Gygax Magazine…It’s On!

Gygax Magazine No. 1

Gygax Magazine No. 1

     A month ago or so, I heard an announcement on the Roll For Initiative podcast that TSR was coming back.  Or at least a new incarnation of TSR.  For those of you who don’t know, TSR (Tactical Studies Rules) was the company co-founded in 1973 by Gary Gygax (co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons with Dave Arneson).

     The new company, founded by Jayson Elliott, and Gary’s sons Luke & Ernie, among others, launched in November 2012, and they just released their first product, Gygax Magazine. The quarterly publication launched yesterday at a special event in Brooklyn, New York and I put my order in for a one year subscription when I woke up this morning. I haven’t been this excited to receive something in the mail for awhile.

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What’s That I’m Smellin?

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     When our little boy was about three, he’d sometimes stop, squint his eyes, wrinkle his nose, look around with a furrowed brow, and inquire matter of factly, “What’s that I’m smellin?”  I had a similar experience last night while sitting in the Nerd Cave. I was going over my now seven year old son’s reading assignment with him when my lovely wife came in and sat down.  Totally apropos of nothing, she hits me with this:

Wife:  “I wonder what would be a good air freshener scent for in here?”
Me:  “Uhhh…what are you trying to say?”
Wife: “Oh nothing…it just smells a bit like…old moldy paper in here.”
Me:  “LEAVE THIS PLACE WOMAN!”

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App of the Month: BoardGameGeek

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     I’m a bit of what’s known as a “late adopter.”  That fact surprises even me.  I’d think I’d be all over new tech, but until recently, my motto (at least one of them), “I fear change,” kept me from messing around with newfangled stuff like iPhone apps. Until, that is, I stumbled upon some great ones like BoardGameGeek’s iPhone app.

     As you know, I’m a collector.  I like to keep track of my vast empire of stuff.  Until now, I’d always done so by using a list compiled on MS Word.  The problem with that is, you have to make sure you keep up with it, updating it religiously. You forget to do it a couple times and now your inventory’s useless.  Well, for the game collector (or just the player with a bunch of titles), BoardGameGeek’s got you covered.

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R.I.P. Comics Buyer’s Guide

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     The publisher of Comic’s Buyer’s Guide announced today that it will cease publication with the 1,699th issue (March 2013).  Established in 1971, it is/was the longest running English language publication covering the world of comic books.

     I’ll leave it to Wikipedia to give you the history of CBG if you’re interested.  Or, even better, check out this article by John Jackson Miller, a longtime staffer at CBG. Instead, I’m going to get all Quincy up in here and attempt a post-mortem.

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Turn It Up And Rip The Knob Off! Podcasts for Nerds

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     I work inside a 100+ year old building.  I don’t know what’s in the bricks they used back then, but whatever it was, it isn’t conducive to great radio reception.  Luckily, I’ve got an office in the dungeon that I share with no one so I can pretty much listen to podcasts on my computer all day long. If you could sit and talk about your hobbies and interests for hours on end, then the next best thing while you’re shackled to your desk or stuck in traffic is firing up a podcast.

     Here’s a laundry list of eight podcasts I regularly tune in to during my mind-numbing workday… Continue reading

The Thrifty Nerd–Dirt Cheap Art For Your Walls

Not bad for $8 a piece.

Not bad for $8 a piece.

     I was cleaning up my office the other day and took down my 2012 Vintage Marvel Comics calendar (published by Asgard Press).  I got it last January for 50% off at Barnes & Noble–You know to never, ever, ever buy your calendar before January 1st don’t you?  Anyway, it’s a really nice, high quality calendar, and I thought it’d be a shame to just chuck it in the trash.

     The cool thing about Asgard’s calendars is that they’re designed to be used as framed wall art once their done functioning in their intended role. Each image is perforated at the top and bottom of the page.  Once a print is removed from the calendar, it’s ready for framing in a standard ready-made 11″ x 14″ picture frame.

     In need of some art to fill in some of the remaining blank space on the Nerd Cave’s walls, I headed to Hobby Lobby to see what they had in the way of frames. I was pleasantly surprised to find all their picture frames on sale for 50% off. I happily paid $6.50 each for a black and a silver frame.

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