Get ready for the awesomeness as Spectrum Games releases the new edition of Cartoon Action Hour this Friday!
Check out some awesome previews of the rulebook on the Spectrum Games Facebook page!
Monday, November 4, 2013
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Farewell Lou Scheimer
Checking through the blogosphere today, I saw the news about the death of Filmation founder and frequent voiceover artist Lou Scheimer on the Space1970 blog. Filmation was part of my childhood from Fat Albert to Batman to He-Man and beyond. There was imagination and wonder behind the limited animation and friendly life lessons that went across my tv screen. So farewell, Lou. Thanks for making my childhood a bit more fun.
Here's a great tribute I saw posted on YouTube:
Filmation has been part of the Amazing RPG Fun Pad over the years.
In 2011 I had several weeks of Filmation Friday. You can see them all here. I may have to restart this...
To end these thoughts, as I said in my very first post:
From Fulci...
to Filmation,
I hope you enjoy my irregularly updated blog!
Here's a great tribute I saw posted on YouTube:
Filmation has been part of the Amazing RPG Fun Pad over the years.
In 2011 I had several weeks of Filmation Friday. You can see them all here. I may have to restart this...
To end these thoughts, as I said in my very first post:
From Fulci...
to Filmation,
I hope you enjoy my irregularly updated blog!
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Fulci's Zombie From A Torg Perspective
[There are some spoilers for Zombie here and Torg geek talk. You've been warned!]
When I was on vacation in late August there wasn't much on Digital TV in Winneconne, so I was watching some horror DVDs on a rainy day. I had also got some old Torg novels & short story collections for a dollar a piece at the Chimera Hobby Shop in Appleton. After watching Lucio Fulci's Zombie, it struck me that Zombie could be seen in a Torg light very easily, particularly the realm of Orrorsh.
Here are some brief thoughts:
The horror originates on the distant tropical island of Matool. Although Orrorsh in canon Torg in centered in Indonesia and the Philippines, the tropical setting is very apt.
The boat that floated to New York from Matool is a floating hardpoint for the Orrorsh reality. Because the reality of New York is so overwhelming, it would be considered a Mixed Zone. The obese zombie that falls into the could be Possibility Rated.
Many of the Gothic tropes prevalent in Orrorsh can be seen: mad science, the obsession with knowledge, brushes of colonialism, zombies, lonely houses in the middle of the jungle surrounded by the unknown.
It seems that at the beginning of the film, the recently dead are reanimating. As Zombie goes on the dead become more violent and hungry. The reanimation of the older dead comes later in the movie, namely the cemetery scene.
Peter (Ian McCulloch) seems to be more able to kill the zombies as Zombie goes on. He is definitely a Storm Knight. The rest of the cast are Ords except maybe for the good Doctor Menard (Richard Johnson), who probably has some Corruption points too.
The final scene can be viewed different ways. You could go the typical zombie apocalypse route, but there's no possibilities to be harvested when zombies kill everybody. A more Torg approach is the fear of a zombie epidemic as Bryan (Al Cliver) slowly becomes a zombie on the boat. If I remember right, the classic "zombies are taking over" voiceover at the end was part of the American version of Zombie.
The legendary Zombie/Shark battle can appreciated by fans of ANY RPG!
When I was on vacation in late August there wasn't much on Digital TV in Winneconne, so I was watching some horror DVDs on a rainy day. I had also got some old Torg novels & short story collections for a dollar a piece at the Chimera Hobby Shop in Appleton. After watching Lucio Fulci's Zombie, it struck me that Zombie could be seen in a Torg light very easily, particularly the realm of Orrorsh.
 |
| Because I always thought this cover was cool... |
Here are some brief thoughts:
The horror originates on the distant tropical island of Matool. Although Orrorsh in canon Torg in centered in Indonesia and the Philippines, the tropical setting is very apt.
The boat that floated to New York from Matool is a floating hardpoint for the Orrorsh reality. Because the reality of New York is so overwhelming, it would be considered a Mixed Zone. The obese zombie that falls into the could be Possibility Rated.
Many of the Gothic tropes prevalent in Orrorsh can be seen: mad science, the obsession with knowledge, brushes of colonialism, zombies, lonely houses in the middle of the jungle surrounded by the unknown.
It seems that at the beginning of the film, the recently dead are reanimating. As Zombie goes on the dead become more violent and hungry. The reanimation of the older dead comes later in the movie, namely the cemetery scene.
Peter (Ian McCulloch) seems to be more able to kill the zombies as Zombie goes on. He is definitely a Storm Knight. The rest of the cast are Ords except maybe for the good Doctor Menard (Richard Johnson), who probably has some Corruption points too.
