Scott Morris - Passport Games

Morris’ background is very diverse, both in, and out of, the gaming industry. Scott's accomplishments include: a tour as Vice President of Arcane Wonders, a published game designer, with the recent release of Firefly: Shiny Dice from Upper Deck Entertainment, as well as being an active member of the board game community through vlogging at CritsHappen.com and on social media. Prior to Arcane Wonders, Scott was a Director at Dell, Inc. in Round Rock, TX, spending 16 years in sales, services, business development, and executive positions.

Scott is passionate about the tabletop industry and more importantly, is passionate about experiences. “I’m very excited to be joining Passport Game Studios! This is a great company that has helped bring excellent titles to the marketplace and I look forward to continuing that trend, and increasing it, with the team and our amazing partners. In my mind, game publishers provide entertainment options for consumers, and more than anything, consumers want a great experience.
From the moment a consumer picks up one of our games from their store’s shelf, to the purchase, to unboxing, playing, and placing it on their personal game shelf, I want them to have the best experience possible, every step of the way,” said Morris. “Tabletop games offer players a chance to engage with other people, to foster a community, and to create memories; that’s what drives me, and it’s what I’m most excited about creating with the PGS team, memories and experiences that last lifetimes.”

Rob Merickel, Founder of Passport Game Studios said “Passport has experienced a steady and promising growth trend over the last few years, and in today’s market we recognize the need to scale quickly in all areas. We feel that Scott’s wealth of experience gives us the opportunity to do just that.”

Passport Game Studios has already seen much success with Funforge’s Tokaido line, and has just announced some of its 2016 lineup which includes …and then, we held hands (LudiCreations), Food Chain Magnate (Splotter) among many others.

Passport will be an exhibitor at the GAMA Trade Show, booth #235 in March. Scott Morris can be reached at scott@passportgamestudios.com.

Passport Game Studios is an independent board game publisher based in the Pacific Northwest. Since the company’s founding in 2012, Passport has partnered with a selection of hand-picked companies to publish over 30 English-language titles for gamers in North America and beyond. The company’s mission: To provide the best tabletop games in the world, to the gamers who love to play them. For more about Passport Game Studios, visit http://www. PassportGameStudios.com.

Chris Clark

Inner City Games Design - Eldritch Enterprises

Chris is the owner of perhaps the oldest surviving small press game publisher still in the industry, Inner City Games Designs. Best known for its Fuzzy Heroes™, War PIGs and micro-game lines Inner City Games Designs released its first product in 1982, and is still active today. With more than 100 published gaming credits, Chris also partnered with Gary Gygax to form Hekaforge Productions (makers of the Lejendary Adventure) and has been nominated for an Origins Award 8 times (although he has never won). Chris recently worked with James Ward, Tim Kask and Frank Mentzer at Eldritch Enterprises, and creates several new adventures, board games, or miniatures games every year for Inner City Games Designs. He is currently involved with Good Omen Productions, various projects for the 77 Lost Worlds system (Fireside Creations), a new Metamorphosis Alpha project (with James M. Ward) and the next release from Inner City Games Designs, a fantasy rpg adventure set in the Lands of Igpay™ entitled, Nothing To See Here.

Paul Lidberg - Team Frog Studios

Paul Lidberg began his gaming career far off in Phoenix, Arizona. There he made contacts with gaming bastions in the industry. Early in his career he co-wrote "A line in the Sand" with Douglas Niles (of Dragon Lance fame) depicting events in the first desert storm assault. Copies shipping the day the US started operation "Desert Storm". Paul has developed, published, and promoted many games over the year. FASA's Renegade Legion, Critter Commandos, Critter Tek,H idden Invasion, Living Legends, Supermegatopia, UnSanctioned, Vampire Hunter$ are but a few. He successfully kickstarted "SuperFogeys", and "Zombie Stomp" The Game. When not dressed as a superhero fighting crime his is fast at work developing fun to play games. Visit Team Frog Studios at https://squareup.com/market/team-frog-studios.

Gary the creepy "Gygax" puppet

Who comes from your nightmares.

This project began several years ago when Kevin looked at me and said...

"You know we ought to have Gary as a special guest."

To which I replied, "How would we do that? Just have people there that knew him talking about Gary?"

Kevin felt that wouldn't be enough. So I racked my brain and said, "What about a Marionette?"

To which Kevin simply said, in his best Picard imitation, "Make it so!".

I began contacting several companies that produce marionettes and realized that one of the best in the whole world was right here in our own back yard. Le Theatre De Marionette. It's been a real treat working with John Hopkins. He's an extremely talented and easy to work with professional that has brought a dream to reality.

Kevin and I didn't do this to draw people in to see Gary, we are doing this so that the people who never knew him can get a taste of what he was like. Although I never gamed with him, I did meet him on several occasions and am glad I was able to do so. He really did kick this whole shindig off. And both Kevin and I are glad he did. We hope you'll join us for this very special Texicon when we bring you Gary Gygax. Meet him and play in a role playing game with him. Talk to him about what it was like to co-own a game company with Chris. Chat with him and Paul over a brew or two at the local bar. Yes, this will be a special event to remember. One the Twins brought to you.