Mike's Amazing RPG Fun Pad

B-Movie Monday: The Whisperer in Darkness and Others On Saturday Night

2012-01-30T17:07:00.000-06:00

This Saturday I spent some quality with my friends and watched the H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society's new movie The Whisperer in Darkness and two other movies.

The Whisperer in Darkness was a good flick! A little slow moving at times but a rather good capture of the feel of the story, balancing sharp visuals with dialogue. The makers of the movie tried to capture the feel of the Universal films of the 30s, and I think they succeeded to a point. Some of the special effects seem too modern and the print seems too clean to be an old film, but this does not detract from the feel of the film. You can find out more about The Whisperer In Darkness here.

The second movie was the RiffTrax version of the Umberto Lenzi movie Ghosthouse (aka La Casa 3). This cheesy 80s Italian haunted house movie has an evil little girl with an evil clown doll. A heroic ham radio operator and his girlfriend investigate the strange going on in a vacant house. Naturally, mayhem ensues. The jokes by the RiffTrax guys are actually kind of funny. I saw Ghosthouse years ago and I forgot how much dead air there was to be filled by funny comments. You can order the Video On Demand on the RiffTrax site.

The final movie of the night was Dark and Stormy Night, a tribute to the great Old Dark House movies of yor. It was made by the creator of the 50s B-Movie spoof The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra, and the creators indulge in every cliche of the genre. Silas has died and his relatives, friends, interested parties, and people of the streets are gathered to hear the will. Then people start dying. The dialog is crisp and we were laughing through most of the picture.

Check them all out. Even Ghosthouse...

B-Movie Monday: The Year of the Dragon!

2012-01-23T15:12:00.000-06:00

Happy Chinese New Year! From what I've read it seems that this year of the Chinese Zodiac is that of the Dragon. In honor of this, I give you some Dragon trailers of various stripes:

And of course I had to put this trailer at the end..;)

Have

B-Movie Monday: It's Caroline Munro's Birthday!

2012-01-16T16:07:00.001-06:00

To borrow from Danny Trejo in From Dusk Till Dawn:

"Lowly dogs, get on your knees, bow your heads and worship at the feet of Caroline Munro!"

Here are some trailers from Caroline's lesser known movies.

But I can't forget one of my favorite B-Movies with Caroline Munro:

Since I missed B-Movie Monday...

2012-01-13T21:05:00.000-06:00

I was sick but I'm getting back to normal. Cause I missed Monday, here come the Blind Dead rising from their tombs!

See you folks soon!

Morlocks In Tripods: Discuss

2012-01-07T23:31:00.000-06:00

Just had an idea I had to share.

How about

driving these?

Could be awesome...

B-Movie Monday: The Dungeonmaster (1985)

2012-01-02T21:44:00.000-06:00

Belated Happy New Year!

Admit it. You probably saw this one. "I reject your reality and substitute my own!"

Christmas Eve With Full Moon Entertainment 2011

2011-12-24T18:47:00.000-06:00

Christmas Eve is here again! Right now I'm making cannolis and getting ready to wrap presents. This is a night of personal and family traditions, and I have several of my own. Now, continuing the Amazing RPG Fun Pad Christmas Eve Celebration tradition, I present to you the 2011 Full Moon Entertainment Christmas Eve Extravaganza! Here are some more trailers from one of my favorite B-Movie companies.

I've always wanted to run a game in this universe:

Jack Deth in a fantasy world. Cheesy brainless fun, these sequels were shot back to back:

A strange chiller set in Louisiana with a silly plot, but again some fun stuff to steal.

Back in the VHS Days (long, long ago...) each Full Moon video would have a VideoZone, a mix of making of shorts, coming attractions, and pure hucksterism. Here is the VideoZone for Puppet Master 4. There may be spoilers, so be warned, but enjoy the early 90s flavor!

I'd like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! And since it's Christmas Eve I love to give you a Christmas Carol so here is "Do You Hear What I Hear?" by the Spiraling . This classic song is merged with The Who classic "Baba O'Riley". You all enjoy yourselves!

B-Movie Monday: Monkey Ninja Pirate Robot Santa (with apologies to Chad Underkoffler)

2011-12-19T18:47:00.000-06:00

Since I've got Christmas baking to do tonight and work was busy, B-Movie Monday is featuring a bunch of trailers featuring Monkeys, Ninjas, Pirates, Robots, and Santa! Yes this is based on the great game Monkey, Ninja, Pirate, Robot (I added Santa for today) by Chad Underkoffler which you get here at RPGNow. Check it out!

Here we go!

Monkey!

Ninja!

Pirate!

Robot!

Santa!

Happy Holidays!

Deja Vu Blogfest: Yellow Rhapsody

2011-12-16T23:24:00.000-06:00

Here's my entry for the Deja Vu Blogfest. A Tale of Terror I call Yellow Rhapsody...

This is yet more game material written when I was a member of All of the Above, the GURPS APA. Yellow Rhapsody is an adventure seed featuring The King In Yellow. It was written in the systemless style of Steve Hatherley's Tales of Terror. I first saw this format in Pagan Publishing's legendary Call of Cthulhu zine The Unspeakable Oath. Written in 1997, I consider Yellow Rhapsody one the best things I have ever created. The only changes made here are spelling and formatting. Enjoy.

Yellow Rhapsody
A Film by "Alan Smithee"

Excerpt:

Man in the Mask: To what do you hold dear?
Robert: Life, love, happiness, what all men hold dear.
M in M: They mean nothing in the Tremors of the dance.
R: Then why do you dance if you have no pleasure?
M in M: There is no question in the dance, no why, no how. We dance for the king. That is enough.
R: Who is the King?
M in M: The name is all around you.
R: I see nothing.
M in M: That is his name.

The packaging is deceptive. It is a video box decorated by colorful computer generated art with the title Tales of the Weird set in garish red. The back has text that promises terrors from these three college films. The only film company mentioned on the cover in "Weird Press Films".

The first and second films are normal horror films. "Early for Dinner" is an EC Comics-style fable involving a grifter who attempts to con a beautiful gourmet cook. He gets his comeuppance when she makes him the meal for a family of ghouls. "Last Call" is a bizarre black and white blending of German Expressionistic film and Italian zombie films. Two couples spend a night in a deserted Midwest farm and stumble onto a devilish device that alters their reality.

"Yellow Rhapsody" is the highlight. It is an animated film done in a minimalist, Alex Toth-like style. The plot involves a young man named Robert Chambers who gets a strange book from his grandfather—The King in Yellow. As he reads the play, characters inspired by it begin to haunt him day and night. Helped by the mysterious Man in the Mask and the lovely Cassilda, he pierces the veil and walks the halls of Carcosa. After a surrealistic journey he meets the King, who envelopes him in voluminous cloaks of yellow. The film ends with Robert dancing with Cassilda in the King in Yellow's court. The Man in the Mask looks to the screen and pulls of his mask, revealing nothing but a starry field and a yellow rune where his left eye should be.

Tales of the Weird has become a cult classic due to the amount of disappearances connected to it. According to the legend that has grown up around it. The legend claims that "Yellow Rhapsody" was animated by a recluse who slit his own throat over the original cells of animation. It is a challenge, they say, to watch the film the whole way through. Something about the colors and the sound has a tendency to lull the viewer asleep or blur his vision. The ones that do claim that the camera plunges in the starry field and the credits begin to roll. An evil looking little boy with milky white eyes grins insanely as the credits begin to blur and break up, becoming unreadable.

Police are starting to take this case seriously. The suicides and disappearances on college campuses are starting to mount. Most of the original print run of the film has been seized and/or destroyed. Weird Press Films cannot be reached for comment.

Possibilities

1. The film itself is not the problem. It is the spirit of the animator that is the cause of the disappearances. The Mythos references were unintentional; he simply liked the King in Yellow. "Alan Smithee" lives within the original print of Yellow Rhapsody. He can perceive anyone who watches the entire film. After each viewing he attempts to take over the watcher. If he succeeds, Smithee drains life force or implants commands to watch the movie again. The disappearances are caused by the eventual destruction Smithee can visit upon a victim by draining them until they turn to dust.

2. The film is actually nested with subliminal messages put in by cultists at Weird Press Films. Throughout the video the Yellow Sign and other Mythos sigils and symbols are present. The other two short films also have references to the Mythos hidden within their narrative. The subliminals are a tool used by the cultists to recruit and identify. The curious ones are drawn to join the cult, while those who investigate the Mythos can by drawn out and eliminated. If innocents are driven to harm, that is not their concern.

