Weekly Briefing from the North Texas Apocalypse Bunker, 8/5/22
Insert Bob Segar Lyrics Here Edition
Field Report: Austin, Texas
I’m in Austin, Texas, in a hotel room, with bad A&E crime shows droning on in the background, thinking about every 1980s rock star and that point in their career when their songs stop being about love, loss, saving up money to buy a certain car, or not being able to adequately deal with any given emotion and start being about what a chore it is being on the road all the time, and how all of the fame, the chicks, the booze and the blow, and all the rest of it, are really not as much fun as people think.
Suddenly, it all makes sense. And now I feel really sorry for the members of R.E.O. Speedwagon. Well, I’ve always felt sorry for them, but now I have a reason I can point to.
I’m here for ArmadilloCon, the premiere literary science fiction and fantasy convention in Texas. I’ve been attending this show for a couple of decades now, and it’s my “Home Town” show, even though I’m six hours away from it now. The event is being hosed more than somewhat by the re-re-re-resurgence of yet another COVID strain. Several folks I’ve been looking forward to reconnecting with are sitting out, thanks to a recent bout of the bug, or fear of the same, for all of the usual reasons.
Ogre’s 11 on Kickstarter Now
Aside from panel discussions and general camaraderie, what am I doing at the show, you ask? Why, shilling for my newest project, of course!
ZineQuest 4 is completely a thing, and I’m participating. Here’s what you need to know about Ogre’s 11. The project is almost funded on the first day and it’d be a hoot to be able to say so. If you’re a tabletop role-playing gamer, and in particular, a game master for any fantasy rpg setting, then please consider backing my ‘zine.
Bonus! I made an appearance on the Wobblies and Wizards podcast to talk about the project. Check it out here!
Weekly Briefing from the North Texas Apocalypse Bunker, 8/5/22
Sorry I'm missing ArmadilloCon, but I did a practice run in the car for about an hour/90 minutes about two weeks ago and I just knew I could never drive the 5-hour trip to Austin this year. Perhaps next year.
As for dentists, my dental bills are forcing me to remain employed instead of retiring to avoid COVID, so I'm going to start spending some money. I'm adding your Robert E Howard bio to my shopping list. (Is there an eBook version?)
I love that epiphany about 80s rockers and their songs. Do you mind if I share it with the DJs of the radio show "A Blast from the Past"? (It's an Indianapolis-based show available online, central time 9-11 p.m. on Saturdays, on https://uindyradio.wixsite.com/wicrfm/listen-online; I found it when I lived in Indy and listened to it during my semester in China and now on most Saturday evenings here in Texas.)