Magic, Balloons, Art and Writing

I do three mordheim campaigns every year that last three monthes each. I've been doing it for two years now. Every time I do a campaign, I stick to a specific theme and string the themes together between campaigns to make a story.

For example, my current campaigning group story is as follows: The first campaign was winter, and the entire city of Mordheim was starving. I had one simple goal; each warband must try and take control of the cities main supply towers so they had shelter and food to last throught the winter. The warbands decimated each other every week for a shot at the goal, and there was no clear winner of that campaign.

We liked the idea of controlling a territory so much that my next campaign followed the same route, I made up a list of teritories and the winner of each battle controlled whichever territory they were fighting for that battle, and the person with the most territories would be winner. That was a brutal campaign as all warbands ripped the city apart trying to control certain sectors and turfs, and there were hardly any grudge matches . . . everyone only cared about winning territories. I won this campaign, but barely . . . everyone was fairly equal.

So for the next campaign we decided that the citizens of Mordheim were upset from all the squabbling, so they went to the nobels of Mordheim and demanded that they use tax money to build a police force to quell the gangs. The nobels graciously agreed and set knights out on the street, mounted and armored, to disrupt any fighting on the streets. Unfortunately, the knights were severly underpowered andthe winner of this campaign went to an undead gang that decimated not only every single warband, but also the nobel army and all of its knights, leaving the nobel families quivering in fear and hiding away like cowards.

Our current campaign deals with the afternmath of the last, there are undead walking the streets during every fight, and trying to eat the brains of the warbands and citizens of mordheim. Now the citizens find themselves having to help the dispicable warbands just to survive, as the warbands fight not only each other, but the growing number of undead that roam the streets.

For years, us artists have been starving and waiting for appreciation and money, which usually only comes after our untimely death from malnurishment and misunderstanding. But I think I found a way for us painters to make cash!

I have been studying airbrushing lately because its cool, and also because it seems that this is an art form people are willing to spend money on. Who buys portraits of their family or potted plants? Not many. There are a few artists out there who seem to be able to make a living at it, but there are MANY more artists who are great painters who can't get a dime.

There are a TON of people out there that spend a TON of money on their cars, motorcycles, helmets and trailers that LOVE great art. It seems to be one thing that can get an artist paid. Even airbrushing on t-shirts has been a huge deal the past two decades. There are some artists who even make a living at this sort of thing without any other source of income.

Are you an artist who makes good money at it? Let's share ideas . . . talk about airbrushing or ANY form of art that gets you paid.

Don't be too proud to turn down a paycheck because it's not "your kind of art", instead realized your art is worth money and you deserve to be COMMISIONED to design a piece for your customer. That is what MOST professional artists do . . .

I am a published writer with four plays in publication by Meriwether Publishing and Contamporary Drama Services. I have a few stories published in Magazines and e-zines, and many poems in different anthologies.

I'm really wanting to get a novel or chilren's books published, and have been at it for years with only the few successes listed above. Anyone else out there feeling like the publishing world has moved on and is nearly inaccessable? Anyone feel like the publishing world is more accessable than ever?

I haven't tried magazines yet, but I hear that's a great market to make money in. Do you write for magazines frequently? Got any tips?

I would love to learn and teach about writing. So everyone keep this post going. Let's all do our share to help each other out and get published!

This post is for all you magicians out there who don't have someone to talk to. It's okay, I get lonely too. Sometimes pulling a rabbit out of a hat and trying to have a conversation with it just isn't good enough. And doves, with their incessant cooing and hooting never listen to your problems without constant interuptions. Its like "Hey, can I get a real friend who doesn't eat pellets or lay eggs?"

Well, probably not.

But at least here we can talk to each other about it? For example, I would like to know how come most magicians, clowns, and balloon artists hold events for their groups on weekends . . . don't they work at all on the weekends? I never get to go rub elbows with my own sort because I work every weekend doing shows and they are all getting together every weekend for magic swap meets and balloon offs . . .

it's just not fair.

Hello everyone.

I am a full time magician in the Seattle area. Trying to break into this business can be tough, especially with so many people in the industry being close-lipped and unwilling to help anyone who isn't part of their own personal fan club. Many magician/entertainers act as if any new person to the trade with threaten their business and very existance. It's crazy, but you wouldn't beleive some of the opposition I have run into from these so called "Family Friendly" entertainers, who are more concerned about turning a few bucks and getting admirers than about the things that matter . . . Family Friends and customer service!

So here's my proposal. I would like to have an open forum for all entertainers (I don't care what you do, as long as it's for your business and for your customer's entertainment)

So ask any questions you'd like . . . about prices, customer sevice, tricks of the trade, etc. I would love to have all of us help each other, especially us experienced entertainers helping those just starting out. Remember, competition is good for business and personal growth. BAD competition can ruin an industry. Lets all try and improve each other the best we can.

Take Care, and post anytime!

Scott Sparling