About The Diplomatic Pouch

Yes, it's true (*sob*), I have permanently given up the Editorship of The Diplomatic Pouch Zine.

As the founder of The Diplomatic Pouch (which was originally founded as just a Zine, and only grew to become all that it is later), I held on to the editorship of the Zine with a motherly instinct.

As everyone in the hobby knows, though, the Zine started to fall lower and lower on my list of duties to the hobby, and this showed in its continually slipped publication schedule, etc. Eventually, I was like a Johnny Carson (a cultural reference that probably only Americans who are my age and older would understand), with regularly (and irregularly) scheduled guest-editors taking over when it was obvious I wasn't getting to The Zine. I have finally been convinced that the time has come for me to step aside in order to ensure that the pre-eminent Diplomacy Zine does not continue to suffer.

Edward Hawthorne has either been cajoled or flattered or otherwise tricked into taking over permanently as the editor of The Zine. I believe that the hobby will find that Edward will re-inject the enthusiasm and dedication to publication and service that had always been the hallmark of The Zine before I got busy doing so many other things for the hobby.

I retain my position as benevolent ruler and arbitrary dictator over all things Pouch-related. I reserve the right to go in and change anything that the DP Council does on the visible pages of "my" Pouch. Additionally, with the recent promotion of the DPjudge (the Web- and e-mail based adjudicator to which the vast majority of my previously-Zine-editing time has been spent) to a full-fledged part-and-parcel of The Pouch -- a "section" on the same level as The Zine, the Online Resources, the Face-to-Face, the Postal, the E-Mail, and the Showcase sections -- I also will still be involved on the council as a maintainer of one such major section.

As everyone knows, the other thing that I have taken on which has taken me away from The Zine -- founding and running the Association of Rocky Mountain Area Diplomacy Adversaries -- will only eat up more of my time over the coming year, with the decision to host World DipCon XIII here in Denver. As such, handing over the reins of The Zine, cutting the umbilical cord as it were (painful as it was for me), was something that simply had to be done for the good of The Zine.

Also, I know that Edward will quickly and ably show that it was definitely done for the good, and not for the worse. Edward has already impressed me greatly with his devotion to the hobby, The Pouch, and especially The Zine. I am tremendously confident that the right choice has been made for a new permanent editor, and I trust that the rest of the hobby will agree.

I also hope to be able to devote more of my time to actually writing articles for The Zine. In fact, here in Edward's first issue, my personal favorite article series -- Sherlock Holmes, Consulting Diplomat -- makes a reappearance, courtesy of yours truly. It is my hope that I can regularly present Holmes mysteries for the readership.

I am very excited at the changes at The Pouch, and I believe that everyone will see the long-needed return to regular and voluminous publication that the hobby deserves from The Pouch.

While I have an audience, I wish to thank Simon Szykman for his dedication to the Online Resources Section -- he's been there with me ever since The Pouch became more than a zine. To the rest of the DP Council -- Tim, Ry4an, Doug, Hans, Stephen, and Matt -- a repetition of my deep appreciation for all you do as well! And of course, David Kovar, who has devoted so much time, energy, and resources to the cause of The Pouch. Don't worry, guys; I'm still around, so get to work. ...Because Edward, our newest council member, is about to show you all up.

Stab you soon,
Manus
Founder of The Pouch and its Zine
And Now Zine Editor Ex-Oficio

Enjoy The Pouch, Edward Hawthorne Zine Editor (edward@diplom.org)