3. "Yellow Rhapsody" is a cleverly disguised gate to Carcosa. If a person watches the film in its entirety (up to the grinning child), they become touched by the film. The viewer begins to watch the film over and over again and begins to see more detailed backgrounds. The sky forms into strange runes, the details in the clothes, and the characters' lines not heard before all become apparent. As the viewer becomes more drawn into the animation, the film becomes more nightmarish and surreal. The landscapes beyond the window become strange and alien, their inhabitants staring back. Screams of torture can be heard beneath the etherial music. Hallucinations begin to set in as the victim sees the characters come to life around him.

When sanity finally slips away, the Man in the Mask comes to snatch away the viewer, while Robert and Cassilda hold open the way to the city of Carcosa. The victim becomes one of the dancers whirling away to the dance of the Yellow King. A friend who watches the video might be lucky enough to see an old friend dancing for eternity in wild abandon as the Man in the Mask laughs mockingly.

B-Movie Monday: Low Budget Fun

2011-12-12T20:07:00.000-06:00

I have respect for the really low budget film makers. I mean the guys and gals who make their own movies in their backyard with their family and friends. Yes special effects may be lacking and the acting questionable at best, but these folks at least made some movies. That's more than I've ever done...

I had a copy of this movie on VHS but I lost it. Took years for it to come out on DVD. An interesting and creepy dream monster movie:

A trailer from the legendary indie b-movie makers The Polonia Brothers:

Two trailers from the mind of Christopher R. Mihm, a Minnesota filmmaker who makes schlocky horror/sci-fi films. I love the classic 50s/60s retro feel to these movies.

A low budgeted horror comedy with an Ash Williams-esque character. Not a bad little film with fun characters.

A vampire movie by the late great Don Dohler. Dig the computer generated effects!

Enjoy!

Seventh Sanctum Generator Fun: Weird Fantasy

2011-12-08T20:48:00.000-06:00

These 4 entries were all generated by some of the fine random generators at the Seventh Sanctum website. The paragraph below each of them was genrated by me. Use them for your weird fantasy/pulp/horror campaigns.

The Fourth Sultanna Who Hates Possibility

In the lands of the Plutocracy, hidden in the shadows of the Pantheons is the veneration of the Sultannas. These ancestor goddesses are worshipped by the native peoples who asked for various intercession with the deities of the Land. They are not named fearing that those who know the true names of the Sultannas will bind them to the will of men. The Fourth Sultanna Who Hates Possibility is called upon when someone is threatened by the changing of the staus quo. If the Sultanna is placated strange things will happen until change is stopped or averted.

The Dark Emperor of the Garnet Arrow

The Symbol of the Dark Emperor

A demon lord of moderate power, this servitor of Demogorgon appears as handsome 9 foot tall human with iron infused skin and an ornate suit of garnet armor carved in swirling runes describing abhorrent deeds surrounding the Garnet Arrow. His only weapons are a demonforged morningstar and a longbow made of dinosaur bones. The Dark Emperor tempts rulers with promises of vast wealth and land. His abyssal demense Elazguro has pathways to all of the Realms the Dark Emperor has corrupted. He sits at the center of intrigue, watching as his minions plot and poison for his favor.

Ooze Children From Thognyia

Thognyia, the City of the Swamps, is a remnant of the Fifth Planet that lies buried underneath the swamps of Lousiana. The once men that walked it's streets were infected by an ancient curse to become one with the land. Within three generations the once proud beings became caniballistic ooze creatures that soon sank in to the swamps to feed at their leisure. Thognyia soon sank into the swamps, but legends tell of strange beasts the shamble in the night to capture the unwary.

Subterranean Spiders Of Shaictha the Vermillion Blasphemy

Ancient tomes speak of Shaictha the Vermillion Blasphemy, one of the Lords of Beyond, entities of Malevolent Power. Many are the servants of Shaicatha, but the best known are the Spiders. Lurking underneath the Realms of Men, the Spiders plot ans plan to replace man as the true rulers of reality. In their true shape they appear as spiders the size of men, each with a deformity that marks them as not of this plane. The Blessed of Shaictha, some say, can change into the shape of man to walk among us to look, to listen, and to feed.

B-Movie Monday: The Deathstalker Tetralogy

2011-12-05T19:19:00.000-06:00

Last week I planning on doing some B-Movie stuff but I just never got to it. The holiday season is quite busy for a grocery store worker like myself. But I'm back with more fun stuff for you all.

The Deathstalker movies were admittedly cheap Conan the Barbarian rip-offs that were mainly made in Argentina. The artwork for the movie posters and VHS were all paintings by Boris Vallejo. Stock footage was used throughout and they were threadbare plots at best. But I have fond memories of watching the first Deathstalker on basic cable late on a Saturday night.

I can't find the trailer to Deathstalker III: The Warriors From Hell

And here is the classic Corman pig-faced Orc that you've seen in a bunch of sword and sorcery epics!

I Am A Neutral Good Human Cleric

2011-11-28T15:05:00.000-06:00

I finally jumped into the What D&D Character Am I meme that's going around. This is what I got...

I Am A: Neutral Good Human Cleric (6th Level)

Ability Scores:

Strength-12

Dexterity-12

Constitution-14

Intelligence-15

Wisdom-14

Charisma-12

Alignment:
Neutral Good A neutral good character does the best that a good person can do. He is devoted to helping others. He works with kings and magistrates but does not feel beholden to them. Neutral good is the best alignment you can be because it means doing what is good without bias for or against order. However, neutral good can be a dangerous alignment when it advances mediocrity by limiting the actions of the truly capable.

Race:
Humans are the most adaptable of the common races. Short generations and a penchant for migration and conquest have made them physically diverse as well. Humans are often unorthodox in their dress, sporting unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, and the like.

Class:
Clerics act as intermediaries between the earthly and the divine (or infernal) worlds. A good cleric helps those in need, while an evil cleric seeks to spread his patron's vision of evil across the world. All clerics can heal wounds and bring people back from the brink of death, and powerful clerics can even raise the dead. Likewise, all clerics have authority over undead creatures, and they can turn away or even destroy these creatures. Clerics are trained in the use of simple weapons, and can use all forms of armor and shields without penalty, since armor does not interfere with the casting of divine spells. In addition to his normal complement of spells, every cleric chooses to focus on two of his deity's domains. These domains grants the cleric special powers, and give him access to spells that he might otherwise never learn. A cleric's Wisdom score should be high, since this determines the maximum spell level that he can cast.

Find out What Kind of Dungeons and Dragons Character Would You Be?, courtesy of Easydamus (e-mail)

Some of my best D&D characters were clerics. Go figure...

B-Movie Monday: Equinox (1970)

2011-11-21T18:50:00.001-06:00

Recently I was reminded of the movie Equinox, also known as The Beast,by my friend Jim, who saw in on TCM. This 1970 film is considered one of the inspirations for the Evil Dead series.

The basic plot of the movie is that four friends are looking for a lost professor. They stumble upon an ancient book and are pursued by monsters in a strange pocket universe. There are several people of note in this movie: Frank Bonner (Herb from WKRP in Cincinnati) plays one of the teen. Legendary author Fritz Leiber plays the missing scientist. Plus Equinox was produced and directed by Dennis Muren, famed special effects designer who worked on Star Wars and Terminator 2. One of my personal favorites who was also involved was Dave Allen, famous stop motion artist who worked on many a b-movie production.

Equinox is a raw, low budgeted ($6500) early 70s movie with plenty of stop motion animation. There are ideas to steal from the movie for role playing or miniatures gaming. I recommend checking out the Criterion Edition of the movie. It's chock full of extras including the original version of the movie, two audio commentaries, and some fun little extras.

Bonus: The legendary King Kong Volkswagen commercial, animated by Dave Allen. I love how fluid the animation is.

Links To Check Out:

Equinox (film) on Wikipedia
"Backyard Monsters: Equinox and the Triumph of Love": (SPOILERS!) A great essay about the movie that delves into the inspirations and history of the film.

[RISUS] Pyotr Derevenko and Sara Bannister

2011-11-17T22:30:00.000-06:00

Here are two characters more urban fantasy characters I created for Risus. They use Options I, II, III, and IV from the Risus rules. Also used are the Lucky Shots & Questing Dice, Sidekicks and Shieldmates, Eye of the Tiger, and Boxcars & Breakthroughs Options from the Risus Companion.

PYOTR "PETE" DEREVENKO

A former law student who dropped out of law school when strange incidents began to happen to him. Pyotr is a descendant of one of the mythical Bogatyri, the mythical hero knights of Russian legend. He often times has dealings with creatures of that myth cycle. Wherever he goes, his ancient heritage has a tendency to seek him out. Recently Pyotr has been spending more time with a fey maiden he saved from a mad alchemist.

Cliches:

Descendant of the Bogatyri (4d10)

Construction Worker (4)

Ex-Law School Student [3]

Hook:Myth Magnet: As a descendant of the Bogatyri, Pyotr is a magnet to mythological beings, especially faeries. While sometimes this is useful, this can also cause problems in GM-decided situations. Ex.: die penalty when sneaking because a nymph in the park your hiding in likes you; penalty sneaking in abuild because the house fey doesn’t like him.

