I'm just about to polish off the layouts for Tales of High Adventure #2!
This one features all new original stories of mystery, science fiction and fantasy. Also the space-fantasty illustrated tale Homeworld continues here as well.
This is the cover as it is at this point. It will be available as a printed digest as well as a digital Kindle and eBook.
I'll keep you all posted but I should have it sent off in a in a couple of weeks.
Though I love reading I'm not much for writing up book recommendations. Movies? Sure. But books, there are plenty of other folks out there that can give you a better explanation of why one should read a book. Me, I either like it or don't like it and I have my reasons.
It follows the history of Jewish immigrants and 1st generation Americans as they claw their way into the American dream and into the American consciousness creating our modern geek culture and media empires.
This incredibly researched book revolves around Harry Donenfeld, Jack Liebowitz, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster (the creators of Superman) and all the other Golden Age creators that gave birth to the superhero and the comic book.
It follows the history of Donenfeld as he works with gangsters and bootleggers during prohibition setting up a network that would later evolve into distributing his Spicy Tales nudie mags and eventually comics. It follows Siegel & Shuster's evolution of geek culture through fanzines of the early pulps and the beginnings of the Science Fiction genre and their creation of and eventual 'sale' to Donenfeld of Superman, the hero that started an industry. It follows Jack Liebowitz, Donenfeld's accountant who cultivated and controlled the comic book industry with National Periodicals (DC comics) all the way to becoming the senior board member of Warner Communications.
Filled in with the other creators of the industry, Bill Gains and EC comics, Will Eisner, Bob Kane and Bill Finger, Jack Kirby, Stan Lee and the 'birth' of modern Marvel comics and even Fredrick Wertheim (Seduction of the Innocent) all amidst the backdrop of the 50 year battle over the ownership of Superman, it's the best history of the industry I've ever read.
I highly recommend it for anyone interested in Pulps, Comics and Geek culture in general.
On a side note, years ago I (mostly) read Michael Chabon's fictional "The Adventures of Caviler and Clay". I found that novel extremely frustrating in it's portrayal of the early history of the industry and the (based-on-real-life) characters. As I read his book I didn't want some fictional story I wanted the real story with the real people involved. Men of Tomorrow is that book and I cannot praise it enough.
Ahh, yes. One of my favorite, if not the favorite, genre - the post apocalyptic theme. Always loved this concept as far back as I can remember. The idea of man not being 'King of the World' anymore - to being just a supporting cast member in the ruins of his once might civilization has always thrilled me.
Maybe it was those Kamandi comics I read as a kid? Planet of the Apes infinite loop stories? Soylent Green? Omega Man? These are the images and stories I loved as a kid. Will man burn-out or fade away? Most likely fade away - with a whimper.
One common thread in most of these stories is society breaking down - and quickly at that. Martial law, chaos, riots, mass shootings, mass graves…Grim world indeed but probably true if humanity faced the end of it's civilization. Face it, we're pussies in the scale of the universe.
What's usually left is a scattering of humans roaming the ruined wastelands. Rules? There are no rules. It's survival, man!
So here's a list of some of the movies and stories that really capture the good and bad of this future world. If you haven't yet, go watch the books and read the movies!
Kamandi - Jack Kirby's comic about the last boy on earth. Great inspiration but by this time, Kirby's high-octane writing can leave you breathless. Must read.
Judge Dredd - 2000AD hero of Megacities and the Cursed Earth. One of the best comics (the movie sucked ass). Must read.
Daybreak 2250 A.D. (Andre Norton) 1952 novel full of mutants and a small population of humans. Gamma World inspiration. Good read.
Thundarr the Barbarian - Saturday morning cartoon. Best portrayal of a post 1994 Mutant Future!
Star Barbarian - Great Sci-Fi concept of humanities colonization of the stars only to revert back to barbarism. Great concept but didn't like the book that much.
I Am Legend (1954 Richard Matheson) and it's various film adaptations Omega Man, I Am Legend, Last Man On Earth) Good stories in either form.
Alas Babylon (1959 Pat Frank) Post Apocalyptic radiation = bad. Good read.
The Day After - 1980's American television program about the hopeless doom after a nuclear war. Meh.
The Day After Tomorrow - I haven't seen this post-climatic apocalyptic story. Written by Whitely Strieber
The Stand (Stephen King) The plague and the fall of humanity and the traveling across country is great stuff . Didn't get much into the battle of good and evil. Movies, book, comic - all good.
The Road - This ain't no beatnick journey! I haven't read the book but the movie was quite depressing and horrific. Not the post-apocalyptic world I want to live in. Bleak! Bleak! But watch it anyway.
The Planet of the Apes - The infinite loop concept of the movies is great in an of itself. Very good.
