Palladium Books® Weekly Update – October 6, 2011

By Kevin Siembieda

Yikes, the days are flying by and excitement is reaching fever pitch at the Palladium offices as several new books are approaching completion and release.

Ideas are flying like crazy and we’ve been discovering and trying new talent behind the scenes. Actually, there’s a lot going on behind the scenes.

- We continue to develop comic book ideas and put people in place for doing them.

- We’ve done a bunch of promotional materials, including flyers for upcoming releases, the Christmas Grab Bag and Palladium Open House, as well as a Distributor Update.

- Carmen Bellaire and I want to get those video reviews going and we’ve taken some steps to do them, including creating the backdrop banner for the program.

- After observing my interaction with fans at the Detroit FanFare comic convention, Alex Marciniszyn is pushing for me to make a 2-4 minute weekly or bi-weekly video version of the Weekly Update. You know, where I’d talk about a few of the most exciting moments of the week, show off artwork, etc. What do you think? Does anyone want to see me talking Palladium for a few minutes a week? I’d also like to do some other things with video online including interviews with me, staff and freelancers.

- We’re trying to keep a half-dozen books moving along in production for release by the end of the year.

- We’re also busy trying to keep a half-dozen books moving forward for release in the first four months of next year.

- We’re prepping for the Christmas Surprise Packages – a ton of work but worth every moment. Order yours this weekend. We start shipping on Tuesday.

- We’re putting various new products like a set of four bookmarks (Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy®, Heroes Unlimited™ and Dead Reign™), a new limited edition print, and a new T-shirt or two into production in time for Christmas. We’ll also be reprinting the ever popular Dead Reign™ and Property of the Coalition™ T-shirts. More on them in the next Weekly Update.

- I’m getting ready for the Alliance Trade Show, Sunday and Monday.

- I’m meeting with new artists, working with long-time artists and coordinating the next several books with writers.

It’s all very exciting and rewarding, but time just seems to be flying by at lightning speed.

UPDATE: The Rifter® #56 went to the printer on Monday. I approved the printer’s proof copy a couple days ago, and have gotten an official ship day from my printer of Friday, October 14, 2011. Knowing them, we’ll see it a day or two early. There is some unique material in this issue, including Rifts® in orbit and Time Travel, as well as some nice horror stuff.

UPDATE: Rifts® Lemuria nears completion. I have not been able to work on this book as much as I would like this week, but it is coming along nicely. Man oh man are there some cool things in this baby. I can hardly wait for Greg Diaczyk’s next book, Rifts® New Navy™. This book may squeak in as an end of October release or slip into early November. Hard to say at this point.

UPDATE: Robotech® New Generation™ Sourcebook is pretty much done. I’m waiting on the last of the artwork and final approval and changes from Harmony Gold. As soon as we get those two things, we lay it out and send it to the printer. Pending approval from Harmony Gold, this book is on track for an October release.

UPDATE: Robotech® Genesis Pits™ Sourcebook. I think we have an excellent shot at seeing this book released in December, 2011. If not, it will be a January release. Writer Irvin Jackson has been working on it for a while now and it is coming along well. I have a couple artists in mind to do the cover.

UPDATE: Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook. As I stated last week, when I’m done with Rifts® Lemuria, I plan on completing this book, then it is on to Dead Reign™ Sourcebook Three, followed by Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames™.

UPDATE: Dead Reign® Sourcebook 3: Endless Dead™. Matthew Clements’s material rocks. I can hardly wait to work on it. I’ve already assigned art to one of our new artists and Nick Bradshaw has been working on it for a while. Next I send Mike Mumah the new O.C.C.s to illustrate. E.M. Gist is to paint the cover. Probably a November release.

UPDATE: Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames™. I need to assign art out for this bad boy too. Shooting for a December release.

UPDATE: Back in print – soon. Actually, there a few books that need to be reprinted, but these three are coming soon.

