Swords & Circuitry Studios

20/03/2023

We've got a big announcement today. Happy Monday to all our friends around the world! Check out the full program and schedule for
http://sbp.populr.me/shiehdowty67392vbdi

11/03/2023

Our submission portal on FilmFreeway is now OPEN for business! Here's a little something special we cooked up to set the mood.

26/02/2023

We've got something fun in the works. Stay tuned for our announcement!

26/04/2022

The International Mobile Film Festival will be back in person this weekend here in San Diego, and once again, Swords & Circuitry Studios is helping sponsor this event produced by S. Botello Productions. If you haven't bought tickets, you should definitely pick some up! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/international-mobile-film-festival-san-diego-2022-tickets-302280829097

11th Edition International Mobile Film Festival in San Diego. All films are shot with smartphones. Unique, interactive fun!

24/01/2022

Today with a heavy heart we must announce the passing of an important part of our extended Swords & Circuitry family. Jim Wible was an extremely gifted artist who created the original design of our logo that first appeared on the cover of our book "Swords & Circuitry: A Designer's Guide to Computer Role-Playing Games." He also created a number of the interior icons and illustrations. When we later evolved into an entertainment company, we carried forward Jim's design, and it remains the guiding inspiration behind our branding.

Jim worked with several other brands associated with fandom during his lifetime. He created logos and packaging for the gaming accessory makers, Mad Katz. He assisted in the development of comics for Steve Schanes, and created many other memorable cartoons for his friends and family. He provided volumes of television and film pitch materials for our partner Jimmy Diggs, and Jim was always ready to assist any of his friends in the pursuit of their creative ambitions. He loved Comic-Con International, and Tiki Oasis, and was an important member of the Beauty and the Beast fandom of Southern California.

In addition to all his fannish hobbies, he was also an illustrator for the U.S. government, and held some of the highest clearances available to a private citizen. He worked for the military and became especially close to the Marines because of his work for them. He was proud of the work he did for NASA, and most especially of the illustrations that he provided to them of the Hubble Space Telescope.

Jim left us this morning at the age of 72, leaving behind a large family of friends, relatives, and admirers who will greatly miss his smile, his laugh, and his considerable talent. Rest in peace dear friend.

28/06/2021

27/06/2021

Day 2 of LockDownCon kicks off at 1 PM Pacific Time with four hours of terrific programming about comics, writing, horror, and creating music for computer games! Watch on Facebook, Twitch, or at LockDownCon.com!

26/06/2021

Day 1 of LockDownCon 2021 officially kicks off at 10 AM Pacific Standard Time, featuring eight hours of panels on indie gaming, speculative fiction, reflections of the Greenwood Massacre in media, Star Trek, sea and space exploration, a spotlight on the children's show Botworks, podcasting, and wraps up with a musical performance from the amazing Digital Lizards of Doom! Watch on Facebook, Twitch, or on LockDownCon.com!

25/06/2021

Twenty four hours from now, we're setting sail on a voyage of exploration with Dr. Jyotika Virmani, Jonathan Knowles, and Sam Ortega to discuss exploration above, below, and everywhere in between. Join us for "Beyond the Sky, Below the Sea" RIGHT HERE on our LockDownCon FB page or tune in via any of these other platforms:

LockDownCon Official Website:
http://LockDownCon.com
Twitch
http://Twitch.tv/LockDownCon
YouTube
https://youtu.be/ZuYUh6k64cI

http://www.facebook.com/LockDownCon
http://www.facebook.com/SwordsAndCircuitry
http://www.facebook.com/nealiios

25/06/2021

Could we seriously consider ourselves a proper convention without a Star Trek panel? Fortunately we'll never have to figure out that nightmare scenario because we've got five excellent Treksperts who will be dropping in to discuss the critical ingredients of Star Trek. Join Larry Nemecek, Andre Bormanis, David Mack, Derek Tyler Attico, and Kelli Fitzpatrick exactly 24 HOURS FROM NOW for "But Is It Trek?" Watch it LIVE RIGHT HERE on our LockDownCon page, or watch from any of the platforms listed below!

