FTC3: It’s all about to start
nftbc_logo

A little retro FtC action: The logo from the first year!

As I write this, it is half-an hour from World Wing Night, the social event kicking off the Fear the Con 3 activities. Today, my traveling companion James and I ventured ‘cross this great nation of ours from Texas to Saint Louis.  We have secured ground transportation, lodging at the con hotel, and even enjoyed a little BBQ.

We lunched at Bandana’s where our server, Francisco, recommended the Wet Bandana.  I believe this may have been something like what I paid 1000 pesos for the last time I was in Juarez.  Francisco also spent some time reviewing the various “sauces,” stating that for something really spicy – well – he had that “in the back.”

St. Louis, what a welcoming, exotic place.

30-minutes to Wing Night.

Stay tuned!

Written on March 11th, 2010 , Conventions, Role Playing Games Tags: , , ,
Dragon*Con Cannot Resist The Evil of the Thriller

On September 6, 2009, Dragon*Con attendees attempted to beat the Guinness World Record for amount of people simultaneously dancing to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” in a single location.

They had 903 dancers.

This is great.  I mean, anytime that you can get Flying Spaghetti Monster out for a dance is terrific.  But what the hell’s up with Sinead O’Connor?!?

Written on September 11th, 2009 , Conventions, Horror, Music Tags: ,
Your Morning Head: The Zombies!!! of Board Game Night

zombies01At GenCon, I picked up the Zombies!!! board game, a game I first played at Fear the Con 2. Zombies!!! is a lot of fun because – well, zombies – and because it has characteristics of some of my favorite games.

There’s the strategy and forward-thinking of chess.  Truly, you need to be considering not just where you want to be in the next turn or two, but also where the zombies will be.  Because each player has control of the zombie horde’s movement – at least a portion of it – you also have to be mindful of what your fellow players may do.

There’s a huge element of player-screwing-player in the game.  Like Sorry! and zombie fiction and film, survivors will at some point turn on survivors.

zombies02There’s a lot to like about the game.  For instance, the game board is built during game play.  At the beginning of each turn, the player draws a city map tile and places it as they like.  The layout of the game world while familiar from game-to-game is always different.

The goal is to be the first to either kill 25 zombies or to make it to the helipad all the while, the board becomes more and more populated with the undead horde.

One of the reasons I bought the game is that I thought my wife – who loves board games, but is not a “gamer” – would enjoy it.

We tried it out last night with another couple.

Ravenous undead mayhem ensued and we all had a blast.

Game rules were easily learned through actual play.  My prior experience with the game gave me an edge on effectively integrating the game cards into my turns.  I observed the other players had difficulty with that, but I know that with further play those tricks will come.

I’m a fan.

Big thumbs up to Zombies!!!

Written on September 7th, 2009 , Columns, Games, Horror, Your Morning Head Tags: , , ,
Funny Books with Aron and Paulie: Do it like you mean it

This post will be at the top through Tuesday – scroll down for the latest news!

  • Sleeping with men at GenCon (1:18)
  • Inglourious Basterds (5:45)
  • James Cameron’s Avatar (10:20)
  • Digital animation (in which we mention 9) (13:00)
  • This Week’s Comics
    • Blackest Night Update
      • Blackest Night #2 (23:10)
      • Green Lantern Corps #39 (28:38)
      • Blackest Night Superman #1 (31:00)
      • Blackest Night Batman #1 (36:02)
    • Ultimate Avengers #1 (41:00)
    • Ultimate Spider-man #1 (47:32)
    • Adventure Comics #1 (53:25)
    • Batgirl #1 (1:02:00)
    • Batman #689 (1:10:50)
    • Batman: Streets of Gotham #3 (1:14:04)
    • The Outsiders #21 (1:16:45)
    • The Hangman #1 (Red Circle) (1:19:47)
    • Inferno #1 (Red Circle) (1:21:40)
    • Daredevil #500 (1:23:07)
    • Days Missing (1:29:30)
  • What if we were writing… Justice League? (1:36:31)

Many of you have expressed interest in joining our regular discussion on WHAT IF WE WERE WRITING… If you’d like your comments included in a future episode, please send either an email or an MP3 to our gmail account.

funnybooks0824a

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Written on August 24th, 2009 , Comics, Conventions, DC, Funny Books with Aron & Paulie, Marvel Tags: , , ,
Your Morning Head: This Cheap Bastard’s GenCon Purchasing
gencon swag

Here's what I bought at Gen Con

I didn’t buy a whole lot at Gen Con. Three games.  That’s it.

This is really weird for me.

Sure, I only picked up a few things at Fear the Con, but that was an awfully small convention with only one dealer.  Even so, I bought almost as much there as I did at Gen Con!  When I go to a larger affair, such as Wizard World, I pick up a ton of stuff!

So why only three games at Gen Con?

It wasn’t the economy.  I was prepared to drop as much change shopping in Indy as I do at any con I’ve attended the last few years.  And it surely wasn’t selection (for the most part).  I mean, Gen Con is sick with selection.

So what was it then? Read the rest of this entry »

Written on August 19th, 2009 , Columns, Conventions, Role Playing Games, Your Morning Head Tags: ,
Friday @ GenCon

As I write, it is Saturday morning at GenCon. Updating the blog has proven a bit more difficult than I’d like. The hotel doesn’t have free wifi and I’m entirely too cheap to spend $13/day for access. Strange that other hotels in the chain provide interwebs, but not Indy? Suck it, Embassy Suites!

