This would be a big weekend for me if I didn’t have a killer deadline hanging over my head with Triax™ 2.
It’s Easter, the Final Four games in College Basketball, it has been beautiful, sunny and very Spring-like this entire week, and today is my birthday! Quite a weekend, eh? Only I won’t be celebrating any of it. At least not this weekend.
That pesky Triax™ 2 NEEDS to be finished, and I’m doing EVERYTHING in my power to get it done and have it ship before the Palladium Open House. The fans are counting on it and Palladium needs the cash flow it will generate. It’s crunch time and I’m crunching. :)
I don’t write this for sympathy or to complain. It’s cool. I just want you to know that Triax™ 2 will be released this month, if I have anything to do about it. And I do. I’m having fun on this book and I don’t mind a murderous week or two of work to get a special book like this finished and in your hands. Besides, Easter was never really an important holiday for me, I’m not a big College Basketball fan (though Michigan State is in the Final Four!), and we’ll be celebrating my birthday next Friday along with Julius Rosenstein’s. I do wish I could get out and enjoy this beautiful weather and take a day off to collapse, sleep and catch up on some TV and comic books, but I’ll have time for that after Triax™ 2 is done and at the printer.
Update: Triax™ 2 is looking fantastic! I’m doing rewrites and editing up a storm. At the moment, I’m pretty much on pace to get the book done in the time we need it. All my artists have come through – as usual – with the last of the art coming in all day today. And . . . wow. I mean, wow. Great stuff. Wayne starts laying out the book on Monday! At least, that’s the plan. I will be working through the weekend to get this baby to the printer next, but I’m taking next weekend off. :)
UPDATE: Online Sales were looking sad at the start of the week. Then, we had a couple good days and a big last minute rally for Rifter® Subscriptions by Thursday morning and solid sales Friday morning that turned it into a darn good week. Whew. Our thanks to those who subscribed to The Rifter® and all of you for your continued support.
With all the aforementioned things going on this weekend, and the first beautiful week of Spring for most of the USA, slow sales are to be expected and April is always sluggish. We hope to break that trend this year, which is another reason we need the strength of Triax™ 2 coming out the end of the month, and The Rifter® #50 on April 12th.
NOTICE: The Rifter® Subscription offer has been extended through the weekend. Some fans asked us to please extend the offer through the holiday weekend. We even got a few telephone calls on Thursday begging us to let them still get the special offer. So we did it. The Rifter® Super-Subscription offer is available through the weekend. But that’s it! The offer is ends at Midnight April 4th. Happy Easter. :)
UPDATE: The Rifter® #50. I approved the proof copy of the book on Monday or Tuesday, and the printer confirmed the book will ship on April 12. Actually, I’ve got a hunch it might ship early, but maybe not.
UPDATE: Rifts® Hoodies. We got enough preliminary orders to figure out how many to have made and what sizes to focus on. We’re counting on those of you coming to the Open House to buy yours there. My thanks to those of you who helped by placing those orders.
UPDATE: Palladium Open House. I was relieved to see a lot more people pre-registering for the Open House. Excellent. Please come on down for a day or the entire weekend. April 30-May 2, 2010.
Make sure you reserve your hotel rooms by April 10. The special $69 price is only good till April 10th. You MUST tell them you want a room in the Block Reserved for Palladium Books. Call 734-455-8100 today.
Comfort Inn Plymouth Clock Tower
40455 Ann Arbor Road (right off of I-275)
Plymouth, MI 48170
Call 734-455-8100 to make hotel reservations.
Dates: April 29 (V.I.P. Night), April 30, May 1 & 2, 2010
UPDATE: Rifts® 20th Anniversary Poster. Mike Mumah has created an amazing black and white piece of Rifts® art. It is the art we are using on the Rifts T-shirt. However, Mike is inexperienced at working in color and his first shot at a colored version of the poster was a miss. He’s taking another run at it, but . . . we’ll have to wait and see. I could release it as a black and white piece, but now Mike has me fired up about it as a color piece. Certainly Rifts deserves to have a new, “color” poster. I’m toying with the idea of letting another artist try coloring the piece, except most are already busy with other assignments. I’ll have to give it some thought.
