Oh, we are BACK!

Welcome to the first issue of the all-new, all-digital Clobberin' Times Online! We've been talking about this since the print edition of the Clobberin' Times shut down (after eleven years of Champions goodness) in 2000, and it's finally happening! I'm already getting all those warm fuzzy geeky feelings back, remembering what it's like to work on submissions, to look forward to everyone else's stuff...and to be a Central Mailer!

What I looked like LAST time I was the Clobberin' Times Central Mailer (back in 1990). God, I miss having hair...

First, to those of you new to the Clobberin' Times. Welcome, and we're glad to have you with us! You can find out all about the 'Times and its history by using the History link up there on your left. In short, it was a Champions APA started in 1988 by Tim Watts. It came out bi-monthly and ran for just over eleven years, and had 57 contributing members (check out the Hall of Heroes (Legends) link to see some names...some you might even recognize!). It was a creative wonderland, with vastly talented and creative people getting together and sharing their Champions love with characters, art, essays, fiction, campaign reports, you name it. And it was a very social group, one that rapped back and forth in mailing comments, got together at conventions (like the still-annual Clobberin' Cons in San Diego), formed lifelong friendships...and a couple of folks even got hitched. It was an amazing time for all of us, and one that we've missed since it finally had to end.

But it didn't end completely. A few 'Timers got together and formed the Clobberin' Times Yahoo Group to stay in touch. And the idea has been tossed around for years of getting a web-based version of the 'Times going. Well, some of us just got tired of waiting around and decided to get it started. And here it is! Like the original Clobberin' Times, this version will come out bi-monthly, with members contributing some kind of Champions material that I'll be slapping together on the table of contents for your reading and viewing pleasure. Right now, we're trying to keep it simple, and as such, only former Clobberin' Times members can contribute at this time. But down the road? Who knows? We may start opening it up to other Champions fans (there are so few of us left!) and see if this thing becomes the big monolith it once was again. Time will tell. But we invite you to check out our stuff, and feel free to drop e-mails to the contributors if you have any comments.

And now, to the old crew...

Good to be back, isn't it? I know it is for me. I've had a fantastic time going through all the old issues, researching for things like the History page and the Hall of Heroes stuff, and scanning covers and art. Brought back a lot of memories...and they are great ones. I think we could all use this right about now, when our lives are busy and wrapped up in careers and family. We need a place to get all those creative urges out! Having the 'Times, and a deadline, means you have an excuse to do it.

We're starting small, just to get it going, but I hope more of you plan to sign on and contribute. If you don't...that's totally cool. You can, instead, read the contributed stuff and lay down some mailing comments on the CT board...just like the old days, but without having to wait two months to be heard! Anything to get us all talking again, and talking about Champs. Steve's done such a great job keeping Hero Games alive, I think the least we can do is keep the fires burning. So let's burn!

This time around you've got stuff from me, Kaye, Martin, Aaron and Dave. Already you can see the old 'Times in action...Aaron, Kaye and me more into fiction, Martin cranking out stuff for the WOM, Dave kicking out the character stuff (in snazzy PDF format!). I hope some of the artists get back on the clock, and we can see some online galleries start to pop up (as the way-cool art was always such a big part of the 'Times back in the day). Hope you all enjoy the CTO page itself (which turned out to take a lot longer than I thought to build...). Any comments or suggestions on it would be welcome.

So if you're checking out the first issue and decide you want to be a part of it, just be sure you have something Champs-related together by the next deadline. Which, by the way, leads us to a regular feature for this section...the deadline announcement!

Next Issue Deadline

Deadline for the next CTO issue is May 31, 2005, for inclusion in the June 1, 2005 issue. Just put your stuff on a web page and e-mail the link to me at:

oconnellmd@aol.com

And away we go! Welcome back, gang, and I hope we get a lot of talking going on the board after this. The legend begins anew! Let's hear it for the 'Times!

Michael O'Connell

Central Mailer, The Clobberin' Times Online