Natasha (Real Name Unknown)

A Russian fey who has become close to Pyotr. Most people consider them a couple, but both of them deny it.

Cliches: Drop Dead Gorgeous Vila Fey (3), Mistress of the Crossbow (3)

Hook: Impulsiveness

SARA BANNISTER

The game is all that matters to Sara Bannister. She comes from a long line of con folk and grifters that have traversed the US and Europe. Sara is currently “retired” from the business. After a situation that she refuses to discuss, she was pardoned by the federal government and “directed” towards various private interests that could do more good with less bureaucracy .

Her skills are quite useful in investigators, but she is also used in delicate “retrieval” scenarios. Sara is carefully watched around the valuables.

Cliches:

Silver Tongued Ex-Grifter (4d8)

Gorgeous Actress (4)

Well Connected Player [3]

Vicious Dirty Fighter (3)

Lucky Shots: [ ] [ ] [ ]

Hook: Hard to Resist the Con: Sara’s greed sometimes overwhelms her more altruistic aspirations. 1 die penalty in situation where she can get away with conning someone.

B-Movie Monday

2011-11-14T15:26:00.000-06:00

Saw this movie this weekend. It was pretty decent.

This one just looks cool

If you want a classic 80s monster movie, check this out. It's the Ultimate Eating Machine!

250 Posts!

2011-11-09T19:51:00.000-06:00

I just had to get over this hurdle. 250 posts in the rpg blogosphere. Life has made it easier to indulge my love of B-Movie trailers than RPG material but hopefully that will change. Thanks everybody for glancing at my blog and I promise more stuff down the road!

B-Movie Monday: Halloween!

2011-10-31T17:37:00.000-05:00

After a rough last week (I'll tell you about it sometime), it's time for B-Movie Monday on that darkest of nights Halloween! Although many horror movies are set on Halloween proper, the movies below have a special link to that horrific of holidays...

13 Days 'Til Halloween: The Three Mothers

2011-10-27T21:43:00.000-05:00

I love the films of Dario Argento. The Three Mothers Trilogy is one of my favorite parts of his work. Here are trailers to the three films. Enjoy.

First from the movie Inferno, the mystery of the Three Mothers

13 Days 'Til Halloween: Arrival Of The Cenobites

2011-10-26T15:09:00.000-05:00

The arrival of the Cenobites in the first two Hellraiser movies always impressed me. That is how realities can merge as gates to Hell open...

13 Days 'Til Halloween: Countess Dracula (1971) [NSFW]

2011-10-24T18:33:00.000-05:00

Monsters are part of Halloween as much as tricks and treats. Not all of them are hideous creatures either. Evil is seductive and beautiful in Hammer Films' Countess Dracula (1971), featuring the late, great Ingrid Pitt as Countess Elizabeth Bathory.

13 Days 'Til Halloween: H.P. Lovecraft's Nyarlathotep (2001)

2011-10-23T22:14:00.000-05:00

13 Days 'Til Halloween: A Noiva (The Bride), Portuguese Horror

2011-10-22T15:26:00.000-05:00

Don't got much time for anything today cause I worked this morning and am going to a Halloween party tonight with friends (eating and watching horror movies). So here we go with another short horror movie: A Noiva (The Bride), a short horror film from Portugal by Ana Almeida. I first read about A Noiva in Diabolique Magazine when screenwriter Jose Pedro Lopes wrote a short tale that continued the short film. It's a creepy and grisly bite-sized Eurohorror treat. Be careful watching at work; it's a bit bloody...

13 Days 'Til Halloween: Fewdio Short Horror Films

2011-10-21T21:13:00.000-05:00

There is a lot of fun little short films on YouTube and some of my favorite horror short films are made by Fewdio.com. The short films (the longest film they have on YouTube is 12 minutes) have a raw, visceral feel to them. Even the short ones have stiff shots of horror in fun little packages. Below are movies that running about 2-4 minutes a piece, but trust me there are a more then a few chills here.

Check out more Fewdio movies at their YouTube channel and visit their website at www.fewdio.com.

13 Days 'Til Halloween: J.K. Potter

2011-10-20T20:27:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite artists back in the day when I used to get the Twilight Zone Magazine (my dad got me a subscription back in the day) was J.K. Potter. His work is a surrealistic blend of hyper realistic images twisted with horrific imagery. Here are some pictures that capture why I like this man's body of work.

The image that first made me a fan:

A cover for Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes.

Assorted Visions:

13 Days 'Til Halloween: Black Sunday

2011-10-19T16:50:00.000-05:00

Welcome to 13 Days Til Halloween at the Amazing RPG Fun Pad. The goal: 13 days of halloween related trailers, movies, characters and monsters. For the opening day I present to you Mario Bava's classic vampire movie Black Sunday, featuring the alluring Barbara Steele.

B-Movie Monday!

2011-10-17T19:00:00.000-05:00

After a few weeks away due to vacation and the jet lag and getting life back on track, I give you the return of B-Movie Monday! Just a random sampling today of whatever captured my thoughts...

An underrated film I first saw on Elvira

I'm Back!

2011-10-09T19:01:00.000-05:00

Me with Sir Bruce Forsyth, Tess Daly, the Doctor and Murray the Shortest Dalek

Got back from London Wednesday A-OK! Will be posting more stuff soon.

Off to London!

2011-09-27T21:09:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow I'm taking the 6 pm flight out of the Chicago O'Hare Airport to London, UK! If I get a chance I'll post some pictures while I'm there. If not I'll show off when I get home. See you all later!

Me, My Grandma, and the Matching Skull Shirts of DOOM!

2011-09-25T20:31:00.000-05:00

Had to share this picture from way back in 1994:

My Grandma Angel and I in Florida visiting my Great Aunt Josephine back in 1994. I think this pic was taken at the Weeki Wachee Springs Park. Notice the matching skull shirts. They were her idea, honest.

It will be a year since she passed away tomorrow, but I figure you guys would enjoy this.

Next Week: Flying To London

2011-09-21T20:48:00.000-05:00

One of the reasons I haven't been posting much lately is because I've been planned a trip to London. My grandmother left me an inheritance so I decided to take a dream vacation. And next week Wednesday is when I'm going. It's an amazing feeling to realize that one your dreams is going to come true in a week.

Aunt Christine (Auntie Nut), me, and my Pa. Note the family resemblance.

I blame my Aunt Christine. She was serving in the Navy in the mid to late 70s and her station was London. When she came home in 1979 she brought back a ton of stuff from the UK with her. I listened to The Clash and early Parliament Funkadelic with her. I would stay up on the weekends and watch Dave Allen, Benny Hill and Monty Python with her. And All Creatures Great and Small...If I owe anybody for my enduring fascination with going to the United Kingdom its my beloved Auntie Nut, the most sarcastic woman I've ever met.

Joesky tax to be paid when I get back.

B-Movie Monday: Here Be Pirate Trailers!

2011-09-19T15:47:00.000-05:00

Arrrr! It be Talk Like A Pirate Day today! Here be some of th' more obscure Pirate trailers I be diggin up here for yer lords and ladyships.

One of my favorite movies that HBO played constantly in the 80s:

Among my circle of friends this is among the good Hammer Films:

And the Disney version of the same tale:

Cause I, by contract, have to include a Michael Caine movie on my blog once a year:

Just because I love the title:

Have a great Monday!

B-Movie Monday: 80s Horror Trailer Grab Bag

2011-09-12T18:34:00.000-05:00

Some random 80s trailers for you all today. Gaze upon the kind of movies I would rent on my pa's Blockbuster card.

Remembrance 9/11

2011-09-11T16:06:00.000-05:00

Whatever your side of the poltical spectrum or your views on religion or whatever else colors your opinion on life I ask for a small indulgence today. On this 10th year remember those victims and first responders who were killed when the towers were hit, and those who have suffered loss and sickness due to that attack.

Because Ghost Rider Riding A Shark Is AWESOME!

2011-09-10T20:24:00.001-05:00

Or the 25 cent comic book bin can inspire a wikipedia search on Marvel's Midnight Sons. That leads to Ghost Rider which somehow led to mention of the The Last Stand of the Spirits of Vengeance arc. That led to this picture: Ghost Riders from throughout history (from Ghost Rider vol 6 #31):

Words can't top the awesome.

The Return of B-Movie Monday!

2011-09-05T20:01:00.001-05:00

Yes gang, it's the return of B-Movie Monday! This week I have three international horror movie trailers from around the world.

From India:

From Nigeria:

From Indonesia, an oldie but a goodie:

Enjoy!

The Last Filmation Friday: The Kid Super Power Hour With Shazam!

