Coins, Droids, and a Great Italian Sandwhich

Ah yes… Peace and quiet…

And then the alarm went off. Been a few weeks since the last time I updated the journals that I keep about all the stuff I get myself into. Let’s see…Where to begin…

So it is now common knowledge among the three people who read this blog that I rejoined the military and have been pursuing the coveted title of Soldier of the Year (for those of you not currently wearing an ACU pattern, this is a competition where different units send their top dog soldier to compete against other units to see who knows what. It is also something not a lot of people want to do). I won the company board and went onto the Brigade board and won that one. My company honored me at the annual Chistmas Party and one of the things I receieved was a rare Briagde Coin. Very cool. Now I am facing representing my brigade for the state competition to see who is soldier of the year for Rhode Island. The rough part about the whole process is that I have to study to be prepared for this. Every hour I am studying is an hour that I am not doing something else I should be doing. Oh well… I hear the State Board is lovely this time of year…

Many projects are topping my plate at the moment. I wish I could finish all of them right now and have them out (*cough*cough* Gears of War *cough *cough) but it is very cool to work on them nonetheless. Steampower Publishing is always good to provide me with projects that are really a pleasure to work on. The latest project, Future Soldier: Fast Mover was a great product and a fantastic part of the series. The Future Soldier line is a great way to take d20future and give it that gritty military flavor. If you haven’t run a Future Battlefield soldier game you are really missing out on a lot of fun. The next project was given to me a few weeks ago and I am really excited about this one as I got to do some really cool shots. Lets just say, “Robots and maniacs and gear! Oh my!”

The next version of SFX Skills has been given to me as well and fans of that series should expect a great product full of ideas for the modern mage. Using skills to generate SFX instead of using a Vancian Spell system, the SFX line is great for revamping the way Modern does magic. The next item in the series focuses on one of the oldest types of mysticism that people aspire to, alchemy and transmutation. Mostly item based, the illustrations in the next supplement will feature less people working the skills and more items that the skills revolve around. As always I will do my best to bring the meat of the subject to life.

Back in the beginning of November, I went to the EN World Game Day held in Providence Rhode Island in an effort to network with local gamers and just spend the day chillin’ with the gamer scene. I met a lot of good people at the event as well as getting to play in several good games myself. Gospog (Tom) ran a great Steampunk game where his mini’s really took the game to the next level. I enjoyed the game so much that I invited myself into his campaign series (Don’t get weird, he said I could come…I only had to make small threats). For those of you out there that are En Worlders, any time a game day comes down the pipe you should go as it really was a great day with some good times.

Well, if all goes well I should be getting my wife back next week. I will be at Fort Leonard, Wood from the 12th through the 14th for her graduation. I am really proud of her, as she has come a long way in a real short time. There is nothing like Basic Training for re-forging the way that you see yourself and after something like that you are never really the same. I am looking forward to getting her back as she really is my best friend on the planet and a great person. Plus… She makes a great baked macaroni and cheese!

Till next time…
Make it HAZARDous,
Walt

http://hazardstudio.net/Chronicle/index.blog?entry_id=1586789

I am posting this link to my real blog as Blogger can't seem to link my images to this post.

Regards,
Walt

A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to Being¿Frisked!

Big doings on the stage over at HAZARD Studios. I have been drawing my behind off in regards to commissions and the like. It seems like my stint of doing some sketches for certain publishers is really paying off as some of my work is starting to get a bit more notoriety. I have been getting a lot of "personal commissions" as well as a new project that came down the pipe just the other day. All is well on the drawing front and I seem to be improving as I go (although I could use a secretary as I am running out of arms to hold, the coffee, pencil, drawing board, phone, keyboard and the obligatory bagel cuz I needed a snack. Whew!).

My wife is still in basic training and I am counting the days until she gets back. Anyone who feels like writing a little something should type it up and email it to me and I can send it to her. Well wishes and comforting thoughts would be most appreciated and definitely worth the effort (as a soldier myself…the greatest thing in the world when you are away from home is getting mail.). She has graduated Basic Training and has moved on to the Advanced Training portion or her time away. If all goes according to plan she will graduate in mid December. If not I will be staging an assault down to Fort Leonard Wood to rescue her from the "malcontents" who have her.

One of the things that has been suffering lately has been Project 13 and the book I am having published. Due to me going back into the military and consequently being nominated as Soldier of the Year and going out for a special team within my unit…my time after I work my "real" job has dwindled down to none. I have barely enough time to go and work out (throwdown style) anymore as I am constantly running, obstacle coursing, or training to snipe some one in the eyeball. I know it sounds kinda gruesome but hey…I’m a soldier…what did you think that I did?

Project 13 was supposed to be released during late October and if I refused to sleep (like I did last night) I might be able to pull it off. I think a wink or two is in order for the month and I will probably not be able to get it out until at least December (which would be nice for Christmas). Realistically though, it will probably not see the printed page until just after 2007. I am very bummed about the whole affair but I am caught between a rock and a scary place.

