I’ve been seeing lots of teasers and reading lots of almost new stories on new games thanks to Leapzig, but hoping that the publishers will be sharing a lot more detailed information this weekend at PAX 2008.

I’m planning to spend a lot of time with Wizards of the Coast’s RPGA players (hooray for the new Living Greyhawk), but I’m really hoping to get more details on:

• The latest Need for Speed
• Skate 2
• LittlBigPlanet
• the eventual sequel to Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune

And maybe even soem shred of hope that Playstation Home will be coming out before Sony starts selling the Playstation 5…. For you other pen & paper folks, I’ll also be nagging WotC about when the hell they’re going to be giving us all that online play they promised us at Dungeons & Dragons 4E launch.

Now that I think of it…. Can I ask around about why the hell it’s so difficult to add Playstation Trophies to game patches?

I started off the con with a portfolio review (which offered some good advice and a fresh look at my artwork), then did a quick circuit to spot what was new. Some highlights:

1) Took along many of my printed personal sketchbooks from last year and traded them to other artists for their sketchbooks.

2) The Suicide Girls (“21st Century Pin-Up Girls Extraordinare”) were a major sponsor for the show and had a booth. I got to go by and have my picture taken with my son and a bunch of the ladies. One of the girls had her baby with her and stealthily hid her behind me for photos. We tried to just get a picture of them holding my son, but he began crying and screaming when one of the girls offered to hold him! I may never let him live that one down. “A pretty girl tried to hold you and you ran crying into Daddy’s arms!”

3) Seeing old and new friends. I ran into some people I’d worked with before, and others I hoped to. Though I was there in a strictly fan-base capacity I ended up talking shop and asking the artists/publishers a lot of behind-the-scenes questions. It felt refreshing to know I’m heading back into the comic world.

Now to get some drawing done….

As always, I refused to open the cards in the shop (buyer’s remorse and plain bad luck have cursed me in there) and took them home so my wife could simultaneously watch me open the box and mock me for blowing my money on cards.

The packaging was impressive. A special yellow security wrapper on the side prevented tampering. And the black wooden box easily slid open. The topmost card was sealed in a little plastic hardcase and the reminder were shrinkwrapped together beneath it. The encased card was an autographed card of UFC champion Randy Couture. Inside the wrapping was a “jersey” swatch card of Boston legend Larry Bird.

The remaining “commons” were Las Vegas Josh Duhmel, The Six Million Dollar Man Lee Majors, and some tennis pro Jim Courrier. The “insert” was a very unspecial Debbie Reynolds Hollywood Icon card.

Not a bad hit. But being more of a film fan than a sports fan, I’m amused that this Hollywood pack has garnered me the cards of two special athletes. I chuckle thinking some huge sports fan somewhere is crying that his box only contained celebrity autos and he was really hoping for some sporting legend cards.

These are all reasonable things. Half of them are even tax deducible for the full amount. I, however am choosing to do none of them. Instead, I’ll be purchasing a box of Donruss’ latest assualt on my child’s education fund, Donruss Americana Celebrity Cuts. A box, mind you, of only six cards.

The selling point of the card set is signature and costume swatches from hollywood celebrities like Marilyn Monroe, Carrie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds, Esther Williams, and Leonard Nimoy. At least two of these fancy type cards per box. Any cards of this level celebrity are sure to fetch $40-plus on resell. The problem is the set also contains B-level celebs like Bernie Mac, Erik Estrada, and Neil Patrick Harris. Debbie Reynolds will for sure go down in the annuls of Hollywood history. Master Estrada however is still looking for that next great cameo in the latest skateboarding DVD.

A really good pull from a box of these would make my year. Almost two-hundred bucks on a crappy Rob Schneider autograph may make me kill someone. The good thing is that I’ll soon be selling big chunks of my card & comic collection, so perhaps if I get a sucky pull on this box, I might earn enough on the sale of my other cards to buy some of the pricey pulls others will make from this collection.

More news tomorrow!

This morning, while she was at work, I awoke to the sounds of our son who just turned an unbelieveable eight months on Sunday. I could hear the standard “huff-puff” as he wheezed himself to a standing position in the crib. But then a new sound was added, one I’d never heard before. The destinctive sound of someone who had awaken at five in the morning, removed the pacifier from their mouth, then began running in back and forth against the bars of his crib.