2011-09-02T16:16:00.000-05:00

Everybody has their guilty or corny loves as a kid. One of mine was The Kids Super Power Hour With Shazam from 1981. It was a live action/cartoon show with the voice actors of the heroes also doing some live action songs and jokes. This was filmed before a live studio audience. There was the Hero High cartoon and the Shazam (DC's Captain Marvel) cartoon.

One of these days I'm doing RPG stats for the Hero High kids. One day...

This is going to be the last Filmation Friday. I will be having some Filmation ideas integrated into the general blog itself, but as a separate entity it's closing up shop. Thanks to everyone who enjoyed it and gave it a look. I'm planning on an action adventure animation day sometime next year, but that is in the future. Hope you enjoyed.

Little Red Riding Hood and the Monsters (1962) Trailer

2011-09-01T16:13:00.001-05:00

Netflix is like crack to a b-movie fan like myself. It lets me indulge in some rarer movies that are harder to find in my usual stomping grounds. My current movies are Bloody New Year (an 80s British horror movie) and the luchadoras double feature Doctor Of Doom/Wrestling Women vs. The Aztec Mummy from the fine folks at Something Weird Cinema. It was watching their trailer section, always the first thing I do when viewing a DVD, that I saw this trailer:

Little Red Riding Hood and the Monsters (Caperucita y Pulgarcito contra los monstruos) (1962) is a Mexican children's movie imported by schlockmeister K. Gordan Murray. The content of this trailer is, quite frankly, some of the unwittingly bizarre content I've seen this year. Think fairy tale heroes facing off against a bevy of monsters. This is the type of movie you could turn into a bizarre roleplaying scenario (or campaign!) with a little work and twisting.

Just A Note: Last Filmation Friday, Return of B-Movie Monday

2011-09-01T15:49:00.000-05:00

Just doing a little housecleaning. This Friday's entry of Filmation Friday will be the last for a while. I liked digging up Filmation stuff to share with you folk but my heart hasn't been in it for a while. When looking for pictures and stuff feels like a chore, it's time to shelve the idea for a while. I may do a Saturday Morning Cartoon day next spring, but I'm still thinking about it. Special thanks to Cyborg Trucker who helped me with some of the pics I've used.

But all is not lost! Labor Day 2011 will mark the return of B-Movie Monday! I've seen some cool new movies, posters, and trailer and want to share them with you. I'm planning on having more RPG stats this time around, but only time will tell.

I may be changing the name of the blog next year. I'm still thinking about that idea too.

Belated Happy Birthday, Jack Kirby

2011-08-29T15:52:00.000-05:00

Jack Kirby art featuring Thundarr, Ariel, and Ookla.

Happy Belated Birthday to one of my idols, Jack "The King" Kirby.

Remember--DC and especially Marvel Comics owe this guy BIG TIME!

Filmation Friday: Superstretch and Microwoman

2011-08-26T17:17:00.000-05:00

Superstretch and Microwoman was part of the Tarzan and the Super 7 animation block that Filmation had on CBS circa 1979. This show was among the first cartoons I can remember where the main leads were African-American (this was back in the late 70's). These are humorous superhero adventures, with the main characters engaging in banter as they put the criminals away. I remember liking the show when I watched it as a kid. Here's an episode:

Enjoy!

Quick Thought I Had At Work: Mind Flayers and Zombies

2011-08-22T18:39:00.001-05:00

Here's a quick thought I had at work:

The mind flayer is a classic AD&D monster that has terrorized campaigns around the world for decades. Different origins, variants and alternate versions of the mind flayer have been designed for various RPGs, especial since the illithids have been deemed as product identity by WotC. But I've never seen this one.

Mind flayers are an advanced form of undead that wield strange powers due to the brains they eat.

The mind flayers once existed as any other race until they were infected by an ancient contagion. The contagion increased their psionic abilities but gave them an insatiable craving for the brains of other intelligent beings--including their own race. Mind flayers can no longer procreate normally. They reproduce by infecting a promising victim with some of their own flesh. The contagion takes over and the new mind flayer is brought underground to his or her new people.

This idea has some other possibilities:

There were mind flayers that were not infected by the contagion that corrupted the rest of their race. They may be hiding anywhere in the campaign world. They may be a hidden force of good, or a bitter enclave just as evil as their brethren. The other races will confuse them for their brain-eating brethren. Plus, other mind flayers have not tasted fresh mind flayer brain in sooooo long...
Some of the undead in the campaign may be created by the mind flayers as vehicles to get more bodies and brains. The zombies eat their victims, the viruses animates the bodies, and the mind flayers render the zombies to get the tender brains and flesh. Mind flayer zombies probably wouldn't be turned by a priest, and would be very creatively designed.
The relationship between mind flayers and necromancers can go in some interesting ways. They could be wary allies, traders in various resources, or bitter enemies. Powerful necromancers may know formulas that allow them to control mind flayers, or the contagion that changed them.
Mind flayers and the undead they create would probably be parallel to the undead created by other means, There may be wars with liches and vampires over their shared food source.

If anybody uses some of these ideas, let me know!

Mutant Future Inspiration: Zordax II: The Metal War and She (1982)

2011-08-15T20:33:00.000-05:00

Here's a short film I heard of a year of two ago that is a tribute to 80's Italian post apocalyptic movies. Zordax II The Metal War is great Mutant Future inspiration, a bite size chunk of after the bomb type fun.

Here's the Zordax II page on Producer and Director Syl Disjonk's website.

Now here's two clips from a rarer movie, She starring Sandahl Bergman. H. Rider Haggard this is not. This is full throttle bats#!+ crazy 80s after the bomb movie fun! I had an old VHS copy but it got messed up, and it never was released on DVD that I know of. She is worth seeking out in whatever format you can find, because of scenes like this, presented below:

I'm sure that an enterprising Mutant Future GM can find a ton of ideas from these clips!

Filmation Friday: Back From Vacation!

2011-08-12T20:09:00.000-05:00

Hello folks, I'm back from Winneconne and eating way to much at the Wisconsin State Fair. For Filmation Friday today I have two entries:

First, Glimmer is in trouble piloting a butterfly-like flyer from a She-Ra Princess of Power episode. Note the very Elvish Spelljammer design look to this vehicle.

Here is an episode of the Filmation Journey to the Center of the Earth (1967)

See ya!

On VACATION!

2011-08-03T10:48:00.000-05:00

I'll be gone for a week of fun, relaxation, and recharging, visiting my second hometown of Winneconne, Wisconsin. When I come back I hope I'll be over this posting funk and will put more stuff on the Amazing RPG Fun Pad. While I have been reading many of your blogs religiously, I just haven't had the gumption to type up some of my ideas. Everybody going to Gen Con, have a great time! Everybody staying home have a great time!

Will pay the Joesky tax later...

Filmation Friday: Lessons From He-Man

2011-07-29T23:28:00.000-05:00

With some family stuff and planning two vacations going on amongst the regular work schedule the posting has been slower of late. But I have something for you...

Because back in the 80s you sometimes had to have a socially positive message in your cartoons.

Like that helped.

Filmation Friday

2011-07-22T15:39:00.000-05:00

The Overlord combines the Starsword and the Powersword to form the Power Star. From "Spacewrecked", the sixth episode of Blackstar (1981), an underrated sword and planet gem.

Here's the intro (a cleaner copy than I've had on the Fun Pad before):

Blackstar on Wikipedia has a great overview of the show.

Adamant Entertainment To Make Buckaroo Banzai RPG

2011-07-18T18:30:00.000-05:00

I saw this on Facebook while checking up on my friends:

http://www.adamantentertainment.com/2011/07/18/buckaroo-banzai-is-back/

I may have to check this one out. I loved Buckaroo Banzai when I was a young 'un.

Filmation Friday: Good, Evil, And Gilligan (From Gilligan's Planet [1982])

2011-07-15T15:35:00.000-05:00

In memorial to the passing of Sherwood Schwartz, the creator of Gilligans Island, I present this:

Good and Evil argue over Gilligan in this scene from Gilligan's Planet (1982). I never really watched this show before but the Filmation intro pretty much explains the premise:

This intro also proves the wisdom of Weird Al Yankovic, revealed in the song "Isle Thing":

He'd mess up every rescue
Man, that first mate was illin'
If I was one of those Castaways
I think I'd probably kill 'im

Strigoi (2009) Trailer

2011-07-11T19:33:00.000-05:00

With Strigoi-mania running wild on several RPG blogs, I stumbled onto this trailer when tooling around the net:

Check out the film's website at www.strigoimovie.com

I first heard about the Strigoi meme at Tim Brannan's blog.

Filmation Friday

2011-07-08T16:42:00.000-05:00

With some Sword and Planet talk going on though the RPG blogs, I give you Bravestarr and the Empress Nadia from the Bravestarr episode "Bravestarr and the Empress". I love the character design for Nadia with her very Kirbyesque headdress and stylish bikini armor.

