Nick “Dak” LaLone: Hello Mr. Jolly Blackburn, could you please introduce yourself to the Gaming Outpost readers?

Jolly Blackburn: Uh…..(sheepishly), first off ‘Jolly’ is my real name. That’s usually the first question I’m asked. And no, my middle name is NOT Roger. (It’s Randall actually.) Funny thing is several magazines (and conventions) have listed my name as Jolly Roger Blackburn, so I’m afraid with the goatee and all I’ll never convince anyone otherwise.

Dak: Your Gaming credits–what have you written for the gaming industry?

Jolly Blackburn: Good question. You know, when I got into this business it was my desire to write games. I wasn’t quite sure how to get my foot in the door, so I decided I’d freelance for some gaming magazines. (This was 1982 or so) I was a big Traveller fan at the time, so I wrote up an article on Bounty Hunters, sent it off to GDW’s house organ at the time (Journal of the Traveller’s Aid Society) and to my amazement they published it. Unfortunately it was 8 years before I got around to doing any writing again. When the itch finally got to be too much to ignore, I looked around and besides Dragon there really didn’t seem to be many magazines to write for any more. This

realization is what put the idea in my head to start my own magazine. A few months later I was publishing something called SHADIS.

It just seemed to take on a life of it’s own and a few years later it was my full time job. To make a long story short one of the features of that magazine was a cruddy little comic strip in the back called Knights of the Dinner Table which I basically had created to act as filler. After five years of publishing/editing Shadis, I realized I wasn’t having much fun anymore, so I sold it and walked away. Almost as an afterthought, I stipulated I wanted to keep the comic strip. Little did I know it would become my life–soon after leaving Shadis, I was brought on as a partner at Kenzer and Company and we decided to publish the strip as a comic book. It’s been a wild ride ever since.

Dak: I have heard rumors that Knights of the Dinner Table is going to become a full-fledged magazine. Would you care to elaborate on this?

Jolly Blackburn: Well, from the start we’ve seen KODT as a forum for gamers. With the ever-growing audience we quickly saw an opportunity. We have their attention - why not give them more? It’s been a very slow, determined process. Adding new columns and features bit by bit. We definitely don’t want to force it. The response has been overwhelming. While providing the same number of pages of strips per issue we’ve expanded the comic…er…magazine from 32 pages to 56 pages. With advertisers and other features coming on board we expect to reach the 96 page mark eventually. Our goal is bring additional material that will be of interest to our readership as a whole. It’s a balancing act. Obviously we’re going to miss the mark from time to time and have to pull some features to present other ideas. That’s what makes it so exciting for us.

Dak: Where did the idea for Knights of The Dinner Table come from?

Jolly Blackburn: I’d have to say it was inspired by such gaming-strip greats as Finieous Fingers, Wormy, and Phil and Dixie (What’s New). Dragon magazine set the standard that a gmaing magazine should have cartoons in the back. When I was coming up with Shadis’ format all I knew is that I wanted a comic strip in the back. When I realized I’d have to do it myself (I didn’t know any cartoonists

at the time) it just came out. That first exchange, between B.A. the GM and Bob, set the stage for KODT - a strip that focused on gamers around a table.

Dak: There are a lot of people contributing to KODT, Do you contribute to any of the Strips anymore?

Jolly Blackburn: Definitely. I still manage to be the primary writer of the strip (even to the point of doing my own layout). It’s a great job. The D-Team (and readers) throw countless ideas at me and I pick and choose and weave it into the strips. Of course, most Writers are thieves, basically, and I’m no different. I take my ideas everywhere I can and constantly have my feelers out for new material. If you’re around me long enough something you say or do is going to show up in the strips. We get a ton of submissions and we use a lot of them

but not always the way the contributor expects. For example someone might send in a five page script and I’ll be reading it and latch on to ONE thing one of the characters say or do and go in an entire different direction. The contributor still gets credit but often he may not recognize the resulting story. Other times a reader will simply suggest, “Do a strip about wishes” or “Do a strip about a Deck of Many Things”

Dak: Do you ever regret walking away from SHADIS?

Jolly Blackburn: Not at all. The reason being is that by the time I made the decision I had to leave any attachment I had with the magazine was basically severed. I actually felt a feeling of elation when I finally made the decision to sell out to my partners and I’ve really never looked back. I know they were some hard feelings at first - nobody likes to be told “I’m not happy in this relationship and I’m leaving you!” But I think the folks at AEG have their thing going and are happy with the way things turned out and I know I am. So, it all worked out in the wash.

