The Booster Pack Network

In this episode we step back to the dawn of fantasy hobby gaming history with original TSR game designer Jim Ward (sometime credited as James M. Ward)

Jim shares his origin story—working with Gary Gygax on the earliest Dungeons & Dragons products—before we move onto discussing the second-ever CCG to be released: TSR's Spellfire!

Jim shares his Spellfire stories, some fascinating & others just plain fruity (you'll have to listen). We then move onto Jim's other hit collectible card game design: the original DRAGON BALL Z CCG!!!

All said, Jim shares his interesting perspective on his collectible game design career & we have a bunch to laugh about along the way.

Find Jim's Work at:
firesidecreations.com (77 Lost Worlds / Dragonscales)
goodman-games.com (Metamorphosis Alpha 2nd Edition)
trolllord.com (The Warden *coming soon*)

You can find CCGhistory at:
Twitter.com/CCGhistory
Facebook.com/CCGhistory
YouTube.com/CCGhistory

[Music Credit: The Crypts — Rockin' Roman]

[[ Originally released as "TBP: Rare Slot" — a Bonus Episode of the former "The Booster Pack Podcast" ]]

For this mini-episode we talk to Chris Malec, the person behind the brand new remastering of the Legend of the Burning Sands CCG.

Chris tells about the origins of this fan-project and explains the effort that went into updating & streamlining a 20 year old collectible card game.

More than a simple card frame update, the LBS—Remastered fan set offers a reworded set of rules, easier to read card text & more clearly defined card icons.

You can find this new print & play set via lbs-remastered.com

The set is a free download & features a number of new resources for new players, such as a more accessible rule book & simple deck lists to get you started.



If you have a collectible trading card game related topic you'd like to hear discussed on these bonus episodes, you can let us know via email [email protected] or via one of our social media platforms:

twitter.com/CCGhistory  
facebook.com/CCGhistory
youtube.com/CCGhistory

[[Music Credit: Forget the Whale — Man Outta Town]]

[[ Originally released as "The Booster Pack". This show has since been retitled "Booster Pack Throwback" ]]

This episode we chat to legendary card game designer Mike Fitzgerald!

Mike is the brains behind some of the most recognizable hobby card games in the market today including Mystery Rummy, Diamonds & the deck-builder Baseball Highlight 2045.

Before all those however, he was the man behind one of the earliest collectible card games to follow Magic: The Gathering's release, WYVERN. We discuss that games design & development, then talk about his other CCG projects.

Mike also shares his experience creating & pitching a game to World Wrestling Entertainment. The story takes a dark turn when the game is released & Mike is not credited for his work.

Join us to hear these & dozens of other behind-the-scenes stories for the trading card games that Mike has worked on.

You can find CCGhistory at:
Twitter.com/CCGhistory
Facebook.com/CCGhistory
YouTube.com/CCGhistory

[Music Credit: The Crypts — Rockin' Roman]

[[ Originally released as "TBP: Rare Slot" — a Bonus Episode of the former "The Booster Pack Podcast" ]]

Our mini-episodes are going to be titled the "The Booster Pack: RARE SLOT"... you know that place in The Booster Pack everyone is searching for!

These episodes will be a departure from our normal interview episodes. 

While the normal episodes are history-based, these mini-episodes are topic based. They will usually feature a guest & they will provide a place where this show can explore wider & more current topics.

For this mini-ep, we have taken an excerpt from our extended interview with Chuck Kallenbach.

In this exclusive clip, Chuck discloses some of the IPs that Decipher Inc was offered to make CCGs for but for one reason or another, they turned down. 

Later in the episode Chuck discusses a Magic: The Gathering event he held where people could play the game as originally intended. Constructed decks of only forty cards with no 4-of-a-kind card limits.

If you have a collectible trading card game related topic you would like hear talked about on these bonus episodes, you can let us know via email [email protected] or on one of our social / media platforms:

twitter.com/CCGhistory  
facebook.com/CCGhistory
Youtube.com/CCGhistory

Music Credit: Forget the Whale — Man Outta Town

Welcome to PART 2 of our interview with award-winning collectible card game designer Chuck Kallenbach.

In this episode Chuck talks about some of the IP-based card games he created from scratch. These include a games for the popular '.hack' anime/video game franchise & the legendary MegaMan character.

Chuck also talks about Decipher's attempt to revive the mechanics of the Star Wars CCG in their WARS game & shares his challenges on the Battlestar Galactica TCG for WizKids.

As the PART 2 to our previous episode, this one wraps up with the usual "Community Questions" & "Kracken Questions" segments 

(note: the community questions cover topics from both THIS episode & the previous PART 1 episode)

[Music Credit: The Crypts — Rockin' Roman]

[[ Originally released as "The Booster Pack". This show has since been retitled "Booster Pack Throwback" ]]

In this episode, Rands is joined by one of the most accomplished collectible game designers of all time: Chuck Kallenbach.