One good thing coming from all of this is that our first Art Pack, from illustrator Jason Tavares, will be coming out this month. Jason came out with a few dark black and whites that are best described as Cinematic Toon style that capture the grim and forboding flavor of some of the modern horror genre. He did this while keeping the images light and fun enough to be used for a younger (early teen) audience. The pack will go on sale as of Monday of next week and will be available with an open license, allowing publishers and players alike to freely use the inks.

Keep those commissions rolling in so that HAZARD Stds. can become one of the keystone places on the net to get quality illustrations at an affordable price. I just wanted to thank the publishers who have recently stepped up to the plate to throw us some published work. We appreciate the opportunity. I also want to thank certain Sleep Deprived and Mechanized individuals for getting my name out there.

Regards,
Walt

The thing about nostalgia that gets me every time is that you can never really go home again. I was approached two weeks ago about re-launching the Korranberg Chronicle when some people of the Yahoo Eberron group were talking about it. They were saying that it was a tragedy that the paper had been allowed to lapse and that they were hoping to see it resurrected. The problem with that is that there were three people doing a six people job. We generated a lot of interest on the group but only have two or three people writing articles. I am tentatively looking to restart it but the problem I saw in the past is already rearing its ugly head. This is a FAN project. That means that it is run by the fans for the fans. What that also means is that we have no official sanction from Wizards of the Coast to produce such a periodicle. Long and short of it is that no one is being paid for this. When there is no money changing hands, people have a tendency to start off with fervor and then die out with a whisper. Every one wants to be a part of the project but no one wants to do the work.

If the Chronicle does come back…this is what we are looking to do.

-We are looking to have better access for the fans to produce articles and thus have the adventures of the average gaming group make it into the pages. After all, what good is reporting news if there is no real connection to the fans.

-We are looking to produce a way to generate articles that people can produce in Chronicle format and hand to their players..

-We need to have a consistent influx of material that we can populate the pages of the actual periodical. The only way to do this is to keep people interested and keep them writing. Our success relies on the success of Eberron. The thing we should decide is whether or not this is a one man operation. If it is then I could produce articles much like the Sharn Inquisitive. One article every few weeks. But to do things on the magnitude of the Old Chronicle we need people and pens producing articles.

Eberron is one of those settings that either you love or you hate. A lot of people are against the setting because it is a drastic departure from the normal fantasy realm. I say GREAT! It is about time. How many J.R.R. Tolkien, Jack Vance, and Robert E. Howard clones do we need. Although I enjoy many fantasy authors, the genre has become stale as of late. The tales in Eberron are fantastic but theyare not new. Just the trappings and how they are used in the stories are new. It is kind of like shining up an old penny. You make it bright and interesting even though nothing much has changed.

On the HAZARDous front, HAZARD Studios has been beating around the bush on a few projects that have unfortunately taken a back seat to my military career. I am starting to better balance things on that side of my life with the rest of it and things are starting to come back into play. On Tuesday, we will be uploading the second part of the short story, Blast from the Past. Also next week you can expect some new artwork as well as upcoming news on the Chronicle, Project 13, and the impending finish of Power and Glory.

Regards,
Walt

Sunday, 1 October 2006

My wife is currently going through basic training. As some one who has been there myself, I know that it is hard to stay motivated. I try to write her every day and make sure that I put in plenty to make her feel motivated and let her know that there are plenty of people here who want to see her succeed. So in keeping with this I decided to include my:

10 rules to becoming a Superhero!!!
1. Being a superhero is a lonely job that will set you apart from those around you. Accepting that excellence always rises above mediocrity, you will be confronted by this.

2. The more severe the forging process, the better the steel. When metal is forged, it takes intense heat, cold, and battering to forge and strengthen it. This is called tempering. The longer you temper metal, the stronger it becomes.

3. Being a superhero does not mean that you have super powers! This is important as heroes like Batman or Ironman never had powers. They were just passionate people who followed their convictions.

4. Being exceptional on the inside sometimes has to be hidden on the outside. Peter Parker’s alter ego was called Incredible, Amazing, and Spectacular. Peter Parker was anything but these things until he showed off who he really was.

5. Many times during a Hero’s career, the same people they attempt to help can turn on them. By showing dynamic virtues and saving the day, people come around to the hero again. The hero often realizes that the average person is an idiot and deserves pity and not hatred.

6. Special people simplify and solve, not complicate problems.

7. Train constantly for the worst possible scenario so when average problems present themselves they never seem that bad. If you train to catch a 100 mile an hour fastball… something thrown at 60 seems easy and something thrown at 110 is not that big a stretch.

8. Always remember the trials and troubles that forged you into a hero so you can learn from them and not be haunted by them.

9. Always keep the reasons for your crusade close to you so that when you fight you will do it with all of your heart.

10. An Obstacle in life is nothing more than a cleverly disguised opportunity for greatness.

Just remember, Not all heroes wear Spandex.

OK so it has been a few weeks since I posted anything but hey…I am a busy guy. Plus…there are a total of two people reading these posts so there are not a lot of people slamming down my door trying to get me to type up a giant spiel about how I draw or what I draw.

The past few have been really good as not only have I been kept busy but new things are sprouting all the time. In my military career, thing shave taken off at break neck speed ( now that they have gotten the paperwork corrected). I walked in as the guy with "the lost paper’s" and now I am the soldier of the year for my unit. Go figure. I guess this old dog still has a few teeth left that he can sharpen on some one’s behind!