UPDATE: Dad. I took my Dad to breakfast on Wednesday and we had a nice time. He continues to do well and was in good spirits. He gave me my Easter card and a chocolate bunny (what a guy), as well as a birthday card.
UPDATE: Old Man Kevin Siembieda. If you are as old as you feel, then I’m a spry 26 or 28 year old. However the silver hair suggests otherwise. Still, it doesn’t seem possible that I’m really 54 years old today. It must be true. After all, one of my children, Rifts®, turns 20 this year. :)
UPDATE: Murmurs from the Megaverse®. I apologize for not posting many Murmurs the last couple weeks and for not doing a live podcast show this month. I’ve just been focused on getting new books and other products released, and there hasn’t been much time for anything else.
NEWS: A new distributor. I’m please to announce Palladium has a new distributor, Warpath Distribution. Welcome on board gentlemen. May this be the start of a long and prosperous business relationship.
Hey Everyone, have a wonderful weekend.
– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Writer & Gamer
- The Rifter® #49 – Now available
- Rifts® Dimension Book™ 12: Dimensional Outbreak™ – Now available
- The Rifter® #50 (expanded, anniversary issue) – April 12
- Rifts® Hoodie (2 styles, zipper and pullover) – April 19
- Rifts® World Book 31: Triax™ Two – April 27
- Palladium Open House – April 29-May 2.
- Rifts®/Phase World® Sourcebook: Heroes of the Megaverse® – May
- Rifts® Dimension Book™: Thundercloud Galaxy™ – May
- Rifts® 20 Year Anniversary T-Shirt – May
- Rifts® Vampire Kingdoms – “Death is for the Weak” T-Shirt – May
- Palladium Books® – Game Master T-Shirt – May
- Armageddon Unlimited™ – June
- Rifts® World Book One: Vampire Kingdoms™, Expanded & Updated – June
- Rifts® World Book™: Lemuria – Summer
- Robotech® UEEF Marines Sourcebook – Summer
- Rifts® Vampire Sourcebook™ – Summer
- Robotech® New Generation Sourcebook – Summer
- Rifts® Chaos Earth™ – First Responders Sourcebook – Summer
- Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames – August
- Plus more Robotech® sourcebooks, more Mysteries of Magic™ sourcebooks (hoping to slot one in before June), more Nightbane® sourcebooks, more Dead Reign™ sourcebooks, Warpath™ and other good stuff.
Rifts® Logo “Zipper” Hoodie: A white imprint of the Rifts® Logo on a black zipper hoodie. The famous Rifts® Logo appears front and back; a small logo over the left breast and a large logo printed on the back.
Type: 50/50 cotton polyester blend; full zipper.
Sizes: Medium to 3XL.
Color: White logo on a black zipper hoodie.
Cost: $32.95 for Small, Medium, Large and XL. $34.95 for 2XL. $36.95 for 3XL; plus shipping (approximately $6 to most places in the USA).
Cat. No. 2546. Taking orders now. Ships April 19.
A white imprint of a large Rifts® Logo on the front of a pullover hoodie. Nothing on the back.
Type: 50/50 cotton polyester blend; pullover.
Sizes: Medium to 3XL.
Color: White logo on a black pullover hoodie.
Cost: $28.95 for Medium, Large and XL. $30.95 for 2XL, and $32.95 for 3XL; plus shipping (approximately $6 to most places in the USA).
Cat. No. 2547. Taking orders now. Ships April 19.
Due to some polite requests and a little begging from fans, we have extended the Rifter® Subscription Offer. This is your last chance to get The Rifter® great price, delivered to your doorstep, PLUS get a free gift worth up to $40. The subscription offer ends at Midnight, April 5, 2010. This is your last chance. Happy Easter.
The Rifter® Number 50 celebrates twelve and a half years of publication as well as the Rifts® RPG’s Twentieth Anniversary, by presenting an issue filled with official and unofficial source material and adventures from a list of Palladium guest writers that fans know and love.
