Coolio. Looks what SJG came up with now. :-)

I love my job. :-)

From sjgames:

http://www.sjgames.com/ill/archives.html?m=January&y=2009&d=11

</p>

Over the holidays, Will received the proofs for Munchkin Booty 2 -- Jump the Shark. After a festive checking session, he gave the printer the all-clear.</p>

Even as we speak, paper is taking ink, cards are being cut, and boxes are being labeled. The shipping container will be loaded late this month, and the first Munchkin Booty expansion will be hitting our warehouse in March, quickly to be sent to your Friendly Local Game Store.</p>

We're getting quite good at these Munchkin games, aren't we? I'm not suggesting designing, illustrating, and producing 112 cards is easy, but we've learned much in the past 8 years. Creating expansions have become equal parts pleasure and perspiration, with the balance sliding more and more towards "pleasure."</p>
-- Paul Chapman

From Today's Daily Illuminator, as posted by Steve Jackson Games guru Paul Chapman:

I love cookies. And I love Munchkin. Therefore, I double-love the Munchkin Resurrection Cookie.

No, we're not selling these. They're holiday gifts for special friends in the industry, baked in very limited numbers. We've sent them all out, so no matter what bribes you send us, we don't have any more.

However, if you're facing one of these Cookies in a Munchkin (or Munchkin Quest) game: Eating it either prevents any Bad Stuff that involves "death" or flips all your hearts to red. For complete rules, see the Cookie's page.



I'm not sure if I'm getting one of these - honestly, so much Munchkin stuff comes out these days that I'm not always even sure WHAT is coming down the pike: this is the first I've even heard of these cookies. But they look hella-cool, and I love the rule that goes along with them.

(Famously never having won a game of Munchkin, one of these would surely have been wasted on me, anyway. If one does indeed come my way, I'll probably bring it to Warpcon, for the Charity Auction...)

While the Resurrection theme surely would have been more appropriate for Easter, there's not much that is more Christmassy than cookies...

Merry Christmas, Munchkins!

EDIT - Phil tells me some cookies ave been sent to Muskrat Central. So I'm deinitely bringing one to the Warpcon Charity Auction, in January...

Finally can announce it, so, huzzah, huzzah!

Munchkin Booty 2 - Jump the Shark

Jump the Shark . . . or you're fish food!

Return to the high seas for more Munchkin Booty action. Fight the Hammerhead Shark -- and the Phillips-Head Shark, too. And greatest of all is the terrible Moby Duck!

So kill them and take their stuff.

On the munchkin side, there are lots of new Ships, and a new Class: the Explorer! He gets a Treasure when he helps in combat, and he can pull cards back into his hand!

This set features four monsters with a new weakness: Current or former members of the real-life Armed Forces get a bonus against them!

112 cards and rulesheet, in a tuckbox. Stock #1461, ISBN 978-1-55634-784-9. $19.95

And yes, that IS the least subtle cover I've ever done. And that includes "Unnatural Axe." Obviously, Phil Foglio's influence is stronger on me than anyone could have suspected.

Why, look - here it is again, larger (and, dare I say, blue-er):



And a few cards from the set (I always wanna discuss these when I'm working on them, but doing so before the game is actually announced is generally considered a no-no...)

Diving Helmet

( Lots-a more cards behind-a da cut! )

Yeah...this was one of the fun ones!

Coming up briefly for air, before sinking back into overjoyed but sleep deprived new parent mode.

****

Happy Birthday, Louisa - one month old as of yesterday, and you don't look a DAY older than four weeks!





We call Louisa's pink "Little Princess" outfit (which she got as a gift) her Gangsta Gear. And look - she's flashing a gang sign in that first pic!

****

Amazing news (to me, anyway): Ninja Versus Ninja is in at last!

There are games you work on to pay the rent, then there are games you work on BECAUSE YOU WANT YOUR OWN COPY OF THAT FREAKING GAME! Ninja Versus Ninja definitely falls into that latter category.

Prove Yourself a Worthy Master with Ninja versus Ninja- New from Out of the Box

Dodgeville, Wisconsin – Out of the Box Publishing announces the release of Ninja versus Ninja‘, a quick and engaging two-player strategy game.

In Ninja versus Ninja, each player leads a team of six Ninjas to victory by eliminating all of their opponents or by skillfully venturing into the rival dojo and returning safely. Ninjas are rewarded for venturing further into the opponents dojo, but they run the risk of being eliminated themselves! A Ninja Master and a Shadow Ninja assist players in tracking the progress of their Ninjas.

Ninja versus Ninja includes 14 painted Ninja figures, two Ninja Master figures and two unique four-sided sword dice, designed by world renowned illustrator, cartoonist and writer, John Kovalic.


See? See? I'm renowned, dammit! (Sheepish grin).











