2009/Feb GAMERS Newspaper

FREE Vol 3 Issue 2 * Gaming Articles, Monthly Editorials & Remarkable Stories

Feb 09

OhayoCon 09 - Convention Report Victoria Vesey OGO Publications Writer

In attending my first nerd related convention, OhayoCon 09, I’ve been introduced to a new and fascinating world of elaborate costumes, fuzzy tails, and charismatic characters.

When asked to cover this convention, I really had no idea what I was getting myself into; and on arriving it was all I could do to keep my head as I tried to see all the fantastic costumes at once. My attention to the costumes was fitting considering that the main event of the weekend was the Saturday night Cosplay in the main convention center. The room was packed to capacity for the show. A huge stage was setup, with a monitor on each side and a cameraperson filming in the center of the room. The two hosts were energetic and funny, doing a great job of getting the crowd excited for the show. The Cosplay totaled twenty unique skits, mostly satirical acts and dance, with one of the

dance numbers even flying in from England to perform. However, a few of them stood out beyond the others.

Some of the more notable skits showcased remarkable talents and skills. For instance, skit number seven was “The Dance of the Sugar Plum Piranha Plant” and showcased a Sugar-Plum’s graceful ballet skills, and the not so graceful, apparently drunken, jig of the Piranha plant.

Other acts included a skilled violinist playing for two dancing geishas, where another featured a puppet master pulling the strings for a break dancing puppet competition. One of the last skits was a dramatic reenactment of the “Silent Hill” Pyramid Head attempting to kill the nurses, which collapsed into comedy as one nurse grabbed a golf club and knocked Pyramid Head’s in his bathing suit area. But by far the most popular show of the evening was “Paddle ball versus Yo-yo” as two characters showed off their skills in a heated competition and the crowd

went wild at the circus-style entertainment. Afterward, completely winning the crowd’s hearts, Yo-yo Bridget proposed to his girlfriend at the end of the show, with the couple receiving a standing ovation and deafening cheers when she said yes.

After the Cosplay came my favorite part of the whole convention, the costume show. Dozens of characters displayed elaborate and fantastic costumes as they walked, danced or fought their way across the stage.

There were giant costumes so complex and huge others had to help them on stage; there were geishas, wedding parties, and fierce warriors with detailed and unique weapons; and there were groups of friends dressed to represent their favorite shows. Altogether the show was an amazing display of the ingenuity, creativity, and love for the characters the convention attendees represented.

The next morning I attended the Origami workshop with instruction

by Caitlin Glass, more well known

as the character “Winry” from Full Metal Alchemist. She told us she began practicing Origami when she was eight and her grandmother gave her a book called “Complete Origami”, now out of print. As she grew up and practiced she was able to do more complex projects. The project for the class was an eightsided I-Ching wheel, and Caitlin was an amazing teacher. Even my pathetic paper-folding skills were able to create the surprisingly simple, but intricate looking piece, which I must admit, I am ridiculously proud of creating. For any out there looking to create Origami projects, Caitlin’s advice was to go to any bookstore and buy a book, as well as to check out kimscrane.com for large amounts of cheap Origami paper to practice on.

Overall, the convention was huge, the people friendly and fun, and the sights completely worth the trip.

“Wrath of a Mad God”- Three stars!

Victoria Vesey OGO Publications Writer

In true backwards style, I grabbed the “Wrath of the Mad God” by Raymond E. Feist not realizing that it is the last of The Darkwar Saga and started right in, wondering why I was so confused. I’m sure that all would have been avoided had I read the full cover, but that is really far too logical to put into action. Nevertheless, despite being at a total

loss regarding the places in the book, it was well-written, the plot was clear, and the characters realistic. There was adequate backstory and description added throughout so that even without prior knowledge of the story, it was fairly easy to get into the book and understand what was going on with the plot.

From what I could understand, the dilemma is the ripping apart of the fabric between two levels of the universe. The death-worshipping

warrior forces of the Dasati universe are attempting to cross over and take over the universe of Kelewan, the home of the main characters; and while this is happening the creatures of the Void, from between the universes, are also invading near the mountains of the Quor (a strange alien race that gives the life-force to the world and are protected by a particular race of elves) and must be protected at all costs or the world will end. The

Celebrating Over 1 Year in Publication

instigator of the Dasati invasion seems to be the evil necromancer Leso Varen, who loves the murderous ways of the Dasati people because he is able to feed off the life force of the dying. The main characters are a married couple, Miranda and Pug, and while they are in separate places for much of the book, they are both attempting to fight the two major threats.

