Deep Breaths. Deep Breaths

Print time is almost here. I'm so damn nervous. You guys have no idea. There's the "What will people think?" factor. There's the "oh god I spent so many thousands on this, will anyone buy it?" worrying. "How the hell do I let people know how cool this stuff is without coming across like a lame shill?" "What if I miss something important and the stuff comes back from the printer all screwed up?" "Where am I going to put 2000 of these things?"

Seriously, how do publishers, musicians, authors, any of this sort, keep cool and dignified and quiet about it all when everything's all about to hit the fan?

Looking over the proofreading printouts, I'm just so damn excited about these books.

Vornheim is the coolest damn thing. Zak's a pretty smart guy, you know? I've probably said this already, but I predict Vornheim's format is going to be copied to hell and back across the industry because it's such a fresh way to present a role-playing book. The maps, the way charts are handled, everything. I questioned a lot of Zak's decisions along the way but he didn't let me deawesomefy any of his ideas, and now that the project's come together and I'm looking at printouts of an essentially finished book I see what he was doing all along.

My baby, the Grindhouse Edition, looks unbelievable. Not just all the art (and no expense was spared there), but I haven't been sitting around all this time just playing art director - the layout is 100% better, the books will be of excellent physical quality (perfect-bound this time with varnished covers), and the new spells, items, intro adventure, and various other bits and pieces will give Weird Fantasy Role-Playing an even more unique atmosphere when it comes to the nuts-and-bolts game.

From the beginning I described my efforts this way:

Note that it is not LotFP's goal to recreate the old feeling with our books, either in look or content. Playing classic games is not an exercise in nostalgia or a longing for a different time - these games are vibrant and alive and continue to provide true gaming excitement today, and on their own terms. LotFP's game offerings treat these games with the respect they deserve while giving their referees and players innovative and fresh material for those games.

The Grindhouse Edition and Vornheim uphold that ideal. They are going to blow your mind.

Here are the Grindhouse Edition blank mockups, actual size, with the Deluxe Edition box for comparison:


Here is a photo of the printouts I am using for proofing. In this pic you can see one of Christina Casperson's pics from the Tutorial book (left), the Table of Contents for the Referee book (top), a two-page spread by Amos Orion Sterns (of course the finished book won't have the white stripe between the two halves), plus another pic by Sterns there on the right:


And one of the four Russ Nicholson pieces that will be in the box set:


I hope you're with me on these. Because if you are, there's so much more to come.