NVN rocks. It's made of win-flavored gravy. Honestly, it's my favorite OTB game since Cineplexity, and it should be available in friendly neighborhood games stores everywhere, or you can order it directly from Out of the Box.

****

I've taken the plunge, and rented an artist studio downtown.

Working at home has become less and less productive over the course of Judith's pregnancy, and now that Louisa is here, I'm lucky if I get in an hour a day.

The studio is a shared space in a building full of creative types. To be honest, I would have preferred a space on my own, but the location was amazing, the price was fantastic and I really liked everyone I met over there. It's a historic brick building right off of Capital Square, with high ceilings, a skylight my drawing table will be under, and room to display art at open studio nights. Huzzah!

So we'll see. But I'm terrificly excited to have an honest-to-goodness work space outside of the home. I start there officially December 1, but can start moving stuff in any time, now. I'm really hoping to double my (pre-Louisa) output, with this move. While I enjoyed working at home, I was easily distracted by bright, shiny objects.

And they don't get any brighter or shinier than a beautiful baby daughter.

****

Just finished a Munchkin project for Steve Jackson Games that hasn't been announced yet (as far as I know). This is a fun one, but I prolly shouldn't say what it is before Steve does. Grin.

Still haven't had a chance to play Munchkin Quest, yet. Humph. And by "play," I mean "lose at".

****

I'm in the mood for a good first-person Xbox 360 shooter.

Do I get Call of Duty: World at War, or Gears of War 2?

Or something other? I like a good story, but I have the most fun in shooters in player versus player mode, with a bunch of friends over at the house.

I thought Call of Duty 4 was absolutely effing brilliant, and the return to WWII has me itchin' to take out some Tigers and Panthers. Especially since I just finished watching the entire World at War series on DVD.

I don't know much about the Gears of War series, but I've read good things about GOW2.

Speaking of Xbox and WWII, I saw a dogfight game set during the war, but can't remember the name of it. If anyone knows of which I speak, is it worth a damn?

Today's Dork Tower is up:



Click here, there or anywhere to see it.

****

I had no idea the series would run as long as it did, when I first launched into it. I hope readers enjoyed it as much as I did. Even if not, though, I think it was an enlightening exercise for me, and affirmed my commitment to pay more attention to the strip, giving it the time it deserved.

****

10,000 Munchkin Cards Can't Be Wrong.

My friend Jan Hendricks, aka the Mad Dutchman, brings it to my attention that, at this point in time, there are nearly 10,000 different Munchkin cards, if you count all the translations:

I was looking at an old list of mine featuring all sets of Munchkin by all publishers.

When I started to update it I noticed that we are nearing the 10,000 mark for 'different' cards. Where I count all translated cards are different.


Munchkin: USA; Netherlands; Germany; France; Italy; Hungary; Spain; Brazil;
Israel; Japan; Greece; Poland; Russia
Munchkin 2: USA; Netherlands; Germany; France; Italy; Spain
Munchkin 3: USA; Netherlands; Germany; France; Italy; Spain
Munchkin 4: USA; Netherlands; Germany; France; Italy; Spain
Munchkin 5: USA; Germany; Spain
Munchkin 6: USA, Germany
Star Munchkin: USA; Germany; France; Italy; Spain; Russia
Star Munchkin 2: USA; Germany
Munchkin Fu: USA; Germany; Italy
Munchkin Fu 2: USA; Germany
Munchkin Bites!: USA; Nederlands; Germany; Italy
Munchkin Bites! 2: USA; Nederlands; Germany; Italy
Super Munchkin: USA; Germany; Italy; Spain
Super Munchkin 2: USA; Germany
Munchkin Blender: USA; Germany; Italy
Munchkin Dice: USA; Netherlands; Germany; Spain
Munchkin Impossible: USA; Germany
Munchkin Cthulhu: USA; Germany; Spain
Munchkin Cthulhu 2: USA; Germany
Munchkin Cthulhu 3: USA; Germany
Promos: USA; Germany
This would be around 9,574 cards

In production:
Munchkin 7: USA
Munchkin Booty: USA, Germany
Munchkin Cthulhu 1,&3: The Netherlands
This would add 620 cards

Total: 10,194 cards

To me, this seems amazing and slightly unreal. It feels kind of like when I realized I was at the 2,000 card mark, for unique drawings I had done for the game (I'm now closing in on 2,500, I believe. I'll have to go back and double-check).

I've never been sure if this is some kind of record or not. Does anyone know of any other game with at least 2,500 pieces of unique card art, done by the same artist/cartoonist/whatever?

****

I'll be hanging around the gaming area of Archon this weekend. I'll post my panel schedule tomorrow.

I'm just wondering, though, if this is really the photo I sent the organizers of the gaming area, or if they found it somewhere else online. I may well have posted this and forgotten about it. And I may also have sent it to them, and forgotten about it.