The story has many surprises and unexpected characters, and does a

Editor in Chief: Jack R Stewart - jrstewart@ohiogamers.org Copy Editor: Ben Chronister - chronwriter@gmail.com Photography staff: Mike Henthorn - rutilius83@yahoo.com Writers: Matt Ferrell - bigmatt@ohiogamers.org Mr. Stephen - cowflipper@yahoo.com OGO Publications P.O. Box 2224 Columbus, Ohio 43216 1-877-OGO-0010

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Welcome to the February issue of G.A.M.E.R.S.!

Ben Chronister OGO Publications Editor

We have a few treats for you this month. First, would be our newest writer, Stephanie Mallasch. After Victoria and I attended Ohaycon we came to the definite conclusion that we were in dire need of an Anime expert. I wandered the halls of the Columbus Convention center, a second home to me after years of attending Origins and various other conventions, and have never felt more alone and unhip than I did while surrounded by all those anime fans.

I should point out, I feel much of the time as if I’m a pretty well versed nerd. I play games of all sorts on a regular basis, I know my way around the SCA and Renaissance Faires, and can give anybody a run for their money in conversations about Paranoia or rules calls in Vampire. But when it comes to anime my understanding goes no further than “I like Cowboy Bebop and don’t like Dragon Ball-Z.” Unfortunately, that wasn’t quite enough for me to get by on. There are moves, dance moves, worked into typical conversations between anime fans! Did you know that?! Its like stepping into a Mason’s meeting if the Masons wore fuzzy fox tails, kitty ears and had emo-style haircuts.

I felt like the un-hip older uncle. It was amazing and terrifying at the same time. My complete ignorance of

the things occurring around me was heady and intoxicating. I wish I could say that by the end of the convention I had gained some further insights into Anime or perhaps a greater appreciation for the concept. Alas, it would seem I am as much of a fuddyduddy as I felt like while there, and have decided instead to pass on Anime related issues to Stephanie.

She speaks the language, where I am more likely to stare doe-eyed and confused.

This month also sees the continuation of our diary of an indie game developer. The gentleman from 5th Epoch publishing continue to provide excellent insight into the process of crafting a game.

The Unknown writer will return next month with further insights into the joys of Sci-Fi television, and any other thoughts that happen to follow in their wake.

We’re still growing and changing with more regular monthly features.

This month also includes our first of what will be an ongoing series of brief historical backgrounds of common gaming monsters. This month is Goblins.

So read on, enjoy, and please remember we are always interested in feedback. We’re still looking to flesh out our writing staff as well so anyone interested, please send an e-mail to: bchronister@ogopublications.com.

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Now Renting Video Games!!!

Challenges of an Indie RPG Publisher - Part 3

By Andrew Kozak and Vito Pandolfo Co-Authors of Metal, Magic and Lore® Managing Partners, 5th Epoch Publishing Chronicle Three: Challenges before Launch…

Our quest to become authors of a new fantasy role-playing game continued as we kept pace with the challenges that arose on an ongoing basis. We continued to rotate our creative, financial, legal and logistical hats as our release deadline became real and was rapidly approaching.

The final series of challenges we engaged in before the product launch were centered around two specific subjects: actual game content, and the design aesthetic.

Although these challenges seem related they are, in fact, distinct and in direct competition for time and resources. When combined with the myriad of other issues mentioned in prior installments, the period prior to the product launch was easily the most intense time of the entire project.

The content of the Metal Magic and Lore Player’s Rule Book was determined largely by the need to be thorough and at the same time not overload the player with too much information. This turned out to be one of our biggest editorial challenges. In the end, we found that a number of sections required additional text to support certain items that needed clarification. This increased the volume of some sections which in turn displaced other material which had to do more with the setting of the

game or creative things that weren’t actually required to make the game run. We worked hard to retain as much of the game’s flavor as possible while we decided which material would be displaced. This spillover content is what forms the backbone of our supplemental PDFs now becoming available online. The material in these PDFs ranges from a number of additional armors, expanded commentary for the Game Master, a Bestiary of fantastic creatures, to our “Journeyman’s Rules” which are specifically envisioned for experienced players.

