Skirmisher Publishing LLC held its 10th anniversary party on Saturday, May 26, at the Hilton Americas, adjacent to the George R. Brown Convention Center and during theComicpalooza fan convention in Houston. Fun was had by all. (Photos beyond those that appear here can be found in the Skirmisher Publishing 10th Anniversary Party album on Facebook.)
Attendees at the party included a number of notable authors, game designers, and industry representatives, and ; friends, fans, and affilates of Skirmisher Publishing; Comicpalooza staff and volunteers, including Gaming Coordinator George Comits, Hospitality Coordinator Ginger Ney, and Sami Inoue-Harte; investigators from the local Pasadena Paranormal Research Team, including Kristen Stout, Christy Briones, and Joe Sanders; and some of the vicious vixens from the Houston Roller Derby.
Foremost among the authors in attendance was science fiction legend Larry Niven ofRingworld fame, and he regaled guests, among other things, with the only-slightly whimsical account of the the role he played in the downfall of the former Soviet Union (below left, in the middle, with friend Carol and author Michael O. Varhola). Other authors included Keith Baker, creator of the Eberron campaign setting and so much more; Skirmisher Publishing founder Michael O. Varhola, who released his 11th book, Swords of Kos: Necropolis, earlier that day; and Rodney Smith, who recently released his first three novels, Scout Force, First Command, and Where the Stars Are Few and Far Between.
Industry notables at the party included Leo Monaghan of Dungeonstone, Steve Hilderbrand of Claw Claw Bite, Penelope McFadin of the USS Zavala, Dana Schwarzlose and Daniel Burrow of Cracked Monocle, and Angel Smith of Geek Life.
Skirmisher staff members John Kadolph (below left), Josh Mayo (middle, in the lull before the storm), William Thrasher (making signs before the event), and Michael O. Varhola hosted the party and were distinguished by being outfitted in scrubs as Arkham Asylum orderlies. This followed a tradition the company started at Gen Con 2007 during the book release party forCthulhu Live 3rd Edition (an event that led to the infamous "banning from Alcatraz").
Beverages for the party included a variety of liquors provided by Western Spirits Beverage Co., including its Sam Houston Whiskey, Bird Dog Whiskey, Blackberry Whiskey, KRU Vodka, and Tres Leches liqueur.
"I have been a big fan of Western Spirits liquors for several years now," said Skirmisher founder Michael O. Varhola. "We really wanted to make our 10th anniversary party a special event and one of the ways we were able to do that was to serve a nice selection of whiskeys, vodkas, and liqueurs. The Texas-themed Sam Houston Whiskey in particular was a lot of fun to serve and the Tres Leches is delicious and always popular."
The Texas Beer Fest also provided a nice selection of beers, and these included a delicious "Summer Pils" from nearby St. Arnold Brewing Co., "Sympathy for the Lager" fromKarbach Brewing Co., and "Bombshell Blonde" from the Southern Star Brewing Co. Guests who wanted to enjoy their beer in a glass had their choice of ones provided by the Texas Beer Fest and the Brick House Tavern + Tap.
"As a Texas company, Skirmisher really wanted to be serving beer from the Lone Star State at our party, and the Texas Beer Fest gave us some really good guidance in this regard," Varhola said. "It was especially fun for us to pass the St. Arnold brewery on our way in to the convention and realize we were drinking beer that had been brewed just a mile away."
Above left, Starr (middle) and two of the other ladies from Houston Roller Derby. Above right, two of the "Human Generals" who played in Skirmisher's massive "Little Orc Wars" tournament during the convention.
Thanks to everyone who came to our party and celebrated our 10th anniversary with us! We hope we will be able to continue our association and that you will keep enjoying our books and games over the next 10 years.
Above left, Michael O. Varhola chats with two close friends, retired MMA fighter Enrique Ozuna and his beautiful wife Nicole. Above right (from left to right), two cosplay con-goers, friend John Palmer, Houston Roller Derby team member Rebel Smith, booth babe Janell Livingston, and John Kadolph.