I don't have any questions for you this week, but I do think it's your turn, no matter how much you try to eschew the spotlight on your own show to tell YOUR lifestory with gaming! Your guests should interview you tonight!
I do have a thank you, however.
As I've said elsewhere, in this past 50th Anniversary Year, nobody - including WOTC - has celebrated this occasion as well as you have. You have done it, without fail, every week for a year, and even pre-recorded some episodes to ensure that. You have created a portfolio of the iconic art pieces of our adventure game hobby with your own iconic style. The calendar is simply not enough!
While most documentaries of late have focused on the C-suite shenanigans, your series has instead focused on the (R&)D-suite. You have drawn back the curtain to show that the many wizards who created worlds upon worlds of fun are indeed just people. That the opportunity to do something that they love can indeed outweigh the material gain of a 'regular' job. That regardless of the machinations of the C-suite (and sometimes despite it) the Andrew Carnegie quote "My heart is in the work," applies. That the analogy of the RPGA of being 'like the cockroach under the fridge' could also be applied to the D-Suite as a whole. It makes me wonder what the secret alchemical mix is for producing great game content (sustainably). These stories recall the bullpens of DC and Marvel comics, the studios of Disney and nearly every start-up venture in history.
You have assembled a tremendous oral history of at least 85 hours, and there's obviously more to be told. I think every single creator has said that they would like to come back for more. It reminds me of the projects like "Stories From The Stage" or "StoryCorp." I think you got to conduct the last interview with James Ward before his passing, and for that, I especially thank you.
You have created a safe space that eschewed the sturm and drang that frequently surrounds our hobby, and that has allowed for such stories as "Ray's Cube Comics" and Ed Greenwood's GenCon story that brought of all us to tears. You have highlighted many of the unsung heroes such as Harold Johnson. You've turned on the light to the many contributions of the women in the hobby with Julia, Anne and Karen. You've interviewed both Grognards and Munchkins. I've learned that there are no prerequisites to this job, and in fact, a diversity of background was the key to its success. That this career was a great stepping stone to other careers, both within gaming and without. Your show has revealed what it takes to actually make an RPG product in all its various permutations and incarnations, regardless of the form factor, org chart or budget.
Most of all, you've let us fans in on the whole thing, when you could have easily pre-recorded and edited all of it, and there isn't enough thanks in the world for that.
Dear Stan,
I don't have any questions for you this week, but I do think it's your turn, no matter how much you try to eschew the spotlight on your own show to tell YOUR lifestory with gaming! Your guests should interview you tonight!
I do have a thank you, however.
As I've said elsewhere, in this past 50th Anniversary Year, nobody - including WOTC - has celebrated this occasion as well as you have. You have done it, without fail, every week for a year, and even pre-recorded some episodes to ensure that. You have created a portfolio of the iconic art pieces of our adventure game hobby with your own iconic style. The calendar is simply not enough!
While most documentaries of late have focused on the C-suite shenanigans, your series has instead focused on the (R&)D-suite. You have drawn back the curtain to show that the many wizards who created worlds upon worlds of fun are indeed just people. That the opportunity to do something that they love can indeed outweigh the material gain of a 'regular' job. That regardless of the machinations of the C-suite (and sometimes despite it) the Andrew Carnegie quote "My heart is in the work," applies. That the analogy of the RPGA of being 'like the cockroach under the fridge' could also be applied to the D-Suite as a whole. It makes me wonder what the secret alchemical mix is for producing great game content (sustainably). These stories recall the bullpens of DC and Marvel comics, the studios of Disney and nearly every start-up venture in history.
You have assembled a tremendous oral history of at least 85 hours, and there's obviously more to be told. I think every single creator has said that they would like to come back for more. It reminds me of the projects like "Stories From The Stage" or "StoryCorp." I think you got to conduct the last interview with James Ward before his passing, and for that, I especially thank you.
You have created a safe space that eschewed the sturm and drang that frequently surrounds our hobby, and that has allowed for such stories as "Ray's Cube Comics" and Ed Greenwood's GenCon story that brought of all us to tears. You have highlighted many of the unsung heroes such as Harold Johnson. You've turned on the light to the many contributions of the women in the hobby with Julia, Anne and Karen. You've interviewed both Grognards and Munchkins. I've learned that there are no prerequisites to this job, and in fact, a diversity of background was the key to its success. That this career was a great stepping stone to other careers, both within gaming and without. Your show has revealed what it takes to actually make an RPG product in all its various permutations and incarnations, regardless of the form factor, org chart or budget.
Most of all, you've let us fans in on the whole thing, when you could have easily pre-recorded and edited all of it, and there isn't enough thanks in the world for that.
I am looking forward to the book (hint hint).
Thanks again,
Michael