Hi!

I'm a bit amazed that I haven't stumbled across this corner of the internet before, as it combines two of my great loves: mapping and imaginary worlds.

I started playing D&D 30 years ago and I've been following various roleplaying systems and worlds ever since. Honestly, though, my interest in actually *playing* RPGs has waned a bit since college. I still very much enjoy world creation, but we'll blame the busyness of adult life and the ease of playing computer games for my lack of recent tabletop RP experience.

Playing D&D was my first experience really enjoying maps and mapping. (Remember that isometric map of Castle Ravenloft? That was so awesome!) It led to an interest in architecture that lasted up until time to pick a major in college. At the time, I was too intimidated by the artistic side of architecture, particularly the drafting and drawing. I spent a bit of time as a Computer Science major, until I stumbled across a geography class.

I enjoyed learning about the people and places in the world so much that I switched majors to Geography. With my background in Computer Science I had a bit of an advantage some very new sub-fields that were just starting to take off: GIS and computerized mapping. After getting my BS in Geography, I worked for a time as a CAD draftsman making topo maps for an aerial photography firm and then making legal maps of sewer service areas for the Sanitation District. Don't let anyone tell you mapping isn't glamorous!

Eventually, though, I married and my wife moved with her job, winding up in Los Angeles. I went with her and started a second career as a stay-at-home-dad. In my spare time, I've been working on a world-building project centered around a post-apocalyptic Los Angeles. Part of the fun of this project is learning about the area that I currently live in. The maps I produce might have a bit more of a basis in reality than some of the other maps on this site. While I add some fictional elements, I do want to keep Southern California as recognizable as possible.

I've primarily been using Photoshop, basically as a sort of ghetto GIS for organizing my thoughts. I hadn't even really considered making a map as a finished product until stumbling across this site. (Imgur led me to /r/imaginarymaps which led me here).

Anyway, I'm looking forward to learning as much as I can here, and hopefully upping the artistry of my maps.