OK...it looks like my schedule for most of 2004 is falling into shape. The good news is, the Dork Tower comic book is back on schedule. Issue 27 goes to press in early March, and everything's bimonthly after that.

More good news: a third strip went up this week over at dorktower.com. I don't know if this is the official re-start of regular, thrice-weekly strips or not, but I've got a ton of ideas, and there are a couple of storylines I want to get into there right away. Plus, with the comic book back on schedule, I want to coordinate events in both the online strip and the comic book more closely from now on.

As far as cons go, I think my early- to mid-year schedule is now set.

MARCH 15-17 GAMA Trade show Las Vegas, NV Booth Monkey

APRIL 4 Vienna Fantasy Gaming Con Vienna, Austria Guest of Honor

MAY 28-31 KublaCon/DorkStock West San Francisco, CA Guest of Honor

JUNE 25, 26 Origins International Game Expo Columbus, OH Guest of Honor

JULY 2, 3, 4 CONvergence Minneapolis, MN (Tentative)

JULY 22-24 RopeCon Helsinki, Finland Guest of Honor

AUGUST 6, 7 GenCon Games Fair Indianapolis, IN Industry Guest of Honor

OCTOBER 22-24 Spiel 2004 Essen, Germany (Tentative)

NOVEMBER 5-7 Rock Con/Dorkstock III Rockford, IL (Tentative)

DECEMBER 4 Dragonmeet/Dorkstock Europe London, England (Tentative)

Obviously, shows like Gencon and Origins last longer than the times indicated. But these are the days I'll definitely be there. If I can stay longer, I will. But one thing I need to do this year is to make sure I keep the comic book on schedule, and that means being on the road a little less.

So why all the Euro cons, then? Well, if I can go through London, and visit my family, I will. I hate living as far away from my family as I do. And I can get quite a bit of work done when I'm over there, as well.

A brief note on some of the tentative shows: CONvergence is a great con, and I'd highly recommend it. it's tentative for me at the moment because I might have a family event that weekend, out in Pennsylvania. We'll see. I'm also really, REALLY hoping to get back to Spiel and Dragonmeet. But as those are later in the year, I haven't really been looking at them that much. Right now, they're just Good Ideas. As is DorkStock III. Fingers crossed...

No San Diego Comicon? Alas, alack, I fear it's over the same dates as RopeCon. Scandanavia is one area of the world I've seldom visited, so when they invited me, I leapt at the chance! (By the way...it's a little weird that right now I'm being invited to cons in 2005 and 2006 already.)

So now that Las Vegas is next on my schedule...does anybody know if there's a good Poker program that includes Texas Hold'Em for the Macintosh? I need to get some practice in before I give James Ernest all my money...