Daily Illuminator

May 16, 2012: Axe Cop Comes To TV!

FOX TV is launching a Saturday late-night block of animation early next year, and they have chosen their first partner wisely: Axe Cop!

Read all about the new "Animation Domination" here . . . and then you'll be able to tell your friends, "Oh, Axe Cop! Yeah, I knew about it before it was on TV!" Then show them your Munchkin Axe Cop and enjoy their gasps of envy. If they don't gasp, they might be bad guys, and you should chop their heads off just to make sure.

Congratulations to Ethan and Malachai and everyone else at Axe Cop Headquarters!

– Andrew Hackard

Warehouse 23 News: Take A Look At This Microscope

The grand experiment awaits! The innovative, award-winning Microscope is new to e23. Dare to explore an epic history in an afternoon!

May 15, 2012: Welcome Back, Randy!

Randy Scheunemann is familiar to many of you who play our games or visit us at conventions. When he was last here, Randy contributed to everything from Revolution! to Cthulhu Dice, and he has spent more hours teaching our games in stores than many of us in the office. And for just over a year Randy was gone, living in the northwest where he worked with our friends at Geek Chic. Many of us in Austin were sorry to see him go, but at least he was with a group of great folks and a company we respected.

Well, being the wanderer that he is, life directed Randy back to Austin, and as soon as we heard he was moving back we called and said, "Randy, are you looking for work?"

Welcome back, Randy! This time he is working as our Retail Liaison and Conventions Manager, two tasks he is perfectly suited to (Randy loves cons and stores, and teaches our games like a master; I'm personally overjoyed to have him in these roles since I know he'll do an excellent job and not require a lot of my time). Any of you who would like support for your store or convention are encouraged to contact him – randy@sjgames.com. You're sure to get fantastic and fast service.

– Phil Reed

Warehouse 23 News: Avast Ye!

Munchkin Booty Fish & Ships be full of Sharks (and other denizens of th' deep) and Ships for yer Munchkin Booty game! Get yer new booster from Warehouse 23!

May 14, 2012: Conan Will Triumph! (How? We'll Leave That Up To You)

The bloodthirsty Picts and their powerful shaman leader Zogar Sag are marching west. Their goal: Conquest. One man stands to oppose them: the mighty Conan!

It almost makes you feel sorry for the Pictish hordes . . .

Newly released to e23, GURPS Classic: Conan - Moon of Blood puts you in the role of the savage Cimmerian – or a hero of your own – as he faces a threat that will challenge even his renowned abilities. A sequel to GURPS Classic: Conan Beyond Thunder River (which is useful but not essential), this solo adventure can be played time and again without experiencing the same adventure twice. In addition to the NPCs, monsters, and maps you'll encounter in this tale, you'll also get full GURPS details for Conan at age 40.

So continue your hero's exploits from GURPS Classic: Conan Beyond Thunder River or enjoy this adventure by itself. How you stop the Picts isn't as important as doing so. Because if Conan can't defeat them, they just might be unstoppable . . .

– Steven Marsh

Warehouse 23 News: Murder Prohibited Where Void Whodunit? That's up to you. With Ashen Stars: Terra Nova, you'll encounter a mystery in space waiting for clever heroes to unravel and clever GMs to bring to life. It's just docked at e23!

May 13, 2012: An Epic Update

Recently, we released a major update to Epic Munchkin, adding the Epic rules for the classes from Munchkin Axe Cop and Beating a Dead Horse, and for the races and class and race enhancers from Munchkin 8 - Half Horse, Will Travel.

Epic Munchkin is a free download from e23, and if you register before you download it, you'll be notified the next time we post an update . . . probably more or less when Munchkin Conan hits stores this summer.

– Andrew Hackard

Warehouse 23 News: All The News That's Fit, We Print

Attention all fans of Star Fleet Battles: A new bundle of classic newsletter releases has just been beamed aboard. Set your frequencies to Star Fleet Times #16-#20 over on e23 and engage in fun!

May 12, 2012: Ogre News: Thank You, World!

The Kickstarter project closed at a staggering $923,680. Thank you, everyone. To break down what it means: When the distributor orders are factored in, Ogre - one of those games which our financials just listed under "Other" for many years - may represent nearly a quarter of our total sales for 2012. And that's even WITH Munchkin continuing to grow. Among other things, for those who didn't notice, this project created a professional job for a gamer. Quite possibly more than one.