I refused to get out of bed and assist the prisoner until the  “rrrratt-ta-tatt-tatt….. rrrratt-ta-tatt-tatt…..” sound stopped.

As of last week, Wife is back to work, and I’m pulling the solo stay-at-home parent duty. Little guy pretty much wakes up each day between 7AM or 8AM and we party (with occassional naps) until his firm 8PM bedtime. Through the night, he gets infrequent replugs with his pacifier and a night feed around 5AM.

Wife is having a rough time as her work schedule is a tough 12-hour shift, plus she misses the kid. Sadly, being the sole income provider is a hefty burden as well. She is often glad to tell me she thinks I’m doing a good job at home with the guy.

Saturday, I was able to run a table at our small town’s first comic book convention. It was a good-sized show with a great turn-out, but most of the artists/writers I talked to said sales were pretty weak. Frustratingly, all my hard work the months preceeding the show and efforts to get into the show, and time to and at the show were rewarded by breaking exactly even financially. Down to the dollar, I got back exactly I’d spent. Wife is quick to point out I’ve now got leftover stock for the next show I go to. She sees that as a benefit…

Strangely enough, the things which cause him fear and trauma seem random at all times. After a period of no poops out of the boy for several hours, I opened his diaper and saw he’d finally gotten it done downstairs. I exclaimed, “Wow! Great poop, son!” and smiled excitedly. He instantly burst into tears.

Another time (again at the diaper changing station) while his pants and diaper were removed, he began peeing into his nose, face, mouth, and open eyes. He immediately began giggling and laughing as water streamed across his face and pooled into his open eyes…. Of course, he always fusses when we come at him with a washcloth.

Dealing with all this, and I’m still reeling from the news that they’re creating a 4th edition of Dungeons & Dragons! Dammit, I was just beginning to really get the hang of things in the 3.5 system and now I’ve got to toss everything and prepare for the new system. It hits next May/June 2008, so we’ll see how things go!

Read a review online. Redskins barely won late in the fourth quarter during an away game, primarily on the backs of their third and fourth string players (and assumably those players of same quality on the opposing team). Another shitty year for my beloved Washington Redskins? I hope not! We’ll see if I can catch the next preseason game on TV (if I’m not too busy trying to get my hands on Madden 08 – which comes out next week).

Ever since marriage, I always have a rough time being around attractive girls as it makes me incredibly nervous. Obviously, I’m so cool, the ladies can’t keep their hands off me, right? Well this time it was a little true, as I’d seen this really gorgeous girl as I was waiting in line to enter the show and she was setting up her booth. Since her booth was stationed right by the front door, each time I was going into or out of the entry I’d see her giving me the eye and trying to catch my attention. By the evening of the last night, I was sitting at a gaming table playing, when she strolled down the hallway in a very revealing outfit and seductive domino mask. She walked up to our table and wrapped her arms around me.

I proceeded to use every ounce of my willpower to completely ignore her. Interestingly enough, this kind of thing never happened to me when I was single.

Outside of that, the con was fun. The director of the movie The Gamerz came by with a preview of his sequel The Gamerz II, but I missed it. While I was there, I’d seen three artists with tables set-up and selling color prints and original pencil sketches of fantasy art. I wonder how business was? How much were the tables? Do I want to spend my time at a gaming con sitting behind a table or playing modules? That’s the big question.– three artists set-up tables and were selling color prints and original pencil sketches of fantasy art.

Unfortunately, the wife was home with sick baby all weekend. The day before, he got sick. Literally, all over me. Wife being the incredible wife she is insisted I still go down to the show and not miss Con, knowing how well I deeply I needed a little baby time off!

I missed them both horribly ’til I got back. But spent all the while, prepping for long night on baby watch. Morning awakening in Seattle and the big city was nice. I’d forgotten how nice it was to be surrounded by the sights and sounds of the city.

As I woke up on my buddy’s patio, drinking a glass of milk and viewing the Capitol Hill skyline. I looked down and began giggling as one of my city neighbors strolled out of her house. She wore a medical smock and carried a huge mug of coffee. With her blonde hair up and nervous walk down to the corner to wait for her ride to pick her up, she looked just like Meridith (from NBC’s Grey’s Anatomy) heading out to start her day at Seattle Grace.