UPDATE: Palladium Open House, May 4-6, 2012. Every week we see people ordering tickets and reserving hotel rooms. See the revised description of the event toward the end of this Weekly Update. Join the fun.

UPDATE: Kevin’s Online Toy & Collectibles Store. Alex has put a bunch of new toys up, including more super-hero action figures, McFarlane Movie Maniacs and other good stuff. There is a selection of Palladium artwork, prints, and out of print books (signed) and more should go up over the weekend or early next week. Most of the toys are at low to blowout prices. Many of these items are ideal as Christmas presents. We’ll be adding new items once or twice a week so keep your eyes peeled.

http://stores.ebay.com/kevinstoys-artandcollectibles

UPDATE: Alex. Good news at last! Alex was told he is out of the “danger zone,” does not have to see the doctor again for a month and his condition should be manageable from this point forward. Thought you’d want to know. (No new word on Kay Kozora’s condition.)

Halloween Store – QueenofGhouls.com – Halloween is just around the corner, and if you are looking for Halloween decorations that are truly unique and fun, then check out this website. Palladium’s very own Kathy Simmons makes and sells life-like, life-sized Halloween props that are realistic, durable, fun and funny. As good as they look in the photos, they are so much better in person. Her Ebay store currently offers a host of zombies, killer clowns, a sinister circus ringmaster, a werewolf, scary nurse, a new type of crawling zombie, wizard, witch and much more. Plus, she has plans for a Mad Doctor, more zombies and monsters in the works. Halloween is only 39 days away.

Kathy’s life-sized Halloween props are unlike anything you have ever seen (unless you’ve been to the Palladium Open House). If you are looking for a standout Halloween item for your front lawn, one of these will do the trick. Easy to set up, wet weather is no problem. Folds up for storage. WARNING: Once you see one of Kathy’s ghouls in person and get rants and raves from everyone who visits your home on Halloween, you may find yourself buying a new one every year. QueenofGhouls.com

Christmas Grab Bags. $80-$90 worth of books and cool stuff for $38 plus shipping and handling. It’s a great way to get Christmas gifts for your gaming buddies, fill in holes in your collection, get back issues of The Rifter®, and try new game settings. Ask for autographs and we’ll sign every book in your Surprise Package.

We start shipping Christmas Grab Bags Tuesday, next week, so place those orders. About 100 smart people have done so already. There is no limit to how often or how many you can order.

The excitement continues to grow.

– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher & Fan Boy

2011 Christmas Surprise Package

– Available now thru December 23, 2011

The Christmas Surprise Package is our way of saying thank you to our fans and to putting smiles on the faces of gamers around the world.

What is a Palladium Christmas Surprise Package? $80-$90 (or more!) worth of Palladium Books product for only $38 plus shipping and handling. A minimum of eighty dollars ($80) retail. Sometimes much more! Santa Kevin often packs in $90-$100 worth of goodies.

It’s a surprise package because you never know exactly what you’re going to get or who will sign your books. We try to include many of the items on your “wish list,” but we’ll surprise you with stuff you are not expecting. All Surprise Packages are “handpicked” by Kevin Siembieda from YOUR “wish list.” All books will be autographed if you want us to sign them. For many of you, this is the only way to get autographs!

We are taking orders right now and start shipping them out on Tuesday, October 11. Buy one or ten, but get at least one. Buy them as gifts or to try a new game line, or fill holes your collection. Just don’t miss out. The Surprise Packages start shipping on October 11 till December 23, 2011.

Spread the word. Tell all your gaming pals, because the Christmas Surprise Package is only publicized by word of mouth, to readers of The Rifter® and on Palladium's website, so tell everyone you know. Buy one for every gamer you know and have a very Merry Christmas.

Click here for more information and to place an order.

The Rifter #56

The Rifter® #56

At the Printer – Ships October 14, 2011

The ship date has been confirmed. Order your copy today.

