Who am I?

Nicoletta Forlini, aka Forla

H.P. Lovecraft tombstone in Providence (2022)

I embarked on my journey into DIY journalism during my middle school years, around 1985, fueled by a deep passion for horror, particularly the "A Nightmare On Elm Street" saga. I translated articles from magazines like Fangoria, and with the aid of a typewriter and photocopies from a local stationery store, I brought to life the fanzine DELIRIO - an initial endeavor to materialize an idea.

From Delirio emerged PLASTIKA, a fanzine predominantly centered on my enduring love for metal music. This publication involved reviewing demo tapes and featuring exclusive interviews, even with bands that would go on to make a mark in the Italian and international music scene, such as Skanners and Electrocution.

The cover of the third issue of Plastika fanzine

Engaging in fanzine creation proved to be a defining activity during my teenage years. This journey involved early forays into computer and digital graphics, employing the iconic Commodore Amiga and a notably loud printer. It not only honed my technical skills but also introduced me to fascinating individuals, including a young Emilio Cozzi, who was the vocalist of Kaoslord at that time.

A consistent aspect of my life is the tendency for my focus to become singular when I encounter something or someone that evokes special emotions.
In those years, around 1991/92, a series of coincidences, shared friendships, and an unconventional passion for satire and comedy (I crafted monologues performed solo in my room and avidly consumed magazines like Cuore and Comix) led to my newfound "obsession" with the Italian band Elio e le Storie Tese.

Initially, I utilized Plastika to publish interviews I personally conducted with Rocco Tanica (pianist and brilliant songwriter) at Psycho Studio in Milan in 1994, and with Faso, the bass player. However, my quest for additional collaborators led me to the discovery of IL CULTO DEL MONOCIGLIONE on "Rendez-Vous" (a historic Bulletin Board System based in Milan). This telematic club, overseen by the BBS team, boasted around fifty participants.
Teaming up with my friend and collaborator Stefano Nosè, we contributed to expanding the club's user base by providing additional interviews and articles. With the band's participation in the 1996 Sanremo Festival, the club's numbers skyrocketed (from 50 to 1000 members in a flash), along with our efforts to cover the band's sudden fame. During this period, I had the pleasure of meeting Andrea Cassola (aka The Spy and now Prez), cosysop of Rendez-Vous, and "we joined our bodies in the supreme ecstasy of love's idyllic embrace."

Simultaneously, a website was born—LA PAGINA DEI CACHI—which in 1997 ranked 17th in the "Art and Culture" category in the Sole 24 Ore poll, and the club's activities became unstoppable. We found ourselves involved in everything, from appearing on television and radio programs (Rai, Tele+, TMC2, Rock FM, Odeon) to participating in fairs and fan conventions. Naturally, this led to the creation of articles and three issues of a free fanzine.

During the "Del meglio del nostro meglio Vol. 1" tour in 1997, we held an all-area pass to follow the band to as many concerts as possible. However, the commitment became too substantial, and the band required a fan club managed more professionally. Thus, when the Fave Club, their official fan club, was established, despite their efforts to involve us as much as possible, we chose to pause everything, letting CdM remain a fond memory for all, having supported the band for years without ever being intrusive (we still pride ourselves on being a "Non-Fanatic Fan Club").

The legendary Feiez (with the a young Prez, Forla, and Kappa), Elio, Faso, and Cesareo with "Il Culto del Monociclione" logo

CdM was not only a funny and enlightening experience but also a window into the workings of the music business of its time, offering insights into the television industry to some extent. It also served as a pivotal course in my journey toward becoming a social community manager, even before the term had gained widespread recognition.

Another enduring passion that I shared and still share with Prez is Star Trek. My fascination with the series dates back to elementary school when I developed a crush on Mr. Spock. Beyond participating in local groups, mailing lists, and themed conventions, my desire to take a more active role within the Star Trek Italian Club emerged around 1995.

