by Eric Poses | 05 Sep 2023
Biographies and Interviews
In 1997, I drove around the country (at the age of 23) for 16 weeks with a carload of my first board game invention, Loaded Questions®. At each stop, I would demo my game for local game stores and call on local media to cover my story. By the end of the trip, Loaded Questions was featured in many of the top dailies and available at dozens of the country’s top specialty game stores.
Fast-forward 26 years…
On the eve of me embarking on yet another sales & marketing adventure to promote my new Loaded Questions Greatest Hits game (and all my other family/party games), I started reflecting on the many personal and cultural differences between my initial road trip and the start of tomorrow’s trip, dubbed “The Mid-Life Crisis Tour”. For example, one of the stores I sold to in 1997 was a popular Seattle-based game store chain called “Turn Off The TV”. I realized that store today would likely be called “Put Down Your Phone”. The Internet was in its infancy. There was no smart phone. Bill Cosby was America’s dad. It was a simpler time.
While I’m sure my time on the road will reveal a number of other differences, here are 10 that came to mind before I finish packing, sending out last minute emails, and trying to get a new night’s sleep before I become a traveling salesman these next six weeks.
Play Nine: A Casual Card Game Built by Word-of-Mouth All the Way to the Shelves of Target
Book Review: A Lot Like Batman
Game Review: UNO
Game Review: Jenga
Book Review: PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie Books
Ted Fischer, Co-Founder and CEO of Ageless Innovation, on Unleashing the Power of Play
Lisa Wallace Shares how "I’m The Chef Too!" Moved from Her Kitchen to Kitchens Everywhere!
Hasbro's Tanya Thompson on Women Innovators of Play
Toy industry rebels build an invention studio from zero to one
Attention Toys and Games Marketers: Is it time for Tums or Veuve Clicquot?
Randy Klimpert Shares his Ukulele Collection
Steve Casino Peanut Art
Everyone's Talking about POP!
Princess Etch - a Multi-Talented Etch A Sketch Artist
Joseph Herscher of Joseph' s Machines.
Tom Dusenberry... Bought Atari, Wizards of the Coast, and Avalon Hill!
Matt Leacock created Pandemic... the game!
Scott Brown and Tim Swindle... are Launching a New Sport!
Daryl Andrews says... "GO TO CONVENTIONS!"
Ed Gartin is... the Evel Knievel of Inventor Relations!
POPDuo: Richard Dickson, Mattel’s President & COO, and Kedar Narayan, Young Inventor Challenge AMB
POPDuo: Will Shortz and Josh Wardle
POP Duo: Elan Lee, Co-Founder, Exploding Kittens.and Jeff Probst, Host and Exec Producer, Survivor
POP Duo: David Fuhrer, MNG Director, Blue Sq Innovations & Shawn Green, past Dodgers & Mets MLB Star
POP Duo: Bob Fuhrer, Founder, Nextoy and Tom Fazio, Golf Course Designer