Muskrat Ramblings
Fifteen Years and One Sketch Later…
posted by John

So I’m working on some art for the 15th anniversary of Dork Tower next year. But right now, it’s athe 10th anniversary of Munchkin. So I thought I’d do up some promotional cards and postcards and the like.

Here’s the art: Dork Tower and Munchkin: two great tastes that taste great together.

Here’s what it will look like, as a postcard:

In both instances, click on the image to see a larger version of it.

I’m pleased with the piece. It’s far more dynamic than the original sketch I did for the anniversary.

Coincidentally, it shares some similarities with Today’s Three-Minute Warm-Up Sketch. These help me loosen up a little, before approaching more ’serious’ drawings. I’m only so-so about this one, but for a very quick piece, I suppose I shouldn’t expect too much. But I thought yesterday’s sketch was more successful. Anyhoo – Matt and Gilly, as Batman and the Huntress:

John

Muskrat Ramblings
Oh, THERE you are, Perry!
posted by John

Like Munchkin?

Like “Phineas and Ferb“?

So do I. Hard.

Here’s a little bit of funsies I came up with, while drawing Munchkin Conan:

(Click the image above for a larger version. WHY YOU WOULD WANT THIS, I DO NOT KNOW. But I’m easy, that way).

It goes without saying, this is NOT anything officially to do with Munchkin, “Phieas and Ferb” or my lunch hour.

But there you go.

John

Muskrat Ramblings
Munchkin Memories Madness Contest
posted by MONICA

Monica here. Patching in from Muskrat Central to tell you that–

What’s that Cartoon Boy? Yes, I will tell them about… Yes, I know you wanted to blog today, but… No, it will be all right. Your readers will understand. Seriously!! Draw another comic or something.

Anyhoo, I wanted to buzz in today to tell you that Steve Jackson Games is featured all week long on a website called FlamesRising.com. Disclaimer: I am associated with the website but this promotion was in the works before I started working with Muskrat Central.

To celebrate the ten-year anniversary of Munchkin, which John has illustrated many cards for (including The Luggage card inspired by Terry Pratchett’s DiscWorld), Steve Jackson Games has sponsored a contest.

The contest is easy to enter and (better yet) offers you the chance to take a trip down Munchkin lane. Read SJ Games Week and Munchkin 10 Year Anniversary Contest for details and check out their interview with Steve Jackson.

Later this week, the website will publish an interview with Cartoon Boy. Where did the questions come from, you ask? Why, I’ll be happy to tell you. From YOU. John posted about the interview on his Facebook page and answered every one!

Now, if I could just get him to finish The Tao of Igor… Hmmm… Must try new tactics… Mind control, maybe?

Oooooo… John… This is your conscience. You will finish The Tao of Igor before Halloween. Ooooo…

Heh, heh. Let’s see if my powers of telepathy will work. I think I heard him muttering about Igor.

Good luck with the contest!

====== Monica

Muskrat Ramblings
And now, a note from Monica
posted by MONICA

Hoi! Monica here. Not John. Monica. Hi. Pleased to meet you!

Over the past, few weeks there’s been a lot going on behind-the-scenes at Muskrat Central for one purpose and one purpose only…

…to offer you MORE Dork Tower.

Occasionally, you’re going to get some updates from people that aren’t John – LIKE ME, MONICA! – about what he’s up to or his work, because I’ve locked him in his studio he’s busy drawing at his table. So, without further adieu, I shed my cloak of invisibility to drop some hints about what’s coming up.

You might have seen John’s previous post about The Perky Summer Sale. If you haven’t picked up a digital copy of the earlier Dork Tower releases, We’ll be doing more stuff like this, and soon. John’s been working with the folks at DriveThruComics to get his back catalog online — just in time for the fifteen-year anniversary of Dork Tower.

Before we can start celebrating that, however, there’s another little milestone that’s just around the corner. Hard to believe, but this year is the ten-year anniversary of Munchkin!

***SPOILER ALERT*** In a couple of weeks, we’re going to announce a really fun Munchkin contest sponsored by Steve Jackson Games! ***END SPOILER ALERT***

Speaking of the Munchkin anniversary, Steve Jackson has posted a behind-the-scenes look into the changes Munchkin Czar Andrew Hackard has made over the past year. It’s a good read and talks about how the game has changed. Check out One Year of Color Munchkin.

