Wall o' Postcards: Final Update Tuesday March 11, 2008

Thank you, everyone, for your generosity on my birthday. According to the final tally, I received three hundred and twenty-three postcards for my birthday. As you can see, they wrapped from the top of the stairs in the picture on the right, around to the first wall I started posting… Read more

Saturday November 12, 2005

A Sneak Peek and Clearance Books Tuesday June 15, 2010

We know you've been dying for a sneak peek at the interior of Resident Mad Scientist (now available for pre-order). Your wish is granted. Look at the shiny, shiny pages. If you click the image, you will be taken to a flickr set which walks you through the design and… Read more

Achievement Unlocked: Married with Married Children Friday January 17, 2020

The wedding was beautiful. The reception was lovely. The day was exhausting, but only because it’s hard work packing that much joy, delight, and awesome into one contiguous sequence of waking hours. There’s a thread of photos on my Twitter feed, and if you follow Sandra_Tayler on Instagram there are… Read more

Bad Ads, Strohl Munitions, and Headstones Thursday February 5, 2009

Thank you (yes THANK YOU) for emailing me about the bad ads recently. Something snuck into the bottom of the stack, those remaindered ads that don't pay squat, and it was something smelly. We've had reports of pop-ups, seizure-inducers, noisemakers, and yes, ads for porn. Many of you took time… Read more

Making A Dent Wednesday November 28, 2007

As you can see, we've made a dent in the pallet-cluster in my garage. I recall looking out the kitchen door into the garage, seeing this wall of identical boxes, and thinking "the Ark of the Covenant is in here SOMEwhere." It may not look like much of a dent,… Read more

Auctioning some Schlock Monday February 13, 2006

A while back I ran out of business cards. I design them myself, and have them printed at the local Alphagraphics place, and I knew that sometime before the start of my 2006 convention season I'd be needing some more. So on Friday I did something I've been meaning to… Read more

October 31, 2003 Friday October 31, 2003

AAAUUUGH! DIAL-UP!! entry, I'm here at the Las Vegas Comic-Con now, and my hotel has no high-speed internet access. I had to pay $5.00 for the telephone cable across which this entry will pass as I upload it ("I'm NOT an internet addict... I can quit anytime I want to.")… Read more

Prepping for Comic-Con Thursday July 19, 2007

As part of my preparation for Comic-Con, I've done some math: I need to bring home $1,505 to break even. That's my anticipated spend on hotels, food, and mileage. That means I need to sell almost exactly 100 books, at a minimum. I'll bring at least that many, but in… Read more

Why You Don't Rob A Cartoonist Without Wearing A Mask Monday January 16, 2006

A thoughtful Schlocker just emailed me this choice article from a paper in Australia. A Man who allegedly robbed a renowned Victorian cartoonist has been caught, thanks to a detailed caricature drawn by his victim. Police said the cartoonist, Bill `Weg' Green, who is famous for his drawings of AFL… Read more

Happy Halloween, I Hope The Blood Comes Out Sunday October 31, 2010

I assure you, it is coincidence, albeit certainly serendipitous coincidence, that the October 31st installment of Schlock Mercenary includes mayhem of a dismembering nature. I'm not doing "Schlocktoberfest" anymore, but that doesn't mean that the stars can't line up for me once in a while. While we're on the subject,… Read more

The Toastmaster Returns From Penguicon Monday May 2, 2011

I haven't done a proper convention report in years, and I see no point in breaking that streak now. Still, I'm back from Penguicon and there is something I'd like to relate. This year I did something completely new and different, both for me and for the event -- I… Read more

Talent, Focused Practice, and Artistic Success Monday March 9, 2009

A couple of months ago I lectured at Utah Valley University on the relationship between talent, hard work, practice, and artistic success. They recorded the presentation, and posted it on YouTube. Because, you know... ANYTHING that gets recorded eventually gets posted on YouTube. It's in four parts, but before you… Read more

Two (links) for Tuesday Tuesday February 9, 2010

First, an awesome photo. This was posted on the Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) site this morning, and is just one example of the inspiring and educational photographs available there. If you're not checking out APOD daily you're missing out. Next, a clever poster: I know, it looks like… Read more

Kickstarting Tu Publishing Friday December 4, 2009

A good friend of ours Stacy Whitman is getting ready to launch a small press. Tu Publishing will focus on multicultural science fiction and fantasy. Tu's mission statement expresses a desire to include people of all cultures in the imaginative possibilities opened by the science fiction and fantasy genres. In… Read more

What I'm Not Bringing To Penguicon Sunday April 15, 2007

I always have a hard time packing for conventions. Penguicon 5.0 will be no different, and in some ways it will be harder, because I have found that I miss my trollbloods when I don't have them with me. It sounds silly, I know, but I love having my paints… Read more

First Lines over at Writing Excuses Monday March 3, 2008

It's Monday, and that means another installment of Writing Excuses is live. This time around, Brandon grills Dan and I on "first lines," the importance of hooking the reader, and why he worries that this gets too much emphasis when aspiring writers seek instruction on the craft. Have a listen… Read more

'Jack and 'Caster Saturday February 3, 2007

I finished these two up a few weeks ago. First, here's Cygnar's "Sentinel" series warjack. I'm most pleased with the way the rock under his foot and the pressure-gauge on his back turned out. Everything else is okay, if a little sloppy. Here's Cygnaran warcaster Commander Stryker. The arcane glow… Read more

It's not safe to have all these signs on the same door... Sunday June 22, 2008

... but you're going to put them all on the same door anyway, and there's nothing we can do to stop you. We finally got things straightened out with the manufacturer. You can order the Schlock Mercenary Warning Signs now. They come in sets of eight for $20.00 +s&h, and… Read more

Only Three Days Left! Tuesday May 30, 2017

This Kickstarter of ours is a quick one¹. It closes on Friday, so if you want the Game Chief’s Deluxe RPG “Handbrain” Screen, you should pledge today. Or tomorrow. But don’t wait until Thursday, because by then you may have become distracted by other things, and then it will be Saturday…… Read more