The Printer called a little while ago to say The Rifter® #39 is on a truck and on its way. I think people are really going to like this issue.
Rifts® and the Megaverse® – The Art of John Zeleznik – ships next week, July 20, 2007. We can hardly wait for that one. You are going to love it.
Rifts® Dimension Book 10: Hades, Pits of Hell – follows it a week or two later. It’s almost ready to go to the printer!
Funny, but as a writer, sometimes you just have to get into the writing mode. When that happens, you are so focused, you wake up ready to write, and might even dream about the material you’re writing. It’s pretty cool.
Well, I’m in writing mode. Dimension Book 10: Hades is almost done and is an outstanding book. I’ve added some new background and details behind everyone's favorite demons and Carl Gleba has created some interesting and deadly new ones along with all kinds of monsters, magic and hellishness. Carl's description of Hades (and Dyval) defines it and presents a scary world to visit. As for the Minion War . . . two demonic rivals finally go at each other after countless millennia of tense detente and cold war era style rivalry, and . . . BOOM it’s war across the Megaverse®.
It is the perfect setting for countless adventures, and a reason to visit worlds and parts of the Megaverse® – including one or more Hells – the player characters might never otherwise visit. Nice.
Dyval is next
As soon as I’m done with Hades, I dive right into Dyval. My goal: to have it to the printer before we leave for Gen Con. It will be the monster and idea filled counterpart to Hades. Shooting for an end of August, early September release.
Hell comes to Phase World and the Three Galaxies
Dimension Book 12: Dimensional Outbreak is where the Megaverse® spanning adventures begin as the Minion War spills into the worlds of Mortals. Again, Carl Gleba has outdone himself by describing four levels of Phase World’s Center and presenting all kinds of other cool ideas, intrigue, trouble and war. Shooting for a September release.
Heroes of the Megaverse® ties into the Minion War and demonic skullduggery as both demons and Deevils try to get their hands on an ancient mystical book with the names, spirits and powers of 2000 of the greatest heroes the Megaverse has ever known. It also gives me a chance to present the names of all the people who have purchased the A Megaverse United print as well as many of the winners of the Heroes of the Megaverse® contest. Shooting for a September or October release.
We’ve been busy behind the scenes
I know it may not have seemed like it, but we’ve been very busy behind the scenes at Palladium. Putting all of the above books into production on some level or another is a lot of work all by itself. In addition, I’ve been trying to set things in motion so we can release 2-3 Palladium Fantasy RPG® sourcebooks and one Nightbane® sourcebook this Fall, along with a couple other Rifts® titles and with a little luck, Robotech®.
We’ve been quiet on the Robotech® front because we don’t have anything “official” to report. As far as we know, we’ve reached mutual agreement and expect to get the final contract any time now. We are excited as all get out to get the Robotech® license again, can hardly wait to get to work on it, and hope to have the new RPG out in time for Christmas! In fact, I’ve had more than one person quietly doing research for a couple of months now so we can jump on it as soon as contracts are signed. Likewise, Apollo Okamura is waiting in the wings to start doing artwork! When it's official, we will shout it to the world.
The Rifter® Number Zero
We’ve reviewed and approved the material for The Rifter® Number Zero and hope to have it up and available as our first, paid download (a nominal fee), to be followed by many individual adventures for all our game lines. The Rifter #0 is pretty darn good with material that is all interesting, fun, and useful. More on it in the weeks to come.
Palladium’s first Color Catalog
Palladium’s Fall 2007 Catalog is off to the printer as well. It is our first, 8 ½ x 11, color catalog, thanks to finding a printer who can do nice color work at great prices (and without having to go overseas).
Advertising
We’ve also been busy creating a number of new ads that will appear in various publications this August.
Gen Con and Scrye Magazine
One ad appears in the Gen Con Special issue of Scrye Magazine that EVERYONE who attends Gen Con will get. Inside is a Convention Coupon that will get fans a discount on Rifts® Machinations of Doom or the Zeleznik Art Book.
Why those two titles? Because we figured they are two titles that appeal to a wide audience, including gamers who aren’t familiar with role-playing games, but who might like to try a graphic novel or an art book. Then, we hope, they’ll say to themselves, “Wow, that was pretty cool. I wonder what these role-playing games are like?” Then go to a store or Palladium's website, take a look, maybe try one or two, and the next thing we know, we have new gamers playing Palladium RPGs! At least those are my machinations for reaching new customers. Of course, it’s also an opportunity for those of you who haven’t gotten either of those books to get ‘em at Gen Con at a discount and buy more at the Palladium Booth #2527 across from Wizards of the Coast. Hey, I can dream, can’t I.
Gen Con Indy 2007
Gen Con is coming up fast and we’re getting pumped up for it too. We’ll have the Rifts® and the Megaverse® art book, Hades, a couple of new limited edition items and ALL our back stock titles, gold editions, prints, artwork, etc.
The Palladium Crew will include:
- Me, Kevin Siembieda – You know who
- Wayne Smith – Editor
- Apollo Okamura – Artist
- Comfort Deborah Love – Artist
- Adam Withers – Artist
- Kathy Simmons – Order processing and fan liaison
- Tony Falzon – Sales
- James Brown – G.M. and Megaversal Ambassador
- Dennis “the Menance” Hughes – Fan Boy Supreme
- Paul Deckert – Palladium Pal and Helper
and a variety of other freelancers, fans and friends who may show up. Scott Johnson showed up last time.
Please, come over to chat, get autographs, pick up books you missed, buy artwork and prints, and have a good time. Plus, James Brown, Lonnie Langston and other Megaversal Ambassadors will be running a variety of Palladium gaming events.
Other 2007 Conventions
That will be followed by GallowsCon also in Indiana. For more information got to the web site at www.gallowscon.com or email to gallowscon@the-hangmen.org. We think GallowsCon will be a fun, intimate setting where we can game and chat with fans from dawn till midnight. Then it’s off to a pair of trade shows. Busy, busy, busy.
Gotta run! The Rifter® #39 just arrived!
Sincerely,
Kevin Siembieda
Publisher, Writer, Artist, and Warehouse supervisor
© copyright July 11, 2007. All rights reserved.