Personally? I just want the Munchkin shot glass… For milk, of course!

We’ll keep you posted about the Munchkin happenings when we get a little closer to the last week of July.

That’s all I have for today. Excuse me while I– Hey, CARTOON BOY!… Who said you could be on Twitter? Did you finish the strip yet?

Yeah, I’m a slave driver. But this next strip’ll be sooooooo worth it.

Have a great day!

====== MONICA (Not John)

Muskrat Ramblings
Discworld Munchkin Card, you ask..?
posted by John

Quick announcement: It’s the PERKY SUMMER SALE, over at Drivethru Comics, and all DORK TOWER and DR. BLINK trade e-books are 25%. Go tyere! Now! Buy stuff! Because we gotta make room for new electrons!

****

It’s an enormously busy summer. Sadly, it’s also mostly con-free. But by missing the Origins Game Fair last month, I did manage to have the best daddy-daughter day with Louisa I could possibly imagine. It included trips to the Farmers’ Market and the Zoo, a neighborhood block party and a Madison Mallards game, ending with the first fireworks she had ever seen.

“It’s like Cinderella’s Castle,” she exclaimed, as she danced and laughed to the pyrotechnics overhead.

I won’t be at GenCon this year, nor PAX nor Dragon-Con. Partly, I just want to be around my daughter as long as I can (she’s just over two-and-a-half years old, and every moment with her seems to be made up of pure magic). But then there’s the fact that I’m enormously busy. The latest giant Munchkin project is in the bag, and I now play catch-up with all the things I’ve let slide a bit. (Hint: you’ll always be able to tell when I’m busy, as I tend to run cartoons as utterly stupid as yesterday’s.)

Now, if YOU’RE going to go to a con – saaaaaay, the North American Discworld Convention, right here in Madison, WI – then you’ll likely be one of the first people to pick up the Munchkin Discworld one-off promo card. It was an idea I had, and fortunately, the stars aligned, and Steve Jackson’s people got in touch with terry Pratchett’s people, and, long story short…ta-DAH!

The full story of the card, and when and where it will be available, can be found here.

An EXTREME closeup can be found here.

Yeah, if you think I was thrilled to draw an official, licensed version of Conan the Barbarian, you can probably quadruple that for sheer geek fanboy joy I got from drawing one of Sir Terry’s characters.

Muskrat out,

Muskrat Ramblings
The Rules of Engagement
posted by John

To answer the question “HEY, JOHN! HAVE YOU SEEN THE MUNCHKIN CARD PROPOSAL?”…

Yes, I’ve seen it. Many, many times.

Many.

Big thanks to all for passing the link along. I’d far rather be informed of something a few dozen times than not see it at all.

If you haven’t seen or heard of it, it’s a delightful Munchkin card that is getting play on icanhascheezburger.com, and has gone ever so slightly viral in geek circles:

I’m still not entirely sure of the name of the guy who printed it up, nor of the outcome (though I’m assuming all went well, as he decided to post the card and not, say, take his own life in an alcohol-fueled fit of despair).

But look, here’s the thing: remember the Dork Tower I did about YouTube commenters in particular, but all internet comment pages in general?

So. The majority of the comments under the story are great – positive, affirming, heppy, heppy comments. Of course, there’s a grammar thread (really? REALLY?) and even a bit of a rules discussion (this IS Munchkin, after all). So I probably should have stopped reading at that point.

And then I got to these gems:
____________________________________________________________

Reply
Meh
January 11, 2011 at 9:57 pm
too long, didn’t read…
____________________________________________________________

Reply
mai
January 12, 2011 at 3:17 am
who is that card intended for ?
the bearer must get on “one’s” knee to ask for “your” hand in marriage and place the ring on “her” finger ???
the whole damn thing makes no sense whatsoever !
____________________________________________________________

I suppose that’s one great thing about idiots: they go so VERY far out of their way, to demonstrate that they are, in fact, idiots.

****

Speaking of Munchkin (or, possibly, speaking of idiots (me)), I’m hard at work on another project that I’m not sure I can announce just yet. But here’s a drawing from the set:

I can neither confirm nor deny that this drawing of a lady – with cats – will in the end be a Cat Lady card.

Muskrat out,