In final production. On schedule and looking fantastic! Triax™ Two is the long awaited and hotly anticipated sequel to the hugely popular Rifts® World Book 5: Triax™ & The NGR (more than 100,000 copies sold). Fans want this book badly, and it is going to be a hot selling item. A ton of new weapons, vehicles, power armor, giant robots and much more make this a toy box Rifts fans will not be able to resist.
Heroes of the Megaverse® presents numerous NPC heroes, new details about the Cosmo-Knights and all kinds of fun with a magic artifact known as the Book of Heroes. This magic artifact is said to bestow incredible power upon those who use it. It can also guide and empower current day heroes and unleash forces that could have a profound impact on the Minion War. Only one copy is known to exist, and everyone wants to get their hands on it – good guys and bad (demons, Deevils, the Splugorth, the Dominators, the Kreeghor, etc.). According to legend, he who controls the Book of Heroes and wields the “Power of the 2000,” can rule the universe. Once protected by the Cosmo-Knights, the book has gone missing for millennia. No one knows its fate or the true power contained within its List of Heroes. No one except YOU – the new keepers of this legendary Rune book.
Dimensional Outbreak™ is space opera at its best. A blend of sci-fi, horror, magic, technology and the alien that is sure to get your adrenaline flowing. The epic scale of the Minion War just got bigger and even the United Worlds of Warlock, the Splugorth and Naruni Enterprises are reeling from it. The story hooks are endless.
The Thundercloud Galaxy™ is the perfect companion to Rifts® Dimensional Outbreak™ to expand one’s gaming Megaverse in the Three Galaxies. History, aliens, weapons, spacecraft, and adventure in a galaxy far, far away.
Kevin Siembieda is reorganizing, tweaking, expanding and updating one of the most popular Rifts® World Books ever published: Vampire Kingdoms™. This will include some new artwork and an expanded page count. The book will be updated and expanded in much the same way as Kevin did with Rifts® Sourcebook One a couple years ago. Best of all, it’s just the prelude to a Rifts® Vampire Sourcebook that will follow a month or two later.
Trouble is stirring in the Vampire Kingdoms as ambitious vampire lords, ladies and misanthropes seek to expand their power to dominate more mortal life forms.
Written by Kevin Siembieda and a handpicked selection of other writers, this sourcebook explores the vampires of Mexico and their kingdoms in ways you never imagined. Tons of new data, adventure ideas and revelations.
Rifts® World Book: Lemuria™: The underwater realm of Lemuria. The people and history of Lemuria, new magic, sea herbs and healing, monsters, the New Navy, and much, much more. Written by Greg Diaczyk. 160 pages – $20.95 retail – Cat. No. 885.
Armageddon Unlimited™ – for Heroes Unlimited™: Demons and Deevils are trying to turn Earth into one of their playgrounds, only it’s worse than you think. The plan is to bring about Armageddon. A stand-alone adventure setting for Heroes Unlimited™, new super abilities, hero categories, demonic weapons, adventure and more. Cover by Mark Evans. Written by Carl Gleba. 160 pages – $20.95 retail – Cat. No. 527.
Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames™: The Minion War™ spills across Rifts Earth, plus Soulmancer and Blood Magic, and Demon Plagues across the globe. Rifts Calgary and much, much more. Written by Carl Gleba. 192 pages – $24.95 retail – Cat. No. 876.
Robotech® New Generation™ Sourcebook: The Robotech® core sourcebook you’ve been waiting for . . . only it’s going to be more than you imagine. Written by Kevin Siembieda and Irvin Jackson. 224+ pages – manga size – $16.95 retail – Cat. No. 554.
Rifts® Chaos Earth™ Sourcebook: First Responders™: Data about the chaos and madness of the early days of the Great Apocalypse, and the brave men and women who tried to stem the tide of destruction and save lives, the First Responders. Written by Jason Richards & Kevin Siembieda. 96 to 128 pages – $16.95 retail – Cat. No. 665.
