Ostensible Cat

Yes, I'm a bandwaggoner.  Yes, I'm late to the party on this one.  Yes, I have no excuses on this post aside from my overinflated sense of self importance.  So, after all of the self flagellation, I do want to chime in on this.  I've more or less been quietly working on OSR projects for the past seven years or so.  Of course, I've been a gamer for longer than that, but 2005-2006 was when I first became aware of what is now considered the OSR.  At the time, we did have games like Castles and Crusades and companies like Necromancer Games and Goodman Games putting out products with an old school sensibility.  As good as that was (and is), it wasn't completely satisfying.  There were a lot of folks that wanted to play with the old rule sets with NEW product designed for use specifically with the old rule sets.  The Old School Reference Index and Compilation (OSRIC) started by Matt Finch and later championed to completion by Stuart Marshall was...

After looking at my wife Daisey's pictures from out trip to the Bolzano area and the Italian Alps a week ago, I just had to share.  It was a most excellent trip and I had a most excellent time.  It was most inspirational from a story-telling/game design aspect (heh, yeah, I'm that geeky that I think about that stuff when I travel.  Here's a few pictures from out trip and see if you agree that the southern alps (or northern Italian Dolomites) are beautiful and most inspirational from a game design standpoint.  And I gotta tell you, there is nothing quite like sitting at the top of the world and enjoying a well crafted German Pilsner followed by a cup of Italian Espresso and Apple Strudel ;).  Yeah, it sucks to be me.  Happy gaming gang! 

WotC's decision to reprint the original 1e core books with new covers in support of the Gygax Memorial Fund is sheer awesomeness.  The thing that isn't so awesome for active old schooler like myself that live outside the US is that it looks like I'm not going to have any direct means of purchasing these items.  If the goal is to honor one of the founders of the game by raising money for the memorial, why not let folks order them from the web so that fans around the world can not only have a nifty new printing of the edition they love, but get a chance to chip in to the fund as well?  Seems a bit exclusive and looks like I'll be forced to go the eBay route.  Ah, sigh... more cheese please ;).

I don't have a real studio. Well, I guess more precise is that my real studio is the dining room table. I am OK with that as it is my only real option for the time being. However, I do like to see other artist's setups and work environments. Here's a pretty cool blog dedicated to creative spaces for cartoonists. You know, most artists like to work where they feel most inspired. I love to eat so perhaps the dining room table is a pretty good fit for me ;).

I've been busy working on art for Expeditious Retreat Press and Adventurer Conqueror King and several other commissions. It's been pretty hectic at the day job so that has lessened my output level, but I'm slowly catching up. So if I've been quite I apologize, but I've been working! I have acquired The first three volumes of the Arduin Grimoire. Pretty interesting stuff. I like the artwork and the over the top zany nature of it all. Fun stuff. Also, the Tome of Horrors Complete is AWESOME. I really like the small stat blocks and the adventure hook ideas. I've been gravitating towards Swords & Wizardry/OD&D a lot lately. Finally, I hope to get back on some of my projects soon. Isle of Maedsid has really been on my mind a lot lately. Not to mention I'm thinking of collaborating on a Cthulhueque comic with a friend and also writing some short fiction. Ah, if I can just maintain enough energy to get even a small fraction of my ideas off t...

Yeah, it's been a bit crazy around the Bingham household but things are starting to wind down a bit. Kind of fitting since today it is now Fall. I've got quite a few art commissions lined up that I'm pretty excited about. I've done some work for Adventurer Conqueror King that I've been rather pleased with and some great stuff for Expeditious Retreat Press. Alphonso Warden sent me a manuscript that I've agreed to collaborate with him on. He doesn't have a publisher yet, but I feel like Alphonso's work has always been top notch and sure is fun to illustrate. Unfortunately, even though I've been cranking through a lot of artwork, I don't have anything to share with you guys just yet. Soon though, I'm excited for you guys to see the cool OSR stuff that just seems to keep coming out.

