The first issue of MWAN was September-October, 1982. I was thirty-five years old and had been in the hobby of historical miniatures wargaming for about seven years although during two of those years, 1976-78, I wasn't involved in the hobby at all because of the fact that I was working on a Ph.D. and didn't have the time. Anne, who is now nineteen and a freshman in college, was almost three years old, and Kate wouldn't be born for another three years. I was working at the same job as I am currently am and we were living in a tri-level house several miles from where we currently live. My hobby materials occupied most of the family room whereas now they are in the basement. I took to the hobby like a "duck to water". I had always loved history since the time I learned how to read and had a collection of "toy soldiers" (Marx figures) which was my pride and joy. I can still recall the sadness I felt when I felt it was time to put away my toy soldiers and move on to another stage of life. It wasn't until about 1974 that I became aware of the fact that there was such a hobby as historical miniatures wargaming and that one could still play with toy soldiers as an adult. Once I did become aware of the hobby, I pursued it with a passion! I purchased a small number of figures and magazines, such as Donald Featherstone's Wargamer's Newsletter, followed by Gene McCoy's Wargamer's Digest, and dreamed of one day being able to afford large armies of beautifully painted figures. My purchases were very small and had to be planned out ahead of time because of finances, but it was a terribly exciting time! I recall purchasing my first "toy soldiers" - 25mm Hinchliffe French Napoleonic line infantry - ten for $2.50 and getting home depressed because I felt that since I would have to stay with this scale and period as I spent so much money on my first purchase! I don't know what gave me the idea of initiating MWAN; I surely did not have the experience or ability to do so. I did, however, have the motivation and enthusiasm! If there was one thing about the hobby that I liked perhaps even more than toy soldiers, it was the wargames press - reading about toy soldiers. I picked up every back issue of wargaming magazines, both "professional" and "amateur", that I could find. I went on a "quest" for back issues of Wargamer's Newsletter and eventually managed to obtain all 214 copies, which I eventually sold. Because of my extensive reading of the wargames press, I knew exactly what I enjoyed in a wargaming publication. I loved reading letters to the editor, news of recent releases, scenarios, down-to-earth editorials (Donald Featherstone!), discussion of periods and organization of armies, buy/sell columns, home-grown rules sets, and, most important of all, that it be done in a friendly, "homestyle" fashion. I can recall laying in bed one night going through my wargaming publications and thinking that I should give this a try. The next thing I knew, I had checked with a printer as to cost, and started putting together the first issue, which cost me $200 for either 100 or 200 copies. Rich Black, my first wargaming friend, and Dave Corbett, who wrote many articles for MWAN in the early years, both penned articles and I did an "interview" with Rich and managed to fill up twenty pages. I typed it up and showed it to my secretary at work who wasn't satisfied with my efforts and retyped it for me! I was very excited to get the first issue back from the printer and was very proud of how it looked! I charged a $3.00 subscription price and took in $24.00 that first year. Rich Black added another $25.00 - a lot of money back then - and I was off to a great adventure! I should note that Dick Bryant, who I didn't even know, of THE COURIER was kind enough to send me $40.00 to assist me in expenses - a very nice gesture! About this time, I realized that with $49.00 total income, and my first issue costing $200.00 ("let's see four times $200 equals $800) with three more issues to come that year, I needed to do something creative (and cheap!) to finish off the year! Luckily, I had a neighbor who worked for the Chicago Tribune and he kindly Xeroxed the next three issues for me - I'd have to say that he saved my publishing career by doing so! It certainly taught me some valuable lessons in publishing, that's for sure! After putting out four issues the first year, I knew I had to cut costs. My wife, Barbara, kindly purchased a used $450.00 mimeograph machine for me, and I was so excited. I had to type up the masters on ditto paper; if you made an error in typing, you had to use some special solvent to cover it and this was maddening! However, this is what I used for the first fifteen or sixteen issues, I believe. Running a mimeograph machine can be, as most of you know, a quite messy job, and I made my share of messes. There was also a fair amount of frustration with the machine as being a "used" machine, it didn't always work correctly, and needed a number of costly repairs. I didn't have the money to purchase a metal collator, so when I had run off all of my pages, I would place them all around the family room in a circle, making my rounds to collate each individual issue. This got old after a short time! With MWAN #16 or 17, 1 checked around with local printers and found one who would do it at what I felt was an affordable price. He did a good job for me for many years although we had our problems from time to time. For many years I collated and stapled it myself in the family room to cut costs. When I brought an issue somewhere in the low 70's(issue number) in to him, I found out that he had gone out of business and I was stuck