LockDownCon Official Website:
http://LockDownCon.com
Twitch
http://Twitch.tv/LockDownCon
YouTube
https://youtu.be/ZuYUh6k64cI
http://www.facebook.com/LockDownCon
http://www.facebook.com/SwordsAndCircuitry
http://www.facebook.com/nealiios

25/06/2021

A focused look at the intersection of pop culture and real-world events.

Tomorrow our featured panel will be "Greenwood: Genre Reflections on the Massacre." We'll talk about the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre, how it has recently been reflected on TV and in the comics, and dig into its continuing impact today. Don't miss this important conversation with authors Carlos Moreno, Alverne Ball, John Jennings and Black studies & pop culture researcher Dr. Grace D. Gipson starting just 24 hours from now.

Watch us RIGHT HERE on our page LIVE, and bring your questions for the panelists! If you'd prefer to watch on other platforms, you can catch us through any of the following URLS:
LockDownCon Official Website:
http://LockDownCon.com
Twitch
http://Twitch.tv/LockDownCon
YouTube
https://youtu.be/ZuYUh6k64cI
http://www.facebook.com/LockDownCon
http://www.facebook.com/SwordsAndCircuitry
http://www.facebook.com/nealiios

25/06/2021

24 hours from now, LockDownCon II will continue with an epic panel on the fantastic worlds of Ilana C. Myer (The Poet King), Sheree Renee Thomas (Nine Bar Blues), David Mack (The Shadow Commission) and Michelle Renee Lane (Invisible Chains)!

Watch us RIGHT HERE on our page LIVE, and bring your questions for the panelists! If you'd prefer to watch on other platforms, you can catch us through any of the following URLS:
LockDownCon Official Website:
http://LockDownCon.com

Twitch
http://Twitch.tv/LockDownCon

YouTube
https://youtu.be/ZuYUh6k64cI

http://www.facebook.com/LockDownCon
http://www.facebook.com/SwordsAndCircuitry
http://www.facebook.com/nealiios

25/06/2021

What event is complete without a little end music to play us off? We'll chat with game composers Tony Manfredonia and Dan Policar on Sunday at 4:00 PM Pacific Time during LockDownCon II!

Visit LockDownCon.com for our full schedule!

LockDownCon II will finale this Sunday at 4 PM Pacific Time with this terrific panel with Tony Manfredonia and Dan Policar!

Composing a catchy theme can be challenging, but it's another level of difficulty altogether when you have to compose a piece of music which needs to be both emotionally evocative while also non-distracting from a gameplay standpoint. Users may hear the same track dozens, possibly hundreds of times in a loop, so how do you go about writing something interesting that won't get move the player to simply shut the music off? We'll tackle this very challenging genre of music composition with the experts.

Visit LockDownCon.com for our full schedule!

25/06/2021

24 HOURS UNTIL KICKOFF OF LOCKDOWNCON II!

In just 24 HOURS, we officially kick off LockDownCon II with "The Indie Games Revolution!" Watch us RIGHT HERE on our page LIVE, and bring your questions for the panelists! If you'd prefer to watch on other platforms, you can catch us through any of the following URLS:

LockDownCon Official Website:
http://LockDownCon.com
Twitch
http://Twitch.tv/LockDownCon
YouTube
https://youtu.be/ZuYUh6k64cI
(YouTube - Saturday programming)
https://youtu.be/4NP7LqDs65k
(YouTube - Sunday programming)
Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/LockDownCon
http://www.facebook.com/SwordsAndCircuitry
http://www.facebook.com/nealiios

24/06/2021

We're scarin' up some monstrous talent to share with you on our panel, "The Universal Appeal of Horror!" Join us LIVE this Sunday, June 27th at 3:00 PM Pacific time. Visit LockDownCon.com for our full schedule!

Join LockDownCon on Sunday, June 27th at 3:00 PM Pacific Time as Miguel Rodriguez, Michelle Renee Lane, Nancy Holder, and Jim Phillips plumb the eldritch depths of "The Universal Appeal of Horror!"

Horror is blanket term that actually covers a broad spectrum of sub-genres that span everything from ghosts, to gore, to existential dread. What is it about being scared or unsettled that continues to attract fans both across decades and across cultures? What can we learn about ourselves from these tales of terror?

