Ideas for increasing the popularity of PBM

[GrimFinger]

"PBM needs to be experienced rather than explained."

- Tod Lewark

So, who is Tod Lewark? Well, I never met him. I don't know him. I never knew him. Yet, here I am, quoting him. Go Tod!

The quote in question is from an article titled "The PBM Manifesto," which appeared in Issue # 84 of Paper Mayhem magazine. It was an article sub-titled "Ideas for increasing the popularity of PBM." That was a little over 13 years, ago. Fast forward to the present date. Tod was right, you know. There really is no good way to explain play by mail. It inevitably tends to come across as dry, tedious, and boring. The subject tends to get bogged down in a swamp of details, as one grasps for straws necessary to explain the concept to average, ordinary people.

In that article, Tod also suggested that, "For the good of the PBM hobby, every player, company and magazine should promote and publicize PBM in any way possible, especially outside the gaming hobby.

"Tod makes a lot of sense, you know. Or, at least, he did, all those many years ago. Tod's words of wisdom have outlived even the very publication that they appeared in - Paper Mayhem. It is unfortunate, indeed, that Paper Mayhem is no longer with us. Long live Paper Mayhem!

So, does anyone know where Tod Lewark is, these days? Is he still around, I wonder? Why did no one ever make a Tod Lewark PBM game, anyway? Ah, the opportunities that we have missed, lads and lasses. The opportunities missed, indeed!

Here I am, trying to follow Tod Lewark's advice, and good old Tod is nowhere in sight. Well, at least, I think that this site - PlayByMail.Net - qualifies as "promoting" PBM. What do you think?

So, it seems that I have answered Tod's call - even though I read his words after I started the website. But, we can still give Tod the credit, if you like.

And that brings us to you. Tell me, ye fellow denizen of play by mail, what are you doing to promote and to publicize PBM? Toss off your respective veils of secrecy, and enlighten those of us gathered here in the light of the present day of your noble undertakings and tales of derring-do.

The mad scientist, Mark Wardell of PBM Gamer fame, can be heard late into the night, conducting bizarre experiments with creating a PBM wiki. I just hope that he doesn't call it Frankenwiki.

And Sean Cleworth of Gad Games has agreed to stick his neck through the hoop of a PlaybyMail.Net interview. The guillotine should drop on that one fairly soon, I think.

And Walter? Well, good old Walt is thinking about creating a PBM game of his own.

But, what about the rest of you? Are you out there? Are you reading this? Are you listening? Will you answer the call?

Don't just do it for yourself. Do it for Tod - Tod Lewark.

He's not James Bond. Hell, he's not even Gold Bond. But, he did feel a bond for PBM gaming, and he felt it to be a form and a medium of gaming that was well worth preserving.

All hail Tod Lewark!