Hi there! It’s been, what (Takes out pocket watch. Glances at it.) four months since I’ve posted any updates here? OOPS! Oh, ha. What an absent-minded silly I can be. (Puts watch away. Gets ready to bolt.)
Eeeek. Um, errrr…what can I say? It’s been a busy time, and I’m sorry things have slipped a bit, on the Dork Tower and other fronts.
I’ve been furiously busy with the gaming thing, mostly.
There were some huge Munchkin projects (HEY – did you know this is the 15th anniversary of Munchkin?), along with some huge Munchkin emergencies. Also, other games. To be absolutely honest. I’m not sure what’s been announced yet, and what hasn’t. I’ll try and dig up that info, and post it when it becomes relevant.
Recently, I’ve also been working on a lot of the Insane Charity Bike Ride 2015 swag. A few of the pieces are done, others just need to be colored and laid out. I’ll try and get a full update in a day or two, e-mailed to backers then posted here.
I travelled a lot. I’ve been to Europe three times this year already. I went to Brazil, Poland, Berlin and other parts last year. I turned down a couple of Very Cool, Very Nice convention invitations this month alone, because I realized I needed to Stay Home For A Bit And Just Get Some Darned Work Done ™.
I also turned down a few game illustration gigs, which is Very Hard To Do When You Are a Freelancer ™, because it triggers this little part of you mind that lets you know Jobs Like This Will Dry Up Soon Because Everyone Will Suddenly Realize You’re a Hack and a Fraud™.
Thanks for that, little part of my mind!
But I’ve missed writing and drawing Dork Tower enormously. And I’ve missed Dr. Blink. So it’s time to pull back from other opportunities for a while, and carve out some time for those.
“BUT JOHN,” I hear you (or maybe someone else) scream, “DOES THIS MEAN NO MORE MUNCHKIN FROM YOU?”
“What?” I answer, spitting coffee. “You think I’m the dimmest B-type star in the nebula? Nay, nay. I’m not a silly person. I love Munchkin – even if I’ve only ever won two games of the accursed thing – and trying to make it better with each subsequent release is a ton of bloody, back-stabby, entirely satisfying fun.”
Becoming better organized, dropping a few projects, and prioritizing my time, I see my work days going forward divided roughly thus:
MUNCHKIN and DORK TOWER – top priorities. I’ve an entire blog post ready, on the reasons why Dork Tower fell so far off my radar these last two years. But I’ll spare you from that, for now. Some Good Things are in the works, though. Surprisingly Good Things.
DR. BLINK: SUPERHERO SHRINK and MY GAMES – These are also important to me, but don’t (and probably won’t) take the day-in, day-out brain slots that Dork Tower and Munchkin do. As for “my” games, I’m talking about ROFL!, Double Feature*, and two or three other games I’d like to develop, if I can find the right partners.
OTHER GAMES – As I noted, I’m pulling way, way, wayyyyy back on illustrations for other people’s games. But there are a couple I’ll still be working on. Cash ‘n Guns, for example, has been a tremendous hit. There are some delightful Loan Shark Games shenanigans in the works. And there’s something cool, big and fun coming from a partnership with Cool Minis Or Not.
CHILDREN’S BOOKS – I’ve written and illustrated one that I’m quite proud of, and I need to find the right agent who’ll hopefully find me the right publisher. I’m now working on a second. I’d love to be able to work on a third, a fourth, and so on.
There’s most assuredly projects I’ve forgotten. I’ve been juggling a lot of chainsaws. Thankfully, the last couple of months have seen me clearing a ton of projects from my plate, and getting ready to work a little bit harder and a whole lot smarter, on the things that matter most to me.
With luck, you should start seeing DorkTower.com updating more regularly, soon, along with blog posts and updates on my busy, busy world.
Thanks as always for your patience with me, and continued belief in the silly little things I do.
You folks are – and have always been – the best.
– John