Messages

Ah, Filip, that crushes me. I'm tremendously sorry for your loss. If there's anything I can do, my friend, please please don't hesitate to message me. All the best, man. 

Oh aye, I've no time for all that anti-fan B*****ks, but when you have a vast brick-and-mortar empire that depends entirely on kids buying your crap and only your crap, and not using their imagination in the way that gamng normally encourages, I can see the value of being ultra-proscriptive. If your consumers can make up their own stuff, what do they need your over-priced skull-mountains for?

Well...I agree and disagree...

Let me get this out of the way: I'm a huge GW fanboy. I own nearly every one of their board games, too many Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40K armies...I've boxes full of Oldhammer metal minis and cases full of modern plastics. I'm STILL the kid they market their stuff to, haha.

I can understand being ultra-protective of their IP. They should be, in most cases. I myself wouldn't support bootlegs or produced material infringing on their IP (see my reason for not supporting HQ 25th).

BUT...

Most of those fansites were just publishing (for free) adventures they have made up for HeroQuest, or scenarios they came up with for WHFB, showing off their painted models, or blogging about house rules they used to work out vague official rules. I would argue that these sites formed a Warhammer community that GW refused to form themselves (until recently with the launch of Age of Sigmar); I'd argue that these sites, showing off all those glorious minis, did way more to get people interested in and - with new scenarios and adventures - keep people interested in GW products.

Rebellion is an example of doing it the right way. Look no further than the lovely fanzines they allow our lovely forumites to publish. When Bolt and Rich (among others) are at a convention flogging these comics, they're bringing awareness to 2000AD and its characters. GW, on the other hand, shut down folks doing the same thing and alienated everyone aware of what was going on. And GW isn't alone at the top anymore; they can't afford to alienate anyone, as their flagging WHFB sales, which led to the demise of that seminal game, can attest.

Anyway, sorry to ramble. GW is one of my favorite topics to talk about!

I don't think anyone had a problem with GW borrowing here and there (except for maybe Michael Moorcock) until they started this ultra-militant IP protection. I'm not sure if you heard of the Great Games Workshop Purge: GW lawyers actively sought out bloggers and fansites and had them shut down - blogs and fansites that had existed for years and did nothing but promote GW products. GW then went so far as to send notices to members of boardgamegeek.com ordering them to stop producing fan variants (for even games that have been dead for years, such as Advanced HeroQuest). It was pretty shocking the way they alienated their fans/consumer base.

2. Games Workshop is ultra-protective of their IP

Funny that - considering how much WH40K 'borrowed' from Termight/Dredd (not to mention Alien, Terminator, et al).

Ask Michael Moorcock what he thinks of GW "borrowing" basically everything from the Elric series.

Of course GW used to be gamers designing games for games. They were open about their influences and actively tried to steer their players towards all the source material. Then lawyers took over.

GameZone have the rights to the name "HeroQuest" in Spain only.

A rerelease of this game by GameZone unlikely to happen (outside of Spain, if by some chance it happens even there) because: the HeroQuest name is already owned by Greg Stafford's Glorantha, and 2. Games Workshop is ultra-protective of their IP, and if MB couldn't come to terms with them for a reprint, I doubt this little Spanish shop will.

Also, you have to question the ethics of this move by GameZone - they intended to redo HeroQuest without permission, by changing a little of this and a little of that - the designer (the brilliant Stephen Baker) and the publishers wouldn't have seen a penny. That's like a fanzine publisher changing a few names and tweaking the setting of our favorite comic book just enough so that it doesn't infringe on copyright - we wouldn't support it, and I don't think HQ 25th should be supported.

Again, this is more like blog material instead of a forum post. I beleive wordpress an blogspot
Are fairly easy to sign up for

It's posted in the off topic section where it belongs.

Post away, Mayor! I'm glad you had a productive day! Tell us about tomorrow!

Well, I for one was waiting for this to turn into a discussion about Slaine. Thank you, Mayor, for never disappointing.

The weird thing about The Beastmaster is that the plot doesn't even bat an eyelid at the revelation (if you follow the slightly tortuous story logic) that the Beastmaster and his love interest appear to be first cousins.

I don't know...if 1982 Tanya Roberts was my first cousin, I might not bat an eyelid at the revelation that she was my first cousin.

Now if only another Ator movie was on the horizon, I could die happy.

I'd settle for a third GOR film.

EDIT: Or a sequel to Barbarian Brothers!!!

I...really can't believe the title made it to issue 30. Is IDW still producing Dredd comics of any kind?

I've always enjoyed Hallowscream - always a blast. I wish I could contribute once again, but just way too much on my plate (my own fault).

Napalm Death is playing tonight in Houston with Faith No More:

http://www.houstonpress.com/music/faith-no-more-enjoy-writing-their-own-rules-nowadays-7615474

I wish they were touring with FNM; I'm seeing FNM in Philly on August 1st.

Keep at it, Mayor! I trust that your slightly flabby but impressive physique will be stunning in all the Celtic-type garb!

Man, I still remember the first time I heard Scum...

I had gradually been getting into heavier music - I think I had just bought Slayer's Reign in Blood - but I was totally unprepared for what I heard. I still love that album all these years later, and it's still my favorite.

This is great news - Comic Heroes was always good to my comic, El Bigote, and other small pressers.