Whatever. I actually kind of like it, and may make it my official "Con" photo for a while.

Today's Dork Tower is up:



Click here, there or anywhere to see it.

****

In honor of Talk Like a Pirate Day, we're proud to announce the winner of the "Win This Booty-Ful Art" contest.



Almost 300 entries came in, which blew me away a little. Many of them were VERY, very good. Some of them got me to laugh out loud, and were all kinds of brilliant and original and snit.

( Winners announced HERE, I tells ye! Yarrrrrr! )

****

Munchkin Quest 2 has been announced, so I can now speak of it openly.

When Steve first brought the idea to me for cover suggestions, I asked for more information about it.

"It's called "Munchkin Quest 2: Looking For Trouble," he said.

"OK," I said, a little later. "How about something like THIS:"

( See the original cover concept sketch. I DARES YA! )

...and yet, I can't help but think that somewhere, the Baby Jesus is crying just a little.

****

Speaking of toilets, a while back I asked if folks could guess what this Munchkin Quest monster could possibly be:



This wan't a competition: there were no prizes. Still, surprising few people guessed that it would actually be called (wait for it....)

The Komodo Dragon.

Thank you! Thank you! We're here all week. Try the liver.

Today is Scott "Igor" Olman's birthday!

Scott's my good buddy, on whom Igor is loosely based.

I say "loosely," because if I wrote what Scott actually gets up to in a game into the comic strip, nobody would ever believe me.

Yes, that's right: I tone down Igor.

Happy birthday, Scott! And "HUZZAH!"

****

Announcing...

Munchkin 7: More Good Cards!

Designed by Steve Jackson - Illustrated by John Kovalic

56 cards. - Suggested Retail Price $9.95
Stock #1460 - ISBN 978-1-55634-786-3
In Production

You Asked for It!

A munchkin can never have enough good cards . . . so we bring you . . . More Good Cards!

In this small but mighty expansion, you'll find the cards that you, yes, YOU, asked for in our online survey.

* More Wandering Monsters! The best from Munchkin Blender, with new art, along with the brand new . . . And Its Little Friends.
* More Monster Enhancers! New ways to beef up the critters your opponent is facing.
* More Cheats! More copies of the classic Cheat!, plus the TRULY abusive Cheat With Both Hands and Cheat Like There's No Tomorrow!
* More Curses! Don't Call Me Shirley from Blender, and two all-new cards, diabolic and hilarious!
* More Wishing Rings! Actually, just one. We wouldn't want to spoil too many of those Curses, would we?

Plus potions, items, and item enhancers! Shuffle them all in, or just add your favorites.

Munchkin 7 – More Good Cards is an expansion for the classic Munchkin set.

****

whisperjeff clued me in to this. It's freaking brilliant. Especially if you lead the kind of creative (quote, unquote) life Jeff and I lead:


****

The Tannahill Weavers schedule just arrived this morning.

I might have a shot at the Racine show. Possibly St. Paul...we'll see.

AUGUST 2008
01 FR Dublin OH Dublin Irish Festival, Coffman Park 614.410.4545
02 SA Dublin OH Dublin Irish Festival
03 SU Dublin OH Dublin Irish Festival
07 TH Zumbrota MN Crossings at Carnegie, 320 East Ave. 507.732.7616
08 FR St Paul MN Irish Fair of Minnesota, Harriet Island Regional Park 952.474.7411
09 SA St Paul MN Irish Fair of Minnesota
10 SU St Paul MN Irish Fair of Minnesota
12 TU Racine WI McAuliffe's Pub, 3700 Meacham Rd. 262.554.9695
14 TH Rochester NY German House, 315 Gregory St. 585.271.3354
15 FR West Hartford CT University of Hartford Wilde Hall ( WWUH ), 200 Bloomfield Ave. 800.274.8587 or 860.768.4228
16 SA Brunswick ME Maine Highland Games, Thomas Point Beach, 29 Meadow Rd. 207.443.1165


SEPTEMBER 2008
10 WE South Carthage ME NE Celtic Arts, NE Celtic Arts, 2 Highland Dr. 207.562.4445
11 TH South Carthage ME NE Celtic Arts
12 FR Canton MA ICONS Festival, Irish Cultural Center, 200 New Boston Dr.
13 SA Canton MA ICONS Festival
14 SU Pawling NY Towne Crier, 130 Rt. 22 845.855.1300
17 WE Felton CA Don Quixote's International Music Hall, 6275 Hwy 9 831.603.2294
19 FR Sebastopol CA Sebastopol Celtic Festival, 390 Morris St. 707.823.1511
20 SA Sebastopol CA Sebastopol Celtic Festival
21 SU Winters CA Palms Playhouse, 13 Main St. 530.795.1825
23 TU Charlottesville VA Gravity Lounge, 1301 S. 1st St. 434.977.5590
24 WE Bedford VA Friends of Bedford Public Library, 321 N. Bridge St. 540.586.8911 x18
26 FR Bethlehem PA Celtic Classic, Historic Bethlehem festival grounds 610.868.9599
27 SA Bethlehem PA Celtic Classic
28 SU Bethlehem PA Celtic Classic

I note I'm missing their two most recent albums, Alchemy (2000) and Arnish Light (2003). But after a series of just brilliant recordings in the 90s that came every two years apart, it's a shame there's not more out there that I'm missing. Plus: five years since their last release

What's the story, Tannahill fans?

