A Couple of Belated Birthdays

As I mentioned last week, May 15 (Tuesday) was L. Frank Baum's birthday. Jared over at the Royal Blog of Oz has put together a few treats for the occasion. Check 'em out!

Tuesday also marked the second anniversary of the release of Adventures in Oz: Fantasy Roleplaying Beyond the Yellow Brick Road. This Saturday will mark the first anniversary of the release of the Adventures in Oz Characters Pack. But where's my product for this year?

Well, don't forget that Adventures in Oz took me 3 years of dedicated work to produce and didn't pay all of its own bills until earlier this year. Though part of the issue is that I demanded that it pay its own bills. In August of 2010, I found myself moving and changing jobs, which put me in a very different, and not as bounteous, financial position.

And then there's the challenge of finding that next big idea. Do I continue with Oz (either small adventures or my Beyond the Deadly Desert project) or do I branch out and put some serious effort into another project I've got on the back burner?

A Very Merry Un-Birthday To Who? To Me!

It may not be my birthday today, but it will be tomorrow. I will be 31 years old. This is the second birthday of mine to be commemorated on this blog and hopefully not the last.

And have I got a present for you! This lovely map of Oz was created by the talented cartographer Steff Worthington for inclusion in my game, Adventures in Oz. He is also working on a lovely color map which will be made available as a poster on my Zazzle store and I plan on releasing that version of the map under a Creative Commons Non-commercial license. Until then, this map is copyright (C) me and usable only with permission or as otherwise allowed by Fair Use laws.

Happy Birthday, L. Frank Baum!

If L. Frank Baum had lived to see today, he would be 153 years old. If I had time, I would have something clever to say or do in this space. All I can really do right now is recommend you to Jared's blog for his always-fun birthday tribute. If anyone knows of any more fun sites celebrating L. Frank Baum's life, please feel free to link them in the comments.

Happy Birthday to ME!

Yes, today is my birthday. I have just turned 30 years old.

I'd like to apologize for my lack of progress on the project lately. It mostly has to do with the fact that I was robbed about 2 weeks ago. I left my leather satchel full of books unattended for about 10 minutes, came back and it was gone. No Oz stuff was in the bag. Just a bunch of roleplaying games, including the one that I am trying to run with my playgroup. So between trying to get replacements and just being mad at myself and the jerk who stole my bag, I haven't had much time to work on new material. That will hopefully change soon, and I will be able to devote enough time over the next week to have updated material sent out to my playtesters. Then the teaser for the Winkie Country, then the full Winkie Country. Then the beast itself, Quadling Country.

Quadling Country is the most explored country of Oz, and full of the strangest inhabitants. It's where Dorothy meets the Hammerheads and the China People in "Wizard", many curious communities were discovered there in "Emerald City", including the towns of Bunbury (full of animated baked goods) and Bunnybury (inhabited by rabbits). In "Patchwork Girl", the Quadling Country is home to the feuding Hoppers and Horners and the dreadful Mr. Yoop. And I'm sure I'm forgetting a few things as well.

Happy Birthday, L. Frank Baum!

On this day in 1856, Lyman Frank Baum was born in Chittenango, New York. I can either copy and paste from Wikipedia or let you read it yourself if you want details on Baum's life and work. He would be 152 if he were still alive today.

For those who would rather watch, check out Jared Davis' Wonders of Oz series or this short video he prepared for Baum's 150th birthday 2 years ago to see the Baum legacy.