- Robotech® New Generation™ Freedom Fighters Sourcebook (and others)
- More Rifts® Chaos Earth™ sourcebooks
- More Rifts® sourcebooks
- More Phase World®/Three Galaxies™ sourcebooks
- Nightbane® Sourcebook Six
- Mysteries of Magic™ Two & Three
- Dead Reign™ Sourcebook Three
- The Rifter® Number 51 & 52
- Warpath™ Urban Jungle™ and more . . .
Palladium has made several out of print titles and the first 40 issues of The Rifter® available as PDF digital downloads from DriveThruRPG.com. We are regularly asked if out of print titles such as Nightbane® Book Four: Shadows of Light™, the original Mechanoids® RPGs, Boxed Nightmares™, BTS First Edition, etc. are available, and they are, at DriveThruRPG.com. Check ‘em out.
All-weather, life-sized Halloween props by Palladium’s very own Kathy Simmons. “Ghouls” include killer clowns, wizards, witches, devils, grave ghouls, executioners, mad doctors, vampires, werebeasts, monsters and soon, new stylings for zombies that look even more life-like. Kathy’s also starting to offer accessories such as signs, witch’s brewing pots and more. Best of all, her high quality creations are much more affordable and imaginative than most competitors. Affordable Halloween fun.
If you think the photos online look good, you should see them in person. A typical “ghoul,” as she calls her creations, costs $89-$150. You can see some of her work (available off-season at lower prices) at her Queen of Ghouls™ Ebay store – queenofghouls.com.
Pre-Register in the next week and you’ll still get the commemorative Certificate of Admission sent to you in the mail. The Certificate is 11 x 8 1/2 inches, black and white, bears your name and number, the name and year of the Open House, is one of a kind made special (and different) for each Open House, and is a fun and special keepsake. You do not need to bring it with you to the POH to claim your name badge. Those of you who already pre-ordered, your certificates are in the mail and on their way to you. The certificate is NOT available at the door.
The 2010 Open House is a celebration of gaming and friendship. We’ll have a Rifts 20th Birthday Party, celebrate The Rifter reaching issue Number Fifty (that’s 12 1/2 years of publication), and forget about our economic woes.
Kevin, Julius, Wayne, Alex, Kathy and a host of artists and writers will be available the entire weekend to game, chat, sign autographs and have fun. There will be many panel talks, a live auction (Saturday) with some amazing and rare books, art and items, a costume contest (Saturday) and non-stop gaming all weekend long.
Come for one day or the whole weekend, but do it. Do it because you, and all of us, need to forget our troubles and remember what life is all about: friends, laughter and gaming.
Thursday is VIP Night with our doors opening at 4:00 PM till midnight.
Friday is gaming and panel talks all day long, from 9:00 AM to midnight (with more gaming going on at the hotel).
Saturday is more gaming and panel talks, plus the live auction and the Costume Contest (it was awesome last year). 9:00 AM to midnight.
Sunday is more gaming, but it is a short day; 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM or so.
ALL EVENTS are covered under the cost of admission.
3 Day Weekend: $40 per person (Friday thru Sunday).
Friday Only: $16 per person.
Saturday Only: $16 per person.
Sunday Only: $12 per person.
VIP Night: Sold out.
Online: Click the links above.
By Telephone: Call (734) 721-2903 – have your credit card information ready.
Hotel: You must call by April 10, 2010, to get the special discounted rate of $69.95 and you MUST tell them you “want a room in the Block Reserved for Palladium Books.” Call 734-455-8100 to make hotel reservations at the Comfort Inn Plymouth Clock Tower, 40455 Ann Arbor Road, Plymouth, MI 48170 (right off of I-275 and five minutes from Palladium Books).
For more information and to pre-register, click here.
POH Game Masters and games needed. Please let us know if you are running, how many games you are running, etc. – the sooner the better, so we can put together and post online a schedule of events by the end of March. Thanks.
