The Origins Awards were held on Friday, July 5, 2002. The event was interesting -- a mix of tuxedos and t-shirts, with a crowd that knew the nominees and winners much better than the celebrity presenters did.
Event MC James Ernest, head of Cheapass Games, started the show by displaying some of the skills that allowed to be a professional juggler at one time. Ernest's dry sense of humor was evident throughout the show.
Author Michael Stackpole, who has penned some Star Wars novels, presented the awards in the Periodicals and Fiction category. As someone who has written for the game industry, he made for a superb presenter.
Kevin Barrett, game designer for WizKids, accepts an award in the Miniatures and Miniature Games category as Games Workshop's Andy Chambers -- who presented those awards -- looks on.
Celebrity presenter Carrie Dobro, who stars in the Babylon 5 spinoff Crusade.
Andrew Looney of Looney Labs accepts the award for Best Abstract Board Game, which he won for Cosmic Coasters.
This man, whose name I didn't catch, accepted awards on behalf of Avalon Hill, which won for Best Historical Board Game (Axis and Allies: Pacific) and Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Board Game (Risk 2210 AD).
Julie Caitlin Brown, best known as Na'Toth on Babylon 5, was another of the celebrity presenters.
Even out of focus, John Kovalic, creator of Dork Tower and illustrator extraordinaire, was the big winner of the night. He took home the award for Best Professional Game Periodical (Dork Tower) and Best Illustration (cover of Dork Shadows), and accepted awards for games he illustrated (Apples to Apples, Munchkin).
Celebrity presenter Marjorie Monohan, who has appeared on Star Trek: Voyager, Babylon 5, Space Rangers, Rescue 77, and other television shows, in addition to several films.
The game Zombies!!! won the award for Best Graphic Presentation of a Board Game. Todd A. Breitenstein and David Aikins of Journeyman Press accepted.
Guido Teuber accepted an entry into the Adventure Gaming Hall of Fame on behalf of his father, game designer Klaus Teuber. Teuber's Settlers of Catan has sold more than 6 million copies (including expansions) in Germany alone since being published in 1995.
John Rhys-Davis, who starred as Gimli in Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings, presented the award for Game of the Year. It went to Hackmaster, a roleplaying game.
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