Doctor Who Summed Up In One Sentence

2011-07-04T19:53:00.000-05:00

When the Doctor arrived you know some real weird shit is going down.

There is a lot of truth in that one statement!

The Shadow World blog has a very opinionated set of Doctor Who roleplaying notes using the Xpress System by Postmortem Studios. Shadow World is a series of games that parody the "World O' Darkness" genre written by Ian Warner. There are no sacred cows in this Doctor Who adaptation, and you may see a favorite Doctor or companion skewered, but it's still fun.

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-03T22:32:00.000-05:00

I'd like to extend to everybody in the RPG blogosphere a good 4th of July! Enjoy the fireworks, get some gaming in, take a ride, eat some good food or visit with family.

Filmation Friday: Dragon Strike

2011-07-01T19:57:00.000-05:00

It's been a long day. so I have something simple today.

A concerted blast of dragonfire from "The Dragon Invasion", a first season He-Man and the Masters of the Universe episode. And yes, this is the only cartoon appearance of Jitsu in the Filmation series. Which is a shame, because I think with some decent writing Jitsu could have been an interesting character.

[Risus] Dirk Bogart, Diablosaur Hunter

2011-06-29T00:08:00.000-05:00

Just a quick Risus character for today. Take some weird dinosaur theories and add a twist of Valiant's version of Turok, Son of Stone and you get...

Dirk Bogart, Diablosaur Hunter

Dirk Bogart is the first Diablosaur Hunter. Once Dirk was a forest ranger until he stumbled onto a dimensional rift deep in Central Wisconsin. A gaping hole in an ancient burial mound opened into , the hideous realm of the Diablosaurs. At first Dirk used his wits, artifacts from the mound, and a smattering of occult knowledge from his grandmother, Dirk soon was able to get a hold of some technomantic weaponry to aid in his attempts to stop the Diablosaur invasion. His was a lonely battle until survivors of Diablosaur attacks began to her stories of a lone hunter foiling unholy plots. Other groups began to hunt the demonic dinosaurs and Dirk found himself a reluctant mentor to a new generation of Diablosaur Hunters. Most of the time you can find him deep in the woods hunting alone.

Grizzled Diablosaur Hunter [5d8]

Conversationalist Ex-Forest Ranger [4]

Reluctant Mentor To The Next Generation (3)

Grandson of A Wise Woman (3)

Bonus Item: Betsy: Technomantic Diablosaur Hunting Rifle (4)

Questing Dice (Destroy The Diablosaurs): [][][][][]

Hook: Guilt Complex. Dirk has always been a loner, dealing with people only when he has to, This tendency towards being a loner was only intensified by the hunt he finds himself in. Deep down Dirk is afraid that every death caused by Diablosaurs is his responsibility. He avoids crowds whenever possible, and keeps conversation to a minimum. This can hinder him in his Diablosaur hunting activities, even when he finds allies to his cause.

The Diablosaurs were inspired by this article.

Turok (Valiant era) on Wikipedia.

Filmation Friday: The Mighty Isis!

2011-06-24T20:01:00.000-05:00

From the 70s I give you Filmation live-action through the wonders of YouTube! Here are two episodes of The Secret of Isis. Dig the 70s computer in the beginning of the first episode!

Just An Idea...

2011-06-22T18:07:00.000-05:00

The 27 planets stolen by Davros and the Daleks in the Doctor Who Episodes "The Stolen Earth/Journey's End".

How about this for a science fantasy campaign, inspired by the 4th season of Doctor Who, Spelljammer, and the Savage Worlds setting Slipstream:

A cosmic being steals random worlds from across the Multiverse for an unknown purpose. The being places the planets in a pocket dimension bordered by various dimensions. The worlds orbit each other in a complex pattern, and the dimension seems to light and darken to give the impressions of day and night. With that, the cosmic being disappears.

After the initial chaos of the Stealing, the denizens of the various planet go out to meet each other. Alliances are made, battles are fought, and conspiracies are begun. World that have not contacted the other planets are marked for exploration. Travel between the planets is made possible by ships powered by science, magic, psionics, and other motive forces. And the greatest question of all is the mystery of why the planets were taken in the first place.

Take a bunch of worlds you always wanted to have interact with each other and throw them in the mix. May do something with this in the future...

Filmation Friday: Hypno Rick Springfield!

2011-06-17T20:54:00.000-05:00

With all of the recent back and forth in the OSR and beyond, you internet pal Mike has decided that we need a little break from all of the chaos. I give you Hypno Rick Springfield...

--IN STEREO!

A hypnotic scene from Mission: Magic, a lesser known Filmation effort from 1973. It featured Rick Springfield aiding teacher Miss Tickle and her students. Both Rick Springfield and Miss Tickle were magicians, and they went on 16 weird adventures in time and space. It's kind of weird in a trippy 70s way. Check the wikipedia entry here for more info.

Art from The Horn of Roland, A Lords of Creation Adventure

2011-06-16T16:10:00.000-05:00

Here's a several scans of art from The Horn of Roland, the first adventure for Lords of Creation. They were drawn once again by Dave Billman. Soak in the mad science fantasy goodness!

[Mystery Men!] Mr. Samuel Weir, Mystic Defender of Old Town

2011-06-13T20:10:00.000-05:00

Here's a character for John Stater's superhero RPG Mystery Men! (More info for the game at his Land Of Nod blog.) Old Town is a neighborhood in Shore City, the sample setting created for the game. But feel free to use him in any run down neighborhood that could use a little hope.

Mr. Samuel Weir, Mystic Defender of Old Town

Mr. Samuel Weir has always lived at the Belvedere Hotel, 13th Floor, 13th Room. Even long time employees can't remember a time when he didn't. Urbane and witty, Mr. Weir is a well known fixture of Old Town. One can find him taking him taking in a cabaret featuring the soulful singing of Dena Aveltine, or laughingly shooing away the Down 'n Out Kids as they run down the street. A smile always plays across his face as he walks through out the neighborhood.

The criminals of Old Town tell darker stories, of when Mr. Weir's smile goes away. They tell of strange things and strange events that plague those who take too much away from the hard working folk of Old Town. They also tell of Mr. Weir dealing with horrors that even hardened gangsters are afraid to tangle with. Some even say that when Shore City is invaded by outside forces, Mr. Weir stands alongside its heroes to fight the darkness.

Like his younger brother famed doctor (and wielder of the Purple Claw) Dr Johnathan Weir, Samuel Weir has been touched by the supernatural. Mr. Weir has chosen to remain in Old Town and protect the neighborhood from threats supernatural and supernormal. While he knows that he alone cannot stop the decay that is gripping Old Town, he can at least help those who are trying to help themselves.

Mr. Samuel Weir
Neighborhood Defender

Level 10 Sorcerer

Strength 2
Dexterity 3
Constitution 3
Intelligence 9
Will 5
Charisma 5

Hit Points 29
Defense Class 10
Attack Bonus +4
Speed 2
XP: 15,200

Powers: Regenerate (3000 XP), Sorcery Pool of 50000 XP (25000 XP), Super Intelligence+6 (6000 XP)

Gear: Walking Stick [Potent Attack] (800 XP)

Flaws: Regenerate only works within the borders of Old Town. Sorcery cannot be used to directly damage another character. For example, Mr. Weir cannot cast Call Lighting to fry a drug dealer. He could cast Mirage to cause the drug dealer to swerve and crash into an abandoned building.

Notes: Dr. Johnathan Weir and the Purple Claw were created by an unknown writer and artists Ben Brown and David Gantz. Both are believed to be in the public domain, and are used as such.

And why William Powell? Watch The Thin Man movies. William Powell is the Man!

A Snapshot From Vanth

2011-06-12T21:48:00.000-05:00

A rare aboveground picture of a Wooky Lich, Undead Scions of Forgotten Icful. This was taken amongst the blasted landscape of the Forbidden Wastes. Their bone white fur clings to them as they glide through the Wooky Necropolises keeping a constant watch on their sleeping brethern. Although the Wookie Liches seem wizened and dessicated, they can still rip a klengon apart limb from limb. The Tomb Robber Guilds have tried to have them exterminated, but no one has collected any reward as of yet.

Filmation Friday: He-Man Meets Hannibal and...Blackbeard?

2011-06-10T18:29:00.001-05:00

Here's Blackbeard the Pirate

and Hannibal of Carthage

from "Castle of Heroes", an episode of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. This episode is a truly bizarre one. An old friend of Skeletor wants to add He-Man to his army of powerful and/or evil warriors from throughout the universe. I get Hannibal from the elephant, but Blackbeard in the lavender armor and polarized lenses is kinda weird. In fact, the entire episode watches like an adventure for Tom Moldvay's Lords of Creation that got animated.

