COMMUNITY CONNECTION
Highlighting artists, designers, and publishers through interviews is one way we are building our community. The people we highlight are doing great work and have shared their goals, ambition, and knowledge about the industry. The Community Connection interviews hopefully will expose people to the great games and art being created as well as the people behind them. Below you will find links to the people that have been interviewed (click their portrait) and their works.
KATIA HOWATSON
Katia Howatson is an artist and board game enthusiast. When she is not playing games, she is making board game component mosaics. These beautiful works of art have been reproduced in a high quality calendar comprised of 13 works of art inspired by publishers such as Stonemaier, Gamelyn, Board & Dice and many more!
TRISTAM ROSSIN
Tristam Rossin is a designer and Illustrator living in Manchester, England.
He’s spent the last 20 years working in illustration, design, marketing and web development.
After being made redundant three years ago, his eight-year-old daughter returned home one evening with a board game she had designed. He figured he would try and do the same and has never looked back. Three years later Tris has had two games signed, and has developed the art and design for over a dozen publications.
AMI BAIO
Ami Baio is a game designer living and working in magical Portland, Oregon. Previously a massage therapist, writer, and personal trainer, Ami brings her unique experience in self-care, storytelling, and personal growth to make games that are creative and kind.
JOE SLACK
Joe Slack is a professional board game designer and author of the #1 international best-selling book, The Board Game Designer's Guide, along with 2 other books on game design. He has taught Game Design and Development at Wilfrid Laurier University and runs the Board Game Design Course, an online course for new game designers. Joe has many games at various stages, from development to Kickstarter completion to signed to published.
ELI BEAIRD
Eli, was born and raised in the Bay Area. Known for his enthusiasm for comics and board games, and a long time manga/comic and tabletop game enthusiast, he thought it was only natural to create his own. Creating a small studio called Slim Studio, which creates games and graphic novels. With a bachelor's degree in Motion Graphic Design he is responsible for content, design, and art. He has always been motivated to create stories games that connect people with every project.
TATIANA QUIGLEY
With over 5 years experience making games and toys, and a bachelor’s degree in cartoons, Tatiana has established a very broad skillset ranging from illustration, 3D product design, rapid prototyping, and more! Although her passion for learning and experimentation sometimes goes to the extreme, she is a professional who always gets the job done.
Her work is often inspired by characters she fall in love with while reading, with her biggest influences being fantasy and science fiction. While she aspires to be on the level of great illustrators like Dean Cornwell, Syd Mead, and JC Leyendecker, she's willing to take a little longer to make toys in her garage. Above all things she am passionate about art and making things, and she couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
ANTHONY HORE
Anthony Hore is a professional graphic designer and illustrator with a passion for gaming. The Pet Cemetery is Anthony's first board game design that is launching on Kickstarter with plans for more games to come in the near future. He is passionate about game design and truly believes a well-made game is good for the soul. It brings people together, fosters creativity, and can sometimes even help players practice life skills, such as patience, restraint, and sportsmanship.
JONATHAN THWAITES
While Jonathan has been developing games as a hobby for as long as he can remember, prior to becoming a professional board game designer, he went to university to become a youth counselor. He then worked for over a decade as a District Health & Safety Manager and National POS tech for a major food service company. When he originally took the leap and went full time into the boardgame industry, he worked first for a small publisher called High Roller Games.
In 2017 he partnered up with a local entrepreneur and they started OOMM Games.
Jonathan has many games published, both from his own company and through his
previous employer, and even more at various stages of development. Today he
juggles his time between his family, running the company, designing new games,
mentoring new designers, and teaching a free Board Game Design Course.
MATT AND ROSIE PARRISH
Matt and Rosie Parrish are the couple behind the card game Bots Up, which launches on Kickstarter on 15th September 2020. They work in graphic design and the video game industry but this is their debut tabletop project together.
WESLEY WOODBURY
Wesley Woodbury is a board game designer and publisher, Podcast host of Kickstarter Journeys, and is always willing to share ideas and knowledge. He is the manager of FunDaMental Games.
All of the games created by FunDaMental Games have been designed by Wesley Woodbury.
AARON AND KEYAN
Aaron Griffin and Keyan Kenny are the co-founders of Key & Griffin Games. Keyan is an art director, board game enthusiast, and game creator. No stranger to games of all kinds, he's spent every possible minute playing, designing, or even just imagining games since the tender age of 5 (on record, anyway). Their debut game is Card Bard.