It was the greatest year to-date for Darker Hue Studios (DHS). So many things happened that it is a bit of a blur and the feeling of constantly running to the next thing, in the best way possible, is what really resonates. On this fourth day of 2019, I wanted to stop for a minute and mark down the big events that I remember. I am bound to have forgotten some and apologize now for any inadvertent omissions.
The Little Book That Could
We are in museums, taught within curricula at universities, won three Gold Ennies, IGDN Groundbreaking Award, nominated for a few other Ennies, and the Diana Jones Award...all for Harlem Unbound. My passion project. The little book that could. And then to have Chaosium approach me about publishing a second edition of the book is amazing. Hopefully Harlem Unbound will continue to touch people, be a focal point for conversations about change, serve as a reflection on how much work has been done and how much more we need to do, and exist as a great game.
Living the (Freelance) Life
The freelance work for different companies has been a lot of fun. It’s interesting to see how each company works, their expectations, and writing styles. Each piece of work has been a learning opportunity and I'm happy to share those lessons with others. The work has also helped me in establishing my own style within DHS and has influenced any projects to come.
2018 did not see me finish the Supers vs. Cthulhu campaign for Chaosium how I planned. But it gave me loads of playtesting and running the game, even a pop up session at GenCon. Those playtests gave me some great feedback to tweak things. My favorite part was hearing people psyched for superhero combat in Call of Cthulhu and cheering on the horrific end of the campaign. Chaosium also gave me one of the highlights of my life: I got to help revised the scenario Dead Man Stomp, a scenario that solidified me as a Call of Cthulhu player in my teens. It was written by my hero Mark Morrison (and Lynn Willis). After working on Dead Man Stomp, I got to have a small hand in revising the new Mask of Nyralothotep! Lastly, and most importantly for 2019, the science fiction line…which I am working on now and will be going forward. It is an entirely new type of challenge and one I am enjoying tackling.
I submitted my final Cthulhu Confidential scenario, Preacher Man Blues featuring Langston Wright, to Pelgrane Press and it’s the one I am most proud of. It’s a story draped in a lot of my personal history. Thank you to Pelgrane for giving me the chance to create Langston and letting me play in one of my favorite settings, noir. Writing Langston for the last few years taught me a lot about story, structure, and scenario plotting. Thank you to Robin Laws for your support when no one knew who I was or even gave me the time of day; the first round is always on me.
My wholehearted thanks to the whole Onyx Path crew. I got to write on couple of different products and to make the Prince of Chicago (last year). It was a blast. Thanks to Growling Door games for letting me do a little Chill work.
Invited to Con, Will Travel
The other high, one that I would love to keep doing, was getting invited to a couple of conventions as a guest speaker. It was a surreal feeling going from someone sitting in the audience or saying, “Hi I want to go to that con because X and Y are there.” Thank you Fan Expo, U-Con, and High Level Gaming. I think my new catch phrase is “Invited to con, will travel.” I am hoping to hit an international con in the next year or two. If you’re looking for me next year, I will be at Breakout Con! Come hang out.
Thinking about all of this makes me smile and hopeful for what’s next. It was nice taking a minute to celebrate and say thank you to everyone for everything you helped make happen. Okay, back to the work.
Happy New Year!
Chris