Palladium Creators who will be at the 2010 POH: The Palladium Staff: Kevin Siembieda, Wayne Smith, Kathy Simmons, Julius Rosenstein, Alex Marciniszyn. Plus Amy Ashbaugh, Brandon Aten, Carmen Bellaire, Nick Bradshaw, Kent Burles, Braden Campbell (tentative), Randi Cartier, Roger Cartier, Stephen Dawes, Matthew Daye, Greg Diaczyk, Mark Dudley, Carl Gleba, Jeffry Scott Hansen, Mike Leonard, Allen Manning, Brian Manning, Mike Mumah, Apollo Okamura, Mark Oberle, Charles Walton, and other artists, writers and creators.
See you there THIS MONTH.
We’ve only gotten a few entries so far, so competition is light. Maybe that will encourage you cowards out there to enter the contest. Come on. Do it.
There will be two categories: Color cover art and black and white interior art.
The winner in the color art category will see his/her art used as the cover of the next issue of The Rifter® or a future Rifts® supplement. The winner of the black and white (gray tones okay) category will see his/her art appear inside the next issue of The Rifter® or a future Rifts® supplement.
Furthermore, the art from ALL contestants will be considered for possible use in future issues of The Rifter® and Rifts® sourcebooks. This contest will be open to professional artists, semi-professional artists and non-professional (previously unpublished) artists. So if you are a Rifts fan and an artist with a dream, you WILL want to submit your work. Start thinking up ideas. Multiple entries or entries in both categories “is” allowed.
- Two Categories: 1. Color Cover Art. 2. Full Page Black and White Illustration.
- Subject Matter: RIFTS®. We want artwork that screams Rifts® to celebrate the Rifts® RPG turning 20 years old.
- Deadline: All entries must be submitted to Palladium Books NO LATER than April 16, 2010; sooner is better. We extended the deadline.
- What to Send: Submit a digital file and quality proof of the “finished” art -or- the original artwork (please insure originals) to: Palladium Books, Contest A, 39074 Webb Court, Westland, MI 48185.
- Determining the Winners: The art of all contestants will be displayed at the 2010 Palladium Open House, where a winner and two runners up will be selected. Those in attendance will vote for their favorites. Fan votes will count for 50% in picking a winner, 30% will come from Palladium artists and staff, and 20% of the vote will come from me, Kevin Siembieda, Publisher.
- Art submissions are copyrighted and owned by Palladium Books: All submissions are “derivative” of Palladium’s copyrighted intellectual properties. Any art we publish will get the artist paid.
- Agreement: The artists entering will need to sign and return an agreement that will be sent to them. We need this agreement for each applicant to be considered, so make sure you send us your street address.
- What the Winners Get: The winning artwork will get published in either the next issue of The Rifter® -or- an upcoming Rifts supplement! And get paid for. There are going to be at least two categories: Rifts® Color Cover (leave space at the top for a title/logo) and Black and White Full Page Illustration, but we might add more once we see the artwork submitted. Furthermore, we may consider using OTHER contestants’ artwork in future issues of The Rifter® and/or Rifts® sourcebooks. For any art we publish from this contest, the artist will get paid, and get full credit inside the book, plus several free copies of the book his or her art appears in. (All winners of this contest will get paid the low end of Palladium’s payment scale.)
It’s not American Idol or So You Think You Can Dance, but this could be your shot at breaking into the RPG business at Palladium Books. Start drawing this weekend.
© Copyright 2010 Palladium Books Inc. All rights reserved.
Robotech® and Robotech® The Shadow Chronicles® are Registered Trademarks of Harmony Gold USA, Inc.
This press release may be reprinted, reposted, linked and shared for the sole purpose of advertising, promotion and sales solicitation.
Rifts®, The Rifter®, RECON®, Splicers®, Palladium Books®, Phase World®, The Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game®, Megaverse®, Nightbane®, The Mechanoids®, The Mechanoid Invasion®, Coalition Wars® and After the Bomb® are Registered Trademarks of Palladium Books Inc. Beyond the Supernatural™, Dead Reign, Heroes Unlimited, Ninjas & Superspies, Minion War, Mysteries of Magic, The Three Galaxies, Warpath, and other published book titles, names, slogans and likenesses are trademarks of Palladium Books Inc., and Kevin Siembieda.