Something Special

Greetings and salutations from Bubbe, who always appreciates finding out about something cute and clever, especially if it relates to mah jongg!

Some of you may have noticed when photographer, documentary filmmaker, and author Robert Trachtenberg revolutionized the mah jongg world last year, as he and illustrator Tom Bachtell unveiled the Trach/Bach set, distributed by Crisloid.

 

Robert had been inspired to create a new user-friendly American tile set when, week after week, he and his mahj-playing friends struggled to distinguish a one-Bam from a Flower, a Wind from a Crak. The confusing similarity between the Chinese characters left him wondering why mah jongg sets always had to follow those traditional patterns. Robert was determined to “shake things up.”

 

He brainstormed and then contacted Bachtell, a 23-year veteran of the New Yorker magazine, to follow through on his concept. The Trach/Bach set features images that are witty in style and spirit: the South tiles feature a Scarlett O'Hara-esque, hoop-skirted damsel; the Red and Green dragons are buffing their nails and flossing their teeth, respectively, getting ready to do their dragon-ly best. The most frequent word used to describe the set is "whimsical," although "clever," "amusing," "innovative"—and of course, “beautiful”--also come to mind. The original products were snapped up by eager collectors, with a waiting list for a second run.

 

And then March, 2020 came. Like many of us, Robert’s routine was deeply affected by COVID. Not only did his photo shoot assignments--celebrity portraits for magazines, luxury products for advertisements--slow down dramatically, but he had to halt his weekly mahj game. Robert was faced with the prospect of playing online versions of mah jongg, but they left him cold. The mechanism for playing was fine, but he felt that, just like the traditional tiles, the available online versions lacked the charm and whimsy he craved.

 

Yearning for a new “COVID project,” Robert decided that he would bring his Trach/Bach tile design to an online game. It turned out to be more complicated than he expected. He has worked with software designers and coders in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York, and Canada to put together a site that fulfills his vision.

 

Well-known mah jongg instructor and tile guru Johni Levene has arranged an opportunity for members of her Facebook page, "Mah Jongg, That's It!" to be beta testers for Robert's new website, “playmahj.com”. His team is hopeful that the beta version will be available within the next 6 weeks, and certainly before the end of the year.

 

The plan is, once MJTI mavens have provided constructive criticism and his engineers have incorporated the feedback, the site will be officially available. He anticipates that the subscription cost (monthly or annually) will be comparable to that of other mah jongg websites... but of course, it will feature that delightful artwork from the Trach/Bach tiles.

 

HOWEVER….drumroll….Robert revealed to me that the Trach/Bach set is only the beginning of what the playmahj.com site will offer. One day, Trach/Bach will be remembered as “the 2020 tiles.” Robert is currently working on a 2021 design with another illustrator, and in fact plans to come out with a new design each year.

 

(note: Crisloid sets are made in Rhode Island, laser-carved and hand-painted. Because of the complexity of the design and the labor-intensive nature of the work, not every one of Robert's annual designs will end up being available as a physical/tangible set of tiles.)

 

The site will provide online subscribers with the opportunity to play using whichever is their favorite design of tile, while following the current year's card/rules. Robert’s ultimate goal is to keep the site fresh and fun. I'm personally having a hard time picturing anything more adorable than the 2020 set, but I can't wait to see what else he's got in mind!

 

Robert also revealed that there will be mah jongg-related products and accessories available on his site, incorporating the illustrations from each year's tiles. There will also be animation and other unique features that aren't available on any other online mah jongg site.

 

While we both long for the day when we can play mahj again at a table with friends, Robert and I agreed that online playing is here to stay. It's a valuable tool for learning the card and honing one's skills, like spotting opponents’ hands and making quicker decisions. It also holds appeal as an “around-the-clock” option, a great resource for insomniacs.

 

Of course, no other site will have the enticing style and wit that you'll find at playmahj.com. I urge you to install and play it on your computer, as opposed to your phone, so that you can see the intricate design of those tiles!

 

Want to help try it out? You can sign up as a beta tester at www.playmahj.com . I also recommend joining Johni's Facebook page, you never know what other new products and ideas will come up there!

If you have any questions or comments, contact me at bubbefischer@gmail.com. I always love hearing from you!

Talk to you soon!

Bubbe