samred.com | ©2012 Sam Machkovech

Yep. And they gave me a spiffy URL: http://theatlantic.com/sam-machkovech. Visit that link for my music column at their new Culture portal. My columns run about every two weeks. Whee!

The short answer: samred.com doesn’t have much content up because I’ve been busy at PubliCola.net, Seattle’s News Elixir, as its GameNerd columnist. Additionally, my freelance work for magazines and my tutoring work for 826 Seattle have filled out most of my free time. If you’re anxious to see what I’m up to, hit up PubliCola, subscribe to my Twitter feed, or be a pal and send e-mail (contact info, as always, is linked in the left sidebar).

If you don’t see another update at samred.com in the near future, assume that 2010 is treating me well. Hope yours is, too.

Effective this week, I am joining Seattle news and arts outlet PubliCola.net as its GamesNerd. I have been proud to write about gaming for over two years in Seattle, and with PubliCola, I look forward to intensifying that writing with more local coverage and, as a result, more national impact.

A few things you can expect:

* PubliCola.net will be home to the city’s most comprehensive coverage of this weekend’s Penny Arcade Expo, full of panel impressions, hands-on game reports, and chats with the region’s most promising indie game makers. It’s the biggest gaming festival in the nation—not to mention the first hobbyist con to ever sell out in the Seattle area—and I’m proud to once again deliver the coverage that its rabid fanbase merits. Keep your eyes on PubliCola this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for PAX impressions, or come back after the Labor Day holiday for a comprehensive wrap-up.

* Within the next week, my first feature will debut for PubliCola. My report on the state of Seattle’s games industry doesn’t just tell the history, nor does it settle on congratulating our status as top gaming zone in the nation. It takes a hard look at why the industry has remained the region’s cultural stepchild for so long and how it can shine in the face of a down economy.

* Weekly updates at PubliCola will go beyond the typical reviews-driven fare, seeking out our region’s game makers, promoters, and players to tell the best gaming stories in the region.

If you’re a part of the regional games scene—from the biggest producer to the lowliest clan member—don’t hesitate to contact me. I’d love to feature you in future articles at PubliCola. Contact info is in the sidebar to the left. Thanks for reading, and I’m excited about dragging you along to my nerdiest career move yet.

Sam Machkovech
GamesNerd, PubliCola.net

Portfolio samples and contact info are linked in the column to the left.