The way the book would eventually look was also very, very important to us. We wanted to have a “realistic” game where the rules were easy to use and a game that looked great as well. We paid attention to the cover where we

wanted to generate an old world feel. We chose a matte finish for the cover and a pattern which suggested a leather-bound book.

We wanted to give the book a warm pleasant feel so we chose an off-white paper that was thick and uncoated We were committed to creating a product that was a fantasy game that immersed the reader in the details of our world.

This led directly to the challenges we encountered with regard to the illustrations created for MML We worked very hard on the art.

And so did our illustrators. In a game where we wanted to extend a feeling of reality into our fantasy setting the art had to be on the money to achieve that goal. The artists delivered many fine illustrations, with the scenes at the beginning of each chapter leaping to (Continued on page 4)

Comics: 'The Last Books Standing' - Art Spiegelman's Keynote Address ICV2.com - 02/17/2009 Copyright 2008 GCO, LLC. Reprinted with permission

In his Keynote speech at the ICv2 Graphic Novel Conference held at the New York Comic Con, Art Spiegelman chronicled the history of comics, remarking on the medium’s dependence on print technology from the primitive lithography behind Rudolph Topffer’s first comics in the Western tradition to the color presses that Joseph Pulitzer made essential for every major newspaper to print Sunday comic supplements and which led directly to the printing of the first modern comic books in the 1930s. Spiegelman also took a peek into the future in which some sort of “Kindle”-like device has rendered most books on paper obsolete but speculated that comics, because of their essential “bookness” would endure.

Novelists may not care about

the color of the book cover under the dust jacket, but according to Spiegelman, “Cartoonists all care, every single one of them. It’s because they’re making a book. And a book asks for something. It asks you to make your artwork a certain dimension, a certain size, so it looks good on the page. It takes advantage one way or another of the elements of book design. It’s part of the core of what comics at least have been.” This essential relationship between comics and the form of the book is the reason that Spiegelman concluded that in spite of the fact that comics may well spawn some new semi-animated format

to take advantage of 21st Century technology, “In a way, one might think that the comic book will be the last book left standing.”

While Spiegelman provided an excellent overarching view of the development of western comic books (including an interesting aside in which he blamed the G e r m a n Enlightenment philosopher Gotthold Lessing’s philosophical treatise Laocoon for the intellectual disrepute that still clings to comics), perhaps the most interesting and humorous portion of his address was a very personal history of his involvement with comics from his first exposure to the medium as

a kid growing up in the 1950s to his creation of Maus and the publication of RAW magazine in the 1980s.

To illustrate this compelling subjective chronicle of comics in our times he used slides that reproduced autobiographical elements included his recent updated edition of Breakdowns.

Among the many images he showed was a page from Dr. Wertham’s Seduction of the Innocent in which the good doctor demonstrated the secret symbolism within comics that drove kids to juvenile delinquency—in this case a detail of a male character’s shoulder, which upon closer inspection revealed the image of a naked woman’s torso.

Spiegelman also spoke incisively about the nature of the medium itself, using an image of an icepick about to puncture an eyeball as a metaphor for the immediate impact that the images from comics can have on (Continued on page 6)

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Challenges of an Indie RPG Publisher (cont) (Continued from page 3)

mind as exactly what we are describing here. Other examples are the weapons and “tools of the trade” depicted in our equipment section. In other sections we strove to represent the armors that are pictured in the book to be technically accurate in terms of style, proportion and function. The result was art that provided the reader with a more immersive experience and created a rich depth to the game.

Every piece of art was commissioned with the intention of creating an entire product line, so their overall consistency was tremendously important. Further, the images in the book needed to represent the different campaign styles possible with MML, so we chose to show a variety of example characters.

The beasts needed to feel like they were alive so every illustration was preceded by an intense study of the beast’s anatomy, physiology and behaviors. We paid particular attention to the women displayed with the PRB; specifically powerful, intelligent and attractive women were in, and overly sexualized depictions were absolutely out.

We continued to work closely

with each of the artists who contributed illustrations to the project. We amassed many books and example illustrations from numerous sources and shared these with the artists to explain the look we wanted to achieve. In this context, the cost of each illustration is always a consideration, but the time to finish each piece became the overriding constraint as the publication date became fixed. As time ran short, the exact number of illustrations turned into a constantly moving target that involved compromise after compromise.

