DRAGONMEET COUNTDOWN.
So I’m sitting here with Dork Tower #15 in my hands, all hot off the presses and stuff.
The problem is, the first print run was slightly smaller than I’d hoped. MANY thousands of copies smaller.
In other words, only 60 copies were printed before Dork Tower broke Brenner Printing’s printing press.
Aaron Williams says that the press committed suicide upon FINALLY coming to the end of the Matt-Gilly-Kayleigh trilogy, but I think he’s being a bit cynical there.
Nevertheless, unless British Airways loses my luggage, 60 copies of Dork Tower #15 WILL be with me at Dragonmeet in London on Saturday. So everybody there who wants one will have a honest-to-goodness FIRST PRINTING. (Brenner tells me the presses should be fixed today, so what has now become the de-facto SECOND printing should go off without a hitch).
Also for Dragonmeet: I think I’ve got a nice little item for the Charity Auction: the first EVER box of PokeTHULHU miniatures! Steve Jackson Games is overnighting them to me, and they’ll be on display during the show. I think folks will be VERY pleased with them.
Also, Ground Zero Games will have some of their new Goth miniatures on hand. The packet includes a Perky Goth, a Mopey Goth, an Artsy Goth and a Spanky Goth, all PERFECT for playing World of Dorkness with (the free game in Dork Tower 11). Take a look at the figures over at…
http://www.gtns.net/gzgstore/commerce.cgi
http://www.gtns.net/gzgstore/html/images/goths_set.jpg
…and let me know if you recognize the first two characters…
Great news on the charity front. Dork Tower stuff raised $1,301 for New York and Washington relief efforts in the Game Industry Disaster Fund Auction.
The first item was the personal appearance in Dork Tower, plus the original art from that page and a complete set of Dork Tower comic books and games. It went for $1,000, which blew me away.
The second item, “Chez Geek, Dork Tower, Munchkin and Chez Dork artist John Kovalic will draw a character based on a photograph you supply, on a blank Chez Geek card. Steve Jackson will come up with rules and text for the card,” went for $301.
Overall, the Game Industry Disaster Fund has raised nearly $11,000, and there are STILL some great items to bid on! Check it out at http://www.gidfa.org/.
And thanks a TON to everyone who bid. I’m really overwhelmed by the support
So anyway, speaking of charities, I had a quiet birthday last Saturday, with a few friends coming over for pizza.
Now, I don’t really do birthdays well at all. It’s not a “getting older” thing. It’s just that I don’t know HOW to do them well. I suppose I feel a little uncomfortable being the center of attention, or maybe the days just never live up to what birthdays are supposed to be or something. But having some friends around, having some drinks and playing some games was just perfect.
However, a few people have asked what I’d like for my birthday. Now, I honestly don’t need anything (except maybe for a gig at E-Week). However, if you really want to do something, I’d deeply appreciate any and all donations to the Dane County Humane Society.
This is the shelter where Judith got Maude, our beloved littlest kittie and sometimes-star of Wild Life.
To donate to the Dane County Humane Society, go to http://www.humanesociety.dane.wi.us/, and click on the brick. Then hit the general donation/membership link, and you’re there!
If any donations come from this, that’d be a good thing.
Another good thing to come out of my birthday was the creation of the Camparita.
If you like Campari (it’s not to everyone’s taste, but Campari and Orange is one of my all-time favorite drinks), here’s a version with a kick that Markus Candinas and I created:
Camparita
1 oz. Campari
1.5 oz Tequila
1.5 oz Triple Sec
1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
Shake and serve over ice, with a twist of lime.
See some of you all in London!
– John