Greyhawk Grumbler
| Greyhawk Grumbler | |
 |
|
| Logo | |
| Type: | Periodical |
|---|---|
| Author(s): | Eric Menge |
| Editor(s): | Creighton Broadhurst, LG Circle of Six: Core Region Admin[1] |
| Publisher: | WotC |
| First Published: | 2008 |
| Pages: | 2 |
| Class: | Officially published content |
| Setting date: | 598 CY |
The Greyhawk Grumbler is an in-character broadsheet newspaper/gossip column set in the Free City of Greyhawk.
Description
The Greyhawk Grumbler details "current" events from the point of view of a local resident and reporter, in the voice of the editor "Salume Sewiss". Sewiss writes in a snarky tabloid style, making cutting commentary about contemporary politics and happenings in the Free City and Domain of Greyhawk as a whole.
"The end of the sixth century saw the rise of the broadsheets in the City of Greyhawk. Being the home of six colleges and a prodigious number of scribes, Greyhawk was renowned for a literate population that craved news and entertainment, and the single-page broadsheets satisfied both needs. Costing a copper common each, the broadsheets compiled sensationalized stories with a breathtaking disregard of anything resembling fact-checking. The most notorious broadsheet was The Greyhawk Grumbler, edited and published by Salume Sewis. For a variety of reasons, I am convinced that the rascally Sewis was none other than Mizaab Zalen, a Greyhawk dragon who commonly masqueraded as a human in a variety of guises.
—Pluffet Smedger, the Elder
Royal University at Rel Mord
CY 998"[2]
Publication History
The Grumbler was produced three times in 2008.
Each Grumbler was published both as a webpage (on Wizarads.com) and as a downloadable two-page PDF, oriented as if it were printed front-and-back on a single sheet of paper, much as a real-world broadsheet would have been. Each issue covers different topics or new aspects of continuing events. Sections vary and there are no recurring columns or headline sections.
Even though the Grumbler does not specifically carry a Living Greyhawk logo, it was used by the campaign to popularize contemporary story elements.[3]
Sewiss does not appear in any other sources.
Reception
Trivia
The author, Eric Menge, created the name of the fictitious author, Salume Sewiss, as an anagram of Samuel Weiss as a tribute to the published Greyhawk creator who was also a prolific fan creator and a Living Greyhawk organizer.[4] Additionally, Menge wrote Sewiss as inspired by other writers and performers, saying Sewiss is "one-part Douglas Niles, one-part Terry Pratchet, and one part Stephen Colbert."[5]
He also discussed that although Pluffet Smedger the Elder stated his suspicion in-character in 998 CY, Sewiss never revealed or indicated his draconic nature in the text of the Grumbler. Menge said it was not just a suspicion of Smedger's—he intentionally wrote the character as if Sewiss were a later secret identity of Mizaab Zalen, a Greyhawk dragon resident of the Free City (also known as Sturtevant).[4]
Gallery
-
Greyhawk Grumbler #3 (2008).
External links
- Greyhawk Grumbler #1 at Archive.org.
- Greyhawk Grumbler #2 at Archive.org.
- Greyhawk Grumbler #3 at Archive.org.
References
Notes
Citations
- ↑ Menge, Eric, interview by K. Nolen, 06 February2024, Discord.
- ↑ Menge, Eric. The Greyhawk Grumbler. Wizards.com. WotC, 23 February 2008. Archived from the original on 01 November 2016. Retrieved on 6 February 2024.
- ↑ Menge, Eric, interview by K. Nolen, 21 Aug 2020, Discord. "I worked with Sam [Weiss], Creighton [Broadhurst], and Jason Buhlman who gave me events that they wanted seeded in the Grumbler. That was about half the articles. I then filled in the rest with nonsense pieces or slice of life articles."
- ↑ a b Menge, Eric, interview by K. Nolen, 21 Aug 2020, Discord.
- ↑ Menge, Eric, interview by K. Nolen, 8 May 2022, Discord.
Bibliography
- Menge, Eric. Greyhawk Grumbler #1 (text page or PDF). Wizards.com. WotC. Archived from the original on 01 November 2016. Retrieved on 14 June 2023.
- Menge, Eric. Greyhawk Grumbler #2 (text page or PDF). Wizards.com. WotC. Archived from the original on 01 November 2016. Retrieved on 14 June 2023.
- Menge, Eric. Greyhawk Grumbler #3 (text page or PDF). Wizards.com. WotC. Archived from the original on 31 October 2016. Retrieved on 14 June 2023.
Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index
The Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index (EGI) is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, continued by numerous other fans. The EGI article has a list of sources, product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.
| Topic | Type | Description | Product | Page/Card/Image |
|---|