As this content and art began to assume their final shape and look, we also began noticing a number of challenges we had with the graphical layout of the book as a whole. These challenges were both creative and logistical in nature. A large part of the creative work associated with the layout was where the art would be placed, and how it would relate to and support the text. Numerous hours were spent side by side with the graphic artist reviewing the layout and molding the look of the work to fit our vision.

After some deliberation, we chose the Origins 2007 for our product launch. This did a num-

ber of things. The first of which was to fix our publication date and therefore the date that the material needed to be complete and in the printer’s hands. The second was to create a series of demands and tasks that were necessary, but competed with the completion of the book. The pressure to finish the book was enormous, but numerous other tasks demanded our attention as well.

One of the first items we knew we needed was a website. We had some specific ideas as to what we wanted our website to be and not to be. So we worked with our web designers to create a site framework that we considered close to ideal. To control costs and the time required to bring the site on line, we declared some items were “day two” and would be added as time and resources allowed.

The website did come together with a store, an integral forum and a nifty character generator.

We also had a front page which let gamers in the MML community know what were up to. We had been promised a fully functioning site about 4 weeks before the Origins convention which would have left enough time to work all of the bugs out.

However, what we received was

only a portion of the site becoming operational literally the night before the convention started.

Even though the site lacked some important features the overall impression was that the electronic “face” of the company appeared professional. As readers of this article series will discover, our website would later prove to be one of the largest challenges the company would face within its first year of operation.

About three weeks before Origins ’07 we received the proof copy of the book from the printer. It was a tremendous thrill to hold that proof in our hands. A journey that had begun nearly 5 years prior had reached a new and highly anticipated milestone. The printer did a great job meeting our specs and our schedule. We were pleased to see that the quality of the book was as we imagined it would be. Everything appeared to be on track. About one week before the con the books arrived at our warehouse; just in time to be ship a few off to Ohio.

So now, in some ways the more laborious work was just beginning, but we were ready to debut at Origins and the excitement was building.

To be continued…

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Marvel Re-Ups With Hasbro ICV2.com - 02/17/2009 Copyright 2008 GCO, LLC. Reprinted with permission

Marvel Entertainment has announced that it has extended its agreement with toymaker Hasbro, Inc. through 2017. The deal, which guarantees Marvel $100 million in royalties and provides the opportunity to earn

an additional $140 million contingent upon the release during the extension period of Marvelbased films that meet certain criteria, grants Hasbro global rights to make a wide range of toys and games based on both the “classic” Marvel comic book characters as well as on characters in Marvel-based films including the Marvel/Sony Spider-Man movies.

In 2009 Hasbro is releasing a number of Marvel-based toy lines including toys based on the upcoming X-Men Origins: Wolverine movie that should hit stores in March, as well as “classic” lines featuring Spider-Man and Iron Man, and a new “super-

Comics: 'The Last Books Standing' (cont) (Continued from page 3)

the brain. He talked about his latest project with his wife, Francoise Mouly, who is editing Toon Books, graphic novels designed for young readers, books that use simple, easy-to-read words to tell stories that interest kids and demonstrate the possibilities and pleasures of sequential storytelling.

In addition to detailing the properties of the medium, Spiegelman put comics squarely in the midst of the perennial battle at the heart of American culture between the “vulgar” and the “genteel,” coming down clearly on the side of the former in his dislike of the term “graphic novel,” because it reeks of “respectability” and is as much of a misnomer as “comics,” which implies humor. Spiegelman prefers the underground appellation “comix” not out of nostalgia, but because it suggests the very mixing and miscegenation of media that Lessing deplored, but which gives comics its unique character and vitality.

Spiegelman also talked about the movies, which he noted could produce powerful sales drivers (“A 6

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Watchmen movie alone has kept you from being in the red this year,” he told the assembled audience of comics professionals), but which he warned is “a much more dominant art form than comics.”

Movies, Spiegelman appeared to suggest, also represent something of a challenge and a danger to comics, noting that in spite of the fact that both media rely on a combination of words and pictures, “Comics and movies are cousins but not brothers, I think.”

