Rascal develops some vulnerable masculinity

Episode eight of the Rascal Radio Hour finds Rowan and Chase's grip on reality feeling weak and sweaty. The energy is palpable and a tiny bit rancid, y'all. Nevertheless, they are professionals and buttoned everything tight enough to produce a tight 60 minutes* of tabletop news discussion and a short sojourn into the depths of the Question Dungeon.

The pair discuss Rowan's disappointment and lingering questions regarding the January 6 insurrection wargame and proceeding interview with its designers. Chase attempts to explain why tabletop publisher Asmodee is in such a precarious financial decision. Both co-bosses discuss the merger of Possum Creek Games and Steve Jackson Games, and why the seemingly mismatched pair could prove beneficial for the whole industry.

You can find Rascal Radio Hour on Apple, Spotify, and all the other various podcatchers. Leaving a five-star review helps us climb the charts and might just stave off the crushing weight of existential ennui seeping in from the doors, the windows, etc. for another week.

Here's an excerpt:

Rowan: The new CEO, Meredith Placko, apparently had been a bit of a mentor to Jay [Dragon]. And then as Possum Creek games was coming together, this seemed to be like a partnership that made sense to them. The institution that is Steve Jackson really buttressed the creative indie developments that Possum Creek is trying to do.

You've maybe noticed that Wanderhome and Yazeba's are not available for purchase in a lot of places because of some issues going on behind the scenes. This has now made it possible again. Like, that's pretty interesting and seeing what they're gonna be doing with Seven Part Pact—

Chase: There it is. Mark your bingo cards, everybody.

Rowan: Listen, I was really avoiding saying it during the Keep the Faith bit, but now here we are. We had a big conversation during the interview about what it means to "sell out" and how this might be falling into that, or how this isn't falling into that.

Jay heard someone on the internet saying if you make more than $100,000 a year, you're no longer indie. But the reality of how much of that $100,000 do you actually get to keep for yourself to survive? And also print the books that people have paid for to make that $100,000. You can't. You simply, like, it's poverty wages. It's not happening.

So I'm deeply, deeply interested to see now what they're going to be able to bring forth with the stability and backing of this institution. And also how this changes Steve Jackson Games as well. Jay is going to be lead designer for SJG, and Ruby is going to be lead artistic director. This is going to change the whole vibe of Steve Jackson games.

Chase: I first need to give like a little bit of credit to Steve Jackson Games for bringing Ruby and Jay on in an official, full time capacity. I come from video game journalism. Anytime there are mergers, acquisitions, any sort of company-eats-other-company, personnel staying inside the company is never a given. The name is what's important. The portfolio of games and licenses is what's important. People are the most expendable. You will have teams that are just sort of sloughed off.

I'm really heartened by the fact that Jay and Ruby now have full-time employment, which I think for a lot of indie designers is this far-off dream, this twinkling star on the horizon. We talk about what it means to be a success and not indie anymore, and I think for many, that struggling indie thing entombed by the fact that you will never have full-time employment. It never seems possible.