Brand Manager? Czar? Munchkin!

Every so often, valued staff members escape into the wild, to see what trouble they can get into. Some of them get into so much trouble that we never see them again, and that makes us sad. But some of them find their way back home, and that makes us cackle with glee and plot new devious ways to exploit their talents.

One such returning staffer is Andrew Hackard, our first hire of 2009. Andrew spent over two years wearing the Managing Editor hat. He helped bring many projects to life, but none was as big as GURPS Fourth Edition in 2004. Shortly after that, he pursued other opportunities. (The rumors of padded cells and quiet rooms by the sea have never been conclusively proven.)

When we started talking about bringing Andrew back, he said he'd done the Managing Editor thing, and wanted something challenging. We said, "OK, smartypants, you're the Munchkin Brand Manager." He insisted on Munchkin Czar, so we compromised: he'll have business cards with both titles, and use whichever one seems less likely to get him shot by revolutionaries.

Be careful what you wish for, Andrew . . .