Finally Spiegelman asserted that the real future of the comics medium lies in the avant garde, not in comics that are trying to be storyboards for films yet unmade. “The avant-garde of comics is ultimately where your future lies, even if you don’t think so. It’s what lets things happen. And by avant garde I mean things like this crazy issue of Kramers Ergot that’s about as high as this podium. It’s bigger than most Sunday comics were at the end of the last century when they were bigger than the New York Times. And half the work here I don’t understand.

This is good. I know that Picasso had a really hard time figuring out Jackson Pollock.”

stylized” series of toys based on the new Marvel Super Hero Squad cartoon that is debuting later this year on the Cartoon Network In a recent interview with stock analysts Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner was coy about a possible extension of the Marvel license, but it is easy to see why Hasbro extended its Marvel agreement. Along with Hasbro’s slate of movies (Transformers, G.I. Joe) based on its own properties, the Marvel deal gives the nation’s number two toymaker an apparently insurmountable advantage over its larger competitor Mattel when it comes to making toys based on movie properties

(Mattel has rights to DC Comics characters, but so far Warner Bros. has been far less aggressive than Marvel Studios in putting out a slate of comic book-based movies).

Starting in 2010 Marvel Studios is releasing two major films a year including Iron Man 2, Thor, The First Avenger: Captain America, and The Avengers—and Hasbro, which also has the rights to Lucasfilm’s Star Wars toys, has plans to produce and market toys based on all the Marvel films, which should allow the number two toymaker to continue to dominate the “Boys’ Toys” category for years to come

Neovention Reborn moved to 2010!

Jack R Stewart OGO Publications

A decision has been made that in the interest of making sure we bring back Neovention in the best way possible, that we will postpone Neovention for 1 year. Nothing currently arranged is planned to change. Just to make sure that there are no rumor mongering as to the reasons for this decision, we wanted to make sure the real story is out there ahead of time. This decision was made by everybody on staff, the board of directors, and even the sponsors.

The fact is we have all put a lot of work and money into organizing a great convention for everybody, however while looking over what we have planned, We decided that

with the addition of some new opportunities that have presented themselves to the OGO & OGO Publications, that we can & will be able to pull off an even better convention by putting those opportunities to work for us now instead of later. The new tentative dates are March 26th - 28th, 2010. We will still be at the same hotel with the same great discount on rooms as 2009 was planned. The simple fact is that we are reviving a 20-ish year old convention, that many people cared for and loved, so we want to make sure that even it’s first year back is not done small.

So, now is the time to submit any great ideas you may have had for events or suggestions! See You in 2010!

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I Want to Be a Bride of the Water God Stefanie Mallasch OGO Publications Writer American bookstores are filled with row upon row of Japanese manga.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that. It’s encouraging to see how the popularity of manga and anime has increased in the last few years and hopefully it will continue to do so. But what about the lesser known Korean manhwa?

Many people don’t realize just what gems these Korean graphic novels are.

There is one in particular that deserves a lot more attention from American readers. It is nearly impossible to get the second volume any way than special ordering because no one ever picks it up the first one off the shelves, even though it’s carried at almost every Borders and Barnes and Nobles.

This manhwa is Bride of the Water God written and illustrated by MiKyung Yun. Mi-Kyung Yun graduated from Mokwon University with a degree in animation. In 2003 she received a silver medal for Seoul Media

Group’s “New Artist Debut Competition” and in 2004 she won the “Best New Artist” from the Dokjamanhwa-daesang organization. It’s fairly obvious to say that her work is widely recognized in Korea and in 2006 Bride of the Water God was their top-selling sunjeong (shojo) manhwa.

Bride of the Water God tells the story of a beautiful young woman, Soah, who is sacrificed to the water god Habaek in order to save her village from a very l on g drou gh t.

Instead of being drowned or eaten, as the villagers expect her to be, she is whisked away to the kingdom of the water god. It is a beautiful land filled with trees, lotus blossoms, and, of course, water. When she meets Habaek, he’s not what she expected as he is only a young boy. Their

relationship gets off to a playfully antagonistic start. Then one night shortly after her arrival Soah meets the mysterious and handsome Mui, who claims to be Habaek’s older cousin. In actuality Mui and Habaek are the same person. It’s just that Habaek can only be in his true form at night.