Don’t get me wrong - nothing against the folks working at Shadis. I’m grateful for the opportunities and doors the magazine opened for me, but like the man said, “If you’re not happy, it’s time to move on.” KODT would have never found it’s potential if I hadn’t moved on. (I was actually sad to hear Shadis had folded - it was kinda nice knowing it was still out there and I wished them the best.)

Dak: What kind of Freelance material are you looking for in the expanding Knights of the Dinner Table?

Jolly Blackburn: We’re expanding the offering constantly. Dropping things the readers haven’t responded well to, and replacing them with something new. Actually, I’ve been looking for someone to take over our Industry News column and we’d like to expand our review section and offer full blown hard hitting reviews. (I actually have a long list of people interested in both columns but I haven’t had time to sit down narrow the field).

Basically we’re interested in seeing ANYTHING that Joe (or Jane) Gamer would be interested in reading. I guess our ultimate goal is to have a magazine that gamers would feel inclined to pick up and read even if there were no KODT strips in it. (Yeah, right).

Dak: Just how large would you like to see KODT get?

Jolly Blackburn: You know when I first pitched the idea to KenzerCo of doing a monthly comic called KODT I told them I was fairly certain we could reach 5,000 issues per month. I really thought that was about the best we could manage. A year or so later when we were breaking the 10,000 mark I was in disbelief - I thought it would last a few months and then sales would plummet. It HAD to be a fluke. I recall expressing these feelings to Kevin Siembieda (Palladium Books) on the phone and he laughed at me. “Mark my words,” he said, “You’re going to break 20,000!” Well, now we nudging the 20,000 mark and I’ve finally learned to enjoy the ride and to stop worrying about the numbers. It’s flattering that so many people have picked up the comic and seem to enjoy it enough to

buy it month after month. How big do I want to see KODT get? I guess I want to be surprised. It’s been a fun ride so far and I’m having a blast - I really couldn’t ask for any more.

Oh one more thing - I don’t know if it fits here but I’d like to mention that one of the most rewarding aspects of being involved with KODT is being able to work with other writers/artists especially when we give them their first break and are able to publish them for the first time.

Dak: On that note, will you fill any new positions due to KODTs expansion?

Jolly Blackburn: We’re working on some really big projects (which unfortunately I can’t talk about just yet). We definitely be looking at hiring some writers fulltime in order to see this projects through to completion. We just recently hired two more full time employees and two more are coming on board next month. KenzerCo has always operated with a bare-bones mentality and the company is built to survive during lean times so our recent expansion hints at how well the company is doing. I’m sure we’ll be looking for help in the near future - in which case we’ll be beating the bushes.

Dak: What will the new Monty Python card game cover?

Jolly Blackburn: It plays basically the same as the CCG version we came out with a few years ago. This version is a stand-alone version however and you can play with one deck. There are 300+ new cards and you can mix the new cards with the CCG cards. Basically each player takes on the role of King Arthur and take on various foes thrown at him by the other player(s) during his quest for the Holy Grail. If you’ve ever seen anyone play the game it’s hilarious.

Dak: Would you care to elaborate on the Kingdoms of Kalamar?

Jolly Blackburn: I love KOK. It was one of the reasons I joined up with KenzerCo. It has a loyal following and we’ve committed to bring out a KOK supplement every month. There will be some very exciting news (something I hinted at above) for KOK in a few weeks — unfortunately I can’t go into detail just yet. KOK is a campaign world created in the traditon of GreyHawk (TSR). It provdes a very rich environment for a GM to base his campaigns. I think it’s nice balance. Enough of the world is detailed to make it useful but enough has been left to the imagination so that the GM can run with it and make it his own.

Dak: What kind of music to you recommend be playing during the Kingdoms of Kalamar?

Jolly Blackburn: Personally I prefer Rick Wakeman’s Journey to the Center of the Earth. (If you’ve never heard it - do yourself a favor and find the CD. It came out in 72/74 I think but it’s still available.

Dak: Is Kenzer and Compnay working on anything else?

