Danielle Reynolds interviews JC Wollslager (he/him), a freelance creative services generalist for the tabletop gaming industry. JC, who identifies as a gay man and relationship anarchist, shares his experiences coming out in a conservative Christian household, where both he and his sister were outed when his sister’s ex-girlfriend sent an email to their mom. JC also recounts his pivot from an interest in video game design to board game design, detailing prototypes like Spellbook Scramble, Too Many Tabs, and his unconventional pitch game Put This Game Away. JC shares how pitching at Gen Con revealed that publishers loved his video trailers, sell sheets, and presentation far more than his game mechanics, inspiring him to stop faking it as a designer and embrace his true strengths. Today, he provides videography, photography, and 3D rendering services to help indie board game publishers bring their visions to life. Connect with JC at jcw.gay. 

In the Seasons of Pride bonus segment, Clara Mount chats with illustrator and graphic designer Tamora Lawrence (she/her). Tamora shares how growing up trans influenced her perspective on art, drawing inspiration from Disney villains, monsters, and artistic influences like Bill Watterson, Don Bluth, and Peter Mohrbacher. She discusses the story behind her November calendar piece, which depicts two figures walking arm in arm down a forest path during the shift from autumn to winter, and she reveals the locations of the animals she hid in the woods. You can see more of Tamora’s art on Instagram at @tamsunlaw.