Today Daisey and I celebrate nine years of marital bliss. I don't think it is an exaggeration to say that any successes I've had have been because of her support and encouragement. We've known each other over half my life now and been married for the past nine years. It is awesome to have a wife and partner who fully supports my geekery and encourages me to reach new heights. She provides much appreciated critiques and a sounding board for ideas. Thanks babe, here's to many, many more years of an awesome partnership!

I'm still out and about travelling across the country. Right now I'm back with the family in the Springfield/Branson, MO region and having a good time. I've been gone from Bella Italia for two weeks and I must confess that I really am itching to get home though. I miss Daisey and the kids and am looking forward to getting back into the swing of my normal routine. I'm especially looking forward to starting a gaming group up once I get back. I've several pent up ideas that I'm looking at unleashing upon my unsuspecting players. Most of the folks I've lined up haven't played old school rpgs so I'm really looking forward to treating them to the ways of such games. They are all pretty excited so we'll see where it goes. I need to knock some of the rust off of my DMing but it'll be good to be at the helm. I've got a few new commissions lined up and I'm excited to be putting pencil and brush to paper. It feels like it's been ...

I was just reading a Geekdad about the proposed $150 million USD biopic based on Gary Gygax's life and work. Reading through some of the details, I'll admit to being pretty bemused by the whole thing. I'd totally love a documentary based upon Gary, Dave Arneson and the early days at TSR but I cannot see that going into the multi-million dollar range. Maybe 1-3 million (and I think that's a stretch). Gary made D&D and we all have been affected by this to greater or lesser degrees. I'm not sure that trying to make a film for the masses is really the way to honor Gary's legacy. I could be wrong, but looking at the guys that's making the movie's screen credits, I'm highly suspicious. And hiring on a big name actor to play Gary? Why not just have interviews with the folks that worked with him like Tim Kask, Frank Mentzer, Jim Ward as well as Gail Gygax, Ernie and Luke, people in the games business, other big names like Vin Deisel and the like...

Yeah, I'll jump on the band wagon. But let's face it, some kids get a football when they are a kid or a guitar or whatever and that sets them down a certain path. I was given an AD&D Monster Manual and that has had a MASSIVE influence on my life. The only things that have come into my life that have even been close are my wife, kids, and punk rock, well and beer I suppose ;). At any rate, here's a toast to Gary. Keep rockin the dice all!

I'm mostly hoping to meet some of you folks that I talk to here o the Interwebs and get in on a few ad hoc gaming sessions. I'd like to spend some time at the OSR booth chatting as well as wondering around the hall. This is my first major con so I'm not really sure what to expect. I'm really looking forward to getting a set of Zocchi dice. I ordered some, but hell, I just really want to check out the Game Science booth and pick out some as well as get a dice cup and some other accoutrements. For those of you going, look me up and chat!

Wow, lots of crap slinging has been going on around the OSR Blogosphere. I am a bit saddened that Stephan Poag decided to not stick it out since the fun had been drained out of it. Well, as for me, I'm choosing to keep it light and just kick back and have some pie and put some adventure ideas together for my soon to be formed game group! I hope to be back at the DM helm when I get back from GENCON. I hope all's well with everyone else!

I sure hope Christian of Destination Unknown is simply taking a hiatus. I really enjoyed hearing about his zine, his game groups, and the different happenings. I know that when you are simply trying to have fun and share with like minded people and some purile, garbage mouthed yob who hides behind anonymity comes along and makes personal attacks sure can take the fun out of it. So, Christian, keep having fun and I hope at some point you'll be back on filling us in on the happenings in SoCal.

The kids are both outta school, folks are starting to go on vacation, headed to the beach this weekend.... summer is here!!! I remember being a kid and having long all night sessions playing D&D, Marvel FASERIP, Top Secret, Risk, Axis and Allies, etc. I'll have to break out Dungeon sometime this weekend and play a game with Bear. We're off to Padova today to see the botanical gardens and then back home so I can grill out some sausage and pork ribs. Later I'll do some more work on Maedsid and then watch Exit Through the Gift Shop about the Street artist Banksy. Nothing like an awesomely beautiful day, some pork on the grill, hot punk rock on the iPod, a game book in one hand and a cold pilsner in the other. I woke up with some Adicts tunes going through my head. One of my favorite punk bands. Have a great weekend and have a fun and safe 4th for my American friends!!