So updates have been coming via my 3G handheld rather than my laptop. Hate that. Not as efficient an interface and chews up the battery’s charge.

Whining mode off.

Friday, I went over to the convention center early wanting an opportunity to walk the building and review the programming schedule. Completing my survey of the venue, I sat down at a cafe table. Alone, I read through the program guide paying particular attention to the booth assignments on the dealer room map…

“Hi!” this guy says pulling up a chair to sit with me.

“Hello…” I looked about. Chairs were available everywhere but this guy sits with me?

He proceeded to engage me in conversation about games and the con. And how his friends would be meeting him soon. I considered disabusing him of his presumption that me reading a book was not meant as a cry for conversation.

I found it within me to restrain myself.

He made a call, nattering on loudly with the other party. Apparently, the other guy couldn’t find the table invader. My unwelcome companion rose, walking out of sight to go find his buddy.

Leaving his bag and other gear with me at the table.

What the f…?!?

First he squats at my table and now he’s got me watching his bag. I didn’t do that on prom night, I sure as hell wasn’t gonna do it for this guy. Though to be fair, he had a much bigger rack than my prom date.

I rose to leave the table and found I couldn’t do it. How suck ass would this guy’s GenCon be if all his crap was lost or stolen? I hadn’t entered into the social contract of the shared table with him. Nothing I had done could have been construed as welcoming.

Yet we shared a deeper bond.

Not just of geek.

Not just of gamer.

But the bond of tabletop role playing gamer.

It is an unbreakable bond, stronger than Mithril, more powerful than Stormbringer. The kinship we share trancends mere familial ties. It is the stuff of…

Wait.

Scrutinizing his bag and other gear, I observed the two cases of collectible card games. CCG?!?

Fuck this guy.

I left.

Friday was a good day. I prowled the dealer room securing a copy of Jihad for Burning Wheel and even met BW creator Luke Crane. I sat on my very first panel with other podcasters. Visited with friends. Played Dogs in the Vineyard, Do You Worship Cthulhu?, and Action Castle.

I also spent a portion of the evening being intensely jealous of Rob from The Bear Swarm podcast and frequent IoM contributoe who got to play Housea of the Blooded with game creator John Wick.

Die in a fire, Rob.

Starting Saturday now. More later.

Written on August 15th, 2009 , Role Playing Games Tags: ,
GenCon in the Afternoon

After securing my badge, I joined up with a whole bunch of folks for lunch. A.David Pinilla and both of his wives (His man-bride Luke Meyer and David’s lady wife as well), Rich, James, Jake, and the much hated Holmberg. It was a bit loud for much conversation, but we did manage to coordinate some gaming schedules.

Afterwards, I headed over to the dealer room. Holy crap, that place I’d huge. In an hour and a half I skimmed half of it. I’m saving the rest for later.

I bought my first two items: The board game Zombies!!! And the print edition of The Day After Ragnarok. Ken Hite’s here somewhere. He’s totally autographing it for me before I leave.

I’m in a Hunter: The Vigil game in about 20 minutes. Can’t wait!

Written on August 13th, 2009 , Role Playing Games Tags: , ,
In line @ Gen Con

Like an idiot, I didn’t get my registration in on time. Thus I am in the line for on-site registration. Line seems to Ben moving well, but word is that it’s a 2 hour wait.

Here’s hoping I don’t get too sunburned.

Written on August 13th, 2009 , Role Playing Games Tags: ,
Journey to GenCon

I woke at five o’clock this morning in the hopes that I’d be able to catch an earlier flight. I’m booked on a one o’clock flight that would get me to Indy around four. While my work schedule required that undesirable booking at first, I was later able to manipulate the calendar in my favor. Stupid work.

Really, I’d wanted to get out of town yesterday but the ticketing penalties racked up in excess of the initial ticket price. The guy at American Airlines’ ticketing desk was all too eager to get all up in my dirt.

American doesn’t apply penalties for changes the same day as the ticketed flight, though. So at God awful early I rose this morning in hopes of securing one of the five remaining seats to the Promise Land.

Not only did I get a seat, but I got a window seat to boot! Quick, gimme some dice! I’m gonna crit some bitches!

I sit here at the gate sipping my venti sugar free cinammon dolce latte. In the company of other Texas gamers, I await my flight to the best four days in gaming. So freaking excited.

Written on August 13th, 2009 , Role Playing Games Tags: , ,
Your Morning Head: My GenCon Week Begins

300px-gen_con_indy_logoThis is the big week.

GenCon week.

I’ve mentioned before that I’ve never been to GenCon, the best four days in gaming.  Later this week, I hop on a plane to Indianapolis where I will meet up with old friends, new friends, and bitter enemies (I’m looking at you, Holmberg).  The days and nights will be filled with gaming, drinking, and all manner of fun.

I’m already in a couple of games.  Really looking forward to playing Dogs in the Vineyard with my buddy Jake.

I’ll be sitting on two podcast panels (details to follow later this week).

I’m just as excited as I can be.

I’ll be live-blogging the experience, so check back often from August 13 – August 16.

Before it begins, I’m asking myself the important questions:

  • Which dice to bring?  All of them?
  • Which t-shirts do I pack?  Blackest Night, for sure… but what else?
  • How many cigars will I need?

These are important questions…

Written on August 10th, 2009 , Columns, Conventions, Games, Role Playing Games, Your Morning Head Tags: , ,
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