Today's Dork Tower



Click Here, there or anywhere to see it.

****

Spent much of yesterday doing some unique cards for various European Munchkin sets.

Here are some from the German set of Munchkin 6:

Nationalelf and Zerschmetterling.


Meisterliche Truhe and Teleskopsandalen.


And my favorites (well, because they're Cthulhu, duh), from the Dutch version of Munchkin Cthulhu 2:

Verwilderd and Afbeelding.




****

The rest of the day was spent at the gym, hurting myself very much. I mean, "getting into shape."

Today's Dork Tower is up.



Click here, there, or anywhere to see it.

****

Several entries, to be filed under "Coolest Thing EVAR!" today.

Thing the First:



Oh, sweet mercy HOLY CRUD!

What does Steve Jackson Games have to say about them?

No, these aren't currently available; what you see here are prototypes from a very skilled manufacturer. We're quite happy with them, because no matter how cool they look in this photo, they're cooler to hold, and to whack the table with. The noise from the hammer is loud enough to get heads poking into the room from halfway across the building.

"If they WERE available, what would they cost?", you ask. The best answer we can give is "not cheap." Google for stores that sell foam weapons for LARP and cosplay, and you'll see what we mean.

Nevertheless, we anticipate a certain amount of "Must Have!" from you, our loyal readers. We will have these at GTS next week, and will get a feel for the demand in the retail sector there. If your FLGS is sending a representative, encourage them to stop by our booth (#506) and check them out.

If you'd like to voice your desire, nay, your demand for weapons carved from mighty foam, designed by the legendary forge of Jackson and Kovalic, let us know on the forums

THEY MUST BE MINE!

Who's with me on this one? Comment below, if they must be yours, too.

(As an aside, I do like the sound of "Jackson and Kovalic," although, when shortened to Jackson/Kovalic, it's got that sweet, sweet "Jackson Pollock" ring to it...)

(Contract it further, as yeuvald noted, and it becomes "Jackolic," which sounds like something related to the Jackalope...

...which would just be silly.)

****

Thing the Second:

From Livejournal user wardenda, over at the LJ Dork Tower syndication feed (now well over 5,000 subscribers, and counting), concerning this week's strips:

They're pinky and the blue. Pinky and the blue
One is a genius, the other's misconstrued.
They're Igor's gaming dice, but they're not very nice,
They're pinky, they're pinky and the blue blue blue blue blue.

Before the night is done, their plan will take it's toll
Make Igor roll a one, it will be a failure roll.
They're pinky and the blue, yes pinky and the blue
Their gaming night mission is so very true
To prove their dicey worth, they'll remove Igor's mirth
They're dinky, they're pinky and the blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue NARF!

I'm having a total blast with these strips, by the way. After this series ends, I'll definitely be bringing Pinky and the Blue back...

****

Thing the Third:

Sent by Andy Otto, who writes:

I was at the University of Chicago for an SCA event today. All of the lettering on the doors in this rather gothic-looking hall are in gothic-looking script. Now, you can tell that someone has messed with the lettering, but still...

It's a picture of a Dark Room.



Wait...did I say DARK Room?



Funnily enough, I was just down at the University of Chicago a couple of weeks ago.

****

Thing the Last:

Munchkin Quest is announced, and coming in August!

Steve Jackson Games announces for release in August, 2008:
Munchkin Quest

Kill the monster, grab the treasure, stab your buddy. That's what it's all about. Now, Munchkin comes to the boardgame.

Cooperate with the whole group, adventure with a partner, or strike out on your own. You don't know what's behind a door until you open it . . . then another room is added to the dungeon. Battle monsters for power and treasure, or send them after your friends. Reach Level 10, and then get out alive if you can!

Designed by Steve Jackson, and illustrated by John Kovalic, this boardgame doesn't take itself seriously. Except for the loot - munchkins are always serious about that!

Coming in August to game rooms everywhere . . .

11.75" x 11.75" x 3.5" box, with two dozen 3.5" square heavy cardstock room tiles, dozens of link connectors, 170 full-color cards, over three dozen monster standies, dice, rulesheet, and enough tokens, level counters, and sculpted plastic pawns for four players. Stock #1470, ISBN 978-1-55634-767-2. $49.95.