Oh what the hey, check out the episode:

The Coolest TV Show Theme You've Never Heard

2011-06-09T15:09:00.000-05:00

From the late night programming of the local evangelical christian channel I give one of my favorite TV show theme songs: the opening theme to the Pagan Invasion!

According to the makers of the Pagan Invasion this show:

Examines paganism in subjects as diverse as Halloween, evolution, medication,world religions (belief men will be Gods), Satanism.

It's as fun as it sounds.

Inspiration Time: Khurasan Miniatures

2011-06-08T17:44:00.000-05:00

I don't paint or craft miniatures, but Khurasan Miniatures puts out some of the sharpest 15mm to 28mm miniatures out there. They are visually inspiring, and the background fluff they provide is entertaining too. Check out the fine miniatures of Khurasan here.

The monstrous Great Ba-He-Mot

The Khurasan Miniatures blog has previews of upcomind releases and some excellent background for their various figure lines.

A 15mm scale Garn Crocodile Class Assault Tank.

Happy Birthday Vincent Price!

2011-05-28T23:51:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite horror movie actors was Vincent Price. His sardonic charm graced my childhood from the Roger Corman Poe films to Baka from The Ten Commandments to Vincent Van Ghoul from The 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo. Today/Yesterday would have been his 100th birthday.

Here are some of my favorite Vincent Price characters:

Dr. Anton Phibes

Matthew Hopkins, the Witchfunder General

Vincent Van Ghoul

Prince Prospero

The incredibly creepy Baka the Master Builder

Dr Erasmus Craven

Happy Birthday Christopher Lee!

2011-05-27T20:47:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to one those celebrities I always wanted to meet, Sir Christopher Lee. He's fun even in crappy movies. Hell, he was in Howling II Your Sister Is A Werewolf. Sir Christopher always lent a touch of class to any endeavor, and his voice kind of scared me as a kid. His Hammer Films were part of my childhood as devoured all of the classic horror I could.

One of my guilty Christopher Lee movies is Horror Express also starring Peter Cushing and Telly Savalas. Enjoy.

Filmation Friday: Take Him To Ming!

2011-05-27T20:29:00.000-05:00

IMHO one of the coolest robot designs Filmation ever did: Ming's robot warriors the Metal Men from the The New Adventures of Flash Gordon.

Bonus! Ming's Metal Men from a Flash Gordon coloring book.

Three Characters for Rogue Space

2011-05-21T19:53:00.000-05:00

Here are three characters I made using the new Rogue Space rules, a free 8 page rpg you can pick up at http://roguespacerpg.blogspot.com/. This little 8 page set of rules has a lot of power behind it. I say check it out.

The characters below are built with the following options:

Luck rules (page 3)
Increasing Levels (page 3)
Psionics (page 4)
The campaign setting is a near future metropolis where weird technologies and recently rediscovered psionic abilities exist. The world goes on, day by day, while a Secret War wages behind the scenes.

John Lowder

All John Lowder wanted was a normal life, with a normal job and a normal family. That all changed when a psychic battle a block away from the small apartment that he called home awakened his own abilities. John has the rare ability to copy the psionic abilities used against him. This power is a weapon that many factions would love in their arsenal. Now John Lowder is a wanderer who is using the power that he once thought was a curse as the only edge he has to keep himself free.

Fighting 1
Acquiring -1
Scientific 2
Empathy 1
Repairing 1

Archetype: Technician 1
Hit Points: 4
Movement: 20'
Luck: 1

Power(s): Psychic Vampire
Weaponry: Pistol (Damage Rating: Light/2)
Armor: None

Maria Salazar

Maria has only known life outside of the Mesmer Project for five years. She is a Second Generation Induced Psychic, created utilizing the remnants of various clandestine WWII experiments. The 20XX New Dawn Accords dissolved the Project and released Maria into the normal population. Beautiful and confident to the point of recklessness, Maria wants only to be left alone and have some fun. She has not forgotten her childhood, though, and abusers of the innocent find themselves paying a very cold price for their deeds.

Fighting 1
Acquiring 2
Scientific 1
Empathy 2
Repairing 0

Archetype: Rogue 2
Hit Points: 6
Movement: 30'
Luck: 2

Power(s): Psychic Shield, Cyrokinesis (the ability to create cold and ice with the mind)
Weaponry: Knife (Damage Rating--Light/Damage 2)
Armor: Leather Jacket (Armor Rating--Light/Protection 1)

(Level 2: +1 Fighting)

Gregory Dawson

This former soldier is a rarity in the Secret War: he is not enhanced technologically or psionically. Greg was injured in service to his country and used both Western and Eastern medicine to aid in the healing process. He left the Service and today hires himself as a bodyguard to protect those who can't protect themselves. Those with powers who underestimate Greg find that he is very hard to kill and he can keep a grudge for a long time.

Fighting 3
Acquiring 2
Scientific 0
Empathy 0
Repairing 1

Archetype: Fighter 3
Hit Points: 8
Movement: 40'
Luck: 3

Power(s): None
Weaponry: Knife (Damage Rating--Light/Damage 2), Military Rifle Knife (Damage Rating--Heavy/Damage 4)
Armor: Ballistic Cloth (Armor Rating--Light/Protection 1)

(Level 3: +1 Acquiring, +1 Fighting)

Filmation Friday: He-Man Pushes Eternia's Moon Standing On A Wind Raider

2011-05-20T21:54:00.000-05:00

Discuss amongst yourselves.

Filmation Friday: Skeletor Stole Your Blogposts!

2011-05-13T15:24:00.000-05:00

I know what's happening to all of the blog posts:

Fricking Skeletor!

From the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe episode "Diamond Ray of Disappearance".

Legos Are So Much Cooler Now

2011-05-11T18:30:00.000-05:00

If these kind of Legos were out when I was a kid, I'd have more Legos now.

Filmation Friday: Collossor

2011-05-06T20:14:00.001-05:00

The closest Filmation came to Jack Kirby. Collosor from the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe episode "Colossor Awakes"

Gamma Squad For TWERPS Rob Liefeld

2011-05-05T20:20:00.000-05:00

I originally wrote this up for HowToDoEverything, the TWERPS Yahoo group about five years ago. One of the regular posters at the time, Dr. Gerry M. Weinberg, wrote a TWERPS supplement called TWERPS Rob Liefeld. This was a homage/parody of the style of comic said Mr. Liefeld seems to "excel" in. I had fun writing them up, and have been trying to adapt them to other super rpgs for a while now. I probably will do stats for these characters using upcoming Mystery Men! superhero RPG and ICONS. Here the characters are in their original form.

I found this in a notebook for something I was going to work on called the TWERPS Bunch ‘O Stuff, a small little fanzine. Never got around to it. I did decide to type this up to share my first “official” TWERPS fan work. The characters are slightly more powerful than the characters in TWERPS: ROB LIEFELD, but I was going for an Image Comics feel. There is no challenge to Doc on copyright—I’m just playing with his rules.

Enjoy!

FOR TWERPS: ROB LIEFELD (By Dr. Garry M. Weinberg)

PROJECT: GLADIATOR

Officially Project Gladiator does not exist.

Project: Gladiator (aka The Project) is a program by the US Government to create metahumans. After the disappearance of most of the supers of “the Silver Age” in 1975, the Project was created to develop replacements under government control. Many sources of powers have been developed including genetic experimentation, bioware, cyberware, high technology reverse engineered by the gadgeteers of the Silver Age, and other rarer, individual sources of research.

Gladiator subjects often join teams coordinated for maximum public exposure and balance. They are presented as independent teams, but each group has a handler to curb the more extreme elements. In times of crisis huge teams can be mobilized. Some, of course, go rogue. And not all metas are created by the Project…

GAMMA SQUAD

Gamma Squad is one of the younger teams created by the Project. It is based currently in Chicago.

TEAM ROSTER

PHILADELPHIA

ST 7; Teleport, Telekinesis, Born Leader, Pose Enigmatically

Philadelphia is the leader of Gamma Squad. He is a subject of a recreation of the infamous Philadelphia Experiment, and is one of the saner survivors of the journey. His superiors chose him to lead because of his leadership ability and to keep him away from finding the truth about the Project and his link to the Silver Age. He wears a simple black bodysuit, eschewing something fancier. {Philadelphia’s powers all manifest a green aura when being used.

BULWARK

ST 5; Super Strength, Regeneration

Bulwark is the quick healing strongman of the Gamma Squad. He is often the man that starts punching the bad guys when Philadelphia gives the world. Bulwark plays the part of the wisecracking big man, but he really wants to be a teacher. His musculature is supremely ripped. He is seven feet tall and wears a modified Gamma Squad jumpsuit designed to withstand his strength.

