirin
Bob Bledsaw
Charles B. Crain III
James Perham
Erick Wujick
E. Gary Gygax

Roleplaying Game Supplement of the Year
Presented by Dr. Michelle Nephew

Legend of the Five Rings: Emerald Empire
Published by Alderac Entertainment Group
Written by Shawn Carman, Richard Farrese, Douglas Sun and Brian Yoon

Pirate’s Guide to Freeport
Published by Green Ronin
Written by Chris Pramas, Robert J. Schwalb, and Patrick O’Duffy

Delta Green: Eyes Only
Published by Pagan Publishing
Written by Dennis Detwiller, Adam Scott Glancy and Shane Ivey

Pathfinder: Rise of the Runelords
Published by Paizo Publishing
Edited by James Jacobs, Art by Wayne Reynolds

Ruins of the Wild: Dungeon Tiles 4
Published by Wizards of the Coast
Written by Bruce R. Cordell

Codex Arcanis
Published by Paradigm Concepts
Written by Team Paradigm

WINNER: Codex Arcanis

Roleplaying Game of the Year
Presented by Erik Mona

Grimm
Published by Fantasy Flight Games
Written by Robert Vaughn and Christian T. Petersen

The Savage World of Solomon Kane
Published by Great White Games/Pinnacle Entertainment Group
Written by Paul “Wiggy” Wade-Williams (with Shane Lacy Hensley)

CthulhuTech
Published by Mongoose Publishing
Written by Matthew Grau and Fraser McKay

Battlestar Galactica
Published by Margaret Weis Productions
Written by Jamie Chambers

Faery’s Tale Deluxe
Published by Firefly Games
Written by Patrick Sweeney, Sandy Antunes, Christina Stiles, and Robin
D. Laws

Aces & Eights
Published by Kenzer & Co.
Written by Jolly R. Blackburn, Brian Jelke, Steve Johansson, Dave
Kenzer, Jennifer Kenzer and Mark Plemmons

WINNER: Aces & Eights

Traditional Card Game of the Year
Presented by Cayle Shovan

Lifeboat
Published by Gorilla Games
Created by Jeff Siadek

Cutthroat Caverns
Published by Smirk and Dagger Games
Created by Curt Covert and Justin Brunetto

Bankruptcy
Published by Tangent Games
Created by Geoff Habiger and Coy Kissee

Zombie Fluxx
Published by Looney Labs
Created by Andrew Looney

Infernal Contraption
Published by Privateer Press
Created by Matt Wilson, Jason Soles, Kevin Clark, Erik Breidenstein

Race for the Galaxy
Published by Rio Grande Games
Created by Thomas Lehmann

WINNER: Zombie Fluxx

Board Game or Expansion of the Year
Presented by Mike Selinnker

Pillars of the Earth
Published by Mayfair Games
Created by Michael Rieneck and Stefan Stadler

Kingsburg
Published by Elfin Werks
Created by Andrea Chiarvesio and Luca Iennaco

StarCraft: The Board Game
Published by Fantasy Flight Games
Created by Corey Konieczka and Christian Petersen

Last Night on Earth, The Zombie Game
Published by Flying Frog Productions
Created by Jason Hill

Battue: Storm of the Horse Lords
Published by Red Juggernaut
Created by Jim Long

WINNER: Starcraft: The Board Game

Seraphim Guard Special Sale

Currently we're running a 25% off sale on our PDFs at the Seraphim Guard webstore. This is an Origins special that's only running while we're at the convention (probably until Sunday at some point).

If there has been a product you've wanted, now if a good time to check it out.

Click here to check out our store.

Picture From Origins

www.flickr.com Cleveland Desolation's Origins 2008 photoset

Hello From Origins!

Hello everyone! Today brings us to the tail end of the "second" day of Origins. The Exhibition Hall didn't open until today, and a lot of the gamers did not open today but there were people and events that started last night, and I have to so that so far this Origins has shaped up to be better than last years.

Here are some random Origins-related notes:
1. A lot of women with blue hair. I'm not sure about the relationship, just something to mention.

2. Talked today for a little while with Shane Ivey of Arc Dream Publishing. We talked about the past and upcoming future of Delta Green. Good Stuff!! Plus, it was great to put a face to the name that I've seen posting both on the DG list and over at RPG.net.

3. Talked for a while with Jeff Combos and a couple of other guys at Exile Game Studio about Hollow Earth Expeditions. At Battlefield Press we are really looking forward to our HEX-powered conversion of Pulp Fantasy and after talking with Jeff I can see why. His enthusiasm is great and infectious for his games. Might be meeting up at Big Bar a little later.