Plant Guy - Comic book written by me! Mutant plants, the Roctopus! A must read!
Soylent Green - Part of Chuck Heston's 1970's gun toting apocalyptic fury. Nuff said.
The Road Warrior Trilogy - "A fella' , a smart fella might have a weapon under there." Must see.
Night of the Living Dead and it's sequels - The classic first film captures the quick descent into savagery better than almost any other story. Oh and don't forget the zombies! Must see many times. The Walking Dead - Speaking of zombies, these series is pretty gruesome and hopeless but the humans fight on. The comic is good too. Must See.
Ever Since The World Ended - Survivors in a post plague world eek out a society in this documentary style film. Very good.
The War Game - A banned documentary from 1965 showing society's breakdown despite best efforts of the government in post nuclear Britain. Depressing but must see.
A Boy And His Dog - Young Don Johnson's foray into the post Apocalypse. Good.
Children Of Men - Sterile humanity - End Of Line. Distopian must see .
Blindness - Blindness messes with humanity in a big way. Heavy and depressing.
Knowing - If you love the ancient astronaut theory this movie's for you! I loved this.
28 Days Later - Romero inspired end of the world zombie flick. Must See
Delicatessen - What's the post apocalypse without cannibalism? Weird
Night of the Comet - Valley girls go shopping at the end of the world. Fair, very 1980's
If anyone has any other suggestions, please let the world know before it's too late.
UPDATED: This just in....To coincide with this blog post was the release of the teaser trailer for Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Sometimes we're our own worst enemy...
In the process of streamlining what I need at the table to DM a game I've come up with this little booklet to help keep track of notes during a gaming session and useful for planning future sessions. I've used it for a couple of little while now in our game and I think it's working out pretty well.
You can keep track of the session number, session date as well as campaign dates. You can also add adventure notes, NPCs that the characters run into and any tiny plot hooks that come up. There is also a place to keep track of Treasure found, monsters encountered as well as their experience and hit points. And keeping track of time in the adventure can be challenging when there is so much else going on so I've added check boxes for rounds and turns.
I've made this into a 28 page booklet with a cover for your campaign name. As you fill this booklet up with your notes, add a volume number and begin filling up the next book, you'll have records of all your sessions as well as any tiny event that happened which can be referred back to in your organized volumes for new plot hooks and session ideas.
I have created 2 PDF files that you can download for free and print out, a standard US 5.5 8.5 and a European A4 folded size. It's been working for me to help keep my game organized and I hope this helps for all you Gamemasters out there.
This is not a review but just a shout-out to those of you who may enjoy this topic. Author Ethan Gilsdorf has written a book about gaming and fantasy culture called "Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks". I ran into it at the book store a couple of weeks ago and decided to pick it up the other day. It's a pretty easy read and I've only just started but I'm enjoying his experience and take on this sub-culture.
Many people, myself included, have returned to gaming after many years of real-life adventures. It is interesting how the fantasy game that we grew up with has never really left our consciousness and many of us are revisiting this game once again. Gilsdorf explores that as well as the fantasy loving/living culture as a whole.
If you get a chance, check it out. It's not a bad read.
I'm just about to polish off the layouts for Tales of High Adventure #2!
Though I love reading I'm not much for writing up book recommendations. Movies? Sure. But books, there are plenty of other folks out there that can give you a better explanation of why one should read a book. Me, I either like it or don't like it and I have my reasons.
It follows the history of Donenfeld as he works with gangsters and bootleggers during prohibition setting up a network that would later evolve into distributing his Spicy Tales nudie mags and eventually comics. It follows Siegel & Shuster's evolution of geek culture through fanzines of the early pulps and the beginnings of the Science Fiction genre and their creation of and eventual 'sale' to Donenfeld of Superman, the hero that started an industry. It follows Jack Liebowitz, Donenfeld's accountant who cultivated and controlled the comic book industry with National Periodicals (DC comics) all the way to becoming the senior board member of Warner Communications.
Ahh, yes. One of my favorite, if not the favorite, genre - the post apocalyptic theme. Always loved this concept as far back as I can remember. The idea of man not being 'King of the World' anymore - to being just a supporting cast member in the ruins of his once might civilization has always thrilled me.
Kamandi - Jack Kirby's comic about the last boy on earth. Great inspiration but by this time, Kirby's high-octane writing can leave you breathless. Must read.
Part of Chuck Heston's 1970's gun toting apocalyptic fury. Nuff said.
Young Don Johnson's foray into the post Apocalypse. Good.
I've made this into a 28 page booklet with a cover for your campaign name. As you fill this booklet up with your notes, add a volume number and begin filling up the next book, you'll have records of all your sessions as well as any tiny event that happened which can be referred back to in your organized volumes for new plot hooks and session ideas.
Yes, that's us apparently. 