Defenders of the Earth and Huck Finn

My buddy Karl just sent me this link and caused me to almost have a Nerdgasm. 
Defenders of the Earth  the complete series. 
Have any of you guys seen this series? 
I'm a big fan of the Phantom, but I must admit I'm not too familiar with this series.  One more thing to buy.


On a related note I scored a DVD with the old TV series "The New Adventures of Huck Finn"
Unless you're a "baby boomer" like me you wont remember it.  Hell I can barely remember it. but I remember wanting to go to the cartoon land they were trapped in. I think I also had my first "fanboy" crush on the girl who played Becky. Oh, and "Injun Joe" (Ted Cassidy) scared me so much I almost spilled my bowl of Quisp while watching it.

The Ultimate BASH!

I discovered BASH (Basic Action Super Heroes) back in 2007. I enjoyed the original version and I love the "new and improved" Ultimate Edition. If your not sure whether BASH is for you, take a look at the free magazines he puts out for his system. The mag is called BAM! You can download it at RPGNow for free.


And look for the Legends of Steel edition of BASH Fantasy coming out later this year.

Lazy Sunday Photo Dump

Another dancing post (but well worth it)

The Dance of the Cucumber!

Here is a blast from the recent past. As the Minions were growing up we had our official "Approved" shows that they were allowed to watch. One of their favorites, became one of mine- Veggietales.

The Misplaced paperback

I've had this book for a very long time (23 years to be exact). I bought it brand new in 1987.  I started to read it but I was distracted by something or other and just never got back to it.  Over the years I've spotted it as I moved, sorted, and re-sorted my books. I added neighbors to it- other books by Turtledove like Agent of Byzantium (which I enjoyed), the Worldwar series (which I enjoyed at first but then became bored with), and Conan of Venarium (which I absolutely hated). 

But I never returned to The Misplaced Legion. Until yesterday. This is a damn good book.  Good enough that I ordered the second book from Paperbackswap today. 

Turtledove's style doesn't fire my blood like Gemmell does but he is a scholar of Byzantine history and can mix his expertise with his prose very well. 

A new game for the Old West

I’m sure that nostalgia is what feeds my love of westerns and my endless quest to find a gaming group that would be willing to start up a western campaign. Of all the genres I’ve played (and I’ve played many) westerns for some reason are the hardest sell. People will play mice with tiny swords before they will be willing to play a western game.  I just don’t get it- and its not like the genre hasn’t been stretched to its limits- there are classic western games, gritty western games, supernatural western games, and every major generic system has a western supplement. 

People must be buying them or folks wouldn’t spend their time writing them. The reason I’m writing about this is that I just picked up a new addition to my western RPG collection- Dave Bezio’s WildWest Cinema RPG from Spectrum Games.  

The game looks to be about “Rules Medium”.  And, as the Cinema in the name implies, geared more to the western TV shows I grew up with, than say GURPS Old West. I’ve always liked the games that Spectrum releases and their production values are top-notch, so my hopes are high for a good read and maybe a few good ideas to mine. 


You can find Wild West Cinema at RPGNow.

Manly Monday - Roll for Initiative!

Lazy Sunday Photo Dump

Man I dig this video!

A great new game with a "Silver Age" vibe

"Supers! is a game all about playing costumed heroes - the kinds of hero you see in good old-fashioned comic books. These heroes are larger-than-life; they have high ideals and they know right from wrong. Their world is black-and-white; they are good and the villains are bad. There are no real grey areas. Their cause is justice, liberty and freedom. They seek to protect the weak and defend the common man. Most are loved by all; some are misunderstood and don't get the adoration they feel they deserve. But regardless, they strive to do the right thing and aim to make a difference. The basics of the rules are very straightforward - roll a few dice and try to beat a number. As long as you remember that, you can't go too far wrong. Enjoy!"


You can find Supers! at RPGNow.


I've been a witness to Simons work on this. He is proud of it and rightly so.  It has his "keep it simple" style. He continues to refuse all attempts to convolute his games.


