I don’t even recall how many years ago it was now, but it was shortly after I started illustrating for Lesser Gnome that its owner, Zach, introduced me to North Texas RPG Con. I was tasked to create art for a flyer for the convention creator, Doug Rhea and from that point on we were “off to the races” as they say.
Other than Dungeons & Dragons, Doug and I were a world apart. Maybe it was because I find entrepreneurship and startups exciting. Maybe it was a mix of that “farm kid” approach, and fantasy games put together. Somewhere along the line he must have decided I was ok. In my mind, Doug was kind, funny, and inciteful when it came to business decisions. Afterall, he’d made plenty of those in his life. Honestly, I still don’t understand half of some of the things he suggested.
That first year the two fellas responsible helped me get to North Texas, then I kept coming back every year with a self-appointed badge title of “Con Artist”.
Just before that first year I told Doug that Jeff Easley was my favorite artist from the AD&D series. He put my artist booth next to Jeff’s that year then told me he arranged a roommate at the hotel (Jeff Easley). After arriving, he set me up with paints and supplies and wanted me to paint something in the booth next to Jeff. Everything was a hot mess being put on the spot in such a way. looking back at it now, it’s kind of funny. I ended up making a big pink monstrosity that I painted over it like 3 times. It was pressure to perform in the Pantheon.
Jeff and I talked a lot that year. We ate a lot of meals in the hotel restaurant too. After that Doug wouldn’t cover my food costs going forward. heh… fair enough. Between the two of us, Jeff and I spent a lot of social hours in the restaurant…. and room charges, that year, so time and money well spent for me.
Could it be Satan?
Every year at NTRPG con there is a Saturday midnight auction which raises funds for the con and serves to poke fun at the Satanic panic that plagued the hobby through the 80s. It turned out, that auction was cathartic for me to attend. Later, I learned from a preacher that I experienced what he calls “religious trauma” during this time in my youth. It’s a story for another post, but the Satanic Panic years for weren’t a joke for everyone. It was however, good to look back on it and laugh as an adult.
Mike (Satan) and Doug let me auction off some art to provide a little cashflow and I helped out wherever I could. After that first auction, every year in my mind it’s the Midnight Auction + NTRPG con.
We lost Doug to cancer, but I am still lucky enough to be a guest at the con. I find myself looking forward to an evening with Satan and the gang every year to recover a little more from whatever life threw at me the other 364 days. Mike and Gary, who now are running the ship, have made sure I have a place to show up every year, a bed to sleep in, and friends to hang out with.
NTRPG 2026
This year a tradesman mini van is taking me to Texas all the way from Maine. More than a week on the road, filming, painting, drawing, and ending up at the Midnight Auction and NTRPG, I expect it to be a great adventure.
It will be a trip to create video content, a TV show, and I don’t know what else. But worth the drive and a gain in XP.
How Did This Happen?
I did nothing special to find myself in this position of convention guest and TTRPG persona. I mean, other than hundreds of illustrations and a couple dozen kickstarters. Most anyone who shows up at this show feels like a special guest. They will meet many of gaming’s great creators at this convention and feel they can soon call many of them friends with very little effort. It takes very little time before you’re inspired to create TTRPG content when you are so immersed in the practice.
When you do human things, you don’t need ai to write articles about experiences in gaming or to make images about creators. I showed up sincerely, played games, and shared whatever I could about a hobby I loved…. as a human. Then found friends and connections when I did.
I love Gary Con and many other cons. Luke Gygax helped me find my place in the hobby (also another story post). North Texas however, remains a centering point for me. A place where everything feels ok for a while. A place where you know the old games and many of the faces. It stays small by design and remains fun by intent.
The best way to make it in a creative world is to show up – as human – as you are. The games are a common communication point and should never be overlooked.
~Lloyd M