LADY STEEL

ST 6; Cyborg x2 (Armor, Sensor, Strength, Gun), Hot, Pose Reflectively

Lady Steel is a former FBI Agent who was injured during a battle between Lightning Force and super powered soldiers of the Triac Empire. She was rebuilt using experimental cybernetics based on the notes of the gadgeteer known as Steel Sanderson. Her FBI training aided in her recovery, but she still regrets the loss of her humanity. She is close to Sifu and has a mad crush on Philadelphia. Lady Steel is a severely beautiful woman with obvious cybernetic parts.

ARCWELD

ST 5; Flight, Energy Blast

The teen heartthrob of the Gamma Squad, Arcweld is a mutant from California recruited by Project Gladiator. His arcweld is a blast of plasma that can melt steel or can propel him through the air. The main reason he was recruited was the fact his father is a powerful Hollywood movie mogul. Arcweld used to be a spoiled brat, but is beginning to realize that such an attitude can get him killed real quick.

SIFU

ST 7; Extra Attack, Iron Will, Living Weapon, Pose Enigmatically

Sifu claims to be the last practitioner of a martial arts style known only as the Thunder Fist. He also claims to be over 300 years old. Sifu looks like a fit Oriental man in his late 20s wearing loose fitting clothes. He is inordinately fond of enigmatic phrases and appearing behind people mysteriously. Sifu joined the Gamma Squad for reasoned known only to him.

DEATHBLADE

ST 6; Super Speed, Blade Master, Pose Seductively

Deathblade has known Philadelphia for years, and doesn’t care for him all that much. Deathblade is convinced that he would have been a far better choice to lead Gamma Squad. Super speed and prowess with bladed weapons make him a dangerous foe able to slice a man apart is seconds. He is a strikingly handsome and charismatic fellow, adept with wooing the ladies and being everybody’s friend. He is also a borderline sociopath, a metahuman the Project is very worried about.

RAPTRESS

ST 5; Feral, Super Agility, Hot

Raptress was an experimental subject of the Moreau Society, a group of scientists experimenting on merging animals and man into composite beings. (The Project also funds the Society). She was released by the Lightning Squad and recruited by the Project soon afterwards. Raptress retains much of her human intellect and is still quite the student. She is prone to go beserk in battle, however. She remains a beautiful woman, with luxurious black hair and light green scales, similar to snake skin.

STEVEN MORIARTY

ST 5; Special Agent (Project: Gladiator)*, Detective*, Pistol, Laptop

Steven Moriarty is the current Project handler for the Gamma Squad. Steve is one of the newer handlers to come out of the Project in recent years. He is rather amiable for a government employee, willing to listen to several alternatives before making his decisions. He refers to Philadelphia in most situations but is no pushover. Steven gets along well with most of the team, though he thinks Deathblade is a psychopath. He is quietly falling in love with Raptress. Oh, in case you are wondering, he is a descendant of THE Moriarty, his thrice great-uncle in fact.

*Professions used here are from The T.W.E.R.P.S. Files campaign book.

Have You Played It?

2011-05-01T18:11:00.001-05:00

Filmation Friday: Giant Floating Heads!

2011-04-29T20:24:00.000-05:00

Sentinel One, the supercomputer who works with the Space Sentinels from the Space Sentinels show.

I first saw this show when I was 5-6 years old. Sentinel One freaked me the hell out the first couple of times I saw it. It was a floating head that would just pop up! I got nightmares from that bit of cartoon. Well, that and a commercial that had the Universal Monsters with Joe Cocker's version of "You Are So Beautiful". When Karloff as Frankenstein showed up, I screamed my head off.

I was a weird kid.

80s Video Adventure Helper: Wouldn't It Be Good by Nik Kershaw

2011-04-26T21:38:00.000-05:00

Last time was fun, so let's do it again! Watch the video, then think about the questions below. Maybe weave them into your next campaign or scenario.

Why is Nik in the hotel room with the alien technology?

What abilities does his amazing video suit have? We see that it reflects things going behind closed doors, possible futures and stranger possibilities. Is this the way he communicates?

Why does the communication to the sky create the white light streaming through the window?

Why are all of the people signing in unison? Are they possessed?

Why are they surrounding Nik, seemingly trying to stop him from leaving?

Is Nik being psychically attacked by the crowd or is it a reaction from being surrounded by too many people?

Where does Nik travel to next?

Have fun!

Farewell Sarah Jane Smith

2011-04-23T20:40:00.001-05:00

RIP Elisabeth Sladen, best known to me as the irrepressible Sarah Jane Smith. Good voyage, old friend.

Filmation Friday: Plundorr!

2011-04-22T20:21:00.000-05:00

Since it's Easter, we need a rabbit! Here's Plundorr, the evil rabbit man from the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe episode "Quest for He-Man"

RIP Gerald "Gerry" Lahr (1924-2011)

2011-04-18T14:19:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday afternoon my maternal grandfather Gerald Lahr died after a fight with various ailments. He just celebrated his birthday on August 5. There had been 4-5 scares for the past six months that this was "the last time". Over the past to-three weeks I've been back and forth visiting either the hospital or the rehab place he was staying at. I had already made peace with the fact that he could pass on at any time. But when the time does come, it's still a wicked sucker punch.

Grandpa Lahr was technically my step grandfather, but after 30+ years you can really take the step out of the equation. He and his wife Virginia always treated me like one of their own grandkids, never any different from my stepsiblings. He played accordion regularly at the local Knights of Columbus Friday fish fry. Grandpa never learned how to read music; he played simply be hearing the song. I can remember him playing some of Metallica's "Enter Sandman" after hearing my brother play the song on cassette. He laughed at dirty jokes, and always told me to have a shot and a beer for him. I'll miss him a lot.

In the course of less than two years I've seen all my remaining grandparents go on to a better life. But knowing Grandpa, he'd want me to keep blogging, keep playing, keep living, and above all not work too hard.

Filmation Friday: Tarzan and the Earth's Core

2011-04-15T19:47:00.000-05:00

Have some family stuff to deal with, so he're some Tarzan Lord of the Jungle to watch this week.

80s Video Adventure Helper: Africa by Toto

2011-04-12T22:56:00.000-05:00

Watch the video, then think about the questions below. Maybe weave them into your next campaign or scenario.

Why is the bearded guy looking for the book that the page corner he has comes from?

What secret does the picture of the African native hold?

Is the African native that threw the spear real, a dream, a spirit or something else?

What really happened to the library and the librarian?

Filmation Friday: Dark Riders From She-Ra

2011-04-08T18:21:00.001-05:00

Here are some pics of the Dark Riders, summoned by the Evil Horde sorceress Shadow Weaver. This happened in the She Ra Princess of Power episode "The Price of Power". I think the monster designs rock.

Bonus RPG Notes! (Spoilers!)

To use the Dark Riders in a D&D campaign for any edition:

The Dark Riders are summoned by powerful evil sorcerers, necromancers, and clerics.
They are usually sent to slow down powerful warriors, especially those with flying mounts and magicians.
The Dark Riders themselves are skeletal warriors who wear a helm, plate mail armor, and wield an ax. They are able follow slightly complicated commands but they can be outwitted.
The Dark Riders constantly shriek, so they cannot surprise their quarry.
Their Mounts are winged nightmares. A Mount whose rider is knocked off will go beserk and attack the being responsible. The most common tactic is too drive the attacker to the ground.
Both the Dark Riders and their Mounts are immune to magic. They can only be destroyed/banished by driving them into the ground, where there explode into a blinding flash.

Use with any edition! Take the stats for skeletons and nightmares, and add the immunity to magic, shrieking and the banishment by touching the ground. Adjust to taste, then send against your party next time the Evil Necromancer(tm) wants to slow your party down.

Jack Kirby Visualizes Wildspace

2011-04-07T19:24:00.000-05:00

A year and four days ago, Mr. Maliszewski had a fine little essay about Steve Ditko and Dr. Strange as inspiration for the D&D planes. I was thinking of making a similar point as a filler post before I found the Grognardia piece that pretty much said everything I wanted to.

Then I realized that in his work on Marvel's 2001: A Space Odyssey comic book series, Jack Kirby drew one the best representations of Spelljammer's Wildspace ever!

A Gnomish Spelljammer Sphere behind a massive worldship.

A possible representation of how someone using a spelljamming helm perceives wildspace.

Approaching a crystal sphere.

When someone first sits on a spelljamming helm, their mind adjusts to new vistas of perception.

[Toon RPG] Dudley Battlethumper, Rabbit Barbarian

2011-04-03T15:01:00.000-05:00

Inspired by the classic Doom Bunny miniature by Ral Partha, I give you my first Toon RPG character in quite a while.