Since their introduction in 1993, Chuck has never stopped being involved with Collectible / Trading Card Games. His over his career, he has designed thousands of cards for over 25 games (both digital & physical). He is even the recipient of 2 Origin Awards for Best TCG Design.

In this first instalment of our interview Chuck shares his experiences working on some of popular culture's biggest properties: Star Wars, Star Trek & Lord of the Rings. He tells us about his experiences translating some of film's most loved characters into CCG game pieces & even tells us about the now-canon characters he got the chance to create for those properties.

Find CCGHistory:
twitter.com/CCGhistory
Facebook/CCGhistory

NOTE: This is only PART 1 of our Chuck Kallenbach interview. As this single episode will be split over 2 podcast, be aware that the shows closing segments (Community Questions & Kracken Questions) will only be featured in PART 2. The following instalment of this interview will be posted as The Booster Pack #008 within a week of this episode going live.

[[ Originally released as "TBP: Rare Slot" — a Bonus Episode of the former "The Booster Pack Podcast" ]]

Welcome to the first-ever mini-episode of The Booster Pack.

Our mini-episodes are going to be titled the "The Booster Pack: RARE SLOT"... you know that place in The Booster Pack everyone is searching for!

These episodes will be a departure from our normal interview episode. 

While the normal episodes are history-based, these mini-episodes are topic based. They will usually feature a guest & they will provide a place where this show can explore wider & more current topics.

For this first mini-ep, we have taken an excerpt from our extended interview with Bryan Winter.

In this exclusive clip Bryan discusses how the sudden & unexpected rise in the TCG / CCG market in 2020-21 has impacted him as a local game store owner. 

Bryan has a unique perspective on this issue as he was also at one time a CCG designer at one time as well (learn all about that in The Booster Pack Ep 6).

If you have a collectible trading card game related topic you would like hear talked about on these bonus episodes, you can let us know via email [email protected] or on one of our social / media platforms:

twitter.com/CCGhistory  
facebook.com/CCGhistory
Youtube.com/CCGhistory

Music Credit: Forget the Whale — Man Outta Town

[[ Originally released as "The Booster Pack". This show has since been retitled "Booster Pack Throwback" ]]

This episode Rands is joined by one of the most prolific CCG designers of all-time: Bryan Winter!

Bryan tells us about how he went from buying board games from a shelf in a bike shop to becoming a designer of games like DoomTrooper, Kult & The Crow CCG.

It is fascinating to hear Bryan talk about what inspired him to make the game design choices that he had made all those years ago. Bryan also shares some amazing stories about leaning some early help to the team creating Magic: The Gathering & how he almost created the first gaming in the Collectible Miniatures Game genre.

With so many great stories from Brian's unique perspective, this one is a must-listen for lovers of the Collectible Trading Card Game hobby!

[[ Originally released as "The Booster Pack". This show has since been retitled "Booster Pack Throwback" ]]

John Zinser returns to The Booster Pack to continue telling the story of his company, Alderac Entertainment Group, which he began in our very first episode.

This time John gives us an insider’s perspective for some of the most formative events in tabletop gaming history. 

The topics we cover include:

• The formation of Five Rings Publishing Group (the company that gave us games like Doomtown, the Dune CCG & Rage: Across Las Vegas)
• The role John & his partners played in one of gaming’s biggest-ever business deals: the sale of Dungeons & Dragons to Wizards of the Coast
• The rise & fall of the infamous 'Rolling Thunder' distribution model for Collectible Card Games
• The impact that Wizards of the Coast’s Trading Card Game patent had on the rest of the Collectible/Trading Card Game industry
• Getting an order from the US government to change the “Legend of the Five Rings” logo
• The origin of AEG’s Warlord: Saga of the Storm CCG
• …and plenty more, including questions from the community

This episode contains some previously untold stories & provides a fascinating insight into the hobby game industry & the business behind it. 

If you’re a fan of collectible games or just board games in general, this episode is a must listen.

Music Credits: The Crypts — Rockin’ Roman

[[ Originally released as "The Booster Pack". This show has since been retitled "Booster Pack Throwback" ]]

Rands talks to Jason Winter about his 25+ years as a professional geek.

Jason was one of the first people to be aware of Collectible Trading Card Games and within years of their arrival found himself working in the games industry.

He started his gaming career as a NetRep for Decipher Inc, the publisher of games like the Star Wars CCG, the Star Trek CCG & the Lord of the Rings TCG. Shortly after that he spent years as an Associate Editor of the leading games industry magazine SCRYE.

Before too long, he began designing cards for the Fullmetal Alchemist TCG which lead to the opportunity to co-create his own Collectible Trading Card Game for the classic 20th Century Fox action TV series "24".

Jason shares his years of wisdom with Rands & a unique perspective only one with a career so close to the TCG / CCG category can possess.

If you're a fan of Collectible Games or tabletop gaming in general, you owe it to yourself to check this episode out... 

Music Credit: The Crypts — Rockin' Roman
[Version 2.0 — This is the latest version of this episode, an earlier version was initially available but removed due to an audio issue]