Why Choose the Name Hydra Hobbies?

Greetings Adventurers! The short answer to the question? It is an homage to a simpler time when my brother and I were in middle school and dreamed of opening up a hobby/FLGS. It was a pipe dream of two kids wishing for a game store in a very small Wisconsin town. We came up with the name Hydra Hobbies and thought it was cool.

The long and thoughtful answer? I've always loved that name and kept it in my mind over the decades. When I was thinking of what I would call my company, one that would create game materials, it was a no-brainer to use it. Although it does symbolize quite a bit more. The idea of a multi-headed beast has been around since the time of ancient Greeks and I've always been a fan. Ever since I saw Jason and the Argonauts (1963) and read stories of Greek mythology I've loved the Lernaean Hydra or Hydra of Lerna as a concept and throughout the years have included that monster in many of my games. In science class I was mesmerized by watching real Hydras getting parts cut off and regenerating! I even own a couple of them in several forms including paper, cardboard, plastic and metal miniature, and no, I don't own any of the hydrozoan polyps. That would be weird.

There is a symbolism to the multi-headed hydra that I want in my company. The multi-heads are to represent the multiple genres and game systems that I want to develop products for. I know many game companies out there specialize in only one genre (like just Medieval Fantasy) or only one system like only for the world's first roleplaying game (any edition). I want Hydra Hobbies to encompass a whole bunch of systems and a whole bunch of genres! Just like me, I dabble in not just fantasy RPGs but Sci-Fi, Military, Historical, Supers, Cinematic, and all sorts of other genres, I want Hydra Hobbies to do the same. Another aspect I want to emphasize is the ability of a Hydra to regenerate its lost heads. I want to embrace the ability to move on if something goes wrong. Let's say that one of my ideas is a bomb, a real stinker, or that it just doesn't float well with you adventurers out there. Well, I can just "cut it off" and then move on with another just like the Hydra regenerating a new head! Perhaps there will be a Hydra or two in my upcoming adventures? We shall see (hint hint.)