We're going to have a lot of fun, which will be very hard work but STILL FUN, keeping our commitments. And Phil is now wondering whether it will be four containers dropped here, or five.

Go visit the project page, read the last update, and watch the final video. It's short . . .

– Steve Jackson

Warehouse 23 News: Wyrm's Lair? Meet Wyrmslayer! Remember all the fun you had lying in the snow making Snow Devils? No, wait; those were snow angels. A Snow Devil is the thing that wants to tear Conan limb from limb in GURPS Classic: Conan the Wyrmslayer. Well, that's fun, too . . . and it's new to e23!

May 11, 2012: New Where We're Going Now Available!

Where We're Going is our company newsletter. We hand these out at conventions and trade shows, but we also publish them to read online. This edition talks about what's new in the land of Munchkin, offers suggestions for two-player games, and highlights the e23 releases for GURPS Classic Conan.

Download the latest issue, and when you're done, be sure to read the other Where We're Going newsletters. We've got issues dating back to 2003 available to read!

– Monica Valentinelli

Warehouse 23 News: Be A Good Cultist!

The Cthulhu cult is growing. Show your allegiance to the Elder God by wearing one of our stylish Cthulhu Pins, available in multiple colors. Only available at Warehouse 23.

May 10, 2012: Kickstarter: One Day Left!

If you have been on the fence about our Kickstarter project, you've got one day left. That box is soooo big and sooo full. Please support us if you like the classic wargames.

And, since we hit $700,000, there WILL be a Car Wars project next year, and one of the things you can get in the current project is a Car Wars shirt (your choice of With or Without Snarky Slogan).

And now for something completely different. Do you like LEGO? Do you like Ogre? You can (without spending money) give a +1 to the chance of an official LEGO Ogre. It's a million to one chance but it just might work. Here's a link to the Kickstarter update where I give the instructions. There are two different LEGO Ogre projects to support, two other projects by the designer of the LEGO models, and one really neat Old West-themed project that I am personally enthusiastic about and would like to push over the top. Go vote!

– Steve Jackson

Warehouse 23 News: There's Klingons On The Starboard Bow!

There's trouble brewing in the depths of space . . . and what happens next is up to you. Captain's Log #22 has features and articles to make your Star Fleet Battles games even cooler. Beam it aboard today from e23!

May 9, 2012: Conan Versus The Snow Devil . . . Place Your Bets!

Always in search of adventure, the mighty Conan boldly journeys to Snow Devil Pass – the final resting place of many who dared its dangers and failed. Will he triumph against the cold, the beastmen, and the other unspeakable horrors that lie beyond?

That's up to you.

Newly released to e23, GURPS Classic: Conan the Wyrmslayer puts you in the role of the renowned Cimmerian – or a hero of your own creation – as he braves the perils of Snow Devil Pass. And if you don't succeed the first time, fear not! This solo adventure can be played many times without reliving the same tale. In addition to the maps and stats for the threats you'll face, it includes GURPS details for Conan as he was at age 23.

So don your furs and your fearlessness. You'll need both if you plan to overcome the icy death that awaits in GURPS Classic: Conan the Wyrmslayer!

– Steven Marsh

Warehouse 23 News: Collect The Souls Of The Damned!

Assemble the tastiest "Circle" of history's sinners in Burn in Hell. Trade souls with your rivals . . . or just steal the ones you need. And to rule in Hell, you must use strategy and cunning, because this game's not over until the last soul is snatched . . .

May 8, 2012: Arrived In Hong Kong

After over a solid day of travel I reached my hotel in Hong Kong. Unlike earlier trips I am staying on the Kowloon side of the harbor this time around . . . and it's dramatically different from staying on Hong Kong island itself. How is Kowloon different? Well, there are more tourists on this side of the harbor, and everything feels just a little more cramped and noisier than the Hong Kong side does.

Yesterday I joined David and Kathy from GPI, and Patrick from the Hong Kong offices, for a ferry ride and a day in Macau, which, for those of you who don't know it, was once a manufacturing city (several of the knock-off and cheap transforming robot toys in my collection of bad eighties robots were made in Macau). Today, Macau is the "Vegas of Asia," with everything that implies being very, very true.

On our walks through Macau, as well as on the ferry rides to and from the city, we reviewed the Ogre project. It was good to hear that the team in the Hong Kong office is excited about the game; it sounds like our Ogre Kickstarter project is attracting attention all around the world. We discussed options and ways to improve the game – including an idea to make the finished game more "storage friendly," and those ideas were forwarded to Steve so that he could review options and present the new ideas to our Kickstarter backers.