Aside from the two main characters, this manhwa has a well developed, complex, and entertaining cast of supporting characters.

There’s the mischievous and lecherous doctor Tae-eul-jin-in, the jealous and beautiful mountain goddess Murah, and Huye, Habaek’s military commander and past (and possibly future) betrayer. Let’s also not forgot Habaek’s mother, the goddess of torture and punishment.

As well as a slew of other minor characters mainly there for comic relief.

If you’re looking for a story with

intrigue, romance, betrayal, and adventure then Bride of the Water God is for you. While it is generally targeted towards women, the action and humor could definitely appeal to those shonen readers out there.

Also, if you just enjoy beautiful artwork, you won’t be disappointed once you look past the cover.

Every page is rich in detail from the architecture of the buildings to the smallest knot in the clothes of the characters. With this kind of detail, it’s no wonder that the release dates between volumes can be quite long. It’s well worth the wait, though.

If this manhwa sounds like it’s up your alley or if your looking for something new, then you can pick up the first volume at your local Borders or Barnes and Noble. They also have the second volume available to order. If they don’t have it, then you can order both volumes off of Amazon.com, and they are eligible for free shipping! You’ll want to read the first two volumes before May 6th, because that’s the release date of volume three.

around rapping on walls and doors.

They are also thought to help parents discipline children by rewarding the latter with presents when they obey and punishing them when they don’t. The Encyclopedia Mythica’s entry on goblins says that goblins are a different and more grotesque version of gnomes and though they can be playful more often they are evil and their tricks can be harmful.

A goblin smile is said to curdle the blood, and a laugh sours the milk and causes fruit to fall from the trees. They are also known to pester humans in a number of ways, such as hiding small objects, tipping over pails of milk and altering signposts. Goblins are said to have originated in France and spread rapidly all over Europe, being wanderers by nature. Finally, the term ‘hobgoblin is thought to be an abbreviation of 'Robin Goblin', the name Druids

gave to the first goblins when they entered Britain The Speedylook Encyclopedia describes goblins as small creatures that live in the hills. Their green skin has some hair in thinly spread out inside the ears and arms, and sometimes mustaches. As their bones are made of rock, they must often eat some not to break like glass. Speedylook also describes many modern goblins such as: the goblins and orcs in Tolkien that live under Moria, as well as the ones used in the Dungeons and Dragons game; the Gringotts goblins of Harry Potter; the Green Goblin of Spiderman; the goblin spirits of V. Hugo’s “Miserables”; the more humanoid goblins of Keeps and Dragons; the fairy related Palladium goblin race; and of course countless others in the goblin’s attempt to adapt to our changing mythology.

Folklore and Fantasy Goblins Victoria Vesey Staff Writer

Any gamer worth his dice is certainly familiar with the various types of fantasy creatures in the games, but the purpose of this new part of the G.A.M.E.R.S. newsletter is too shed some light on the real life folklore behind the origins and differences in the countless creatures of myth now transformed in various popular books, games, and movies.

Like the stories with most fantasy creatures, the stories behind Goblins has been mixed, watered down, and convoluted over the centuries and with the telling of new stories.

But that isn’t a bad thing. As with any myth or legend, the power of the characters is the ability to adapt in changing times and thoughts, and to show new sides in the writing of new stories. According to the 8

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Online Etymological dictionary, the origin of the word “goblin” dates back to A.D.1327 and originates in the Old French language. Apparently it is the name of a ghost that supposedly haunted the town of Évreux in the 12th century and is related to the Greek word “kobalos” meaning rogue, or “kobaloi” meaning “wicked spirits invoked by rogues”.

In any case, the general view is that goblins are not the friendliest creatures towards humans, and often cause a lot of trouble and harm.

The Encyclopedia Britannica describes goblins as wandering sprites that tend to be mischievous, but can be malicious. Folklore says that Goblins live in grottoes but sometimes attach themselves to households, where they are said to bang on the pots and pans, snatch nightclothes off sleeping people, move furniture during the night, and run

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“Wrath of a Mad God�- Three stars!

