I don't have FOMO often, but the posts and pictures from #UKGE2026 is giving me a fierce case of it this year. Especially since circumstances prevented me from attending last year.

Three titans of horror, the likes of which we shall never see again.

After two months of fierce skirmishing with my airbrush (which I haven’t used since COVID), I finally had a win. This brings the score to Airbrush 4, Mike 1.

“the mother of Grendel, Devil-shaped woman, her woe ever minded, Who was held to inhabit the horrible waters, The cold-flowing currents, after Cain had become a Slayer-with-edges to his one only brother, The son of his sire;” ("Beowulf") 🎨 Henry Justice Ford #wyrdwednesday

Torolf & Helgi, sister-sons of Magni, join their uncle's crew for a springtime voyage on the whale road. New lands, new dangers, and new wonders await them. Models by @footsoreminiatures.bsky.social, decals by Little Big Man, backdrop by @handiworkgames.bsky.social, painting by me. #brutallands

Ol' Magni's got some backup on the way, so I'm sharing this again for those who came in late.

This is going to be a fun gig.

Never mock a man’s power vest.

Celebrating May Day with @inkubussukkubus.bsky.social and by getting my brain scanned to look for leaks.

Spent a good hour and change digging through my library trying to find a sketch of a Neolithic mortuary structure I remember seeing somewhere (that's just how my brain works, OK?). Lesson learned: Always check Francis Pryor first.

Saw this meme and I did it. Opening line to Neuromancer.

"Relationship is the only ship that matters to him" *chef's kiss*

"HAPPY EARTH DAY!" - The Gary Con Team! #GaryCon #GCXIX #Gaming #TTRPGs #Convention #Terrain #EarthDay

Buying an official Zocchihedron from the man, himself, at Gen Con 2019. @dieterz.bsky.social and I somehow also ended up packing up Lou’s booth into his van, which might have been the last wedge-shaped van in existence. It smelled like a gas refinery and we feared for Lou’s life. RIP Lou.

Been thinking a lot lately about round houses and lake villages and crannogs lately, and this is glorious.

I feel like the last tie binding me to my childhood has just been severed.

Been thinking a lot about this John Carpenter quote recently: "There are two different stories in horror: internal and external. In external horror films, the evil comes from the outside, the other tribe, this thing in the darkness that we don't understand. Internal is the human heart."

Running a retro Vampire: The Masquerade game sometimes requires in-depth research. Important subjects to make sure the atmosphere is realistic. Like Google searches for "When did cargo pants become popular?"

RAID ON IRAN: Steve Jackson Games, publisher of long-running vehicle combat game Car Wars, released this topical 'what if?' minigame in 1980, allowing players to take another stab at the abortive mission to rescue 53 hostages from the embassy in Tehran. Blimey.

During COVID, I discovered a number of folklore/folk horror/weirdness zines from the UK like @helleborezine.bsky.social @occultaria.bsky.social and Weird Walks, so it's nice to finally see a similar publication from this side of the Atlantic: Issue #1 of @crossroadsfolk.bsky.social

“It comes across as if we’re trying to prevent cheating,” Hammer says. “That’s not why we’re doing this. We’re doing this because students are actually losing skills, losing cognitive capacity and creativity.”

Current course of empire:

I was far more anxious than I expected watching that.

This is indeed the worst timeline.

“We keep odd hours.”

I have exceeded my Daily Recommended Allowance of people for the day. Please hold off further peopling until tomorrow. Thank you.

For my own sanity, it's going to be a Tolkien weekend. #worldsamess #stillrecoveringfromworktrip

Best adjective I have seen this week: Sauronic: Pertaining to the actions and influences of Sauron, the Dark Lord of Mordor.

As a New Yorker, I am obligated to give Chicago the side eye at every opportunity, but game recognize game.

@criticalhitparader.com asking the important questions this morning:

I'm going to be helping rally the Road Crew tomorrow while discussing some new stuff coming down the pipeline. Tune in, won't you?

Drop a movie that traumatized you as a kid.

If Maria Dahvana Headley had translated the Red Book of Westmarch instead of Tolkien (for the record, I enjoy Headley’s Beowulf translation).

Delightful arrival in today's mail: Carved in Stone by @stoutstoat.co.uk. Absolutely gorgeous book, thoroughly researched and reviewed, and crammed with everything you never knew you needed to know about the Picts. Not a game stat in sight, but plenty of prompts for your game design needs.

It's Monday, which means that the day after tomorrow will see me getting up at the Crack of Stupid to get on a big ol' jet airliner and head to fabulous @garycon.com in Lake Geneva, WI for four days of gaming, meetings, socializing, and more. Hope to see some of you there!

“I’m going to wear the suit, but I’m not putting on the tie. I’m a Nosferatu and I have my dignity.” -One of the Gary Kindred rejecting corporate culture in tonight’s 1e V:tM game. #vtm #chicagobynight

The Kindred of Gary found themselves swimming with the sharks tonight as they navigate the Byzantine political scene of Chicago’s vampire demimonde. Music callouts were limiting to some Primus lyrics, but we did have to lookup the Bears’ performance during the 91-92 season for accuracy. #vtm

Current mood:

New Social Distortion album and the first cut off of it from out of nowhere. Better day than I anticipated.

Starting the day with T.S. Eliot in mind: "There will be time, there will be time To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet; There will be time to murder and create"

I'm not saying we got a lot of snow last night, but I just saw the Noldor pass by on their way to Beleriand. #unexpectedtolkien

In tonight’s retro Vampire: The Masquerade game, the neonates of Gary visited Chicago and experienced the Succubus Club for the first time. Musical callbacks were Soundgarden, Joy Division, The Cure, REM, Misfits, and XTC. Plus the fictional Black Glass Architecture. I”m loving this chronicle #vtm

this is happening let me know if interested tell all of your friends www.backerkit.com/call_to_acti...

Applications are open for the IGDN 2026 Diversity Scholarship by the iTDF: itdf.games We have 4 spots for marginalized and underrepresented designers to receive mentorship plus $1000 USD no-strings-attached scholarship! Apply before March 17th, 2026: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Celebrate Goodman Games' 25th Anniversary with this 25 cent special! Just in time for Valentine's Day, you can grab the PDF of Love Mutants for Castle Heartache for only a quarter! goodman-games.com/the-25-cent-... #TTRPG #DungeonCrawlClassics #DCCRPG #roleplayinggames #GoodmanGames #tabletoprpg

You have to be real Tolkien nerd to get this one, but if you do, it’s hysterical.

BANDCAMP SALE! It's been over a year and I'm finally able to move back home to Altadena. To celebrate I'm offering 25% any purchase. Just use word "home" at checkout. lootthebody.bandcamp.com/music #bandcampfriday

GUEST SPOTLIGHT: Michael Curtis, best known for DCC RPG adventures, is the Director of Product Development for Dungeon Crawl Classics at Goodman Games—overseeing products since 2021. buff.ly/el9jNlm #GaryCon #GCXVIII #SpecialGuest #Gaming #TTRPGs

My god, this game completely fell into my memory hole. So many hours playing this on an Apple ][e with a green monochrome monitor. That damn hawk! I can’t believe I had no memory of it until I came across the game box cover art.

Post a mage!