Greetings Dear Readers,

Due to space considerations, some letters have been edited.

The mail just doesn't seem to stop. Oh dear. We read each and every letter, so even if it isn't printed, your comments are welcome and your suggestions and constructive criticisms are thoughtfully considered. So keep the letters coming. Remember SHADIS is an interactive magazine - we want you, the reader, to be involved.

Dear SHADIS,

As a small publisher, I know how important that little thread of subscription money can be the difference between life and death. But I have taken another tact and want you to know that I'm doing it and why.

I look for, and buy, small press zines in the shops because I think it does better to encourage the shop owner to keep it in stock, so more random factor exposures become possible. Almost everything I now love was a result of a random act of art in the universe - from role playing games to dim sum.

So my name doesn't appear on your subscriber lists, but I go out of my way to find your magazine. I will buy some of the other small zines (I will really miss Last Province from Scotland) but your zines are the ones I read on the BART trains, I keep out at my table over lunch or keep on my coffee table to encourage questions and arguments with gaming visitors.

But without hearing from you, does encouraging the retailer fit into your overall plan? I chat them up on line, buy them (pay - more for store copies most of the time, when I can find them) and leave them around as conversation starters.

What do you think best serves your magazine?

Thanks for your letter Joe. By all means support your local gameshop; we encourage our readers to buy their issues of SHADIS right off the stand. In fact we want SHADIS in every gamestore out there which is why we are offering a reward to anyone who turns in a gamestore who isn't carrying SHADIS. We want to get such renegade game shops a free sample of SHADIS and a list of our distributors so that they can order us.

I appreciate your efforts to support small press and hope you continue to do so. If there is anything we can do to help, please let us know.

Dear SHADIS,

Jolly, just a little note to let you know how much I really enjoy SHADIS. It's a treat publication that an old gamer like myself, loves to read whenever I can. You have great articles, good reviews, and most importantly, a good comic strip (i.e. knights).

All in all a wonderful magazine that I expect great things out of in the future.

I work part-time for a comic and card store, so issue 17.5 was both a big seller, and a great source of information that was received well. I just sent in my subscription order and have several customers that are subscribers through our store as well. Meaning of course that every month we hold an issue for them. You have my vote for best magazine on the market, keep up the good work, and I look forward to future issues.

Thanks Derron! I wish more gamestores offered to hold issues for their customers. We are constantly hearing from upset readers who missed an issue of SHADIS because it sold out at their local shop. And thanks for your vote!

As a matter of fact, we just returned from GAMA where we learned SHADIS has been nominated for 'Best Professional Gaming Magazine' of the year for the Origins Awards. Many thanks to all of you out there who nominated us.

Dear SHADIS,

I first noticed your magazine when a dealer that I know talked me into buying issue #17 for The Conquering. The funny thing is that I haven't even played that yet because the great articles in your magazine got me back into role-playing like never before and I don't play Magic as much as I used to.

My vote is to cut Bright Future. As the aforementioned comics build on past issues of the magazine, they are hard to follow. (unlike Knights of the Dinner Table, which is the most hilarious thing I have seen in years, especially the one in the back of issue #17.5; it's so TRUE!)

I really don't care about interviews either, because how can I use it in my campaign? You need to keep PBM stuff in one way or another, though, especially if you want to stay a true gamers magazine.

Second, your RPG information almost all fantasy; no sci-fi stuff all. I appreciate a good fantasy as well as anybody, but sci-fi is my first love. It's probably a lack of submissions in that field, but if you can get some sci-fi game articles it would help round out your magazine and keep your attraction to all gamers, no matter what their game.

Dear SHADIS,

Just wanted to say that I thought the Head to Head reviews in issue 17.5 were the BEST reviews I've seen anywhere.

The fact that each reviewer was forced to find something good to say about each product, as well as something thing bad, provided an interesting angle.

I would suggest that you add this fommat for your reviews in general. While I have your attention, I want to thank you for putting out such great magazine. SHADIS has atmosphere about it that makes me feel it is pulling up a chair at a favorite gaming group.

Add me to the list of burnt gamers who has resumed to the fold because SHADIS has gotten excited about gaming again.

Keep up the good work.

As a matter of fact, Jason, we are going to do just that. Look for more Head to Head reviews in future issues of SHADIS covering your favorite products.

And, oh yeah, welcome back to gaming.