Visit LockDownCon.com for our full schedule, and check our pinned post above to find out where you can watch & post questions for our panelists during the convention!

23/06/2021

LockDownCon organizer Neal Hallford checks in for a final pre-convention hello to let you know about the convention, and to tell you where you can watch our panels.

19/06/2021

Our literary LockDownCon Epic Authors panel returns with a fantastic lineup of speculative writers! Visit LockDownCon.com for our full schedule!

On Saturday, June 26th at 11:00 AM Pacific Time, the "OTHERworlds: Conversations With Epic Authors" panel returns with Ilana C. Myer (aka Ilana Teitelbaum), Sheree Renée Thomas, David Mack, and Michelle Renee Lane for a terrific discussion of their books and the worlds that they've created.

While fantasy, sci-fi, and horror show us glimpses of far off kingdoms, spooky old houses, or exotic alien planets, genre fiction often is rooted in issues and ideas that are a little closer to our everyday lives. We'll chat with our authors about their creations, and discuss the role that allegory might play in their various works of speculative fiction.

For more information on our full schedule, visit LockDownCon.com!

18/06/2021

Join us as our panel of Treksperts weigh in! Saturday, June 26th at 1 PM Pacific Time at LockDownCon.com!

18/06/2021

Be sure to catch our featured panel on Saturday, June 26th at NOON Pacific Time!

On Saturday, June 26th at NOON Pacific Time, please join authors John Jennings, Alverne Ball, Dr. Grace D. Gipson, and Carlos Moreno for "Greenwood: Genre Reflections on the Massacre."

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the burning of Greenwood, the worst, racially-motivated one-day massacre in modern American history. For many decades this event was not spoken of nor written about outside the Black community, but now, thanks to WATCHMEN; LOVECRAFT COUNTRY; ACROSS THE TRACKS: REMEMBERING GREENWOOD, BLACK WALL STREET, AND THE TULSA RACE MASSACRE; and other media reflections, an important event in our American history is finally being discussed in the mainstream. We'll talk about what Black Wall Street was, what happened in 1921, how these media reflections affect how we discuss real world issues, and also about how Greenwood continues to deal with the legacy of the burning.

For more information about our schedule and our guest lineup, please visit LockDownCon.com.

14/06/2021

Aspiring novelists, we've got a terrific panel lined up for you during LockDownCon II! Visit LockDownCon.com for information on our full schedule and guest lineup!

On Sunday, June 27th @ 2:00 PM Pacific Time Zara Altair, Desiree Duffy, and Nev March will chat with us about writing and "Getting That Novel Done!"

The cliche about everyone having a secret novel sitting in a drawer is more true than most people realize. Writer's block, the agonies of the second act, and imposter syndrome are all common obstacles that can keep someone from finishing their projects. Our panelists will discuss the challenges they faced, what they did in order to keep writing until they reach the finish line, and chat about their own journeys to publication.

For more information about our schedule and guest line-up, visit LockDownCon.com!

12/06/2021

Looking for a new podcast to follow? We'll be hosting the hosts of four different podcasts to talk about their shows and their techniques during LockDownCon!

09/06/2021

The latest developments for our upcoming convention during the weekend of June 26th - 27th.

09/06/2021

We have an epic comics panel this year for LockDownCon II!

On Sunday, June 27th at 1 PM Pacific Time LockDownCon 2021 will present "Across the Line: Comics In A Transmedia World" featuring a stellar line up of comics talent!

Comics are everywhere these days, and they are increasingly the source material from which movies and television are drawing inspiration. The writers and artists behind some of the hottest mainstream and indie comics chime in with their thoughts about the pervasive influence of sequential storytelling and how it may, or may not, have altered the way they create their works.

For information on our full schedule and guests, visit LockDownCon.com!

09/06/2021

San Diego's premier sci-fi, kung fu, punk rock, genre bending band is back for LockDownCon 2021!

The genre-shattering Digital Lizards Of Doom return for a live performance during our Saturday Night Satellite Transmissions programming for LockDownCon 2021!