At $8.00 for the PDF it's a quick impulse buy and from the look at the reviews the Impulse pays off.

Vanessa Takes it off...sort of

The hangover (Sword & Sorcery style)

Carousing results table for Legends of Steel (revised)

01 Shanghaied! Your character awakens from his latest revel on a ship that has already set sail.

02 -03 Your character parties with a VIP, a dissolute noble, up and coming merchant, or an entertainer of repute.

04-06 Your character gets married while drunk. His spouse is very attractive.

07-09 Your character now owns a blade of exquisite quality and workmanship.

10-13 Your character gets married while drunk his spouse is not the slightest bit attractive.

14-16 Your character awakens with the poxed whore he was warned about last night.

17-18 Your character overhears whispering thieves and gains a lead on a vast sum of wealth.

19-20 Your character wins a ship or deed. The ships crew hasn’t been paid in weeks. The land title is to a large, rundown, possibly haunted, estate.

21-22 Your character pledges his service and eternal friendship to a total stranger.

23 Recruited! Your character gas joined the army.

24-40 Your character has spent half of his earnings on wenches, wine, narcotics, etc.

41-43 Your character has spent all of his earnings on wenches, wine, narcotics, etc.

44-56 Robbed while drunk - lose all your characters treasure and equipment.

57-60 Robbed and beaten while drunken, as above but your character wakes up with a wound.

61-63 Your character now owns a slave or the contract to an indentured servant.

64 Your character wakes up holding a basket. The basket has a baby and a note “Her name is Emily. Be kind to her.”

65-66 Your character drank some bad date wine, and is incapacitated for a week.

67 Your character wakes up to find he is wanted for murder (He’s completely innocent but that’s not the point).

68-69 Your character now owns an exotic mount (camel, elephant, ostrich, llama).

70-72 Your character defeated the town bully, ruffian or #1 bad guy. Everyone in town loves him, except the kin of the man he defeated.

73-74 Your character wakes up in a luxury suite with a beautiful courtesan and twice the money he had last night.

75-76 Your character awakens clutching a note in his hand. The note has a desperate message written on it.

77-79 Your character wakes up in a nobleman’s guestroom and is mistaken for a legendary hero.

80-85 Your character now owns the tavern, wine shop, or brothel he woke up in.

86-96 Your character is incarcerated for drunken hooliganism.

97-99 Your character wakes up with the “mother of all hangovers” but no other ill effects.

100  Last night she was the sexiest wench in the tavern. Your character now wakes to find “she” is really a “he.”

Manly Monday - Jonah Hex

Lazy Sunday Photo Dump

lending books

To many people books are just paper and ink, but to a book-lover they are much more. Here are a few things I've learned about lending books.


First off NEVER lend a book to a friend. 
If you really want them to read something you think they would enjoy, just buy them the damn book or give them your copy. Lending a book and not having it returned puts a real strain on a friendship. 


Treat books correctly, especially if it belongs to someone else.  I get a lot of my books at the local Goodwill stores, and I cringe when I see the way the clerks throw books into huge bins as they clear space for new titles. 


If a friend lends you a book, try to read at least one or two chapters, even if it doesn't interest you in the least, do it for your friendship. Then you can honestly return it and say you tried to get into it but it just wasn't working for you, your friend will most likely understand and will appreciate the fact that you at least made the effort. 


If you do lend a book to a friend don't get all "Butthurt" (as my son would say), if they don't like it. Not everyone can sit and giggle maniacally through the Flashman series. Anyway its their loss.


And because I always like to put pictures in my posts, here are some books I recently scored on Paperbackswap-

I need more hours in my day.

This looks awesome!
Especially for Pulp or Horror gaming.You can see it all here at RPGNow.

For those that have the time to invest, lots of possibilities...

Monday at the movies

And where will you find all of this...
Buddha's Drive-in of course.


Return to the Planet of the Apes and Hammer House of Horror are worth the visit all by themselves.