Brian Sabotta

Brian Sabotta (handle ben_ethus) created Forfeit Zero, a webcomic about the Star Wars CCG that ran from May 2003 to November 2005. He played in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at local tournaments at Helm's Deep and in Dormont. He wrote the reports for many of those events in the comic's news posts. In 2004 he and his friend Shewski helped build a local WARS TCG group in Pittsburgh.

Star Wars CCG

In January 2003 Sabotta wrote that he owned nothing beyond the Jabba's Palace Sealed Deck boxes. He published decks on Game Players Network as ben_ethus, including an Ewok There Is Good In Him deck. Under the name "Bad News Bears" on DeckTech, that deck reached #5 on the site's Top 10 SWCCG list in October 2003. He credited DeckTech with helping him and Shewski "get back into SWCCG". His player rating stood at 1461 in October 2003.

Forfeit Zero

Main article: Forfeit Zero

Sabotta wrote and drew Forfeit Zero and posted a news commentary under each strip, always opening with "Greetings, blokes." The comic's plot set its heroes against the "fiendish" Players Committee, though Sabotta said he was "a fan of the Player's Committee". In 2005 he and two friends launched Skiffit.com, a fixed-price marketplace for Star Wars CCG cards and other games, where the comic was to move.

Later

In March 2023 players on the Players Committee forums rediscovered the comic at its old host. On 1 November 2026 Sabotta returned to the forum as ben ethus and announced the comic's "new permanent home" at comic.forfeitzero.com. He called it "the one contribution to the hobby I was able to make aside from getting obliterated in every tournament I ever played in".

Decklists

• ben_ethus Beware The Body Snatchers! (DS, 20 January 2003)
• ben_ethus When Feral Teddybears Attack! (LS, 7 September 2003)

See also

• Forfeit Zero
• Game Players Network decks