It’s been a long hard week . . .

[Kevin]

It’s been a long hard week . . .

Wow, this week seems long. And half of it is a blur. Still, we got a lot done. The Deluxe Robotech® Hardcover went to the printer, a new auction will go up tomorrow, we posted a new press release, did a new ad for one of our distributors, worked on the secret project, worked a little on the next two Robotech sourcebooks, and did lots of talking on the telephone as well as online correspondences.

Saying good bye to our friend

The death of my dear friend, Erick Wujcik, had a profound impact on me and all of us.

I completely crashed Monday, and had to go home from a combination of grief and exhaustion. Tuesday I was feeling very good and positive. I knew Erick wouldn’t want me to be a sobbing wreck. I was cheerful about all of my fond memories of Erick and felt very motived. However, by evening, I was feeling drained and blue. The rest of the week I’ve been up and down depending on the day, who I’m talking to about Erick, and what else is going on. I’m still not completely focused or 100%, but I’m getting there. Had a nice talk with Erick’s sister, Peggy, and a multitude of friends.
Alex had a couple of bad days but is pretty much okay.
Julius suffered from a delayed reaction of sadness a few days later.
Wayne was pretty shaken and a bit distracted.
Kathy took the initial news very hard and worried too much about me.
Hank was sad and worried about me and the guys.
Mark Dudley was surprised how much Erick’s passing has affected him. They had many nice talks when Erick was at the Palladium office.
My son, Adam, was shaken more than he expected.
Josh Hilden, Jason Marker, Teresa Mead and a whole community of people are sad and have offered us their sympathy and shoulders to lean on. Thank you everyone, it is appreciated.

Erick Wujcik Collectibles Auction starts tomorrow

I wasn’t going to do it. Sure we had announced it in our last auction two weeks ago, but so what? Then a number of people started to come to me and tell me I should do it. That Erick would want people to own his books and share in his memories and love of gaming. That he’d hope they’d inspire fond memories and new adventures. I think they are right, so I’m doing it.

Getting the material together was a bittersweet experience for me. Going through Erick’s books and art, and odds and ends, gave me lots of smiles and warm memories: Our working on aspects of the Palladium Fantasy RPG, his contribution to the Mechanoid Invasion, Ninja Turtles, my first encounters with Eastman and Laird (both wonderful guys), Erick’s and my work on Monsters and Animals, tackling Ninjas & Superspies, Mystic China and Steranko, midnight telephone calls that lasted almost to morning, artwork he commissioned from me, Napalm, finding Kevin Long (and the great friendship that followed), Judge's Guild, the Gaming Center, Rene Vega, Robin Corona, Matt Balent, the Kuch, Pete Rogan, Johnny Hill, the Canadian Contingent, Rick Burke, Tony Falzon (and screams into the night), the Defilers (god I love those guys! Every last one of them!), Uncle Sam, Aunt Mary, Nora, Lisa, Sara, Kay . . . geez, a whole cavalcade of people and wonderful memories that make me smile, laugh out loud and cry. Like I said, bittersweet, but wonderful nonetheless.

Heck, if nothing else, I appreciate the memories these artifacts from our past have brought me, and if they can make friends and fans of Erick, me and Palladium Books feel similarly, then I am happy to offer them in this auction.

Here’s a sampling of some of the truly special (to me, anyway), rare and cool items from Erick’s personal collection. Many of which he used in his games around the world.

- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles® & Other Strangeness RPG; first printing. Signed.
- Four TMNT® sourcebooks; some first or second printings. Each signed.
- Transdimensional TMNT®; first printing. Signed.
- The Mechanoid Invasion® Trilogy (1981 & 1982; 3 books). Signed.
- The Mechanoids® (1985). Signed.
- Mutants Down Under – Erick’s favor TMNT sourcebook (okay Trans-D is right up there too, probably tied), especially the one with the defective cover.
- The Palladium Fantasy RPG®; first printing (red and black cover). Signed.
- The Palladium Fantasy RPG® Game Shield; first printing. Signed.
- Northern Wilderness; first printing. Signed.
- Monsters & Animals; first printing. Signed.
- Monsters & Animals proofreader copy. Signed.
- Heroes Unlimited™, Revised, first printing. Signed.
- Justice Machine™, first printing. Signed.
- Weapons and Assassins™; three different printings. Signed.
- Revised RECON®; Signed.
- Old ad pages.
- Amberzine™ #11 and #12-15. Signed by Erick Wujcik. And a 11x14 Nine Princes in Amber™ Audio-Book Poster signed by Roger Zelazny!
– Amberzine™ #11 & #12-15; unsigned.
– Rifts® Sourcebook One proofreader copy (signed).
– Japanese Pokemon card packs (never opened).
- The Rifter® #1 proofreader copy (signed).
- The Rifter® #2 proofreader copy (signed).
- Rifts® Sourcebook One proofreader copy (signed).
- Pokemon Cards from Japan! And more.

The Auction starts Saturday, June 14, 2008. You should really check it out. It is our LAST one for the Summer, but we'll host 2-4 more in the Fall starting October (with more Wujcik books, art and collectibles).

That’s it for me, as it's well past midnight. I’ll try to get to my Private Messages over the next few days. Think I’m taking Saturday off. Go out with a friend to see the Hulk movie. Read comic books and watch a comedy or two on DVD.

Have a nice weekend and appreciate those you love while you have the opportunity.

Sincerely,
Kevin Siembieda
Publisher, Writer, Artist and . . .

© Copyright June 14, 2008 Palladium Books Inc. All rights reserved.
Rifts®, The Rifter®, RECON®, Splicers®, Palladium Books®, Phase World®, The Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game®, Megaverse®, Nightbane®, The Mechanoids®, The Mechanoid Invasion®, Coalition Wars® and After the Bomb® are Registered Trademarks of Palladium Books Inc. Heroes Unlimited, Beyond the Supernatural, 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.