Tortured Earth

We are finally back on track. Last week was really rough for us. My father passed away on Monday as we were on our way to Montana and had to turn around to make it for the funeral. This week has been dedicated to cleaning up the financial and federal matters that always surface in the wake of death.  On top of this, on the way back from Montana, we hit a massive pothole in Shreveport and blew out a tire. Once we finally got back home, we find out a seal on the axle was blown. Of course, we had it fixed. While leaving for Jackson, MS, the other seal blows. We are waiting to leave, hoping the seals can be fixed by noon. Fortunately, we have a good working relationship with VXV events, so they are willing to stay a little late to allow us to finish setup. For those of you in the Jackson, MS take a look at the guests list: Mississippi Comic Con . This is one of the best shows we go to in the region. The vendor coordinator graciously gave us a spot to run game sessions, so we'll have at...

  One of the persistent requests made of us has been the development of instructional videos detailing the finer points of the game system. Our ability to produces these has been dependent on funds to outsource the project as neither Kevin nor I have any real experience in the process.  Fortunately, we live in an age where tools are being developed that will give independent developers a chance at producing quality videos. Understand, I'm not calling my work quality as of yet. However, with the development of AI voiceovers, we are hoping to transform the videos into something more presentable.  I recognize the fact I can write and visually design the production. However, my accent and annunciation of the English language has room for improvement. We are hoping to get a series of these videos out there with the intent of turning their production over to AI voiceovers. With any luck, we'll be able to modify the videos and improve the sound quality. As far as content, I feel...

I’ll start by saying that attending the Iron City Comic Con was well worth the effort. The show was packed with attendees, the crowd's energy remained high throughout, and the guests were both engaging and entertaining. Even the convention staff were friendly and helpful. Overall, it was an excellent event.  I believe the show will continue to grow and evolve in the coming years. The organizers have a track record of entering a new area, putting on a great show in the first year, and then spending the subsequent years refining and enhancing the event until it becomes well-rounded. The next few years should bring interesting changes to the Iron City Comic Con. It's definitely something to keep an eye on if you're traveling through the area. This week, we're preparing for Billings Fun Con in Billings, Montana, which takes place from June 14th to June 16th, 2024. Our plan is to create a few more mystery boxes for the show, send some flags off for printing, and leave on Sun...

Today we managed to get in early and complete the setup in a reasonable amount of time. The convention floor is not nearly the size of Momocon but the convention layout is familiar. One of the nice things about a smaller show is the ability of the attendee to experience all the show has to offer. The problem with a smaller show is the attendee can experience everything the show has to offer.  To compensate for this, the show runner is under a constant pressure to make sure the show is new and different every year. One of the reasons I enjoy vending at VXV events is for this reason. They do change things up and make sure the show is a new experience each time. Not only in rotating guests but also in the format of the show, panels, and cosplay personalities.  Of course, seeing familiar faces and having worked with not only the staff but the other vendors for a decade helps out as well. Most of the vendors here are counted among friends. We've become a sort of gypsy family that r...

Social media has been the bane of my existence since the company got started. It's not that I don't appreciate it as a method of communication. It's keeping up with it that has always been a problem. However, with my retirement, I find myself able to turn to it more frequently and attend to it with greater regularity.  The main social media we currently use are Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X), and the website. Discord has now been added to that list. Articles I write in this forum will be circulated among the various services. Discord, as I have been recently educated on, offers a more direct approach. It also offers opportunities to get direct feedback on conceptual topics before it has to play tested. The hope is this will speed up development and cut unnecessary play-throughs on poorly conceived mechanics. Tortured Earth Discord Facebook Twitter (X) www.torturedearth.com Today, we being the setup at Iron City Comic Con. We should have a light day before the madness begi...

Today we leave for Birmingham, AL to vend at Iron City Comic Con . We're actually pretty excited about it. Birmingham used to be a staple on our convention circuit. The company we used to follow split apart and the original show fell by the wayside. One of the partners of the original show decided to return to Birmingham and rebrand under the new name. We are VERY excited about the return! In other news, we do have a few announcements. First, Dark Origins has finally arrived. We will showcase the new module at Iron City Comic Con. When formatting the book, I had some reservations about going full color. We received some negative feedback on the original books color format, I was hesitant to produce another full color print. However, the text layout against the faded page looks really good. The pages are interesting and the text is easy to read. Of course, the story is amazing! We're really happy to have Anthony Kallas on board. Anthony has also announced he's working on a ...