4. Picked up True20 Revised edition from the folks at Green Ronin. What's a great thing about conventions? Steve Kenson (the designer of True20 and an all-around great guy) ran up our order! How cool is that? I am really thinking that it might be a good system for a Gatecrasher conversion too.

5. Picked up a few odds and ends. There really wasn't a lot that I wanted to buy and the only thing that I am really still looking for is a cheap copy of Mongoose's new edition of Traveller. I got the quick start at Free RPG Day, and it just confirmed that this is a game that I want to have. A copy of Runequest Deluxe would be nice too but I haven't seen that either.

Aren and Aaron have had pretty full schedules so far. Aaron had a great session of Stargate SG-1 last night and Aren had a fun game of HEX that featured death rays and baby seals. Who doesn't enjoy role-playing like that?

I didn't get to take so many pictures yet. Hopefully I will get around to some more over the weekend. This badge will actually update itself as I load more photos into this set so one link is all that you will need:

Internet access will be limited but I will try to post more tomorrow (or Saturday before we leave and I will definitely get more photos. More shopping (probably) and I will also be wandering around and/or getting to doing some actual work around here.

If you are around Origins tonight, stop by the Big Bar and say hello!

Wednesday...To Origins!!!

Early Wednesday afternoon I will be leaving for Origins. We'll be there until Saturday night.

I will be taking my computer and camera along with me, and will be blogging and photo posting from the convention while I am there. I'm going to try for a recap each night.

I will also be blogging this for the Cleveland Victus blog, provided they get me the posting privileges promised. I will probably try to do slightly different material for each blog, so that we can have a bit of variety.

Emails and other responses may be slow coming over the next few days.

George Carlin Dies

Outside of Richard Pryor, I cannot think of a comedian who has had as much of an impact on mainstream society.

This is a great loss but he is in a much better place.

Acerbic standup comedian and satirist George Carlin, whose staunch defense of free speech in his most famous routine 'Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television' led to a key Supreme Court ruling on obscenity, has died.

Carlin, who had a history of heart trouble, went into St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica on Sunday afternoon complaining of chest pain and died later that evening, said his publicist, Jeff Abraham. He had performed as recently as last weekend at the Orleans Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas. He was 71.

Mike Wieringo Scholarship "The 'Ringo" Announced

CHARLOTTE, NC (June 16, 2008) When Mike Wieringo abruptly passed away last August, the comics industry lost more than a great artist and creator – it lost a friend. Now, Mike’s family has teamed with the Savannah College of Art and Design to create The Mike Wieringo Scholarship or “The ‘Ringo” to help keep his spirit of generosity alive.

Created by Mike’s brother Matt and his sister-in-law Suzanne, the ‘Ringo is designed to help provide similar help to artists at the Savannah College of Art and Design or SCAD. Domestic and international students with have a minimum 3.0 grade point average who demonstrate financial need and display a serious interest in pursuing comics as a career are eligible. The scholarship will take effect in the artist’s second year of classes, and is renewable for up to two additional years, provided the student continues to meet the criteria.

The recipient will be chosen from three finalists determined by the college in a portfolio review by Matt and Suzanne Wieringo, along with a rotating group. The ultimate goal for the ‘Ringo is to raise enough funds so that it can cover a full year’s expenses at SCAD, approximately $30,000.

Toward this end, a table staffed by Mike’s family and friends will be set up in his traditional spot in Artists Alley at Heroes Con in Charlotte, NC. Heroes was a big part of Mike’s life and career, and was the industry event he most looked forward to every year.

The table will raise funds through donations and the sale of remaining copies of Mike’s sketchbooks, copies of comics featuring Mike’s work, selected pieces of Mike’s original artwork, sketches by Mike’s friends in the industry who will be appearing at the booth, and items donated by other comic professionals. Pros appearing include Jeff Parker, Rich Faber, Craig Rousseau, Todd Dezago, Mark Waid, Cully Hamner, Richard Case and more to be announced.

“SCAD is one of the most impressive programs in the world to focus on the medium of comics,” says Jeff Parker, creator of The Interman and Agents of Atlas, who worked with Mike at Artamus Studios. “I’m pretty sure Mike would have loved to have attended such a place in his student days. It would make an excellent legacy for him if we can grow the Ringo scholarship into a launch pad for the future greats of comics.”

Despite his success on such books as The Flash, Fantastic Four and his own creator-owned Tellos, Mike Wieringo never forgot what it was like to be a struggling creator. For many up-and-comers, Mike served as a mentor and friendly voice, whether it was providing free covers, advice, or just the encouragement to keep going.

With your help, the Mike Wieringo Scholarship can continue to grow and help a new generation of creators get the training and connections they need to start their careers. Mike’s talent, enthusiasm and generosity inspired many in the comics industry to be their best as both creators and as human beings. With your help, Mike will continue to be an inspiration for creators in decades to come.