This news is of secondary cartographic content, but it strikes me as a place where guild members may have a good opportunity to get some of their work published or to do cartographic work for RPG authors.
Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with TSR Inc. (in its new incarnation) or with Gygax Magazine.
The first issue of Gygax Magazine now is available for U.S. $8.95 in the print edition and $4.99 as a PDF download.
For those who don't know what I'm talking about:
For some strange reason, WotC released its hold on the old TSR trademark. Jayson Elliott and the Gygax brothers registered the trademark, creating a new TSR Inc., and under that trademark now publish a new quarterly called "Gygax Magazine." The first issue now is out. The content:
Cover: Still Unlucky by Daniel Horne in the style of AD&D 1E Dragon magazine issues
Articles:
The Cosmology of Role-playing Games by James Carpio, illustrated by Alyssa Faden
Still Playing After All These Years by Tim Kask, illustrated by Barrie James
Leomund's Secure Shelter by Len Lakofka
The Ecology of the Banshee by Ronald Corn, illustrated by Michael Kwiatowski
Bridging Generations by Luke Gygax
Gaming with a Virtual Tabletop by Nevin P. Jones
Keeping Magic Magical by Dennis Sustare, illustrated by Simon Adams
Playing it the Science Fiction Way by James M. Ward, illustrated by Barrie James
DMing for your Toddler by Cory Doctorow, illustrated by Hanae Ko
Great Power for ICONS by Steve Kenson, illustrated by Jeff Dee
The Future of Tabletop Gaming by Ethan Gilsdorf, illustrated by Ryan Downing
The Gygax Family Storyteller by Ernest Gary Gygax Jr.
Talents off the Frontline by Dennis Detwiller, illustrated by Nicola Jane Bradley
D&D Past, Now, and Next by Michael Tresca, illustrated by Diesel
Campaign setting element:
Gnatdamp: A Sanctuary in the Swamp by Michael Curtis, illustrated by Peter Mullen
Kobold's Corner by Wolfgang Baur, including:
Magical Miscellany - new items for AGE by Randall Hurlburt
An AGE of Great Inventions by Rodrigo Garcia Carmona
Scaling Combat Feats for Pathfinder by Marc Radle
Comics:
Marvin the Mage by Jim Wampler
What's New with Phil & Dixie by Phil Foglio
Order of the Stick by Rich Burlew
You can get the PDF version here:
Gygax magazine issue #1 - TSR, Inc. | RPGNow.com
I've just started going through issue No. 1, so I'm not about to write a review, but I will make a few remarks.
Some guild members go back to AD&D 1E gaming days (and earlier!). If you're among them, this magazine should be like going home again.
Issue No. 1 is for the most part a duplicate in style of the Dragon magazines from the good ol' days of AD&D 1E. If you call the RPG Now link above, you'll see the cover. That should make what I mean absolutely clear. Inside, it's the old Dragon too. However, it's by no means a 1E magazine. By and large, it's edition independent. A close look at the contents above should make clear that all editions are included, particularly notable in Michael's Tresca's " D&D Past, Now, and Next" or the Kobold's Corner with Pathfinder emphasis.
The inclusion of Kobold's Corner is particularly encouraging. One thinks of the recent and sad demise of the Kobold's Quarterly. In the first Kobold's Corner, Wolfgang Baur gives us hope that some of the interesting things that had been planned for KQ may now appear in Gygax Magazine.
An encouraging point: Issue No. 1 has great advertiser support. That's needed, of course, is the magazine is to succeed.