Camp Grizzly Wins "Best Game by a Publisher at the Show"

This weekend, Ameritrash Games unleashed the horror that is CAMP GRIZZLY on unsuspecting gamers at KublaCon in San Francisco. He are excited to announce that the game was met with great enthusiasm and was voted by con-goers "Best Game by a Publisher at the Show."

I'm sure it didn't hurt that I had a Camp Grizzly advert strategically placed near the ballot box.

The convention was sponsored by our friends at Zombiesmith, whose mascot ensured their would be no cheating during playtests.

We at Camp Grizzly brought our own mascot, Otis Jr, complete with Ameritrash Games onesie.

Game designer, Jason Topolski, and I spent the entire weekend at this table, running game after game. The body count by the end of Sunday was quite high.

Knowing we'd be in playtest lockdown, Jason and I stocked up on Ameritrash-brand lip balm. Gotta stay hydrated.

In honor of our big debut, we decided to include an extra playable character based on the designer.

Here's Jason, with our very first buyers!

We also had blank counselor cards available for any buyers who wanted a commissioned sketch so that they could play as themself.

This was such a popular feature, Jason and I have decided to add it as one of the pledge levels in our upcoming Kickstarter campaign (look for us to launch in July).

Of course, I had to do a complimentary sketch for first customer, Jenny:

As for the play-testing, each game went remarkably smoothly.

Each group gave us at least two thumbs up.

Some even gave us four thumbs up, plus an index and middle finger up! Now that's an endorsement!

 Of course, it's all thumbs up till you draw an "Otis Strikes!" card. Then it's "heads up!"

Jason spent all day at the table, running game after game and explaining the rules over and over to each group. It was a true feat of gaming fortitude!

I did my best to help Jason run the games in a dignified manner...

Our only real competition in the horror game genre, was this RPG that simulates the horrifying experience of watching Episode I for the first time.

Our grisly camp marathon was only interrupted momentarily when the convention hall was stormed by a horde of barbarian nerdlings. Man, this things can give a good war cry.

Of course, nerdlings are trained in the art of war at a young age.

The one game that I can't believe I missed: Jurassic friggin Park. I want this in my house.

All in all, it was a mighty fine convention, and we came away with a few new friends and a lot of great notes on how to make Camp Grizzly an even better for our major release later this year on Kickstarter. So stay tuned!

18 days...

Camp Grizzly This Weekend at Kubla Con

THE SCARIEST BOARDGAME OF ALL TIME IS FINALLY HERE.

Camp Grizzly, the debut title of Ameritrash Games, is a horror/survival boardgame for 1-6 players. The objective is to survive a night at camp with a supernatural serial killer on the loose! If this appeals to you: first seek help, then seek us out this weekend at Kubla Con in the Hyatt Regency SFO where we'll be selling beta versions of the game!

Ameritrash is a partner of Zombiesmith Games, one of the sponsors of Kubla Con. My co-creator, Jason Topolski, and I will both be available at the Zombiesmith Games booth Saturday-Monday, running games, doing drawings, and generally indulging in all manners of mischief and debauchery!

Ameritrash Games can be round at AmeritrashGames.com and here on Facebook.

25 days...

Happy Birthday to Eric Hann and Jason Topolski

I love doing birthday cards because it's an excellent way to both roast and honor a buddy. The first card is for a pal I've known since highschool. He's a huge fan of Starbucks and Indiana Jones, but I wasn't going to do the kindness of caricaturing him as the hero himself. Plus, this scene between Belloq and Marion really captures Eric's relationship with his wife, Alexa.

The second card was for my buddy Jason, who is co-creating a horror-themed boardgame with me. Naturally, I had to make him his own player card!

That's our game's killer, Otis, preparing to kill Jason with the film stock of the very movie that the game is parodying. It's game-ception.

39 days...

Happy Birthday, JP Vine!

Happy birthday to my officemate, JP Vine! He's working on an interactive shortfilm/video game starring chickens...

 ...so naturally, I had to illustrate the inevitable Mortal Kombat crossover.

If you're looking for some inspiration, stop by his blog, JPvine.com. But beware the killer chickens.


53 days...

Color Keys

Here are some color keys for a personal project called CAMP GRIZZLY. This is a rough line up of the six main characters and their "Scooby Doo" color scheme. These colors won't appear in the final art, but it's good to know what the literal daylight colors would be.

Here are the tones as they'll most likely appear in the daylight illustrations. The story takes place in 1979, so I want to incorporate a nostalgic polaroid feel.

The final set are our heroes at night, where most of the store takes place.

I'm sure these colors will vary from image to image, but I can't tell you how helpful it is to finally lockdown a palette to draw from. Highly recommended for anyone in the design phase of their project. Also highly recommended: having a better sense for color than I do. Oi vey!

Stay tuned for more on CAMP GRIZZLY...

6 days...

Fantasy Football XVIII: Raiders vs Panthers

Drizzt Do'Urden and his trusty Guenhwyvar ambushed by the Raiders of the Oak Land!

3 days...

Fantasy Football XVI: Vikings vs Rams

Minnesotans have a mighty thu'um, dontchaknow!

7 days...

Over Hill and Under Hill

Some goblin drawings in anticipation for the Hobbit.

Goblins don't take well to authority...

...or personal hygiene.

2 days...

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Shirtmas!

That's right, it's everygnome's favorite time of year! A time when any passerby on the King's Road will gladly give you the shirt off his back, or at least off his Amazon account. Shirtmas is a holiday my gaming group, The Dandies, created because DVDs and White Elephants are for suckas (I mean, at least buy your friend a White Mammoth)! It's an annual T-Shirt exchange where the challenge is to give your assigned friend the t-shirt most specifically tailored to their nerd taste. Here's a form for any of you who wish to become Secret San-T Clauses to your gaming group!

 

15 days...

Fantasy Football XII: Bengals vs Chiefs

Blue Team found the greatest weapon on the map: the tiger.

29 days...

Twenty-Somethings

Happy birthday to Ross Dickinson and Chris Chua, a couple of real Dandies!

This probably isn't the first drawing of an anthropomorphised d20 toting medieval weapons, but it's my drawing of an anthropomorphized d20 toting medieval weapons, dammit!

10 days...

8-bit Cubism

Last weekend was a huge gaming marathon at my buddy Jay's house for his birthday. After about seven board games, I was getting a bit distracted. 

Luckily, Space Alert came with these little wooden counters which I quickly discovered could be made into 8-bit characters, like Devo here.

Or kicking Devo.

When our Space Alert battle station was attacked by an Interstellar Octopus, my solution was to send Boba Fett after the beast (though he hasn't fared particularly well against tentacled monsters in the past).

I quickly progressed to Frolicking Fidel Castro...

...The Grinch...

...Lorne...

...More abstract depictions of Santa Claus/Pokeball, Yoda, and The Creeper...

 ...And, of course, Jurassic Park.

We didn't win the game, but the 8-bit characters were a fun exercise and well worth the distraction. I heartily recommend Space Alert, if only for the 8-bit art potential!

1 day...

Jtop Levels Up

While I'm on the subject of birthday cards, here's another that I did for my friend and fellow gamer Jtop.

Jay was gracious enough to pose with his new portrait. A stunning likeness, if I don't say so myself!

For Jay's birthday, we had a massive gaming marathon. 48 hours of Space Alert, Drakon, Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Marvel v Capcom, Left 4 Dead, Robo Rally, Resistance, Aye Dark Overlord, Star Wars Kinect, and Smallworld. Basically, the ideal weekend.

3 days...