The next book in the Future Soldier line is out and it is a great product. What do you get for your hard earned credits when you buy Future Soldiers: Fast Movers, on PDF… You get Vacuum Rescue Troopers and fighter space craft and all sorts of Dog Fighter goodness. If you are a fan of the Battlestar Galactica series on the sci-fi channel then this is definitely the product for you. This product (put out by Steampower Publishing) is really a gorgeous product and packed with all the goodness to bring the treacherous nature of space battles to life. If you have to buy a product for your d20 Future game, this is really a must for any fan of the hard nosed dog fighter pilot.

In a surprised turn of events, Action! System guru and game designer extraordinaire Jamie Borg has relinquished his seat as captain of Power and Glory, a product of Super Powered goodness. Power and Glory was being put together by Jamie when life conspired against him and forced him to remove himself from the project. We at HAZARD have been asked to step into the gap and finish this product. I am really excited as the Super Hero Genre is one of my favorites. As the project unfolds we will post more about it and try and come up with some sort of goodies download that will preview what is in it and the best way to use it. Right now it would be best not to divulge too much of the project as this tidbit is probably too much said already. Still, this is a great opportunity to get the world of four color onto the page and into your games.

So my wife is due to come back from Basic Combat Training in the United States Army in December and I can’t wait. She is having fun doing all the training but the drill sergeants are very hard on her for some reason. Let me AT ‘EM! Filthy no good so and so’s. I know it is all part of the drill butt I still feel bad about my wife being screamed at every day. I should have told her to join the Coast Guard.

Regards,
Walt

Oh Please Shoot me!

Ok…So my wife goes to Basic Training for the United States Army. Cool. She is going to be an MP. Cool. She leaves to go down to Fort Leonard Wood, and leaves a bit of herself behind. HER NASTY SINUS INFECTION!

Not cool.

So I am battling this raging demon inside my chest for control of my destiny while I am trying to get out some illustrations for Steampower Publishing's next product. Every time I try to ink down a line or two I cough or sneeze and send the pen careening across the page into my leg. What I wouldn’t give to have an off valve for my head.!

I received several letters from the wife about her adventures in Basic down in Missouri. From the sound of things she is not having a good time of it (then again I don’t think that anyone does). She is coping though and that is what the training there is all about in the beginning. Coping with stress and learning that you are an army of one ("You got ONE minute to get down here!" "You got one more chance before I put a boot in your backside!" "If you don’t get over here now you are going to have ONE less thing to worry about… BREATHING!")
Now before anyone gets testy (including the artists) I do have the illustrations for the bio pages ready to go. The problem is being in a vertical position long enough to do it. Between drugs and, well, drugs, I have not been able to put any time into the web site. Including the new Forums, which came out excellent if I do say so myself (lack of posting would indicate that I am the only one saying anything at this point.)

Our friendly neighborhood gaming superhero went back to work with a cybernetic leg and about two weeks worth of quality family time. Jeremy Peterson was injured with a "knee thang," that disrupted the balance of the universe and caused red heads everywhere to want to migrate to Michigan. The hooligans at HAZARD hope that Jeremy feels one hundred percent and that he can now get his Games going again. We have placed a concerned call to the Federal Emergency Management Agency regarding the displaced red heads but have received no responses yet.

On the gaming scene, The Blood and Vigilance Rules , that add Four color flavor to the d20 game, was recently re-released in version 1.1 along with a mystic supplement. They took the existing rules and covered them in more depth. This included a re-write of the Advanced Training Origin. Chuck from RPG Objects had said in the past that the class was a bit under powered when it came to putting it up against the other super classed origins. The second book that was released for the game was a mystic supplement entitled Mystic Arts. Both items are of superb quality and fantastically put together ( it’s RPG Objects…what do you expect?). If you have not checked these wonderful items out yet…please do so.

Also, stay tuned for the next installment of Project 13 as I am back from my stint with the Army (oh the pain) and have the rest of the month to get stuff done…

Regards,
Walt
http://hazardstudio.net

Back it Up

I should have listened to people when they said back up everything! I ran into a spot of trouble the other day when I went to log onto the web and check my blogs and site and bammo! Everything is back into the free, we can super spam you now that you're here, site. I was shocked.

Apparently when my bank decided to issue me a new high security card, they forgot to to tell me to update everything that do online with it cuz it's all going to fly raight back in the window and splewge me in the face.

Now I am hunting feverishly to find another web host that won't treat my business like I am an eighteen year old knucklehead looking to hock either porn or pot on the internet. For Gawd sakes I am an illustrator not a web moneky or business agent. I should be spening my time gettting my hands covered in graphite not walking around going ..."hello is this thing on?"

Sheesh!

In other news, things have been going good lately other than that. My wife is leaving on Thrusday for Basic training and I am going to be cooped up with my drafting board and four critters for the next 4 1/2 months. I know she will set the standard while she is there but it is still nervewracking to see her go. She's cool and I worry.

Anyone out there listening to this...?

Regards,
Walt