Plus, it's sunny, 70 degrees, and I'm gonna head outside to finish up some more Munchkin Booty cards!

It's a good day.

Stewart Heinz e-mailed me this, yesterday.

John,
Spotted the attached on Lake Mendota this evening.
Cheers,
Stew



Why...why, LOOK:



It's...it's a MUSKRAT! And it's...rambling.

Coolio.

****

I needed that to cheer me up, because right now, it looks like I'll be missing the GAMA Trade Show, in Las Vegas.

It's almost always a grand time, made even grander by hanging out with friends I see far too infrequently.

****

Speaking of Madison, and conventions, Jae Walker wrote to tell me of Forge Midwest 2008, a celebration of indy roleplaying coolness.

FORGE MIDWEST 2008
Best Western East Towne Suites
4801 Annamark Drive, Madison, WI

Some of the finest roleplaying games I've picked up in recent years have come from the indies. Apparently, this gathering is open to the public, so it should be well worth checking out, and runs Friday, April 11 through Sunday, April 13 (ie this weekend).

Apparently, it's annual - this is the third one. Jae notes "The previous two were in the Chicago area, but this year we moved to Madison. The first one had about 20 people; the second 30 or so, and we're up to 50+ this year."

****

As the three readers of this blog might remember, I'm incredibly excited about the upcoming "Ninja Versus Ninja" game we've been working on at Out of the Box.

Very closely based on the old "Foray" game by Tushar Gheewalla, I've loved this sneaky, stealthy, but thoroughly fun and engrossing game this since we first saw it. Having Tom Meier sculpt my designs was just an added, geeky thrill.

Here are some photos of the prototypes:









We're also publishing Tushar's "Letter Roll" party game. I'm becoming a really big fan of his stuff, and just adore "Letter Roll."

Both should be available soon - by GenCon at the latest, I think.

****

Lastly, another sneak peak at "Munchkin Booty."



You need more Booty. I need more Booty. Who doesn't need more Booty?

That'll never get old...

****

"Radar Love" may indeed be the single greatest "driving" song ever recorded.

Discuss.

Another animated gem from Scott Bateman and the Dork Tower Players today.



And here are the links to the MP4s, with higher resolution.

http://archive.gamespy.com/comics/dorktower/images/comics/dork1.mp4


http://archive.gamespy.com/comics/dorktower/images/comics/dork2.mp4

****

I got a marvelous letter from the Weather Channel's Warren Madden the other day, regarding those weatherman-related cartoons I did a while back.

Hi John!

Just wanted to drop you a line and say I've enjoyed your vengeance upon my profession. Sometimes we deserve it (like the time I called for a dusting of snow and we ended up with 7 inches), and sometimes we are just the convenient messenger to be shot. When people ask me if I can make spring come sooner, my stock reply is, "I'm in marketing, not production." :-) It's one of the fundamental dichotomies of being a met -- people complain you get the forecast wrong all the time, yet keep expecting your next forecast to be perfect.

The pickup scene in the bar was particularly amusing, since I met my wife in a bar when I was doing local TV in Dayton Ohio. Fortunately, she didn't watch news much and never had seen me, so I was able to convince her to go out with me before she learned the truth :-).

I do have redeeming qualities, though. I'm a longtime reader (anxiously waiting for the next collection to purchase), roleplayer (first D&D char created 1979), and gamer (two of our kitties were given to us by Frank Branham and his wife Sandi, who we game with here in Atlanta and at various game cons).

Hope that winter is finally releasing its icy grip, and if you need a picture to throw darts at, let me know. :-)

Warren Madden
Weather Channel Meteorologist

PS: Meteorology was a great major in college -- 50% was a passing grade!

The weather's been better in Wisconsin, and a few days of 40-plus degrees has meant that most of the 90-plus inches of snow that remained on the ground now resemble sand-dunes, rather than mountains.

****

It's always fun when a box arrives from Steve Jackson Games.

This one contained copies of Munchkin 6: Demented Dungeons and Munchkin Cthulhu - Cursed Demo.

I like it when I get boxes from Steve Jackson Games.

So anyway, here's some art from Munchkin 6 - Demented Dungeons, including some double-sized cards that make this expansion really stand out!

Just announced over at Steve Jackson Games: a very cool new, different kind of Munchkin expansion! I'm very excited about this, and can't wait to start using it in my own futile attempts to ever win a game of Munchkin.

MUNCHKIN 6: DEMENTED DUNGEONS

Designed by Steve Jackson Illustrated by John Kovalic

20 double-sized cards, 16 standard-sized cards. Suggested Retail Price $9.95
Stock #1457 ISBN 978-1-55634-778-8
In Production
Now It's Really A Dungeon Crawl!