Today I'll be spending the afternoon and evening at the Hong Kong offices with the team that handles file processing and project costing, and basically acts as our point of contact with the factories in China. It will be a fun and productive day, but it is tomorrow's journey into China that I'm most excited (and nervous) about. Reportedly the drives will be long and painful, but the chance to see the factories was one I couldn't say no to.

– Phil Reed

Warehouse 23 News: When Dark And Light Unite

A shot rings out, the maid screams, and you're left holding the bag. What happens next? That's up to you. Explore the world of shadows and light in Pyramid #3/42: Noir – available for download at e23!

May 7, 2012: Want Car Wars On Kickstarter?

Long story short: If the Ogre Kickstarter project hits $700,000, we will schedule Car Wars for 2013. With forums and surveys starting in 2012 to determine exactly what you want. And those forums will be available only to those who support Ogre at the $23 level or above.

Not coincidentally, the $23 level does not require you to buy any Ogre stuff you don't want. (It horrifies me that someone might not want Ogre stuff, but we have to admit the possibility.) At the $23 level, you get the shirt that says "I Made Steve Jackson Work On Car Wars." It will be based on the original Car Wars cover.

With only four days left in the Kickstarter campaign, this would be a very good idea for you to tweet, or blog, or actually talk to your friends face to face, to make sure they hear about it, because we'd really like to hit that goal (and get past it to the $750K mark, which puts another exclusive sheet in every Kickstarter copy). And we really don't want to get the sad letters saying "Pleeeeeze, I didn't support, but can I get onto those forums and help plan the new Car Wars?" Because that's a big 10-74. Negative.

Spread the word now, because time is short!

– Steve Jackson

Warehouse 23 News: If The Stars Are Right

. . . the Great Old Ones will return to shower you with power. Or eat your face. Maybe both! Find out in The Stars Are Right.

May 6, 2012: Gateway: The Book Of Wizards, Sean Murray's Kickstarter Project

Fans of GURPS Discworld will no doubt remember Sean Murray's beautiful artwork for us in GURPS Discworld Also. What has Sean been doing in the years since he spent months working on illustrating GURPS Discworld Also? Producing fantastic artwork, of course, and now he's collecting several of his ideas and artwork into a single book . . . that you can back on Kickstarter! Gateway: The Book of Wizards is Sean's take on a fantasy world and is being presented as a "field guide" to his fantasy city of Gateway. Unsurprisingly, every illustration that Sean has posted on his Kickstarter page – and shown in the video – is a stunning work of art. There was no way that I was going to let this go unnoticed.

I backed the project within moments of learning of its existence. I love amazing artwork, and I couldn't miss the chance to support an independent artist. If you're a fan of Sean's work on GURPS Discworld Also, you owe yourself a look at the project. I think you'll like what you see.

Good luck, Sean!

– Phil Reed

Warehouse 23 News: This Sea Gets An "A"!

You love maps! You love the sea! See how they intersect in this fat digital package: the Crimson Sea: Virtual Boxed Set. In addition to pages of the coolest maps, it also has goodies you can't get anywhere else! This booty's available today from e23!

May 5, 2012: Shirt.Woot Has A Board Game Derby!

If you have met me anywhere but at a convention, the chances are very good that I've been wearing something from shirt.woot. (Approaching 100%, to be honest.) Woot.com and its offshoots make up one of the earliest "one a day, every day" shopping sites. Woot shirts run the gamut from horrible puns to really geeky to gorgeous – often all three at once.

Every week, they run a contest for new shirt designs where customers vote on which three designs will get made and sold. It's called the Derby, and this week's Derby #250 has the theme of board games. (They gave Zombie Dice and Munchkin a nice shout-out, too – thanks for that, guys!) The submissions went up for votes yesterday and voting will stop next Thursday, so head on over there! You have to have made at least one purchase on any Woot site to vote, but we figure most of our fans have the same taste in geeky shirts that we do . . .

(Private note to the Woot gang: Carrolton isn't that far from Austin . . . we oughta do a game day!)

– Andrew Hackard

Warehouse 23 News: What Do Zombies Drink Out Of?

The Munchkin Zombies Water Bottle of course! In true Munchkin fashion, this baby comes with an awesome rule. Supplies are very limited, so get yours soon! Only available at Warehouse 23.