#issue 6

Inside front cover: Cutouts of your TPU History Professors… …and others.

Prof. P. Foglio Transylvania Polygnostic University Dept. of Irrefutably True History Narrator #1

Prof. K. Foglio Transylvania Polygnostic University Dept. of Irrefutably True History Narrator #2

Inside back cover: It's true, we're almost out of airships and submersibles… for now, anyway. The last one wouldn't fit on the page, no matter how I turned it around. Argh. So the last one will be here next issue, and then I can make my mobile! Huzzah! Danger! Cut from the other side! Well, from the response of our friends and several readers, the goldfish seems to be the most popular character in the book. Sigh. Suspend it in a jar and you'll have a lovely low-maintenance pet.

THE OFFICIAL TPU STUDENT ID CARD: You can fill out the card, stick your photo on it and have it laminated. Whee! We'll be doing one of these every year. Student numbers are only valid for future promotions if assigned by the University. Instructions for official TPU registration are to be found on page 40.

Back cover:

The penultimate tiny submersible. Also a special cutout of the fish and this year's TPU student ID card. Whew. Carassius Auratus- life size-ish! Be sure to cut from this side.

The instructions from page 40, referred to on the inside back cover, are below:

TRANSYLVANIA POLYGNOSTIC UNIVERSITY STUDENT REGISTRATION-WHAT TO DO WITH THE ID CARD ON THE COVER The Student ID card on the back cover of this magazine is mostly for fun. But if you want to be on our mailing list and get an official student number, send your name, "major", address, and e-mail (optional) to TPU Registration c/o Studio Foglio 2400 NW 80th St #129 Seattle WA 98117-4449 USA or fill out the form that we're putting up at www.transylvaniapolygnostic.com

And we'll send you a student number and a report card. For those of you who already sent your info in and are waiting for your number, it'll be on its way soon. The school records department was on sabbatical for a while. Sorry about that. We don't share or sell our mailing lists, because we think that sort of thing is vile and we hate it when other people do it to us.

Additional content before the comic: Our story thus far. Additional content after the comic: Girl Genius fan art by professional comic book artist Rich Larsen, A Letter to Our Readers, The Girl Genius Secret Cypher Society

Sample page: A Letter to Our Readers

This page was posted at slightly higher resolution than the covers because of all of the text, but most of the text is also below:

A LETTER TO OUR READERS An Explanation, Update and Apology From Professors Foglio & Foglio To Our Loyal Transylvania Polygnostic University Students Hello, everyone. We are very sorry that we had to push back the release date of this issue. We had some problems late in 2001 that caused us to miss the shipping deadline for our major distributor, and so had to begin the solicitation process all over again. Sadly, we are a very small publishing house and have too few people doing too much work. In addition, the work that we are doing is something that we plan to keep in print forever, and it is important to us to do the best job that we can. So we were late this time, and we apologize profusely. The next issue is hot on the heels of this one, and then we will revert to our usual quarterly schedule. We are far enough ahead now that we think things should go more smoothly in the future.

Please note that we have changed the name of the publishing company to Airship Entertainment. Now seemed as good a time as any. It's easier to remember, spell, pronounce and find on the Web (airshipcomics.com).

Thank you all for your patience, we are so glad that you haven't given up on us. (You're reading this, aren't you?) Thanks especially to the honor students of the Girl Genius Yahoo Club, who threw a fantastic tea and croquet party last April. We're so glad you invited us. —Prof.s Phil & Kaja Foglio Dept. Irrefutably True History Transylvania Polygnostic University

AND NOW, A NOTE ABOUT OUR CARD GAME From TPU's own Professor Wright Attention all students and faculty— It has come to our attention that our card game Girl Genius: the Works (required materials for Prof. James Ernest's award-winning Game Theory 101 class—available at the student store) has been nominated for two awards by the Game Manufacturers Association and the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Designs. The categories are—

Best Traditional Card Game of 2001 and Best Graphic Presentation of a Card Game 2001.

This pleases us. As we have often taught in our classes, the only thing more important than the recognition of your peers is seeing them crushed and wailing before you.

Public voting for the awards begins soon, with the winners to be announced at the July 2002 Origins Game Expo. Your new homework assignments are to spread the word and vote. Voting is open to all citizens so please take the time. We will make available a link on our "WEB SITE" (studiofoglio.com) that will allow you to access the Origins awards voting booths as soon as they are open. (Voting will be at www.originsawards.com)