Gen Con Report Part 2: First-timers

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Kevin
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Gen Con Report Part 2: First-timers

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Gen Con Report Part 2: First timers

I marveled at the number of people in attendance who reported this being their first Gen Con. I must have spoken to several dozen “first timers.” Yet though this was their first Gen Con, most were experienced Palladium gamers. In fact, many had played for 5-15 years. I have no idea why so many people have suddenly decided to come to Gen Con, but I’m glad they did.

Palladium’s very own Chuck Walton was a first timer at Gen Con. So was Sarah Aten, the fun and lovely wife of Palladium freelance writer, Brandon Aten. Chuck and Sarah, like most first time attendies, were blown away by Gen Con. Not just by the scale and scope, but also by the large number of Palladium fans and how friendly and nice 99% of them are.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, Palladium fans are the greatest in the whole wide world. As usual, people were friendly, patient and kind. They were pleased that we were available to chat and sign books, and we shared the latest news and plans for the rest of this year and next with those who inquired. We also shared our thoughts on gaming, Game Mastering, game design, Star Wars, movies, art and everything under the sun. As always, it was a pleasant experience and very gratifying to feel so much love and excitement about Palladium and upcoming releases.

The excitement was palpable and the mantra of fans and industry people alike was, “Palladium Books is back!” And everyone was happy about it. Cool. I’ll talk more about that in Thursday’s Weekly Update.

Chuck Walton, I think, in particular, was blown away by how much people loved Palladium, their enjoyment of the game system and anticipation for upcoming product releases. He was especially taken aback by how much gamers enjoy his artwork. Chuck is a pretty humble guy and a serious artist, so he was thrilled that people appreciate his work so much. Nice. Of course, Chuck, like all of us, was at the booth 85% of the time to chat with gamers, share ideas and sign books.

Sarah Aten was also impressed by the quality of Palladium fans. This was her first Gen Con and she didn’t know what to expect. I think she was pleasantly surprised. In fact, Sarah and Brandon are already talking about coming back to Gen Con next year to help out at the booth. Both were a big help. Sarah was stationed at the cash registers and did a great job ringing people up while Brandon talked with fans and hyped up product.

Writer and pal, Mark Oberle, was excellent at engaging customers and answering any questions they might have; as were Brandon Aten and Paul Deckert. They were also diligent at keeping shelves stocked. Wayne Smith ran the other register as well as engaged customers, signed books, drove the truck and handled other logistical things. I had a great crew of helpers and they all contributed to a successful convention experience. Me, I did all of the above as well.

Of course, we also enjoyed visits by old friends like Dennis Hughes, the Brown Family, Lonnie Langston, Amy L. Ashbaugh, Juan and many others. Mike Mumah crashed the booth Friday afternoon, making a surprise appearance and hanging with us at the Palladium booth Friday afternoon through Sunday morning. We discussed a secret project he and Chuck will be working on for a 2013 release, and Mike whipped up a few cool looking sketches for it while at the booth. Like I keep saying, Palladium’s artists and writers are all kicking it up a notch and doing impressive work. I was surprised to see some truly old pals like Jeff Laubenstein, Larry Elmore, Tyler Walpole, Sean Patrick Fannon, Jolly and Barb Blackburn, Dave Kenzer, Mike Stackpole and Jordan Wiseman, among others (I don't mean to leave any of your names out, but there were a lot of people!), and made some new friends. However, the Palladium Books booth was so busy all the time, that I couldn't talk long with anyone. My thanks to those of you who came by to say hello. Sorry I couldn't visit longer. :(

My apologies for not posting this Gen Con report earlier in the day, but today was another day that seemed to be nonstop busy. I did a little wheeling, dealing and plotting world domination . . . er . . . I mean . . . um . . . making plans for future projects. Spoke to a new potential business associate. Spoke to my agent about licensing strategies. Discussed various things with my staff. Did some planning for Youmacon in November, and did a little running around. It is all very exciting and full of potential, but it is all very time consuming. And I’m still trying to catch up from Gen Con!

More tomorrow in a Murmur and the Weekly Update.

Sincerely,
Kevin Siembieda
Publisher, Writer, and Game Designer

© Copyright August 22, 2012 Palladium Books Inc. All rights reserved.

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