Wow, hard to believe we've been here in Italy for four years now. It's been a FANTASTIC time. No matter what, Italy has become part of our lives forever. Looking back on my career both for my day job and art related, these past four years have been the most professionally rewarding as well as the most growth and development. I've become a seasoned and well respected IT security professional and have been honored to become the Lead IT security specialist for the US Army in Italy and the Balkans. Artistically, I've grown quite a bit and matured in my style. It has been a lot of fun (and a great honor) to get to work on various OSR projects. Personnally, it has been amazing to watch my kids grow and our little family grow closer together and have some amazing experiences. My wife Daisey posted this great photo retrospective of life in OUR little corner of Italy in her blog here . All the way around, I'm one of the luckiest guys around and I am thankful every d...

I've been having some problems commenting on other's posts with blogger lately. This has been somewhat of a frustration as there are several blog posts that I'd like to be able to comment on but can't. Ah well, hopefulyy this will get fixed soon. On another note, I'm working on more art for Weird Adventures. This has been an incredibly cool project. At some point I need to get my act together and update my online portfolio as the art there is now around two years old and I think my work has grown quite a bit since. I'll post some previews of what I've been working on soon.

I just got back from Garmisch, Germany today. I gotta tell you, I've been in love with the Bavarian Alps since I lived in Nuremburg as a teen. The area has a very dramatic and romantic feel that one can cetainly see where Wagner got his inspiration from. However, it is of course great to be back home in Bella Italia. I had hoped to be able to accomplish some artwork while I was gone, but alas, I accomplished no such feat. Instead, I spent my days listening to some very enlightening Information Security seminars and spent the evenings enjoying the German cuisine. I did recieve my copies of Vornheim and LotFP Grind House before leaving so I read those as well as my copy of a very decidedly non-old school Eclipse Phase (which is a fantastic Sci-Fi transhuman horror setting even if I find myself a bit befudled by the rules - perhaps adapting the setting to Stars Without Number would be more to my taste). I also got a chance to enjoy my Robin of Sherwood DVDs. My wife doesn'...

Since we've been invited to hang out with our Italian landlords for mother's day, I decided to do my own mother's day feast today. My mother-in-law is staying with us for the next six months while Daisey works on her graduate degree. It's actually working out quite well. At any rate, this is where the pork products part of my blog byline comes in. I love to grill. Really. It's probably one of my favorite activities. So, I'm putting on some pork ribs, Italian sausage, pollenta and pork cutlets tonight. My grill accompaniment is a prosecco/aperol spritz and Delta Green Countdown with a mix of The Misfits/The Cramps/The Young Werewolves on the iPod. Here's some pictures done with my retro camera app on my phone to set the mood ;).

I was looking for a picture to update the What I'm reading photo and I stumbled across this pretty cool model of Elric and Stormbringer . I'm not much of a toy/minatures guy (aminly because I have enough obessive geek hobbies and I can't afford anymore). At any rate I wanted to post the link (mainly so I can go back and see what other kinda modeling geekiness is out there. Oh lord, I don't need to open another can of worms... ;).

Really I'm kidding but if anyone knows, please pass it along! Sometimes there just isn’t enough time in the day to get everything done that needs to get done. Add the stuff that you want to do and well… So my art commissions continue apace and I’m pretty excited about them. It seems that the opportunities out there for projects that I’d love to work on keep expanding exponentially. That is an incredibly good thing and it shows that the DIY hobbyist gamers and the OSR are kicking some major butt to get some incredibly great stuff out there. If only I could 1) add about four more productive hours to my day and 2) find the energy to sustain myself to actually be productive for those extra hours. I tell you, what a difference from a few short years ago. There were very few projects and I’d go for long periods without doing any art. Now, I’m at my drawing board almost every day (and that’s after a full 9 hours+ at my day job and family time). Good stuff, keep it coming. S...