Letter From The Executive Director of OGO

good job of bringing the reader into the scene. It jumps from various actions and places that are occurring at the same time and finally comes together in Kelewan at the end. The hardest part of reading the story was keeping track of what was where and in which world. For instance, when Pug creates the rifts to send the populace to the next level of the universe in order to save them by destroying the home planet, certain of the rifts lead to places other than the next universe and I was unable to tell if they were in a difference universe themselves or just on a different planet in the same universe. I also was curious as to what happened too many of the races on the home planet, such as the Quor, the various races of elves and many other characters not mentioned at the end. However, my confusion could just stem from not

After 4 years as the Executive Director for the Ohio Gamers Organization, I have decided to step down from the position & settle myself into the Chairman of The Board's Position & focus my attention on OGO. With that said, the Board of Directors is seeking a new Executive Director.

We will also be hiring to replace Matt Ferrell as the Operations Director, as he will also be joining the Board of Director also.

Any interested individuals should email their resumes to jrstewart@ohiogamers.org All applications will be considered, but what we are looking for in an applicant for either position is: Strong problem solving and group work leadership skills; Ability to interact with people of all ages and cultural backgrounds; Ability to

reading the first two books.

Overall themes within the book presented a very feminist viewpoint, for which I commend the author. Miranda is a very powerful woman and magician in her world, and is faced with not only the present challenges, but also the prejudice of her peers for being female, which makes her task that much more difficult. The blunt opposition of good versus evil was very clear in placing the evil Void creatures in direct opposition to the pure goodness of the Quor or the cultivated Tsurani of Kelewan against the blood hungry Dasati. While I usually appreciate more finesse and complications in such a common theme, I can appreciate the directness of highlighting the eternal struggle. Altogether the book was interesting and relaxing, and I recommend the series to any looking for a good weekend read.

work independently and as part of a team; Sound, current computer and small office management skills; Effective oral and written communication skills including proper use of communication tools and technologies; Knowledge of Fundraising; Organization Skills; Access to a reliable personal vehicle; & knowledge of the industries in which we work.

Applicants Must: Live in Ohio & be willing to travel or live in Columbus; Be over the age of 21 & have at least a little management background.

This change in appointment will be effective as of April 1st, 2009 We will make our final decision on March 6th. I will NOT be making the final Decision on my Successor, the decision will be made with a vote from the entire board of Directors.

- Jack R Stewart

Calendar Of Events Bashcon (Gaming) - bashcon.com A&G Ohio (Anime & Gaming) - aandgohio.com GamersCon 2009(Gaming and More) @ Gamers, Inc. Animarathon (Anime) - animarathon.org (FREE!) Anime Punch (Anime) - animepunch.org

Toledo - Feb 20 - 22 Cincinnati - March 13 -15 Akron - March 27-29 Bowling Green - March 28 Columbus - April 10-12

Morphicon - (Anthro/Artists) -morphicon.org

Columbus - May 15-17

Marcon - (Sci Fi) - macron.org

Columbus - May 22-24

Origins (Game Fair) - originsgamefair.com

Columbus - June 24-28

Gencon Indy (Gaming) - gencon.com

Indianapolis - August 13-16

Pittsburgh Comicon - (Comic books) - pittsburghcomicon.com

Pittsburgh, PA - Sept 11-13

Mid Ohio Con (Comic Books) - midohiocon.com Con On The Cob (Gaming/Art) - cononthecob.com 10

G.A.M.E.R.S.

Columbus - October 3-4 Hudson, OH - October 15-18

Classifieds Section Pending Classified Categories Help Wanted Ohio Gamers Organization, a Non Profit Organization, is looking to fill the following positions: Public Relations Volunteer Coordinator Programs Manager Office Assistants Inventory Control Convention Assistants Game Masters Business Writers And More Do you have what it takes?

Email info@ohiogamers.org

Volunteering OGO Publications is looking to hire for the following positions for its growing newspaper GAMERS.: Advertising Sales Newspaper Editor Graphic Designer Writers Photographers Sales positions do pay commission on all ad sales!

Please Call (877)OGO-0010 Or email press@ohiogamers.org To apply today!

Volunteers need for staffing Neovention Convention.

Will receive free badge for working at least 8 hours of the convention. Visit Neovention.org or email volunteers@neovention.org for more details. Gamemasters are also needed. Preregistration is now open. Visit Neovention.org for more!

For advertising in our classifieds section, send questions/ads to press@ohiogamers.org Prices Are: $.03 per regular letters $.05 per bold or italic letters Email us for special rates.

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