During the airing of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, our intrigue deepened with the Cardassians, an alien race, as we appreciated the performances of the actors portraying their main characters. This fascination spurred us to contribute articles to the club's magazine and fanzines. Personally, I followed the activities of official fan clubs for actors like Andrew Robinson and Marc Alaimo.
This passion led to the creation of a website, COMANDO CENTRALE CARDASSIANO, an email-based role-playing game, and various other telematic initiatives. Following a trip to Los Angeles in 1999, during the celebrations following the filming of the last episode of the show's final season, we established exclusive contacts that enabled us to conduct brief interviews with Andrew Robinson and Casey Biggs. Subsequently, we had the pleasure of meeting these actors again in Italy, both during Deepcon in Fiuggi and Sticcon/Starcon in Bellaria.
This endeavor kept us occupied, especially between 1999 and 2001, offering us a unique glimpse behind the scenes of such a significant television series.

Casey Biggs, Marc Alaimo, and Andrew Robinson at Sticcon and Deepcon with us and other collaborators, such as Marina Domenicali, Marianna Fanti, and Gabriella Ascari

Yet, the passion for Star Trek endured without interruption. Post that experience, we remained actively involved with the local enthusiasts' group.
As time unfolded, we assumed the mantle from our esteemed "admiral", Donatella Battaglia, taking charge of organizing themed parties and conventions that we dubbed MISSIONE RAVINOK. These gatherings attracted fans from across Italy to Piacenza and its surrounding province, providing us with opportunities to enjoy ourselves, entertain others, and contribute to charitable causes.

An article from the local newspaper Libertà dated 03/01/2006 to commemorate the 7th edition of Missione Ravinok

Between 1999 and 2006, the BCS RAVINOK group and its associated minicon laid the groundwork for what would evolve into, to date, the most extensive and ambitious project that Prez and I initiated from scratch. Prior to reaching this milestone, there were other concurrent activities that warrant mention.

One of these endeavors was IL SOTTERRANEO DI PITON, an Italian community uniting fans of the Harry Potter saga, with a particular focus on the character Severus Snape. Established in 2002 as a mailing list and later expanding into a website, it stands out for the substantial number of subscribers and messages it conveyed during the saga's peak popularity. Witnessing hundreds of messages each month, discussions delved into the plot intricacies and speculations about J.K. Rowling's forthcoming writings. The community even featured a trial for the character, allowing participants to act as defenders or opponents. As the saga concluded with the release of the seventh novel in 2007 and our questions were answered, the activity gradually waned, leaving behind an archive.

Prez applied his programming skills to craft an interactive website in a time when templates were not yet commonplace. For me, it represented another facet of my role as a community manager, this time navigating the administration and moderation of a large community with numerous messages, occasionally sparking heated discussions, as only passionate fans can generate.

Myself and the rest of the main contributors of the Sotterraneo (Raffaella Rossato, Ida Daneri, Bianca Sorice, Chiara Verde, Elisa Mignone, Elisa Bacci, etc.) in a photomontage that Mr. Rickman autographed, perplexed but amused

RAMMIT - RAMMSTEIN ITALIAN TRIBUTE was another noteworthy venture, reminiscent of the CdM days, pivoting our attention to the German band Rammstein, which, in 2001 (particularly in Italy), had yet to achieve the feat of selling out the Olympic Stadium in Turin within a few hours.
Commencing as a website and mailing list, we progressively gained recognition and established a favorable reputation, even securing an unofficial collaboration with Universal Italia for a couple of years. During this period, Universal supplied us with promotional materials, previews, tickets, and more.
With the record label, our primary focus was on closely tracking the releases of the Rosenrot (2005) and Völkerball (2006) albums, collaborating on launch events held at ZOE Club in Milan and Tempo Rock in Reggio Emilia.

Similar to the preceding musical project, the band's sudden rise to fame, shifts in leadership at Universal Italia, and our own exhaustion (accompanying a band on a European tour inevitably incurs significant costs) culminated in the dissolution of the club in its original form.