The final scene can be viewed different ways. You could go the typical zombie apocalypse route, but there's no possibilities to be harvested when zombies kill everybody. A more Torg approach is the fear of a zombie epidemic as Bryan (Al Cliver) slowly becomes a zombie on the boat. If I remember right, the classic "zombies are taking over" voiceover at the end was part of the American version of Zombie.
The legendary Zombie/Shark battle can appreciated by fans of ANY RPG!
Monday, August 12, 2013
Monday, July 8, 2013
B-Movie Monday: Rambo Rip-Offs
With the 4th of July only 3days away I thought we would look at some of the more interesting rip-offs, er I mean tributes of Rambo. The quintessential misunderstood Vietnam vet character first hit the screens in First Blood and soon the shelves were full of similar heroes. Filmmakers both foreign and domestic jumped on the bandwagon. Not exactly my B-Movie cup of tea, but they are a part of the Bs too.
And if that wasn't strange enough they even made a 65 episode cartoon featuring Rambo and "The Force of Freedom"...
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
[Space Princess] Lt. Cali Mitchell & Ursus, Son of Hercules
Among the more unique Mercenaries that frequent the Free World of Kronos are Lt.Calpurnia "Cali" Mitchell, of the Terran Expeditionary Corps, Retired and her mate Ursus, Son of Hercules, Slayer of the Martian Cyclops.
Cali is a third generation bionically enhanced solider who was forcibly removed from exploratory service. She terminated the rest of her squad that declared themselves gods of a backwater planet and began a reign of terror. The service agreed to leave her alone but there are those in the TEC who want revenge.
Ursus, Son of Hercules is one of the Heraclade, a human offshoot who claim direct decent from the Greco-Roman demigod Hercules (Heracles). Both male and female are strong and brawl at the least provocation. Ursus is known as the Slayer of the Martian Cyclops after he prevented the resurrection of the evil buried under the Martian Polar Wastes.
For missions that are in more open arenas Ursus and Cali are often joined by Ursus' childhood pet Victor, a rare kuranmord, a lion-like predator that usually rampages on Metallic Deathworlds. Ursus found Victor when he was a cub, and the two bonded over countless battles. He adores Cali just as much, and many an intruder has found out that Victor doesn't sleep when they do...
Cali and Ursus met during an inconvenient temporal crisis, and their first brawl raged in a world city for two days. After it was broken up, Cali brought Ursus a drink. They kept getting hired by the same employers and grew closer as a result. What the pair lack in wisdom and social graces they make up for endurance and righteous rage.
Lt. Calpurnia "Cali" Mitchell, Terran Exploration Corps
Human Bionic Warrior (Cyber-Woman)
STR 7 DEX 8 MEN 4 KNO 4
Hit Dice 5 Hit Points 40 Skill 6 Luck 2
Defense 18 Fight 12 Shoot 13
Skills: Climb 13, Leap & Swing 13/19, Swim 13
Specials: Bionic Implants: bionic calves (leap with Skill 12), bionic ears (Listens through doors with Skill 12), bionic fists (fists like laser swords 1d10 dmg)
Gear: Combat knife (1d6), Raygun (2d6), snazzy jumpsuit & headband
Ursus, Son of Hercules, Cyclops Slayer
Alien (Heraclade) Primitive (Warlord)
STR 9 DEX 5 MEN 6 KNO 4
Hit Dice 9 Hit Points 68 Skill 10 Luck 0
Defense 15 Fight 18 Shoot 14
Skills: Avoid Notice 15, Climb 19, Leap & Swing 19, Swim 19, Tracking 14
Specials: Double Damage with fists & hand weapons, +1 to Initative, -5 to Super science
Gear: Maciste's Sword (1d6), Astra's Bow (1d6), 20 arrows for bow
Heraclade Characters: Humanoid (+1 STR, -1 KNO)/ +1 STR
Victor
Kuranmord companion
HD 8, DEF 12, FIGHT 18 (1d8), SHOOT -, STR 10, DEX 6, MEN 4, KNO 0, DL 7, Special: Pounce (2 attacks when initiative is won)
B-Movie Monday Is Back! (On A Tuesday...)
My blogging vacation is over!
Oh I have read plenty of your blogs, yet I must admit I just didn't have the gumption to write anything recently. But now I am coming out of my self-imposed exile slowly but surely. Here and now B.Movie Monday rises from the grave!
Here are some trailers. Gotta get back on the bike! Ciao!
Oh I have read plenty of your blogs, yet I must admit I just didn't have the gumption to write anything recently. But now I am coming out of my self-imposed exile slowly but surely. Here and now B.Movie Monday rises from the grave!
Here are some trailers. Gotta get back on the bike! Ciao!
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