The Rifter® is your doorway to unlimited imagination and numerous Palladium role-playing worlds. It offers new heroes, powers, weapons, magic and adventure for your games. It presents new villains, monsters and dangers to battle, and new ideas to consider.

The Rifter® #56: The articles are expansive and fun.

NEW! Robotech® New Generation™ Sourcebook

– Ships October, 2011

The battle for the liberation of Earth starts here. For the first time in its history, the Earth has been invaded and occupied by alien invaders – the Invid. The Invid think they have won, but Freedom Fighters, UEEF soldiers and other heroes continue to fight. This is the first sourcebook to combine ALL generations of Robotech® into one epic setting.

Rifts World Book: Lemuria

NEW! Rifts® World Book: Lemuria™

The power, secrets and magic of the underwater realm of Lemuria revealed. Player characters can use symbiotes, magic and technology to breathe underwater and spend time below the waves.

Lemuria is more than an underwater civilization of aquatic beings. They can trace their lineage as far back as the Atlanteans and can survive on dry land as well as underwater. In fact, their greatest secret is that there is no one resting place for the Lemurians, their great cities are always moving. Learn about the people of Lemuria, new Biomancy magic and weapons, Biomancy engineered riding animals, sea herbs, new powers of healing, sea monsters, and more. Epic adventure awaits.

Rifts Vampires Sourcebook

NEW! Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook™

Unknown to most humans, deep within Mexico the vampires have established entire kingdoms. There they live like tyrants and gods, dominating an underclass of cattle people used as slaves and foodstock. Learn more about the vampires, their rivals, allies and the humans who willingly serve their supernatural masters for a chance to join the undead. A must-have guide for those who wish to travel deeper into the Vampire Kingdoms or play as vampires and their human minions.

NEW! Dead Reign™ Sourcebook 3: Endless Dead™

As time goes on, the zombie hordes only grow in size and strangeness. This book contains horrifying new zombies to haunt your player characters along with new O.C.C.s and tons of tables for detailing Survivors’ Hideouts, Safe Haven Communities, Death Cults and more. Survival is not enough. Now is the time for the war against the Endless Dead™. This book is going to be epic. Kevin and all the Palladium creators are pushing the envelope with each and every book they work on.

Dead Reign RPG

Dead Reign™ RPG – Available Now

With zombies and horror all the rage in film and books, this RPG captures all the best aspects of the zombie genre. The setting is as much about survival in a post-apocalyptic world as it is about battling legions of walking dead. If tales of human survival, horror and zombies are of interest, you will love this fast paced game and its sourcebooks.

NEW! Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames™

The Minion War spills across Rifts Earth, where demons and infernals hope to recruit allies and use the Rifts as gateways of destruction. Their influence shakes things up across the planet, especially at locations where demons and Deevils already have a strong presence. More details to follow, but for now, ‘nuff said.

Robotech® Genesis Pits™ Sourcebook

An in-depth look at the Invid Genesis Pits, their purpose, function and the creatures they create.

NEW! Rifts® Chaos Earth™ Sourcebook: First Responders

Data about the chaos and madness of the early days of the Great Cataclysm, and the brave men and women who tried to stem the tide of destruction and save lives, the First Responders.

DriveThruRPG

PDF downloads from DriveThruRPG.com

This is a great resource for getting out of print Palladium titles and other select books. We’ve made 90 titles available as PDF digital downloads from DriveThruRPG.com. This is a great way to try Palladium products and get access to out of print RPG source material. Some notable titles include:

4th Quarter 2011 Releases

October 2011 Releases

November 2011 Releases

December 2011 Releases

All of Palladium’s Core Game Lines to be Supported in 2012

All of the following (and more) are being written right now. A few are already finished. Most will be 2012 releases. And this does not include projects I would like to do for Palladium Fantasy®, Dead Reign™, Warpath™: Urban Jungle and new mediums.