having to find another printer who would do the job at an affordable rate! This was quite scary as by now, MWAN had grown to the point where it involved a considerable amount of money to print and mail it; more money than I could afford to spend from the family paycheck, so it had to pay for itself. Every printer I checked with was charging at least twice what my prior printer charged. This is where Tod Fisher of EHQ stepped in and put me in touch with Rinck Heule, my present printer, who not only did the job at an affordable rate, but "pushed" me to make the changes that have been made in MWAN over the years. I never had an interest in making MWAN anything beyond what it started out to be - an amateur publication done in a friendly fashion for "hard-core" historical miniatures players. It was, and remains, a "labor of love", which has aged, along with me, and grown some seventeen years later, to what you have reading as of late. I've incorporated technology over the years although I was usually dragged kicking and screaming into doing so! I've never wanted, however, to lose the enthusiasm of the early years. There have been, I will readily admit, a number of periods over the years, where I didn't feel any enthusiasm for the hobby and I had to "push" myself when it came time to write my editorial. Perhaps long-time MWANers noted these fluctuations. One of the most important things I held myself to regarding NMAN was to never do anything with it (length or visual quality) that I could not maintain over time. Special issues were longer, but I mentioned each time as to how long the "regular" issues were so that there would be no misunderstanding. I also maintained complete control as I knew that I would be the only one with a "vested interest' 'and I would be paying the bills; thus it was important for me to have total control. Over the years there were perhaps three offers to purchase MWAN and maintain me as the "editor". Although it may have been possible that my work load would have been reduced, I felt that I would lose total control which could lead to problems so I always turned them down. I have only had one person threaten me with a law suit and it was almost enough to make me stop publishing because any law suit would cost my family money and this scared both my wife and I. By the way, the person threatening a law suit was upset, I believe, that I would not ran his second or third "counter argument" letter which was, I felt, inappropriate as to how he "attacked" the other party. Just goes to show you that our hobby has it's share of individuals who need to "get a life." As MWAN grew, it began to require more time and energy. Even though it was something I did only "six" times per year, it works out to be something I do on a monthly basis. There is a big "spurt" of energy required to get it ready to be sent to the printer which pretty much occupies a good month or so. Then, very soon afterwards, I receive the prior issue from the printer and have to get it ready for the post office, which can take up to a week's time. Because of this, publishing MWAN has become my "hobby" and initially replaced "gaming" many years ago, and then, over the last three years or so, also replaced "painting". I will readily admit that I never enjoyed the "gaming" aspect of the hobby all that much. What I did enjoy was the social aspect, conducting games, seeing nicely set up games on the tabletop, and watching the battle unfold. However, painting was a facet of wargaming which I truly loved! I set painting goals for myself on new periods of interest and strove to achieve them over long periods of time. I received a great deal of personal satisfaction from "completing" projects. I no longer regret not painting because it became so frustrating to do so, due to changes in my vision. I also experienced a good deal of personal growth during the years of publishing MWAN. I learned, the hard way, that this hobby is indeed "only a hobby" and not to be taken seriously. This did, however, take me awhile, as it has taken many of us. I devoted far too much time and energy to the hobby and in the process, neglected my family; something I am not proud of However, I did make the necessary changes and have felt that the hobby is now, and has been for some time, in it's proper place in my life. There are so many people that would require "thank you" if I were to begin thanking anyone. Because of this, let me just say that I thank everyone who has ever had any involvement with MWAN over the years, whether that involvement consisted of being a subscriber, writer, advertiser, contributing editor, hobby store owner carrying MWAN, friend(s) who supported me and gave me good advice when I needed it, etc. Everyone's contribution(s) have been necessary to make MWAN what it present is. Thank you very much, all of you! What am I most surprised at? Well, publishing MWAN for seventeen years is a surprise definitely, however, the major surprise has to be the response MWAN has received from it's readership. Steve Dake used to tell me that I had no idea of what MWAN meant to people, and I really didn't at that time. Now I do and I find that remarkable! MWANers have shown themselves to be gentlemen and friends. I'll bet I can count on one hand the number of negative letters I've received over the years and the positive letters, I am sure, now number in the thousands! I have often said that if I ever lost the feeling that I am doing MWAN for fhends, I would quit, as it wouldn't be worth the effort and time. I've made so many friends over the last seventeen years via MWAN; friends who will remain so for the rest of my life. This has