The Healer
Chris Baldi (The Healer) is half of the dark partnership that founded Healing Fireball Publications. Born in New Jersey I was turned on to gaming in the third grade by a family friend. I quickly became fascinated with role playing and story telling and began to collect all the books I could get my hands on. By the time I reached college I had gamed on and off for several years with small groups of my friends. But it was in college where I was truly introduced to gaming culture as I joined the gaming guild that was a campus club. Throughout college I played regularly in several games and ran several successful campaigns. It was in these games that I was introduced to Kevin Flash Deakins and we quickly found that we often were of the same mind about the minutiae of gaming. In those days it was not uncommon for us to stay up late after a game dissecting the nights events and planning for the next game, much to the chagrin of the rest of our dorm. Now in my thirties, I continue to game regularly with Kevin and a small group of close friends. It was after one of these games that Kevin suggested to me that, since we make so much custom stuff to streamline or enhance our gaming experience, we should go in to the small press publishing business and allow the gaming community access to our gaming aids.
~Chris Baldi The Healer~
~March 10, 2008~
What Is A Healing Fireball Anyway?
Since creating this logo for our company name I have been asked this question or a similar one on several occasions. The simple answer to this question is that a healing fireball is something that makes you feel good as it incinerates you. The longer and true answer starts by knowing a little about the two primary authors and founders the company. Chris Baldi, while often relegated to being the game master, favors the healer or medic classes when he gets to play, and Kevin Deakins prefers the intelligent blaster or mage character. Thus, in one college campaign they created two of their favorite characters – a pacifist cleric healer and a not-so-pacified fire mage who were close friends. So when it came time to name the company I recalled these characters and how much fun they were and named the company after a short distinctive description for their preferred play style. Thus, Healing Fireball was born. The fact that it also was a good play on the concept of healing fires, which have been used in ancient times purify and cleanse, sealed the deal and the logo was born.
~Chris Baldi The Healer~
~March 25, 2008~