Inside or Outside, It Doesn't Matter to Me

I noticed the start of the adult coloring book trend a few years ago, and I mean for audience and not just content.  At first, it was just a few listing under "art" in my store's distributor catalogs; maybe an ad here or there.  Now, there is an entire section dedicated to just coloring books, as well as multiple ads most months.  When I was a kid in grade school, I was always put upon by my teachers for not coloring neatly and inside the lines.  I would frequently use multiple colors next to or on top of each other, with many strokes going over the borders.  I would even continue coloring right to the edge of the paper without considerations of what the proper color should be.  I remember going so far as coloring windows blue to show there was glass in them as well as putting pink fingernails on hands even when they weren't indicated.  Not too many teachers, or other people for that matter, liked my style.  Of course, I calmed down a lot and learned to be a little more traditional in my artwork.  I will try and load a picture soon of one of my paintings soon.   Still, I think that this adult coloring trend has gone too far.  I see multiple magazines dedicated to it every time I go past a newsstand.  At least I think the trend is peaking, or at least it will soon.  I am already seeing the first signs of a new trend (I frequently seem to be a step ahead , at least a slight majority of the time).  Puzzles are coming back in a big way, trust me.  The same calming effect that coloring has is starting to bleed over into puzzles.  I am talking pencil puzzles and not jigsaw type here.  And puzzles also train your brain.  Okay, that last line was weak, so I think I should end this post now  before I get even more stupid sounding.  I still need a good closer.  Next time.

It Happened Last Christmas . . .

(Adapted from an off-topic post from my original store blog, currently off-line.)  Last Christmas, I finally got something that I had been waiting months, including an extra month delay.  It was the Justice League tarot deck.  At first, I was slightly disappointed due to the fact that an instruction book wasn't included.  As an artistic deck, a divination guide wouldn't have been included anyway, but some sort of explanation would have been nice.  You see, some of the conventions used did not make much sense.  Some of suit symbols were original designs and did not seem to conform to any one style.  Some of the character and costume choices were unusual to say the least.  Many of the designs were from the pre-Flashpoint era.  In particular were two, The Hermit and the King of Pentacles.  They were respectively Dr. Manhattan and Ozymandias from Watchmen.  At the time, a thought it was just artistic choice.  That is until DC Rebirth came out this past May.  Hints in it included the possible interference of those very same characters in the DC universe.  Many other characters and costumes were brought back at that time as well, as foretold in the deck.  Now, if anyone else has pointed this out already, I am sorry to bring it up again.  I haven't been looking online for such a coincidence, so I may be late to the party on this.  Still, I needed a quick post for this week to set up.  Until next time.

The Point to All of This

I do have one, after all.  I had an idea while reading one of my supplements one time.  It wasn't that big an idea; it was just a partially thrown out line that might not have meant anything.  It meant something to me.  It gave me such a big idea that I wanted to do something about it, like maybe submit an idea for a whole new line to the publisher.  It took me awhile, but I was finally going to give it a go.  It was early August, 2003.  You may know what happened.  The entire game system, all lines, would be ending in a huge way, only to be replaced with a different set of game-lines following soon after.  Well, I would have to wait and see what the new systems were going to be like before I could do anything.  I got my copies of the first books in 2004.  However, I would have to wait until more books came out before I could decide how best to adapt my ideas.  With each new line, I had to change a little something her and there, but this would only make it better.  Unfortunately, I was to afraid to do more than make my own little framework.  I waited so long that everything about the company changed, from distribution lines to the actual business it did work under.  They even used an idea I had in one recent line.  Now, I seem to be stuck.  I would like to go on in some way with this idea, perhaps using the updated "20" line for the original, but I am still too afraid to jump on it.  It would be such a good fit for me, but I have so many doubts.  What if it isn't good enough?  What if someone else already has conflicting plans?  I don't know what to do, but I don't want to do anything either.  I am stuck between cowardice and stasis with an unseen way out, for now.  There will be a way.  See, figuratively, you next week.

I Can See the Light, Perhaps

It was August, 2004, and the new version of the WOD was getting to be released.  This WOD 2.0 (recently rebranded as the COD) was going to 'fix' many of the things that were thought to be wrong in the original releases as well as simplifying the line as a whole.  First came a new core rule book as well as the new V:tR (replacing V:tM).  While the idea of an overall core rule book was great, some things were left to be desired.  The same held true for V:tR; it was very close to the original, but there was something missing.  What was supposed to be three months later, became six months later with the new W:tF over W:tA.  It was okay, at least more together than V:tR overall.  Then came M:tAw later in 2005.  Then a whole new idea in P:tC.  For the next three years came new enterprises: C:tL, H:tV, G:tS-E.  Each one was good, and I kept getting the supplements that looked good, especially the ones for the 'short' run lines.  Then, of course, came the moment when everything fell apart.  The  company went to an online POD exclusive model.  I was stuck without access (at that time) to get M:tC, D:tD, and even B:tP.  I still tried to keep tabs on the company, but I couldn't/ wouldn't be able to get the new products.  I moped.  Until, until.  I noticed that they were expanding the so-called "20 year" line for the original products with both updates and some new material.  While going through my old, damaged books, I started feeling a renewed sense of wanting to get back to the older ways.  This also fit in with my expanding online connectivity.  Still, I wonder how far I should go.  For you see, there is one more thing to explain.  Next time.