Your name: Justin Mohareb, but I am pretty well known as The Bitter Guy
Location: Milton, Ontario, Canada.
Age: 33
Sex: Male

Family: Married, two loving and forgiving parents, and two brothers who just keep making me look bad; they both have Master’s degrees, one in science, the other in Engineering.

Pets: Three cats, perpetuating a stereotype. My wife and I have had five cats in total, two of which we lost when they got sick. My wife also has cat themed light switch plates around the house.

Just to test the stereotype - Have you ever lived, or are you
currently living, in your parents' basement? Yes, I did. I wasted a
couple of years at University, then moved back in for a year (in the
basement) before going back to school for Journalism. It wasn’t that
bad, but it would have been better if it hadn’t been during an
economic slowdown period in a town that’s kinda dead in a region
that ain’t so hot to begin with. I’m just saying.

What is the most frightening thing you've ever done? Nearly
died in a car accident. Few things suck as much as waking up covered
in your own blood.

What is your favorite time of year, and why? I’m totally weak about Christmas. When it’s not too cold (just a few degrees below zero (Celsius)) and the snow is on the ground and there are lights on the trees, I get all happy.

What is your most prized physical possession? My copy of the first north American printing of Good Omens, signed by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I’d have the ability to stick to stuff. I’m very waffley. In fact, if I finish this, it’ll be a miracle.

What makes you cry? Almost anything makes me cry. I’m very sentimental. No, seriously. I get weepy at commercials and greeting cards.

What is your favorite section of the newspaper? The Sudoku. It’s absolutely addictive. I also like reading the regional news and the entertainment news, and the opinion pages, which generally just gets me angry.

If you could be one superhero, which hero would you be? I’d be a member of the Green Lantern Corps. The magic ring + the whole camaraderie thing would be great.

What is your favorite mode of transportation? My Smart Car. Greatest vehicle ever invented. Perfect for my daily commute, safe and fuel efficient.

What is one thing that you regret that you would go back and change if you could? I’d work harder in university. Maybe go to the strategy club less. It would have been nice to come out of there with something to show for it is all I’m saying.

What is the one thing you want to do before you die? Live to be 1000.

Tell us about your favorite RPG character that you've ever
played. Dieter, a Halfling lion-rider cleric. Second ed AD&D, he
was originally a priest of the hunting deity of the Forgotten
Realms, but I decided against that since the deity was neutral evil.
We had many adventures, even though the gaming group was
the most dysfunctional group ever. The DM’s girlfriend basically
ran the joint, and his cousin and I hated each other. We ended
up Spelljamming, and going to Kara Tur to learn Martial Arts.
Basically all the stuff that happens when your DM is just going
from module to module.

What was your first RPG session like? It was a game of D&D at a scouts camp. I died very quickly, I think intentionally. Actually, I know intentionally. Hey, I didn’t even get a saving throw! Man, that DM was a jerk.

What was your WORST RPG session like? Well, I’d go with the one above, if I didn’t have another one. I was playing in a Champions game at GenCon with my best friend Brad. He’d never played Champions, so I told him I’d help him along.

The GM was completely unprepared. I think it was a miracle he had ready character sheets. I’m not normally someone to judge someone harshly (okay, maybe I am), but the game started off poorly, and we were filled with dread. So Brad faked a cell phone call from his wife (“Oh, my phone is vibrating!”), and said there was an emergency, and told me we had to go. He saved my life that day.

I also played in a GenCon game of Wraith: the Great War that consisted entirely of a single very large dogfight. Now, I had to leave before it finished, but I don’t think we were getting out of the biplanes anytime soon. Which is a shame, because the ST had put together great little character sheets and researched actual flying aces of WWI for us, but I expect more from a Wraith game than Ace of Aces.

Who is your all-time favorite person to game with? Robin Laws is a great GM. I know this is no surprise to anyone. I just want to confirm it, though. Rich Ranallo once ran a game of Starchildren at GenCon that was possibly one of the most fun experiences I’ve ever had.

If I’m playing, I like to play with my friend Brad, as our brains work very well together. We very rarely get to do this, as our gaming group is so scattered if we get a game together it’s generally one of us who has to GM. But he was my partner in crime in the Starchildren game, and it was a blast.

Do you have anything gaming-related to plug? I’m currently the Gaming Coordinator for GX, the Canadian National Gaming Expo, held as part of FanExpo Canada - www.fanexpocanada.com. I encourage everyone in the area (Central Canada, the great lakes region) to attend, as we do our best to make it as fun as possible for everyone. And, hey, if you’re a publisher, artist or writer, contact us about being in our Small Press/Artist’s Alley area.