New Books in Development (listed in alphabetical order):

Beyond the Supernatural™: Arcanum
Beyond the Supernatural™: Tome Grotesque
Beyond the Supernatural™ Sourcebook

Chaos Earth™ First Responders
Chaos Earth™ – Zombie Apocalypse Rifts-style during the Great Cataclysm.

Heroes Unlimited™ – Had two people who were supposed to be working on a pair of books, but they disappeared on me, so we are looking for folks to write a couple of HU2 sourcebooks.

Nightbane® – An as of yet untitled project, and looking for more.

Palladium Fantasy® – Mysteries of Magic 2 & 3
Palladium Fantasy® – Tombs of Gersidi expanded and new. Plus I have a few ideas on this front myself to revitalize this line, including writing Land of the Damned 3 for 2012 release.

Phase World®: United Worlds of Warlock™
Phase World®: Pirates of the Three Galaxies™

Rifts® Antarctica
Rifts® Black Market
Rifts® China Three
Rifts® Deep South
Rifts® New Navy™
Rifts® Northern Gun™ Books One & Two.
Rifts® Sovietski™
Rifts® Titan Industries™

Robotech® Genesis Pits™ adventure sourcebook.
Robotech® UEEF Marines™

Splicers® Sourcebook One – concepts and art by Charles Walton.
Splicers® Sourcebook Two – concepts and art by Charles Walton.

Recently Back in Print

Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game®

Aliens Unlimited™ – For Heroes Unlimited™

Rifts® Dark Conversions™

Rifts® Game Master Guide

Rifts® Book of Magic™

Rifts® Bionics Sourcebook™

Rifts® Adventure Sourcebook: The Black Vault™

Rifts® World Book Five: Triax & the NGR™

Rifts® World Book 8: Rifts® Japan™

Rifts® World Book 13: Lone Star™

Rifts® World Book 24: Rifts® China One

Rifts® Dimension Book™ 7: Megaverse® Builder

Rifts® Dimension Book™ 6: Three Galaxies™

Rifts® Mercenaries™

Rifts® World Book 20: Rifts® Canada™

Rifts® World Book 22: Rifts® Free Quebec™

Rifts® World Book 23: Xiticix Invasion™

Coalition Wars® One: Sedition

Coalition Wars® Two: Coalition Overkill

The Palladium Open House

Palladium Open House

– May 4, 5 & 6, 2012 (May 3 is VIP Night)

The Palladium Open House (POH) is, plain and simply, a blast for everyone.

Think family reunion with people you like from around the world that involves laughs, fun and three days of role-playing games. (Four for those who attend VIP Thursday.) We invite you into our home – the Palladium warehouse and office – where we make the games you love and treat you like family and welcomed guests.

40+ Palladium creators are there for you. The Palladium staff and as many of the freelance writers, artists, Game Masters and Megaversal Ambassadors as possible (typically 30-45) are present the entire event. Many run games you can play in. All are there to sign autographs and talk with you.

Unlike game conventions, at the Palladium Open House you have unprecedented access to Kevin Siembieda and other Palladium creators, because they are there, on the floor with you all day long. They are happy to talk about Palladium Books, artwork, writing, movies, comic books and exchange stories about their own gaming experiences as well as listen to yours. Some artists are willing to do sketches of your characters, others bring prints and original artwork to sell. All are friendly and goofy gamers just like you. It seems like we laugh and have fun all weekend long, stopping only to catch a little sleep.

Gaming events are run all day and into the night. Many are run by the very people who create the games, like Kevin Siembieda, Julius Rosenstein, Carmen Bellaire, Carl Gleba, Brandon Aten, Mark Oberle, Irvin Jackson and many others. There is also an open gaming area for pick up games. When gaming ends for the day at Palladium, there are two meeting rooms at the hotel where you can continue to play games, chat and have fun into the wee hours of the night.

Panel talks (every day). I and others host several panel talks and question and answer sessions that reveal secrets, offer G.M. tips, player tips and lots of laughs.