always been important to me and a highly motivating factor. Another surprise has been the fact that MWANers continue to write enough article so as to fill up 192 pages six times per year. What is in store for MWAN in the future? Well, I've always said that I would like to make it as far as one hundred issues and/or twenty years. This issue marks the completion of seventeen years - twenty years would bring it to 118 issues and I would be fifty-five years old (oh my gosh!). At this time, I would like to continue publishing until Kate, who is now thirteen, graduates from college, which would be a minimum of nine more years; more if she goes to graduate school. Nine times six issues/year equals at least 154 more issues and a total of twenty-six years of publishing. I would then be sixty-one years old and perhaps getting a little tired of the physical labor involved in MWAN. You will note that I have two "Guest Editorials" from two of my long-time friends Donald Featherstone and Stuart Asquith, both of whom I have had the honor of meeting. I have looked up to Donald since I started in this hobby and admire him both as a person and for what he has done for the hobby. He always stressed the fact that wargaming should be "fun" and "simple"; an approach that I have followed. I loved his "personalized" approach to publishing via Wargamer's Newsletter, and can still recall when he had a "bug up his ass" on a personal matter and vocalized it within his editorial. I've done the same thing several times over the years, but have found it not only interesting, but satisfying, that when I got a little too emotional, I would receive letters from MWANers reminding me that perhaps this was not necessary. I always appreciated these kind responses. I felt that by reading Donald's Wargamer's Newsletter that I watched his family grow up; as many of you have watched my family grow. I was saddened when he ceased publication after 214 issues (MWAN printed his 215th issue) because it was such an enjoyable work! I should also mention that Donald published a number of books within his professional field - physical therapy! I first became aware of Stuart Asquith via his articles on the English Civil War in the old Battle for Wargamers magazine. Although this ECW series of scenarios is over twenty years old, they would still have applicability at the present time and I have urged Stuart to pursue publishing them in a booklet form. Stuart has done a tremendous of writing within the hobby. His most recent effort was Practical Wargamer, which unfortunately has ceased publication just recently. He has covered a broad area of history within his writings and has published books, rules books, a magazine, and many articles within the wargaming press. Stuart's writings are along the same line, in my opinion, as Donald's. Let's have a good time with this wonderful hobby of ours and enjoy the friendship that it brings about. Thanks to both Donald and Stuart for what they have done over the years! Oh, Stuart, I would love to have an article on your 6mm projects outlining your approach(es) to this interesting scale. Please consider doing so! There have been very few changes to MWAN over the years as to content. Steve Dake started up the Wargaming Clubs of America which he passed on to the capable hands of John Stafford. Rich Black has been the "oldest" contributing editor with his Upcoming Events column. I passed on both Wargame Magazine Review and Bits & Pieces columns to Russ Lockwood (who has done a much better job than I ever did with it and has taken it to a much higher level) and Curtis Murff respectively. John Butler has made MWAN's labels for all these years, a fact I have much appreciated. David Barnes added his artistic talent with his Miniature Products Review column; Charles Sharp with WWII; Rich Barbuto on solo wargaming; Father Aelred Glidden added Monk's Comer; and Howard Whitehouse added his brand of humor and wargaming expertise. Otherwise, all of the columns have remained the same. MWAN has made it through computer breakdowns ("Where is my document?"); change of printers; changes in contributing editors; increases in printing costs; periods of personal turmoil; reduction in motivation; multiple floods (when I collated the special issue on the American-Mexican War - #14?; the family room took in perhaps two inches of water which arrived following my placing of all of the pages in a circle around the room); periods when I could think of a number of other things to do rather than work on MWAN. If there is one person who should be thanked, it should be my wife, Barbara, who purchased my mimeograph machine for $450 from her last paycheck as a teacher before she decided to stay home with Anne. She has also tolerated my hobby activities and time spent with MWAN over the years. There have been occasions when she was in the basement with me helping me to address/stuff/seal envelopes; a task which can be quite boring! Thank you very much, Barbara! Lastly, I am sorry that this issue is late; a few weeks ago I had surgery on both of my eyes at the same time for a detached retinal in my left and a tear in the retinal in the right. At this time, I am seeing better but not back to work yet. The surgery came at a bad time for getting MWAN #100 out to the printer. I hope you enjoy this issue of MWAN and continue to do so over the years to come. Please consider writing something for submission and thanks again to everyone who has made this possible! Back to MWAN #100 Table of Contents Back to MWAN List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 1999 Hal Thinglum This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com