Hey folks,
The first drafts of written submissions for Grim Portents issue 2 are due in a week’s time (22 April). First sketches of artistic submissions are due in a fortnight’s time (29 April; finals due around the 6th of April), so if you’re interested in illustrating something and that turn around works for you, please get in touch.
The theme is Wine-Dark Sea, but you don’t have to write to the theme. Content that was originally posted elsewhere is also accepted. Submissions must be Creative Commons Attribution or Attribution-ShareAlike licensed. My email is sanglorian@gmail.com
Still on the fence? Here’s a great review from Noofy of the first issue:
A fanzine is a nonprofessional and nonofficial publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon for the pleasure of others who share their interest… In this case the amazing Storygame Dungeon World by Sage LaTorra and Adam Koebel.
Grim Portents is one such non-official publication, and copies are often offered in exchange for similar publications, or for contributions of art, articles, or letters of comment. I was lax and baulked on the chance to submit my furtive ideas for the game, so I offer you a review, in case you have not the time nor inclination to dip into this wonderful milieu.
So here is my two gold; A Love Letter to the inaugural issue of Grim Portents, a fanzine for Dungeon World (DW).
So after you have devoured the rulebook to DW, what other sources of miscallany about the game can you get your greedy little hands on? Well there is of course the rather ebullient forums over at Barf Forth Apocalyptica, back the various fan-made adventures such as Josh Mannon’s Gears triology, or now you can simply tuck up with your boutique beverage of choice and an e-copy of this brilliant fanzine.
Collated by Chris Sakaas (of Living Libre fame), this modest first offering is liable to spell out the consequences and ask for more, what with contributors including the illustrious Mike Riverso, the fabled Johnstone Metzger and the prolific verisimilitude of Bill White for all things ‘World, (amongst others of course) this pamphlet of hotness begs for more. It has all the trappings you could want from a fanzine: New Classes, Treasures, Settings, Moves, Player Races, Extra-Planar Zaniness, articles on the development of the game, GM advice, monsters and of course an Adventure or two. Just the sort of inspiration to get your own creative juices flowing, grab your fancy pants [blank] journal that you purloined by backing the kickstarter for DW and sitting down for either some lonely DM fun, or a kick-arse session of one of the most popular re-imaginings of Hipster DnD to date.
The Artwork is muted, suggestive and highly appropriate, in the same way that the GM’s agenda and principles hang together your own vision of Dungeon World. The layout is highly readable and easily digestible, not the hyper-colour nerd-gasm that is Adventurer Magazine for instance, but rather something more congenially old sckool, in the same manner that say Grimoire was lovingly hand-typed on a manual typewriter back in 1978.
My personal favourite this issue has to be the Warrior playbook class by John Ryan. A prime example of the shrewd fan’s need to meddle with the rules as written, you end up straddling the axehaft betwixt the Fighter and the Barbarian. It is a class that screams to be played hard, with bloodlust and vitriol. With Moves like Heat of Battle that introduce a new currency of fury that can be spent on all things Druss. Ooh Baby.
The ‘zine is bound to level up in the next issue, with more art, more articles and in depth interviews, maps and maybe even a dragon centrefold. So keep your ‘inky black eyes’ on this space or over at the forums for the release of this delectable fanzine and think adventurous!