Interview: Gareth-Michael Skarka

Graveyard Greg: Who are you?

Unknown Stranger: The name's Skarka. [straigtens bow tie on tuxedo] Gareth-Michael Skarka. Call me Gareth--the "double-barrelled" name is a mouthful, so I only use it in my professional credits.

GG: What's with all the Kung Fu moves?

GMSkarka: Gotta love 'em. On the surface, cheesy melodrama--but with some fairly complex social lessons and morals. All that, plus lightning kicks and thousand-palm strikes, too! How can you beat that? The only part that I don't like is that they remind me of my own failings--I took martial arts for 8 years, and never got taught the magical fu--not once did I project a chi blast or fly 30 yards through the air. I must not have been a good enough student.

GG: Writing/Gaming Credits, please--past and present!

GMSkarka: Let's see. A couple of small releases from Epitaph Studios: _Periphery: Science Fiction Roleplaying On the Edge_ (1994), and _Age of Empire: A Roleplaying Game of Mad Victorian Fantasy_ (1996). Some stuff for Precedence Publishing's _Immortal_ line, that, now that the game has been deep-sixed, I suppose will never see print...add that to the extensive work that I did for Archon's _Noir_ game that never saw the light of day (noticing a trend?). In 1996, Event Horizon Productions premiered with my _Hong Kong Action Theatre!_ cinematic action game. I was Line Developer for HKAT!, and worked on _Film Festival #1_ (which was nominated for an Origins Award), _To Live and Die in HK_, and _The Triad Sourcebook_. Before I left EHP, I was the initial conceptual developer for _Swords of the Middle Kingdom_. Since leaving Event Horizon, I have done freelance work for Last Unicorn Games (on their _Way of Kolinahr_ Vulcan sourcebook), and Steve Jackson Games (editing on the forthcoming _GURPS Traveller: Starports_). Right now I'm part of a new start-up, Prodigal Publishing Group, that should be releasing my Urban Fantasy game, UnderWorld, in the Summer of 2000. I'm also involved in some other projects for some other folks, but I'm currently covered by Non-Disclosure Agreements: I'd tell ya, but then I'd have to kill ya.

I've also got a bunch of non-industy credits (from my day job), but that's another story.

GG: How did you get into this crazy business called the Gaming Industry?

GMSkarka: I owe it all to a couple of friends of mine, Matt Harrop (formerly of Epitaph Studios, and Event Horizon Productions), and John Phythyon (ex-EHP head, now with Guardians of Order). Matt and I met in college (University of Kansas) at the gaming club (KUGAR)--after playing in several campaigns together for a couple of years, Matt is the one that convinced me that we should publish the game that we were working on. I wouldn't have seen it through to the end, if it wasn't for him standing behind me and pushing me forward. After getting material into print, that really got my foot in the door of the industry. Hanging out at the conventions, I met the people I needed to know, and before I knew it, I was in the industry. Still, I probably would've eventually just sort of faded out of the industry if it wasn't for my other friend, John Phythyon, who founded Event Horizon Productions, and asked me on board. That experience was what got me into everything for good.

I never had the chance to publicly acknowledge them for starting me off. Now, thanks to you, Greg, I've rectified that situation!

GG: You're welcome!

Did you ever have a job before Gaming? What was it?

GMSkarka: Before, During and After. I'm a realist. It is too hard to make a living doing Gaming full time--so I've been working at other jobs during my tenure in this industry. Early on, it was shit jobs (pizza delivery, etc) during college. Now, I'm living in New York City and working as the Managing Editor of a magazine published by the charitable foundation that owns the USS INTREPID Sea*Air*Space Museum...pretty cool. My office is on board an aircraft carrier! I also do freelance writing here and there.

GG: If you were a pizza, what kind of toppings would you have?

GMSkarka: As a friend of mine once said, I am a Pizza Nazi. I grew up in New York, which, as the cognescenti truly know, is the only place in the US where you can get REAL pizza. None of this deep-dish, Chicago-style, Chain-store crap for me. Give me the real deal. I would be an extra large pie, with red-wine sauce, extra cheese, and pepperoni and bleu cheese as the topping (sounds gross, but trust me--I'm not a big fan of either on their own, but put them together and WOW!).

GG: MMMMmmmm....pizza!

What's your favorite game?

GMSkarka: A Golden Oldie, long out of print and very, very missed: _James Bond 007: Roleplaying On Her Majesty's Secret Service_ by Victory Games. This game came out in the early 80s, knocked my socks off, and still does. It was the game that resulted in my all-time favorite campaign (a one-on-one between myself and John Phythyon, where he played "Richard Deming, 001")--and I've never come close to that level of coolness again. There are some that come close, though--including Precedence's original _Immortal_ game, EHP's _Heaven & Earth_....There are games that I love but have never played (finding interested players is tough): Marvel SAGA, LUG's Star Trek....and more. I'm a bit of a junkie, really--I've got a huge, old-fashioned dish cabinet in my apartment that is filled to the top with tons of games--most of which I've never played.

