Progress on the PDF for the printed edition has been slow but steady, and I think that the closing stretch is within sight. I'm shooting for mid-fall, these days, if all goes to plan. (Which is never a given, but I'm an optimist by nature. )

In the meantime, though, here's a little teaser from a special bonus feature of the dead tree edition...

Holy Joker O_O

Ooh, looks like we snared us some talent. I suppose that was a large part of the point of NGA, and it's gratifying to see the process in action. We're not just another producer of content among the millions. We are recognized. We draw people in. We inspire them. When those people want to make their content, they want to make like our content.


That is some pretty professional-looking art there. Dang.

(Okay, this is kinda fun! )



At the risk of sounding like I'm quibbling over semantics, I have to just disagree with the premise, in as much as I think we've already amassed an astonishing amount of talent in the form of everyone who's around these parts. I mean, the quality of the writing in the M:EM makes my jaw drop pretty much every week. Barin has forgotten more about the official Magic canon than I ever knew in the first place. And I would darn near sell my soul to get your duel decks or CKY's Jakkard Wild Cards printed as the next Magic summer sets.

And those examples barely scratch the surface.

When you stop to think about it, it's honestly kind of nuts, how deep and wide our talent pool is.



But, as I was saying:

It's a fair quibble. It's just hard for me to think of anybody here as not part of the M:EM first and foremost. Even when somebody new joins I just think of them as a M:EMber I never met before until they slide on over to the first pile. This is the first time I've seen something of a newcomers background before they join the group. This is the first time I really got the impression of an outsider coming in. It really throws it all in a new light.

Damn son

I choose to believe that was in response to my aweing rhetorical skills and benthic-depth insight. Nice to see you again. I can fit people's heads in my mouth.

To be fair, I was the one who approached the good sir ShadowOfCygnus after participating in a Q&A (as a Q -- actually as a couple of Qs), and he proved amenable to the proposition of at least reading fanfiction recommendations outside his normal range of MLP, so it's not so much that the M:EM or NGA is attracting outside talent as it was myself reaching out to someone with whom I'd established something of a rapport. Not to say that NGA hasn't been attracting some creatives, as recently seen in both the Off-Topic Room and Other Games General, but in this particular case they didn't come across it themselves (and as yet have not elected to participate [which is justifiable based on what I've gleaned of his workload]).

Also, I'd like to join in the appreciation for the art and... I guess congratulate OL? Or just thank him? Or have him send my thanks to the artist? I want to express my appreciation for the art existing at all, is what I'm saying.

I will tell more of the backstory here at some later date. But, for the time being, I can assure you that the artist has been *profusely* thanked.

Aaaaaaand files went out to the printer tonight.

Now, the real test will come next, when they run a proof copy, and we'll see if I made a hash of things or not. But my fingers are crossed!

Guess who got a package in the mail today?



Anyway, I need to review the proof, which will take a little time. But we're inching closer to the print edition being for-realsingtons.

Well, that's just crazy-cool!

oh my god that is amazing

Now that the proverbial cat is more or less out of the proverbial bag, I absolutely have to give credit where credit is due, so I will just offer my everlasting thanks to the amazing Lindsey Look, who carved some time out from her busy schedule of painting Magic cards (!) to create the wonderful painting that you can see here on the cover. In addition to being a fantastic painter, she is also just about the nicest person who you could ever hope to meet, and I basically cannot say enough good things about her.

And, while I'm on the subject of fabulous art produced by ludicrously nice and talented people, I want to note that CKY's amazing illustration is included in the print version as well, as an interior cover page. So the anthology basically has more great art than you can shake a stick at -- it's like an art sandwich on art bread!

That's incredible. My half-assed painting doesn't deserve to be on the same publication as that artwork, because that artwork is fine.

If I may be allowed to disagree emphatically, I think your painting is wonderful, and I wouldn't want the anthology without it!