Jolly Blackburn: Oh yes…..We are launching two spin offs of KODT. The first to appear will be HACKMASTERS OF EVERKNIGHT which hits the streets in May. It will be written by the KODT writing team and drawn primarily by Mano Vega. [I can get you some images if you need them]. The comic book deals with an order of knights (the HackMasters) and is based on the heroes the characters in KODT try to emulate in their campaign. The other spin off (june release) is called Knights of the Dinner Table Illustrated. It’s being drawn by Aaron WIlliams (who does Nodwick/Floyd for Dragon magazine). This comic takes the stories from KODT proper and retells them with a twist. The stories are from the point of view of the characters in the game. The two comics will rotate with one coming out one month followed by the other comic the next month. I think they’ll both do very well - they stand on their own but t

hey also fit in perfectly the KODT product line. Other than that we have big plans for our Kingdoms of Kalmar fantasy campaign setting and we’ll be releasing a new Monty Python card game in June which fans have been greatly anticipating.

Dak: You have been in the Industry a long time. How do you feel it has changed?

Jolly Blackburn: Yeah, I guess it’s been ten years. Strange, it all seems so new to me still. The biggest change I’ve seen of course were the collectible card games. That brought a lot of big money (with all the advantages as well as the all the big problems that come with the territory). I remember watching the frantic rush of companies scrambling to come out with CCG’s a few years ago in their attempt to ‘cash in’. I don’t really blame them but I’ve always thought that RPGs and adventuring gaming as a whole suffered because talent and resources were diverted to CCG development. In fact, one of my x-partners at the time actually told me, “Jolly, Role-playing is dead!”

Ironcially, he’s making rpgs now.

Anyway, those were dark times for role-playing but I always maintained that there would be a light at the end of the tunnel –RPGs would return. Now I think things have normalized. CCGs are still making the big bucks but the market for role-playing products seems to have resurfaced.

Dak: Is this for the better?

Jolly Blackburn: I have mixed feelings. On one hand the bar has been raised. Back before CCG’s a garage company could publish a book and put it out in a ziplock bag and still find a distributor to carry their product - they had a chance to find an audience. Now with all the influx of cash a lot of companies are putting out 30 dollar books (hardbacked even) and brimming with full color art from top-notch artists. Incredible stuff on a par with anything TSR was putting out a few years ago. I think that’s great and it’s probably what role-playing

needs to grow as a market. Still…..I miss the proliferation of small press stuff that was available a decade ago. All the great gaming innovations (including D&D and even Magic) arose from garage companies and small press.

So I’d hate to see the bar raised so high we see an end to small pressers breaking into the industry. I think that’s where the life’s blood of the gaming industry lies.

Dak: With the deluge of new games growing, are there any new companies out there that impress you?

Jolly Blackburn: I’m very impressed with Gold Rush Games. Mark Arsenault is an old friend and he’s doing incredible things. I see him going far.

Cheap Ass Games (James Ernest) of course is a company I’m fond of. Some of the most imaginative games to come out in the last few years. Guardians of Order (They’ve been doing lot’s of Anime licenses like Sailor Moon). Though I’m not particularly an anime fan I know good product when I see it. I think this company will be surprising a lot of people.

There are more and surprisingly most of the companies I mentioned above started out as small press.

Dak: Do you have a chance to game anymore?

Jolly Blackburn: Most definitely. For several years after starting Shadis I wasn’t able to game (either too drained mentally or just didn’t have the time.) A few years ago I decided I had to make a stand and reclaim my gamerdom. We have a games day at least once a month and our sessions usually last 16+ hours. Mostly board games.

We just recently resumed a weekly AD&D campaign set in Kalmar at KenzerCO.

There’s talk of expanding it to four days a week while we develop new product in the coming months. Getting paid to play D&D? That’s gotta make you smile.

Dak: There are dozens of Gamers out there who would love to break into the industry. Do you have any advice for the aspiring designers?

Jolly Blackburn: Yes. just DO it. I know that sounds simplistic but for years I sat around and talked about getting into the gaming business. It wasn’t till I turned 30 and realized my dreams weren’t falling into place that I decided to self-publish a small press magazine (Shadis). I figured if I could force myself to put out a bi-monthly magazine it would get me in the habit of writing and keep me focused on my goals. That’s what put everything in motion. Get your ideas on paper and set some goals - even if it’s just writing a proposal and sending it off to a publisher to get some opinions. I sent the first issue of Shadis to Kevin Seimdieda and Gary Gygax and to my amazement both of them wrote back with detailed critiques of my work. It wasn’t all good - they told me in painful detail everything they hated about my magazine but they also said “Keep it up, you’re off to a good start,” It was that little bit of encouragement that drove me on.