Prestige Publications

[squeen]

Every craft has it's prestige publications, e.g. scientific journals, fashion magazines, etc. They are established, reoccuring publications that have garnered a good reputation and have an established readership.

For the OSR, three come to mind: Footprints, Fight On!, and Knockspell.

If you want to get your work noticed, I think those are a great place to start. (Looking at y'all GTC).

I mention it because our own Malrex (the wily Lord of Coffee, Merciless Merchant, and Great Motivator to the lazy hobbyist) is going to edit the next issue of Footprints, #25, and he's convinced me to (or I've convinced him to let me) make a submission. I'm reassured by the fact that Footprints is free (which alleviates some performance anxiety on my part---who can rightly complain if my contribution blows?), and generally I am a bit surprised more folk aren't clamoring to get something in there. It lifts your meager efforts above the rising tide of PWYWs at DriveThruRPG.

Anyway, it's been many, many years since I tried drawing anything organic (i.e not-a-map) so I thought I'd see what I could get to pop (poop?) out this morning after a 20-minute pencil and ink sketch-session (+GIMP).

Here's the result---a neo-aboleth proof-of-concept drawing for my dungeon/site submission.



Hmm...looks a bit too friendly, but I think there's hope because Footprints 25 isn't slated for publication until December 2020.
Maybe I can learn how to draw distressing subterranean aquatica---and other stuff---properly in a year's time. (Fish generally have beards, right?)

Cheers!

P.S. GIMP is pretty awesome FREE software.

 

[Beoric]

My 9 year old would definitely start the encounter by hugging it and trying to add it to his pokemon collection stable of hench-creatures.

 

[Malrex]

WOW! I'm impressed! I dig this drawing. My attempt would look like a apple with lines coming out of it.
I'm excited about your upcoming submission.
And ya, a short adventure, an article--about anything D&D related, magic items, spells, new monsters? Anything that has never been published before. I'm looking for submissions. I have 3-4 adventures already, some 0-level cantrips, a Archer kit, and some magic items going already, but could use some more.

 

[Grützi]

Does it need to be of a specific edition of D&D? Or is everything D&D related fair game?

@squeen:
Awesome art.
Reminds me of the Lorax ... just Underwater.
"I'm the Lor'ax ... I speak for the Aboleth."

 

[Malrex]

0e, 1e and 2e...no editions above that Im afraid. And I plan to edit everything harshly myself....especially from Germans...hah, I jest.....maybe.

 

[squeen]

Reminds me of the Lorax ... just Underwater.
"I'm the Lor'ax ... I speak for the Aboleth."

Funny, I got that too. How nice that two blokes an ocean apart can share a common mass-cultural heritage.

To fix it (and prevent Pokemon-entourage syndrome) I'm thinking the eye's are just too human---I need to make them either fishy-er (like a whale's) and slide the two around the side, or else more snake-like. Everyone hates snakes right? Mouth needs to be more maw-suggestive too (I think).

I'll have another go at it in a few days. The thing with art is that part is intentional, and part is a surprise that you just have to "go with".
What fun!

(@Malrex : Draw that darn apple, man! You know you want to. You need to fail 1,000 times---so you should just start! Remove that price-tag, and allow yourself some room to be an amateur in your hobby for awhile---that's where the real joy is.)

 

[EOTB]

Since it isn’t until dec 2020 I’ll be submitting something also

 

[Malrex]

Awesome EOTB!
I may do a very short adventure myself.
I also received 3 beautiful maps. I feel like at least one of them (and I can't choose which) should be keyed out. I have interest from Joe Mohr, but he has submitted a adventure already so was looking for fresh blood...but if no one is up to it, I may see if he is still interested. The maps are the old-school blue by Fingolwyn and I'll probably include all of them in the magazine for people to use.

 

[EOTB]

I work much quicker with a good blank map . If he’s willing to have one keyed shoot it over to me and I’ll let it percolate while I finish some other projects

 

[squeen]

For me, the process is even worse.

1) draw a map
2) key it
3) realize the map now doesn't make any sense (usually things are too close together)
4) redraw the map
5) re-key it because now there's more room to add things

(6) miss deadline?

 

[Grützi]

0e, 1e and 2e...no editions above that Im afraid. And I plan to edit everything harshly myself....especially from Germans...hah, I jest.....maybe.

I would love to contribute to this ... harsh judgement be damned
Send me one of those maps (your choice which) and I will give it a shot

 

[Malrex]

I spoke to the DF boss and he basically said I had some free reign on the length of the magazine or how many adventures were in it and what not. I feel Issue #25 should be a bit bigger.
Grutzi--I honestly can't choose...I'll send you all 3 and let you choose in case something jumps out at you.
EOTB--I'll send you the 2 that Grutzi doesn't choose. And if something sparks then cool, and if not, then that's ok too. You mentioned you may already submit something, so I figured I'd give Grutzi first choice. These are decent sized maps--40 locations or so. Might even be fun to split one up and get a few authors on it for a few rooms like they did for Hyquaeous Vaults.

 

[TerribleSorcery]

Damn, 2020? Even I could get something together by then!

 

[Ice]

I submit this

 

[squeen]

You need to charge $5 for it (without a preview)

 

[Malrex]

I submit this

LOL

 

[squeen]

Would someone "who knows" enlighten me on what happened to Fight On! magazine? It's last published issue was in 2013 (Issue #14)---but is Home Page only goes up to Issue #13 (Fall 2011).

Just curious. I do love a good "Rise and Fall" saga. I think it tells us much about the human condition. (...or is it just gossip I'm craving?)

Byrce's review (5 years after publication) and some interesting discussion about magazine editing in the comments.

 

[EOTB]

Not really any gossip here, just that like most projects that deliver regularly it was mainly driven by one person. Life never allows that level of sustained commitment on hobby-work forever. Calithena is still working on an issue #15 off and on.

Edit - there's a FO! sub-forum at ODD74; not sure if it's one of the areas you can see as a guest or if you have to log in

Fight On! | Original D&D Discussion

Here we can discuss options and ideas for the official fanzine of these boards -- Fight On!

odd74.proboards.com

 

[squeen]

Cool. Thanks EOTB. Glad to hear Fight On! is...err..."fighting on?".

Any particular reason Issue#14 has been left off the home page?

 

[EOTB]

No clue on that one; it's on the Fight On! lulu page. I didn't even know that home page you linked to existed.

Edit - it's possible that page isn't/wasn't owned/ran by Calithena. There's a lot of ghosts from the early period of the OSR. Or it might just be that it didn't get enough traffic to tinker with.