GG: What are you currently working on?

GMSkarka: As usual, about 10 things at once! First and foremost is UnderWorld (which GO readers are probably already familiar with, since it got its start as a column here). I have a couple of other games in various stages of development, which may or may not see the light of day (I tend to do a lot of development just for the fun of it). Of course, I've got the beginnings and notes for several novels as well...although its hard to sit down and work on these sort of things in your free time, when writing is your day job!

GG: Got any funny convention stories to tell us?

GMSkarka: None that would be appropriate on a PG-rated web site, I'm afraid. Sorry!

GG: How's the Gaming Industry's health, in your opinion? Will the 21st Century be better for us gamers?

GMSkarka: Honestly I don't know. There are times when I get incredibly pessimistic about the future of the industry...especially when I am faced with what I see as the inability of folks who run their businesses like a hobby to conduct themselves in a professional manner. But then, there are other times that I get optimistic--especially at the thought of the new gamers that will be brought in by the Hasbro/WotC wide release of D&D3E. I think that in some form or another, this hobby will always exist--whether or not it can support an entire industry is another matter (although some would argue that its not capable of supporting an industy NOW.).

GG: It's now time for CELEBRITY DEATHMATCH! Suspended over a pit of burning oil is a bridge. On one end is the man known as CHRIS PRAMAS (writer of the DRAGONFIST RPG). The other end has ROBIN LAWS (writer of FENG SHUI RPG). Who would win a victory, and how do they do it?

GMSkarka: The sulphurous vapors rise and writhe around the thin platform suspended above the pit, enshrouding the form of Chris Pramas, Fist of the Internet, as he stands and waits. Suddenly, the vapors are dispelled by the blindingly colorful Hawaiian shirt worn by Robin Laws, master of Feng Shui.

Chris shouts "PDF Download Kick!" and begins his wind-up, preparing to launch a devastating flurry of feet at the Neon-Palm-and-Coconut-wrapped Laws. Pramas rockets across the intervening space, and places several solid kicks about the head and shoulders of his opponent. They have no effect! Laws laughs derisively.

"Ha. Ha-ha-ha." Laws, says, badly dubbed. "Your vaunted PDF Download style has no effect on me, Hasbro-lackey---for I DO NOT POSSES ADOBE ACROBAT!!! Your form is meaningless to me!"

"Curses, foiled again!" spits Pramas.

"Now--face the power of Feng Shui!!" shouts Laws. Then, using the might of Feng Shui, he procedes to arrange the contents of a living room so that they are more harmonious with the flow of living chi.

Faced with such a powerful display of traditional asian interior design, Pramas nods, his lips moving out of synch with his words. "Nice placement of the couch. It really gives the room the ergonomic flow-through that it lacked. You truly are a master."

Robin Laws bows slightly. "As are you. Each of us in our own way."

Suddenly, a third form drops onto the platform from above. It is the Armless Boxer--John Wick, whose arms were gratuitously severed in a Celebrity Deathmatch written by Chris Pramas a few weeks ago. "It is far, far too late for one such as Pramas to learn peaceful co-existance and positivity. I must avenge myself upon him, beating him mercilessly while attempting to teach him the valuable lesson of pacifism."

Pramas drops into his Internet Release Stance, ready to defend himself against the angry cripple. Laws places a calming hand on his shoulder. "Wait, Chris. You-- Wick: Is not your attempt to teach Pramas pacificism through violence as contradictory as criticizing reviews by writing a review? Or complaining about negativity in long, vitriolic rants?"

Wick pauses. "Good god. You're right. How could I have been such a fool? You know, this reminds me of one time in college, when I....."

"Enough!" shouts a new voice. The three on the platform whirl around to see the immensely muscled form of Peter Adkison come towards them out of the mists. "You fools! You have prattled amongst yourselves, wasting time--while I worked long and hard. I have been rewarded--I am now the chief Mandarin of the Emperor Hasbro himself....and with my new 3rd Edition stance...YOU ALL ARE DOOMED! BWAH-HA-HA-HA!!!"

To be continued....

GG: A cliffhanger ending! NOOOOO!

Any advice you want to give to our readers before we go?

GMSkarka: "Ladies and Gentlemen, take my advice: Pull down your pants and slide on the ice." That's a quote from Doctor Sidney Friedman on M*A*S*H. No, I don't know what it means, either--but I've tried to live my life by its tenets.

GG: Ooooooooooookay....

Thanks for your time. Good luck on your future projects!

GMSkarka: Thanks a lot Greg. Keep up the good work.