Munchkin is about kicking down Doors, killing Monsters, and stealing their Treasure. But where are the dank walls of the subterranean labyrinth where our heroes engage in their murderous exploits?

Demented Dungeons introduces a new twist on Munchkin. Now you can enter the Dungeon of Elvish Excess, where everyone is an Elf. Or take a Portal to the Dungeon of Manga Wrangling, where tentacles are even more dangerous. Or power up in the Dungeon of Unexpected Epicness - although it's hardly "unexpected," given the name. Or all of them at once!

Each of the 20 double-sized Dungeon cards adds a new rule that affects the entire party, and maybe the monsters too! Use the 16 Portal cards to jump from one Dungeon to the next in your search for gold and glory.

Munchkin 6 - Demented Dungeons is an expansion for the classic Munchkin set, and was designed by Steve Jackson and illustrated by John Kovalic.



( card samples and card art behind the cut )

Crud. I really should be getting some work done now. But apparently, today is the Day of the Ninja. So when better to announce a cool new Out of the Box game: Ninja Versus Ninja!



This should be out early next year, and will contain a dozen or so REALLY cool little mini Ninjas, designed by me and (here's what makes them cool) sculpted by the incomparable Tom Meier.




I haven't worked with Tom since he did the amazing Dork Tower Miniatures a few years ago (annoyingly, I can't actually find any pics of the minis themselves online - they're amazing; Tom's a genius), so I'm terrifically pleased he's working on the Ninjas. I want these to look as sleek and cool as possible, with just a touch of that "collectible vinyl toy" vibe, and Tom's the perfect guy to bring these to life.

The game itself is basically Tushar's wonderful Foray,, but with a new theme and (did I mention?) really cool little Ninjas! I'm so happy we're doing this great little game, and I can't wait to get my own copy. It's incredibly clever, and I fell in love with it the very first time I played it. I think this will be a great little Hobby Market hit, with definite mainstream crossover potential.



The cover design and board design aren't finalized, but I just can't wait to post stuff about this. I'm so buzzed right now. There aren't many two-player games out there, and this is definitely one of my favorites. Plus, the Ninja theme goes GREAT with the game mechanics!

There'll also be a Ninja Master piece. More pics when we get the first shots of the sculpts in!

****

In other gaming news, I have yet to rave about the Munchkin Bobblehead, which is now out.



I'm having a ton of fun designing toys and toy-like objects, these days. The bobblehead (which, like all things Munchkin, gives you a game bonus) is available with the game itself in a special edition from Barnes and Nobles. But you can also order it separately from Warehouse 23.

The original hand-painted prototype, by the way, will be making its way to the Warpcon Charity Auction in January, with a very special new power if used in a game.

****

And if that's not enough, Warehouse 23 also has Munchkin Christmas Cards in!



'Tis the season to be munch-y! In this, the season of giving and receiving, we invite you to give monsters some pain and receive all their stuff. Or, if you want to be marginally nicer, you could give them this official Munchkin holiday greeting card, complete with a new rule for the game!

I'm picking up a bunch, to make my official card this year.

They didn't print many, so grab 'em now, if you want to get some.

One good reason to check back at Dorktower.com every now and then...

I haven't been keeping up with reposting strips here as much as I'd like.



Also: more hellacool Munchkin madness people have sent me

A Munchkin masquerade card costume:





A Munchkin cake:



If you want a Munchkin -- or any other -- cake, and happen to live in Columbus, Ohio, Tiffany Fannon's Icing on the Cake is the place to go! (Thanks for the pic, sanpatfannon)

Back in 2004, the Lovely and Talented Judith and I, along with billzilla and replyhazy, hit the Bristol Renaissance Fair. Because, you know, a turkey leg is a terrible thing to waste.

Anyhoo, I was thrilled when I saw what was in the rear window of the car we'd parked next to.



That was my first inkling that Munchkin was going to be far bigger than either Steve or I had ever dreamed.

Well, that's nothing compared to this photo, sent from the ever-brilliant Birger at Pegasus Publishing.



Yes. Yes, that IS a Munchkin navigation system someone rigged up. The president of Helveticon, to be precise.

See?



So it makes me feel righteously justified that I just did up a special Swiss Munchkin V: De-Ranged card, for the German translation, which I believe may be available sometime around Spiel.



I believe the title is "Swiss Hireling."

Anyway, this is probably as good a point as any to announce that it's official. I will be at Spiel, in Essen, Germany, October 18-21, as the guest of Pegasus this year. Most likely Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

And while things aren't firmed up yet, it also looks as if I may well also be at Dragonmeet in London on the first of December this year. (Their website appears to be down at the moment, otherwise I'd have posted the link... the very sensibly titles dragonmeet.com)

(1) We're safely ensconced at CONvergence, although my laptop is not. Rushing around to pack all the art supplies I needed to finish off and send The Good, The Bad and The Munchkin yesterday, including my scanner and all the cords, I somehow left Muskrat VI (my name for my faithful 17" Macbook Pro) sitting on the dining room table. Didn't realize this until I unpacked everything here in MPLS, and opened an empty laptop carrier.

