Matt Forbeck's Blog, page 50

Geek.Kon 2011 Is Here!

As I've mentioned before, I'll be at Geek.Kon up in Madison, Wisconsin, this weekend. It's bound to be a blast, with all sorts of guests, including my friends Bill Bodden, Troy Denning, Jim Frenkel, John Kovalic, Matt McElroy, Aaron Pavao, and Monica Valentinelli. It all kicks off this afternoon, and the fun goes straight on through Sunday.

I can't make it up tonight or Sunday, but I will be there all day Saturday, starting at 9 AM and running through the night. Check my schedule for details. I hope to see you there!

Excellent Star Wars vs. Star Trek Review

Over at Geeks of Doom (love that name), Gary Makries gives Star Wars vs. Star Trek a rave review.

 I laughed, I cried, I rejoiced… I enjoyed the book so much, I didn't put it down.

Check out the rest of it, and listen to the man when he says, "Well, guess who needs to go shopping? Yep, you do."

The Kobold Guide to Board Game Design

Just today, Kobold Quarterly released The Kobold Guide to Board Game Design. Legendary designer and puzzle master Mike Selinker edited the book, and he assembled a killer lineup of designers and essays for the book. Besides himself, the writers include Rob Daviau, James Ernest, Richard Garfield, Dave Howell, Steve Jackson, Richard C. Levy, Andrew Looney, Michelle Nephew, Paul Peterson, Lisa Steenson, Jeff Tidball, Teeuwynn Woodruff, Dale Yu, and me.

Honestly, it's an honor just to be included on such a list. The fact that it's all wrapped inside a cover by John Kovalic makes for sweet icing on an already delicious cake.

My essay is called "Metaphor vs. Mechanics," and it addresses the natural tension between how a game works and what it's about. Other pieces cover the gamut from pacing gameplay and writing rules to building prototypes and getting published. If you have any interest at all in game design, grab this book. It's out in both print and PDF.

Extreme Facts in Stores

Book of Extreme Facts apparently is in stores for your enjoyment now. It's a collection of crazy records and facts that Kris Oprisko and I gathered for IDW, and it features illustrations by Brian Miroglio, Marc Rueda, Sagar Forniés, Mariano Saura Copete, Albert Carreres, Guillermo Perez, Yair Herrera (who illustrated my Complete Idiot's Guide to Drawing Superheroes and Villains), and German Torres. It also features a snazzy lenticular cover by Locke & Key artist Gabriel Rodiguez that gives it a 3D effect as you move it.

I had a lot of fun working on this book, and my kids have been poring over it since the moment my advance copies showed it. For some samples of what's in it, be sure to stop by the official site at BookOfExtremeFacts.com.

Meanwhile, check out this sure to be short lived record involving the book, recorded for RecordSetter.com.

The Magic Comic

Earlier today, IDW announced that it is publishing a brand-new series of comic books based on Magic: The Gathering, the original, bestselling collectible card game from Wizards of the Coast. It's being illustrated by the fantastic Martin Cóccolo, and the excellent Denton Tipton is editing it. Most amazing of all is that I'm writing it.

This is the first comic I've written since the Blood Bowl series I handled for Boom! Studios, and I'm loving it. Writing a comic is the most structured sort of prose challenge around, but it's so satisfying to see a talented artist bring the images I describe to life.

This isn't, though, the first time I've been involved with a Magic: The Gathering comic. Way back in 1996, I wrote backup material for Fallen Angel, a Magic comic from Acclaim Comics written by Nancy Collins. This time around, though, I'm handling the main event, and I can't wait for you all to read it.

Here's the press release, in full:

IDW Publishing and Hasbro, Inc. today announced yet another extension of the companies' long-term relationship with an all-new comic book series based on the ground-breaking MAGIC: THE GATHERING trading card game (TCG). Under license from Hasbro, Inc., and in collaboration with Wizards of the Coast, IDW will launch a new series entitled MAGIC: THE GATHERING this fall, the first comic series in more than a decade based on the many worlds of the hugely popular game. Adding to the rich stories are exclusive, playable, alternate-art cards for the MAGIC: THE GATHERING TCG, which will only be available through select issues of the IDW comics.

"Magic: The Gathering is an incredibly strong property which spawned a new entertainment category, and there is so much to be done creatively with comics," says IDW's Magic editor, Denton J. Tipton. "I'm really looking forward to telling new stories in the many worlds of Magic, which have been near and dear to my heart since the mid-90s."

IDW Publishing and Hasbro subsidiary, Wizards of the Coast will work closely together to ensure the comics offer another layer of experience for MAGIC: THE GATHERING fans. The initial four-issue miniseries will focus on a unique, new Planeswalker, a powerful mage with the ability to travel between worlds in the Magic Multiverse. Many popular MAGIC: THE GATHERING characters will be featured in the series, as well.

This comic series is written by renowned author and game designer Matt Forbeck (The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game, Amortals, The Marvel Encyclopedia), who is joined by talented newcomer, artist Martín Cóccolo. Each comic book will also be collected at intervals into graphic novels. MAGIC: THE GATHERING will be distributed to a wide audience through comic-book outlets, trade bookstores, mass retailers, and digitally through a variety of platforms.

