May 31, 2011: And The Big Announcement Was . . . CONAN!

We've been teasing you for a while about our Big New Announcement. A couple of weeks ago we let slip that it would be for Munchkin. Saturday afternoon at Comicpalooza I went onstage to make the real announcement to 100+ fans and some random media (Hi, random media!):

It's Munchkin Conan the Barbarian!

Here's the full announcement!

Steve Jackson Games Announces: Munchkin Conan the Barbarian!

Conan is THE barbarian, defeating monsters, wizards, and whole armies, and this summer he'll hack his way back to the big screen with "Conan the Barbarian."

Munchkin is the ultimate card game of killing monsters and looting the bodies, with over a million games sold in 15 languages (and more on the way).

And now, Steve Jackson brings the two paragons of sword and sorcery together . . . in Munchkin Conan the Barbarian. "All the 'barbarian heroes' of gaming are directly inspired by Conan," Steve said. "When you think of Conan, you think of bloody fantasy action, horrible monsters, and epic loot – and that's Munchkin!"

"No one knows more about killing his foes and taking their stuff than Conan," said Munchkin Brand Manager Andrew Hackard. "The Paradox team are fans of Munchkin, and we love Conan, so this was a match decreed by the gods. The hardest part was cutting all the good stuff in the movie down to 15 cards."

"You think you're tough and can take on Khalar Zym or Marique? With this Munchkin booster you can give it your best shot – just be prepared to lose a level," said Joakim Zetterberg, Director of Publishing at Paradox Entertainment/Conan Properties.

Munchkin Conan the Barbarian will be a 15-card booster for the original fantasy-based Munchkin game. It will hit stores in August 2011. It's illustrated by John Kovalic with the perfect blend of humor and action. The official webpage is http://conan.worldofmunchkin.com.

"Conan the Barbarian" will be released nationwide on August 19, 2011. It features Jason Momoa in the lead role, supported by Stephen Lang, Rose McGowan, Rachel Nichols and Ron Perlman. The official movie webpage is http://www.conanthebarbarianin3d.com.

By Crom!

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And here's a pic of the Men In Black at Comicpalooza, with a table full of prototypes and demo games, and the Munchkin Conan the Barbarian and Munchkin Axe Cop banners. The MIBs were great, and helped keep me sane as I went back and forth between game stuff, the Lego display, and the thousand other things Comicpalooza had on offer.

PS - There were a lot of guesses about what we'd announce, and we had fun reading the wrong ones. Many of you were distracted by the cupcakes. No prizes for you! But one person (and, as far as I know, just one) guessed it right. @ExeltusPendragn sent us a private message on Twitter to say "Is it Conan?". Well spotted, sir! You nailed it! Until midnight May 31 of 2011, you may draw an extra face-up Treasure at the beginning of every turn after your first one!

-- Steve Jackson