Costume contest (Saturday). YOU should make a costume based on one of Palladium’s RPG settings and enter the costume contest. It is always a ton of fun and winners who take 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place all get Palladium gift certificates and a plaque worthy of hanging on the wall. Best of show gets a $100 gift certificate (actually, it’s Palladium Bucks redeemable wherever you find Palladium, at the POH, conventions, or via mail order). Costume contest categories are: Rifts/Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror/Modern/Superhero, and Best of Show.

Live auction (Saturday). Get rare, out of print books, proofreader copies, artwork, prints, posters, collectibles, and strange things put up for rapid-fire auctioning by Kevin Siembieda.

Meet fans from around the world. This year we already have gamers coming from Japan, Australia, Germany, England, Canada and across the country. Note: Our capacity is limited to about 350 people, so if there is a bigger than usual turnout, you may not be able to attend. Order your admissions tickets and reserve your hotel room now. The hotel will not be charged to your credit card till the day before the event.

The POH is inexpensive compared to most game and comic conventions. You get more bang for your buck, total access to Palladium creators and enjoy everything for the price of admission.

The cost of admission covers everything. The games, the panel talks, the auction, entry in the costume contest . . . EVERYTHING.

The hotel is only $69.95 a night for a room with two double beds or one king-size bed. Suites are under $140. Free hot breakfasts. Note: you MUST tell them you want a room in the Block Reserved for Palladium Books to get the special rate. Your credit card is not charged until a day before the event, so reserve early. Call 734-455-8100, Comfort Inn Plymouth Clock Tower Hotel.

Food and stores all around. There are fast food places and inexpensive restaurants to eat all around Palladium Books. A Bennigans is across from the hotel. Denny’s, Dunkin Donuts and McDonald’s are down the street one direction, Burger King, McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Lee’s Chicken, Baskin & Robbins, and more are down the other way. Westland Mall is a half mile away, so is Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Target, Kohls, Macy’s, Sears, JC Penny, Lowes, Meijer, Sam’s Club, Ikea and Dollar Tree, among many others. A large movie theater is around the block, almost walking distance, and another is near Westland Mall. We’ve got it all. ;)

Price of Admission

Palladium Open House – May 4, 5 & 6, 2012

$40 for the Three Day Weekend (Friday, Saturday & Sunday) when ordered in advance per each individual. $50 at the door and after March 31, 2012, if space is available. Cost of emission covers all events. Note: VIP Night, May 3, 2012, is an additional cost. A new batch of tickets will be made available in February, 2012.

$20 for Friday 9:00 AM till Closing.
$20 for Saturday 9:00 AM till Closing.
$10 for Sunday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
$75 per person for VIP Night – Thursday – May 3, 2012. VIP night is a catered event limited to around 70-80 gamers plus Palladium creators. It is an additional cost, so if you plan to attend the entire weekend you must get a weekend ticket as well. NOTE: Since VIP tickets sell out so fast, we offer them in two batches. The first is sold out. The second offering will be in February 2012. VIP Thursday, May 3, 2012: 3:00 P.M. till 11:00 P.M.

Placing Your Order: Please include your FULL address and apartment number. Also include the complete NAME of EACH person you are ordering a ticket for, as well as your telephone number in case there is a problem and we need to contact you.

Credit Cards: Visa, MasterCard and most credit cards are accepted. All Credit Card orders must include: Credit Card No. – Name on the card – Address of the Credit Cardholder – Expiration Date – Telephone Number of the cardholder. If you are buying tickets for several people, please make sure we have the full NAME of each person.

By Telephone: Call (734) 721-2903 – have your credit card information ready. You may place your reservation online in a similar way as placing a book order or you may use Palladium’s order line (734) 721-2903.

Check or Money Order by Mail: Sent via the USPS or other delivery service. Send check or money order to:

Palladium Books
Dept. POH
39074 Webb Court
Westland, MI 48185-7606

Please include your FULL address and apartment number. Also include the complete NAME of EACH person you are ordering a ticket for, as well as your telephone number in case there is a problem and we need to contact you.