The art for Munchkin doesn't need to be in until Monday, so that's fine, if annoying (am NOT looking forward to scanning and sending 125 pieces of art in one day). However, I've now got to figre out a way to et my editorial cartoon to Milwaukee this morning. So, anyway, slightly crank bunny right now.

(2) Someone in New York got ahold of a credit card number of mine, and tried to charge $500 worth of drugs from a CVS pharmacy. Not sure how they'd have gotten the number, but here you go. Fortunately, the credit card company (Citibank) flagged this, and called us. So, yay. Cancelled the cards, an awaiting new ones.

(3) Our con liaison, Lex, took us to Matt's Hamburgers last night, where we had their Jucy Lucy. An amazing burger that's actually two patties surrounding melted American cheese. Did I say "melted"? I meant "molten." The bar burger was fabulous, and the fries you could get on the side were amazing - far better than many I've had at restaurants that should know how to fry a damn potato. "Crack fries" is what Lex called them.

There is, apparently, some debate about which MPLS bar is, indeed, the actual home of the Jucy/Juicy Lucy, but I have to say, Matt's burger was outa this world yummy. I haven't sampled many good burgers since reverting to red meat last year, but this is, so far, the best. Some pickles and fried onions topped this post-modern masterpiece, rendering ketchup and mustard unnecessary.

It is, indeed, the cheesesteak of South Minneapolis.

(4)

CONvergence is nearly upon us, he said, coming up for air long enough to realize just how close the deadline for The Good, The Bad and the Munchkin is (it's not so much breathing down my neck as giving me a really nasty hickey).

Looking at my calendar, which I don't do nearly often enough, judging by how often I find myself in these hickey-based pickles, I notice that CONvergence is my last convention appearance for, well, ever. OK. Not really, but apart from a couple of tentative plans, it really does seem to be it until Dorkstock, in November.

Now, I bring up CONvergence not only because it's a hellacool regional con that everyone must visit at least once in their lives, but also because I have a question for Minneapolis/St. Paul Foodies.

What's the food scene like in the Twin Cities these days? I've had some great sushi in the uptown area, and had a fine time at a Polish supper club that seemed to have an oddly Polynesian theme, but what else is there? For the amount of time I spend in the cities, I know precious little about the restaurants and markets of the region

The New York Times had a piece that piqued my interest. Yet while a list of A-class restaurants is handy for those times I want to take out a mortgage, I'm really more interested in what's bubbling below the surface. Anything from greasy spoons on up. Street food? I'm so there. Burgers? You betcha! What do you believe are the restaurants in the area that aren't to be missed? What's the best in local grub?

****

Munchkin rolls on.

Munchkin 5: De-Ranged is, apparently, out (I'm often the last to know these things). Munchkin Cthulhu II: The Call of Cowthulhu is at the printer, and The Good, The Bad and the Munchkin is nearing completion. Plus, I've been asked to do the cover for the next full Munchkin card game, so that means it should be announced fairly soon. Not allowed to tell what it is, but I know it will make a lot of folks werra, werra heppy.

So in the meantime, here's some The Good, The Bad and the Munchkin niftyness.

Ever wondered how a cover comes about, for instance?

Well, to begin with, Steve will send me a list of stuff that the cover Munchkin might be using. I'll mull them over, and come up with a quick cover concept sketch. (All of these are done on 17" x 11" comic book paper).



Note the unfortunate placement of the waterdrop image on the stage-right boot and the Belt Buckle Gun. Ahem.

Anyway, once I've got some idea of what we're looking for, and assuming another cover concept isn't needed, the proper pencil sketch comes next.



Basically, here, I'm trying to make things a bit more dynamic and interesting. Note the moustache is changed, to show the toothy grin of the Munchkin who's been gracing so many cover shots from the start. The Belt Buckle Gun has also been modified, to make it look slightly less phallic.



I make a few more changes, and note that this seems a bit lightly-armed, for a Munchkin, so add in a Seven Shooter, Blinderbuss, Bullwhip and Elixir Bottle. Oh, yes, and a Branding Iron. The Chewing Tobaccy spit from the sketch never really looked like Chewing Tobaccy Spit, so that goes. And the Belt Buckle Gun is made less phallic yet again.



Finally, the colors are added.



And the finished cover is done, with some slight color tweaks by the Steve Jackson Gems art folks. Color theory's never been my strong point, and I let people I work with know this ahead of time.

The start-to-finish cover process usually takes the better part of a week, due mostly to communication lags and the need to sit and think about things.

