October 25, 2006: What Did Andrew Need The Rubber Bands For?

Last weekend, I headed over the Fort Wayne, Indiana, to attend the Alliance Open House. Much schmoozing was . . . schmoozed, I guess, and games were played -- King's Blood and Cowpoker, as well as playtest sets of Munchkin Cthulhu and Evil Ted.

Of course, the main reason for attending was to talk with the attending retailers, which I did. The folks behind the game store counters are a smart bunch, and it's always good to get their point of view, on both my wacky ideas and the industry in general.

All in all, it was a great event. But the "weird point" (kind of like the "high point," but with strangeness) was when Andrew Smith of Alliance walked up, and demanded my spare rubber bands.

"So, what are the rubber bands for?" I asked.

"Paul, don't you know by now not to ask such questions?" he replied, and away he went.

They were likely just for packing some loose card decks up. But after seeing the look in his eye, you never know . . . .
-- Paul Chapman