Sam Maggs

💚ECCC 2026💚 Seattle, you are always SO GOOD to me!!

Emerald City is my favourite Artist Alley of all the cons, and it was such a joy to be back. There are no fans like Critters and I am so damn lucky to be even a peripheral part of this universe and family. What a blast!!

Thank you so much to everyone who came to say hi, to buy my books, to tell me what my work has meant to them. You have no idea how much it keeps me going. It’s truly the thing that gets me to sit back down at my computer and create again.

TIL NEXT TIME, SEATTLE 💚🙏🏼

✨🍁SUIT DESIGNED IN CANADA🍁✨

As soon as I found out I’d be hosting the GDCAs, I knew I had to wear something that represented the culture and talent of my home. I was so lucky to find this gorgeous suit by , who had it rushed to me to make sure it arrived in time for the show!

Lesley is an Anishinaabe artist, designer, inclusivity activist, and speaker on Indigenous entrepreneurship and diversity in fashion. I felt so fortunate to be able to wear and showcase one of her pieces on a worldwide stage. (The beading around the lapel!! Can you get over!!).

Miigwetch 🙏🏼 Lesley, and don’t forget to continue to support small Canadian creators whenever you can 🇨🇦✨🍁

😈AI S.A.M.😈 art by and voiced by 🥹🙏🏼❤️

I knew immediately when sitting down to write the GDCAs that I wanted to frame the show around an AI trying to steal my job the whole time. But the AI needed a face, and a voice—and that meant I needed collaborators way more talented than I!!

ENTER GAME CONCEPT ARTIST Katie Conard (who is AVAILABLE TO HIRE!). Katie crushed the concept, and even colour-coordinated her to match the GDCA scheme. Watching the concepting process was such a blast—she is SO CRAZY TALENTED AND FUNNY—and I’m so lucky to have been able to work with Katie on this. 🙏🏼

AND SPEAKING OF LUCKY, the beautiful connected me with the absolutely brilliant who jumped onto the idea right away, and was instrumental in shaping the script and voice for AI S.A.M. They are such a phenomenal collaborator and artist and truly just a dream to have on-stage. I cannot believe with how busy they are and how many moving pieces there were (with very limited rehearsal time!) that we pulled this off, thanks to their skill and professionalism 🙏🏼

AI S.A.M. lives on in my heart (and in hell) 🥰💙💜

🌀GDC 2026 PT 1🌀 Surprise MASSIVE Tibs at final slide btw

My heart is so full and my head is absolutely brimming with inspiration after this week. Things are so hard out there right now, but the people in this industry somehow just get kinder and cooler and more wonderful.

This was such a whirlwind—between the honour of hosting the GDCAs (!!) and moderating my FIRST EVER GDC panel (!!!) and helping students to find their path forward, it was so much fun from start to finish.

Meeting and seeing all of you was SUCH A DAMN JOY. you have my heart and gratitude. you got me on that damn stage. kept me alive through back-to-back shows. Let’s do it again next year✨🥰

✨TONIGHT 6:30pmP ✨ GDC AWARDS LIVE on TWITCH✨

I’ll be hosting (and writing and producing ET CETERA!!) the ceremonies tonight and I can’t wait. See you in person—OR you can watch live on the GDCFestivalofGames !!

I am so grateful for this incredible opportunity. So many people collaborated with me and helped get this thing over the finish line. I’m so lucky to know so many kind and generous and talented folks who came together to make this show what it is. The GDC internal team has been a dream. So lucky.

SEE YOU TONIGHT twitch.tv/gdcfestivalofgaming