We've sold out of Ninja Versus Ninja already!

There should still be some games left in your friendly neighborhood games stores, HOWEVER...

Out of the Box is giving away 25 FREE copies of Ninja versus Ninja™! Winning one is relatively straightforward. GIVE US YOUR BEST NINJA POSE!



Take a cue from these Ninjas at the recent Spiel 2008 show in Essen, Germany. Give us your best Ninja pose!

Send us a picture of you or your family in your best Ninja pose. The best 25 will win a free copy of Ninja versus Ninja.

Simply send an e-mail, with the photo of you or your family in your best Ninja pose, to kelly@otb-games.com. Make sure to include "Ninja Contest" in the subject line. And remember to include your name, address, city, state and zipcode/postcode/country, etc...

The deadline is the 15th of December.

(And post any pics here, too, so we all ca see 'em! Just remember, though, they HAVE TO be sent to Kelly at OTB in order to be entered into the contest).

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Also in time for the holidays, Offworld Design is offering FREE POSTAGE on all Dork Tower T-shirts. Just go to their website, make an order, and use the promotional code DorktowerFREESHIP when your cart comes up. I assume this works for all their other T-shirts, too...

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There are only FIVE Angry My Little Cthulhus left at Paizo.com, I've heard. There will be no more made (hence the "Limited Edition" moniker. So if you're looking for one for Christmas, I'd order it now, if I were you...



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Goth My Little Cthulhu should be in stores now.

I say "should," because I haven't actually seen one, yet. Grumble mumble mumble.



This is another limited edition, available through Diamond. I don't know if that means its also available through Alliance or not.

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

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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".

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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?

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.

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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.

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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."

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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.

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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...

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

Discuss.

John's Pal Scott Bateman has a pretty freaking hilarious animation over at Salon.com today. Check it out, and remember...if you like it, leave a comment!

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The Ninja Versus Ninja sculpt is back from Tom Meier.





Am I happy?

Yes. Oh, my, yes.

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Here are some of the food blogs I've been loving recently:

Ruhlman.com - Michael Ruhlman's always a great read, and his "Elements of Cooking" has become one of my favorite food books this year. I'm not sure I agree entirely with him on the uses of boxed stock, but I'm damn sure gonna listen.

The Stew - The Chicago Tribune's blog on the local scene. Honestly, I even subscibe to Tiem Out Chicago just to keep up with the foodie goings on in the Windy City.

Diner's Journal - The New York equivalent of the above. The original, and still the best. Chicago's just so much closer, though...

A Hunger Artist - Bob Del Grosso's frequently opinionated, always fascinating ramblings.


Recipes of the Damned - Totally hilarious collection of recipes that have to be seen to be believed.

So, what other food blogs should I be checking out?

EDIT: Well, that's convenient. A whole list of potentially award-winning food blogs is over at WellFed.net's award site!

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And, lastly...



It's not just a good idea...it's the law.

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!

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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.

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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.