Howdy Folks! It's Ole Doc Murphy here once again. I figgered it was time fer me to get off my rear end and tell y'all all about things going on here at Hawgleg. So take a load off yer feet and have a seat! May 2005

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OwlCon Owlhoots!
By now you all should know that Gutshot was released in February of this year! Yeps! We are out there and riding the range hard and fast!

We released at the Owlcon Convention, and it was amazing as to the responses that we got. The books sold out quickly, and the demo games that we ran were the noisiest in the room. I got a chance to sign lots of autographs and meet the good folks that toss down the dice. We took compliments and complaints, and didn’t muss nobody up much. Heck, Ole Doc here even got a chance to sit next to a purty lady for a spell!

Since Owlcon was our initial convention test grounds, we only felt it proper and natural to release it there. The Owlcon folks were great hosts and we are planning on being back next year.

Gathering of the Tribes
Y’all know the song that says, “April showers bring May flowers??” Well here in Houston, “April” brought hot lead being tossed in another “Last Man Standing” game of Gutshot at the “Gathering of Tribes” mini-convention hosted by Little Wars games store here in Houston.

Mike Mitchell was running this hell-fer-leather game which saw another round of hard shooting, high falutin’ trash-talking craziness that happens around the board. But in the end, only one man was left standing, as usual.

A big thanks goes out to all the players and to the crew at Little Wars in Houston. You can check out their newfangled website right here: www.littlewars.net Tell ‘em “Ole Doc Murphy” sent ya…

Scratchin' our heads
After the April Convention the designers sat down and reviewed some of the things that they felt “Still didn’t run right in the rules.” A playtest of the game one night at Little Wars got them to thinking about re-editing some of the rules in the book.

Naturally once again there was an argument between Mike Mitchell and Mike Murphy, simply because Murphy wanted to include the “Southerners shoot straighter with a jug of corn liquor” rule, and Mitchell (although for it) said that his mama would “tan his hide” if he promoted the drinking of strong spirits in our game. So once again, the “jug o’ liquor rule” got ruled out.

But ya can’t blame ole Doc for trying…

Sumertime, and the livin' is easy...
Or so they say… Seems that for the fine folks at Hawgleg, summertime is “YEE-HAH!” time. That’s when everything goes into full speed. Gutshot Co-Author Mike Murphy is on his way to New Orleans Louisiana to attend the Bayou Wars Convention, (www.bayouwars.org), and will be running a “Last Man Standing” game with prizes awarded. Meanwhile, Mike Mitchell has been working to laying the ground for support a summer youth gaming in history program with the Alamo Heights ISD out of San Antonio, Texas.

Both Mitchell AND Murphy are planning to be in Kingwood Texas, on the 21st of May to run a GUTSHOT game for the Nugamers club up there.

Yeah,.those fellers tell me that bein’ a game designer ain’t easy. They gots all them computers and books and stuff. I try to tell them to try being an “ole town doctor” where you got a bone saw, and some pliers, and some corn liquor and see how easy it is!

Purty Things fer you and yer missus
By now you probably realized that we have a whole slew of things for sale over at our General Store for you and your missus. We even have a couple of items for your little one too!

Whether you need a nice t-shirt to let folks know you’re gonna go and get Gutshot, or a fancy wall clock to let you know when it’s time to get Gutshot, we’ve got the stuff you want.

Now that summertime is coming it’s the perfect time to get that swing’n BBQ apron to wear over yer purty duds while you slap that sauce on yer hot meat… Why even “Lonesome Erik” says that they “shore are purty…”

HAPPY TRAILS!!!
All this jabbering brings us to the next point. What is coming to us in the future?

Well folks, we here at Hawgleg got a plate full of stuff that will be coming at ya.

First off, over the next few months you will see some changes on the website, (that’s usual for everyone nowadays), but you will also see more downloads, and now you can mosey over and get in on our forum! Also, you will see some surprises coming out in the near future; (I ain’t allowed to say anymore cuz Mr. Mitchell says that he’d get Old Widow Moultree to hit me with a skillet if I did).

But, also look out for announcements on our upcoming follow up Gutshot expansion, “Gutshot: Bugles & Wardrums.”

That’s right y’all… Not all adventures happened in them little one-horse towns. Out on the plains the Indians were running wild… like a bunch of wild Indians…err. No pun intended. So who could you call on when things got rough?

Why the US Cavalry of course!

“Bugles & Wardrums” will introduce an entire new aspect to the Gutshot game system. Fully interactive with the core book, this expansion will introduce new skills, specialties, personas, weapons, and a whole lot more!

Okay everyone, that’s all for now with the Ole Doc. Keep those cards and letters coming, and fer all yew purty ladies out there, the Ole Doc likes a pitcher or two of y’all also ya know.

Signed,

Ole Doc Murphy
May 2005

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