All tickets are sold on a first come, first served basis, so get your reservations in as soon as possible! Due to space and parking limitations and safety concerns, attendance will be limited to approximately 350 admission tickets.

Click here for more details and to reserve your tickets.

The Queen of Ghouls: Life-Sized Halloween Props

The Queen of Ghouls – Palladium’s very own Kathy Simmons – is locked in her dungeon, devising new ghouls for the coming Halloween season. Go to queenofghouls.com to see her current selection of life-sized Halloween props. See her zombie doctor and other new zombies, Jack Skellington and Sally, and more. New creations are on the drawing board, and so is a new website. Each Halloween prop is truly life-sized (most are 6 feet or taller – Jack is almost 8 feet) and seems almost alive.

Each is an all-weather, life-sized Halloween prop that can handle rain and snow, and is a one-of-a-kind work of art (no two are exactly the same). Each looks frighteningly “real.” All come apart and fold down to slightly larger than a king-size pillow for easy storage. Comes with easy instructions, a plastic storage bag, and the lawn stake to stand it up in your front yard. Indoor stand sold separately.

Types of “Ghouls” include: Zombies (all kinds!), killer clowns, wizards, witches, devils, grave ghouls, scarecrows, executioners, mad doctors, deadly nurses, vampires, werewolves, and more. Kathy’s also now offering an array of hand-painted Halloween signs, signs with heads and bodies hanging from them, witch’s brewing pots, Halloween centerpieces and more. Best of all, her high quality creations are much more affordable and imaginative than most competitors or mass produced items in a store, making them 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 $129-$259. You can see some of her work at her Queen of Ghouls™ Ebay store – queenofghouls.com.

Conventions & Events

2012 Gen Con Indy

Palladium Books has already reserved its booth at Gen Con Indy 2012.

We need Game Masters!

We want to have a bigger presence at Gen Con Indy 2012 and that means more Palladium gaming events. We want Palladium Books to be a much bigger part of the gaming experience at Gen Con Indy 2012. Toward that end, we’re hoping a number of Game Masters will step forward and run “official” gaming events at Gen Con. To do that we need your help.

Please let us know if you are planning to run at Gen Con Indy 2012, but most importantly, YOU NEED to contact Gen Con directly and fill out the Event Submission form/application and send it in to them BEFORE THE JANUARY DEADLINE. This can all be done online.

Note: Though there are different “rounds” and deadlines for submitting events, it is our experience that submitting in time for the very first deadline is the only way to sure-fire guarantee the event will be included. So please, let’s plan now and get our events entered in the first round, mid-January 2012. Megaversal Ambassadors, please be a vocal and visible part of getting people to run Palladium gaming events for Gen Con Indy 2012. Any and all game settings (Rifts®, Heroes Unlimited, Palladium Fantasy®, Robotech®, Dead Reign™, Nightbane®, Splicers®, BTS, and all the rest) are welcomed. Let’s make the halls of Gen Con Indy 2012 ring with Palladium gaming.

© Copyright 2011 Palladium Books Inc. All rights reserved.

Rifts®, The Rifter®, RECON®, Splicers®, Palladium Books®, The Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game®, Phase World®, Nightbane®, Megaverse®, The Mechanoids®, The Mechanoid Invasion®, Coalition Wars® and After the Bomb® are Registered Trademarks of Palladium Books Inc. Beyond the Supernatural™, Chaos Earth, Coalition States, Dead Reign, Heroes Unlimited, Ninjas & Superspies, Minion War, Mysteries of Magic, SAMAS, Thundercloud Galaxy, Three Galaxies, Vampire Kingdoms, Warpath, and other published book titles, names, slogans and likenesses are trademarks of Palladium Books Inc., and Kevin Siembieda.

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.