IDW Publishing is Hasbro's comic book licensee for the TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE brands. IDW launched the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS ongoing comic series in 2010, and publishes licensed comic books for many other hugely popular brands, include HBO's True Blood, The BBC's Doctor Who, and EA's Dragon Age.

About Magic: The Gathering

Magic: The Gathering® is the first and most widely played trading card game. Players take on the role of Planeswalkers – powerful mages who battle others for glory, knowledge and conquest. Their weapons include spells, creatures, and artifacts gathered from a vast multiverse of unique fantasy worlds. With over 11,000 different cards available, Magic offers an unrivaled depth of game play with many levels of choice and customization for its players. The cards feature unique illustrations by top fantasy artists inspired by familiar elements of myth and legend. These elements weave together to provide a strategically rich and satisfying game play experience. Whether in the competitive arena or participating in a local Magic event, there is always an opportunity to shine.

About IDW Publishing

IDW is an award-winning publisher of comic books, graphic novels and trade paperbacks, based in San Diego, California. Renowned for its diverse catalog of licensed and independent titles, IDW publishes some of the most successful and popular titles in the industry, including: Hasbro's The Transformers and G.I. Joe, Paramount's Star Trek; HBO's True Blood; the BBC's DOCTOR WHO; Toho's Godzilla; and comics and trade collections based on novels by worldwide bestselling author, James Patterson. IDW is also home to the Library of American Comics imprint, which publishes classic comic reprints; Yoe! Books, a partnership with Yoe! Studios; and is the print publisher for EA Comics.

IDW's original horror series, 30 Days of Night, was launched as a major motion picture in October 2007 by Sony Pictures and was the #1 film in its first week of release. More information about the company can be found at IDWPublishing.com.

About Hasbro

Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS) is a branded play company providing children and families around the world with a wide-range of immersive entertainment offerings based on the Company's world class brand portfolio. From toys and games, to television programming, motion pictures, video games and a comprehensive licensing program, Hasbro strives to delight its customers through the strategic leveraging of well-known and beloved brands such as TRANSFORMERS, LITTLEST PET SHOP, NERF, PLAYSKOOL, MY LITTLE PONY, G.I. JOE, MAGIC: THE GATHERING and MONOPOLY. The Hub, Hasbro's multi-platform joint venture with Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) launched on October 10, 2010. The online home of The Hub is www.hubworld.com. The Hub logo and name are trademarks of Hub Television Networks, LLC. All rights reserved.

Come see how we inspire play through our brands at http://www.hasbro.com. © 2011 Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Geek.Kon Schedule

Once again, I'll be at guest at this year's Geek.Kon up in Madison, Wisconsin, which runs from September 9 through 11. I'm joining a fantastic group of guests, including my pals Bill Bodden, Troy Denning, Jim Frenkel, John Kovalic, Matt McElroy, Aaron Pavao, and Monica Valentinelli.

I may be at the show Friday or Sunday, but I'll be there for sure all day Saturday, September 10. So far, my Saturday schedule looks like this:

9 AM: Designing Game Mechanics
10 AM: Ebooks vs. Traditional Publishing
11 AM: Autographs
1:30 PM: Writing for Shared Worlds
2:30 PM: World Building
3:30 PM: Writing Panel
5 PM: Getting Published in Gaming
8 PM: Tie-In Fiction
9 PM: Guests Geek Out Panel

If you're around, come on out and join us. It's a fantastic weekend.

Wednesday Night at Noble Knight

Tomorrow night, I'll be joining the Gamerati Tour at Noble Knight Games in Janesville, Wisconsin. I should get there around 6 PM and will spend the rest of the evening hanging out, chatting with friends, and maybe even playing a game or two. If you're around, come on out at join us!

New Board Game Bits

It's been a crazy few weeks since Gen Con as I scramble to catch up with deadlines and help Ann get the kids ready for school. During that time, I've written the first issue of an ongoing comic (details coming soon), polished off the first draft of the second Dust novel, and helped out with the Marvel tabletop RPG development team. Next I'm sprinting away on Carpathia, but before I put my nose to the virtual grindstone again, I wanted to mention another cool project I'm involved in.

My friend Dan Verssen makes some of the best military games out there. I played a lot of his Modern Naval Battles in college, and it was a real pleasure to get to know him in person as I joined the tabletop games industry. He's tinkering with a new board game called Global Domination, and he asked me to help him with the color text for the game's cards. It's been a ball working with him, and I'm looking forward to playing the game myself.

Kansas City Book Club: Vegas Knights

I recently discovered that the Kansas City Science Fiction and Fantasy Society has named my novel Vegas Knights as the subject of their next book club meeting on August 22, at the Oak Park Barnes & Noble. If you're in the area, pick up a copy of the book and join in!

As far as I know, this is the first time any of my novels has been the topic of a book club meeting, and I'm tickled by the idea of people sitting around a bookstore and talking about one of my stories. Big thanks to whoever put it forward, and I hope all the folks in Kansas City enjoy the book!

The Reboot Mind Meld

Every now and then at SFSignal.com, they gather together a group of authors and ask them a question. This time around, they drew my name from the hat, and the question of the day is: "If you could reboot a book series, which one would it be?" Scroll all the way down to the bottom to read my heretical answer.