Me with Silvia Preda at an intimate concert at Knaack in Berlin in 2004 (of course, with Richard Kruspe, Till Lindemann, and Paul Landers), and a group photo at the concert at the Forum in Milan in 2005

In 2007, as we concluded various activities, we were on the brink of embarking on what would become our largest and most ambitious project to date: ORIZZONTE DEGLI EVENTI.

The headquarters/playroom of OdE and one of the many group photos (there are too many people to mention, including those not in these photos)

Leveraging the expertise accumulated over the years in managing people and events, Prez and I made the decision to channel our passion for board games and role-playing games into a dedicated club. This initiative was unique in Piacenza and, at the time, a rarity even across the rest of Italy, with only a few well-known names and a handful of pioneers like us. Bringing together individuals with diverse backgrounds around a table on a regular basis is no easy feat; doing so for a niche passion in a small and hesitant town like Piacenza presented even greater challenges. Nonetheless, for 13 years, we have witnessed a steady growth in people, numbers, games, activities, events, collaborations, and encounters. This progression has served as a rewarding acknowledgment of the extensive effort, in collaboration with various boards, to establish a stable and esteemed community.

To cap off the year-round activities, we also initiated a convention, GIOCACON, which has expanded in size and interest with each edition. The event boasts exceptional guests such as authors, publishers, and retailers, further enhancing its significance in our thriving gaming community.

An image from GiocaCon 2017 inside the former church of St. Agostino in Piacenza and one from the 2018 edition at the conference center of the Best Western Park Hotel in Piacenza

Unlike other projects, this one is still evolving despite our departure from the board at the beginning of 2020. To learn more and see evidence of the work done, simply visit the active websites and social media accounts. There are truly too many events and industry professionals involved to mention everything that has been done over the years. From facilitating the formation of new connections and friendships among players to creating an extensive game library, from tournaments to prototypes that have become commercial successes, from the constant introduction of new games on our tables to collaborations with organizations, other associations, etc., Orizzonte degli Eventi has been more of a second (unpaid) job than just a hobby.
When we decided to pass the torch to younger members, the association had reached the peak of its success and required a workload too significant for both me and Prez. We left with some regret, but we could no longer commit with the same strength and consistency that OdE demanded to maintain that level.

The year 2020 was supposed to serve as a sabbatical year for me, to rest and recharge, but everything unfolded differently.
In search of light entertainment, I launched the Facebook/Instagram pages and the ITALIAN SPADER WEB group, co-managed with Francesca Magagnini.

James Spader wants nothing to do with social networks, but many of his colleagues and collaborators from "The Blacklist" have interacted very kindly and pleasantly with me and other fans

Like many others, I spent the Covid-19 lockdown seeking a way to stay entertained and connected from a distance.
Through a somewhat serendipitous binge-watching experience, an unexpected passion for the TV series "The Blacklist" and its lead, James Spader, emerged. Perhaps the quarantine contributed to making us all feel closer despite the distances and differences, but I must admit I found special people in that fan base and, even more unexpectedly, among the cast and crew of the show. In their own way, they helped me shift my focus and cope with the disasters happening around me (as the sudden death of my father). So, the least I could do was reciprocate the warmth and attention (a genuine friendship has blossomed over time with actor David Harrison, and it endures to the present day).

Additionally, during those months, Prez and I created a new platform called I ROMPISCATOLE. We had many ideas, but we quickly realized it didn't reflect what we wanted to do together. That's why, somewhat playfully, in 2024 we sort of rebranded it as FORLEZ GAMEZ, providing an outlet for all our creative impulses, particularly in the realm of crafting new role-playing and tabletop games.

If they're boxes, we'll open them!

LINK:

Il Culto del Monociglione:

- La Pagina dei Cachi (archive): http://www.forla.net/monociglione/

- Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/monociglione

Comando Centrale Cardassiano (archive):

http://www.forla.net/cardassia/

BCS Ravinok (archive):

http://www.forla.net/ravinok/

Facebook group (private): https://www.facebook.com/groups/ravinok/

Il Sotterraneo di Piton:

- Il Sotterraneo di Piton (archive): http://www.forla.net/severus/