Lastly, here's a test I did on some flesh tones for the character classes.



Since these aren't actually Cowboys and Indians, but Munchkins who are playing Cowboys and Indians, and frequently getting it wrong, the flesh tones will be the same for all the classes.

Tomorrow's Lesson: How to only draw three fingers on a cartoon character, and make a living from it!

Huge props to arian1 for not only guessing the game, but getting the name right, too.

Coming in October
The Good, the Bad, and the Munchkin
The Good, the Bad, and the Munchkin opens a whole new frontier – the Wild West! Forget dragons and goblins – Jackalopes and Davy Croc have just as much treasure. Those plains may seem wide open, but there's lots of monsters to kill, and lots of stuff to take.

Become a Cowboy with a Twenty-Gallon Hat, or an Indian on a Catamount. Fight Wild Bill Hiccup, the Killer Jalapeno, and a Barber Shop Quartet. Take The Annual Bath for an extra level. Or just pal around with your sidekick the Greenhorn, until you sacrifice him to distract a monster.

The Good, the Bad, and the Munchkin is the next stand-alone game in the award-winning Munchkin line. Steve Jackson and John Kovalic have teamed up again to put puns to paper like no one else can. Head 'em up and move 'em out, and get ready to wander the Grim Roper into somebody else's combat and make him "Rootin' Tootin'" for +10 . . .

OK...jetlag's receding, and I woke up this morning at a decent hour...that is, one in which the sun was also already up.

Sorry for the recent radio silence. Virgin Atlantic's started a new Chicago to Heathrow service, and was offering round-trips for $325, at which point it almost seems rude not to take them up. So I combined that with a Ryanair flight to Grenada's Federico Garcia Lorca Airport, and visited my parents for a week, to concentrate on writing, drawing and a fair amount of reading.

(Actually Virgin Atlantic's second try at Chicago-Heathrow. The first was aborted, soon after it began, in the industry upheaval that followed 9/11)

It was all grand, and nice to be able to focus on a few projects without the distraction of the phone and the internet and other shiny objects. The cross-London trek from Heathrow to Stansted was a bit much, but it fell on a Saturday, so I was able to lunch at Borough Market, probably my favorite spot in London. This included some brilliant Monmouth Coffee lattes and Konditor and Cook flapjacks, of which the remainder are now in the freezer, to be portioned out at regular intervals until my next trans-Atlantic jaunt.

Stansted is still an odd airport. The average flier there is taking advantage of deathly cheap flights, and honestly you're thankful most of them seem to be wearing pants, let alone shirts and shoes. When I was a kid, flying use to involve dressing up - even in coach. Only church and school open days coaxed me into more ties and jackets. But while air travel is pretty much a cattle call these days, I won't complain. Twenty years ago, when I was in college, $500 flights were the point I'd scrape up enough to cross the pond to visit family. The fact that the dollar cost is still about the same is remarkable, so I'll put up with the hassles, sleep through the flights and remain amazed at the modern world.

****

My CONvergence schedule has been finalized. Not sure when my signings will be, but right now, I'm on track for:

Fri 7:00pm - Mainstage - Opening Ceremonies

Fri 9:30pm - 10:30pm - A4 - HotDish Panel - Smackdown 2007: Monster Mash

Sat 2:00pm - 3:00pm - A6 - Comics Panel - Professional comics panel

Sat 7:00pm - Mainstage - Masquerade

Sun 12:30pm - 1:30pm - A2 - Gaming Panel - Elements of Game Design

Sun 2:00pm - 3:00pm - P1 - Comics Panel - Iron Artist

Sun 5:00pm - Mainstage - Closing Ceremonies

I'll also be involved in some Munchkin games, and Cineplexity'll be on hand for some pick-up games.

My fear of cons is pretty much at the same level it always it, so it takes a very special connvention to get me out of my shell. CONvergence is one such special show. Added bonuses, hanging out with Chris Jones and Mellisa Kaercher, plus meeting Berni Wrightson, a personal artist hero of mine since my Forbidden Planet days.

****

Expect My Little Cthulhu to put in an appearance at the CONvergence Monster Mash.

And speaking of My Little Cthulhu, we've received a request for a second limited edition run from a Very Important Client (tm).

Here's a preview: My Little Gothulhu:



My Little Cthulhu is in and available from places like Paizo and Warehouse 23 (the limited edition Angry My Little Cthulhu being exclusive to Paizo) and many, many other cool vendors, so I'll try and get some shots up if I get the time.

And don't forget My Little Victims, with "realistic dismemberment action."

Until then, How Cool Is This (tm)?

****

Super-cool, super-giant Munchkin announcement to be made as soon as Steve gives me the OK.

Ooooo! Oooooooo! Can't wait!

Evil grin.