Dudley Battlethumper, Rabbit Barbarian

Dudley Battlethumper is a 7-foot tall gray rabbit that dresses in plate mail. He travels the Tooniverse in search of treasure and adventure. No one knows what he looks like because he always wears a full helmet wherever he goes. Dudley loves to fight anyone or anything for any reason with his trusty axe and shield. He makes outrageous oaths, and delivers them with a loud voice even when his friends are hiding. When someone tries to knock off or remove his helmet, Dudley goes into a berserk rage that can clear out a room in seconds. Dudley keeps gems, gold, carrots and small paintings of his 125 brothers and sisters in his Back Pocket.

Beliefs & Goals: By the Seven Thunders of Scheimer I live for battle! Finding gems and gold is only bested by the sweet taste of carrots! Smash those ratmen who dare burrow into the warrens of my kin! By Freleng’s Flashing Fists they will fall! Any problem that can be solved by words can be better solved with action! No one shall remove my helmet, this I swear by the Ruby and the Spears! Let my enemies beware!

Hit Points: 15 Speed: 6

Muscle: 7
Break Down Door: 8
Climb: 8
Fight: 9
Pick Up Heavy Thing: 9
Throw: 8

Zip: 5
Dodge: 7
Drive Vehicle: 2
Fire Gun: 7
Jump: 8
Ride: 6
Run: 6
Swim: 5

Smarts: 2
Hide/Spot Hidden: 4
Identify Dangerous Thing: 2
Read: 2
Resist Fast-Talk: 2
See/Hear/Smell: 5
Set/Disarm Trap: 3
Track/Cover Tracks: 3

Chutzpah: 3
Fast-Talk: 3
Pass/Detect Shoddy Goods: 3
Sleight of Hand: 3
Sneak: 3

Shticks:
Incredible Strength: 7
Toughness (Physical): 8
Fantastic Flying Fists and Feet Only When Helmet Is Off: 7

Filmation Friday: Laughing Skeletor!

2011-04-01T18:52:00.000-05:00

What the title said. Happy April Fools!

I May Have To Write Some Toon RPG Stuff

2011-03-31T16:53:00.001-05:00

IMHO there's not enough material for the Toon game by Steve Jackson Games on the Net. I think I may have to do a little something about that.

Just something to light a little fire under myself.

Fun At deviantART: Fake 80s Grindhouse Movies by leothefox

2011-03-27T14:45:00.000-05:00

I was whiling away a Sunday afternoon tooling around the web so I wouldn't fall asleep in the chair. I hadn't been on Deviantart in a while so I went their and started looking around. Put in Fulci in the search engine I stumbled on this...

It's a mock-up for a VHS cover for a fake Lucio Fulci movie called Red Pebble. By the summary on the back back I would have loved the movie that could have been. I thought this was inspired so I took a look at leothefox's deviantART gallery and found these goodies.

These fake covers are great. The art, titles, and back cover blurbs capture that 80s corner store video feel I love. Plus, these covers give me some RPG ideas as well.

Leothefox has a lot of fun stuff in the gallery. Check it out at leothefox's deviantART site!

Filmation Friday: Space Giants!

2011-03-25T17:52:00.001-05:00

The Space Giants tower over the cliffs in "Space Giants", an episode of Space Sentinels (1978).

Watch "Space Giants" on YouTube.

Filmation Friday: Leprechaun vs. Banshee

2011-03-18T15:38:00.000-05:00

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, I give you the classic battle of Leprechaun versus Banshee. This scene is from the Filmation's Ghostbusters episode "Banish That Banshee".

Bonus Pic! Here's another Banshee , this time from The Real Ghostbusters episode "Banshee Bake a Cherry Pie". Not Filmation, I know, but I love both series for their own charms.

Filmation Friday: Hey! Hey! Hey!

2011-03-11T16:23:00.000-06:00

After the little skirmishes in the RPG blogosphere and the craziness in my home state Wisconsin, I think we all need a little Fat Albert to make us smile for a bit.

Hot Elf Chick Welcomes You To The OSR

2011-03-10T20:17:00.000-06:00

Arwen. She's hot, she has a cool sword, and she pimped the Nazgul. 'Nuff said.

Just jumping on the meme.

I Think I'm Going To Rent Piranha Man vs. Wolf Man: Howl of the Piranha

2011-03-09T10:38:00.000-06:00

This movie has been calling to me on the U-verse for too long. Check out the trailer:

Filmation Friday

2011-03-04T15:37:00.001-06:00

From the episode "She-Demon of Phantos" from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. A magic spell makes He-Man look like Skeletor. I always thought that was a weird but very effective visual.

Visions of Vanth 5: Personalties

2011-03-02T16:33:00.000-06:00

Bodyguards Dama and Nirkon D'Lessh of the Auruma Community of God City. One of the few liquid races recognized by the Vulkin Empire, Aurumans utilize humanoid bioshells to interact with other peoples. The D'Lessh Brothers, famously clad in their golden bioshells, provide bodyguard services for both the poor and the rich. How they determine who they aid is a mystery to all involved.

With the fall of the Vanth Sector's Navigation Grid, the appearance of natural Cross Planarl Gates grew in number. The North Mountains have several of these, watched over by the High Avian Daemon Melavatu the Watcher. While his true form may appear slightly ridiculous, Melavatu's canniness and magical ability keeps an uneasy balance between the Material World and the Realms of Spirits.

Among the servitors of the Zombie Princess is her Justicar, Lady Evangeline Lenore Mabuse, called the Lady Raven by the denizens of the Holdings. Known across the face of Vanth as a honorable and dangerous vampyre, she enforces the edicts of the Zombie Princess on those who cross her liege. Lady Raven wields the blade Mistmourn and the advanced mesmeric abilities possessed by several members of her family.

The Great Spineywood keeps its secrets well. Many expeditions into it's dark glade have never returned. Those that have tells tales of strange plant creature that walk as men, elves and wookies. Legendary Vanthian author Werdna H'Tedirem was one of those rare people. Above is Herbskin Rowanbriar, one of the Battle Dryads who ruthlessly protect the Heart of the Forest from harm.

Many are the Gods, Goddesses and Demons of Vanth. Beyond the 777 Gods of the Vanthian Pantheon exist the Lords of Beyond, entities of Malevolent Power. The Blasphemer of Shadow, a former citizen of the City of Blackhawk, seeks to open the way for the Lords to reclaim Vanth. He is pictured here wearing the Vestments of Aggnotha-dam, thought lost in the waning days of the Second Camelon Empire.

Pictures from Badmovies.org, some names generated with the fine name generators at Seventh Sanctum.

Filmation Friday

2011-02-25T17:46:00.000-06:00

From Jason of Star Command. Why? Because Sid Haig is awesome.

RIP Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart

2011-02-23T18:05:00.000-06:00

Nicholas Courtney, the portrayer of Brigadier Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart on Doctor Who, died yesterday. I've seen Nick in other movies and TV program, but the show I'll always remember him on is Doctor Who.

I always liked the Brigadier, who I was introduced to in the Tom Baker and Jon Pertwee stories I watched growing up in 1980s Wisconsin. With his no-nonsense demeanor and dry sense of humor, the Brigadier battled Daleks, Cybermen, Autons, and a vast array of foes. He could be seen fearlessly firing a vast array of guns at aliens, and was not afraid to breakout the backhand when he had to.

Here's a little Brigadier to enjoy. RIP Nick.

Art from Lords of Creation

2011-02-21T17:12:00.000-06:00

It was a mild snow day (of course, on a day I was off) today in Milwaukee. So I had some time to take my copy of Lords of Creation and scan some of the artwork by Dave Billman from Tom Moldvay's unsung classic. Enjoy.

Filmation Friday: "The Sleepers Awaken" from He-Man

2011-02-18T16:21:00.000-06:00

For Filmation Friday this week I give you a Season One He-Man and the Masters of the Universe episode "The Sleepers Awaken". With Skeletor and his minions nowhere in sight, Adam and Teela hunt for horses near a ruined castle with a dark legend. Two hundred years before, Lord Tyran and Lady Valtera used dark magic to draw on the power of the forest around them. When the trees were all absorbed, the pair entered an enchanted slumber to await a time when the forest would revive. In the space of twenty minutes we get a gothic tale of resurrection, dark powers, and redemption. Oh yeah, and a lesson.

One of the things I love about Filmation is that many times the one shot characters in a series are often very striking. Note the withered appearance of Lord Tyran because he drew too much on dark magics. Another interesting thing to watch in this episode is the treatment of drawing magical power from trees and plants. If you were always curious what Defiler Magic from Dark Sun looks like outside of the desert, "The Sleepers Awaken" can give you some ideas.

Happy Valentine's Day with Nick and Nora Charles

2011-02-14T19:01:00.000-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day to one and all. Enjoy a little Nick and Nora Charles from the classic Thin Man movies.

Filmation Friday

2011-02-11T16:35:00.000-06:00

Some bits from the Filmation Star Trek. Lts. M'ress and Arex, a Kzinti, and the infamous life support belts.