This issue: (Y The hero we deserve Seen something worth sharing? Contact: Cheryl Minns, Arts Editor (Y No one can hear you scream Marts@theotherpress.ca Y Just the beginning for Virginia to Vegas www.theotherpress.ca And more! Kickstarter in the Community: Monsteropus mania » Knitted monsters project gains huge support Cheryl Minns & Arts Editor Marts @theotherpress.ca Wie Rena Varsakis isn’t busy with archeology work, she’s designing knitting patterns for clothes, accessories, and toys. For her latest design, a pattern fora monster-themed, octopus-like knitted toy called monsteropus, she put the project on Kickstarter with a modest funding goal of $50. “I had some sketches that I'd been working on, developing several different kinds of knit toys. This is the first one,” Varsakis, a Douglas College alumna, told the Other Press. “I just wanted to cover my costs, and if I got anything more than that it would go towards developing the other designs.” Now, with more than $350 pledged to the project, she’s started adding stretch goals and additional rewards for backers. For the smaller reward tiers, backers can get the digital knitting pattern, a three-inch baby monsteropus, or a six-inch grown-up monsteropus. For the larger reward tiers, backers can receive up to four monsteropus creatures, including a family set : with one grown-up and three : babies. Each of the monsteropus : creatures is customizable, with : multiple options for yarn colour, : eye colour, yarn type, and mouth : style, which can be a smile, an X, : or no mouth at all. “I hope people have fun with : them,” Varsakis said. “I’ve had a : lot of fun with them myself” The Kickstarter campaign : began on October 25, just a few : days before Halloween, which : was a happy coincidence for : Varsakis since she’s trying to get : funding for monster-themed : toys. “I wanted to do it before : Christmas, so it wouldn’t run : into December,’ she explained. : “I didn’t even think about : Halloween, yet that’s when I : planned it. It was pretty cool.” After running a Kickstarter : campaign in September to raise : funds for creating a knitting : pattern book called Woodland : Animal Knits, Varsakis has : learned a few strategies to make : the monsteropus campaign a hit. “It was different because : it was fora book for knitting : animals and not as tangible. : People seem to like tangible : rewards, so that’s how I came to : do this project,” she said. “Usually I don’t sell : finished objects. I usually just : sell patterns. But I decided to : experiment a little this time,” : she said, noting that offering the : finished monsteropus instead of : just the pattern has drawn more : interest. Varsakis began her journey : into knitting about 10 years ago : when she was in graduate school : reading scholarly journals all : day. “I needed something : physical to do with my hands : that I would see as a result,” she : said, explaining that knitting : was the answer. She learned to knit from : online tutorial videos during : the early days of YouTube, : which led her to designing : knitting patterns and selling : knitted items on her website, : theredfoxandgown.com. Varsakis often makes her knitting projects using yarn : dyed by her sister Krista’s : company, RainCityKnits, in : Vancouver. The company offers : bright, colourful, high-quality, : and ethically made yarn at : raincityknits.com. To learn more about : Varsakis’ monsteropus or to : support the project, check : out Happy Monsteropus on : Kickstarter.com | Rena Varsakis with monsteropus creatures Chairman of the Board: Hail to the king » ‘King of Tokyo’ board game review Ed Appleby iHustrator M illustrator @theotherpress.ca Qn days you want a nice quiet tea with your friends. Other days you want to knock down buildings and eat a bus. This is a game for the latter. King of Tokyo isa dice- rolling game for two to six players, designed by Richard Garfield and published by IELLO in 20n. Each player controls a giant monster bent on ravaging the metropolis of Tokyo, and takes turns powering based on mitigating risk. You damaging other players. Because : need to know when to attack, eine piaye’s. : when to retreat, when to focus up, healing, scoring points, or there can only be one King, the : last one standing or the first : player to reach 20 points wins. The game is fun and fast, : lasting around 30 minutes. : Like a lot of high-theme games, : there is a lot of room for role- : players to adopt the personas of : their characters, like the giant : monkey, the robotic dragon, or : the bunny-piloted mech suit. In : other high-theme games such : as Gloom or The Red Dragon : Inn, playing in-character is very : important for gameplay, whereas : with King of Tokyo you can still : play the game straight and have : lots of fun. A lot of the gameplay is : on gaining power, and when : to focus on gaining points. : All of the characters start out : balanced, so personal strategy : comes heavily into play. There : are expansions that add : characters and add character- : specific powers to the mix, : and, unlike most expansions I : have played, they don't overly : complicate the game. Garfield is known for his : high-theme games, and I found : King of Tokyo refreshingly : simple compared to his other : game, the extremely complex : and ubiquitous Magic: The : Gathering. It isa really fun game, : great for family and friends, : especially if you are a fan of : kaiju.