Honoring 9-11-01

(Image by Tom Stiglich)

Part of my inspiration for making wargame-related webcomics comes from reading the daily funnies.  Since I moved to the Pacific Northwest, my "default site" for the funnies has been the Seattle Times.

I was touched to find a couple comic strips that paid tribute to 9/11.

My favorite was from Dick Tracy by Joe Staton and Mike Curtis:

Preview: Monday on "Strange Inheritance"--Toy Soldier Story 2

I'm currently working on the pictures I took during my one-day visit to the Emerald City Comicon.

While trolling the internet, I stumbled across this trailer for tomorrow's episode of Strange Inheritance.

Although as a tabletop gamer, I don't find this particular inheritance strange at all.

Snow Day in Western Washington

A couple days ago, my wife and I took a road trip to south-western Oregon to visit an elderly friend.

We returned late Saturday night, and a good thing too.

It snowed all day yesterday, which started accumulating on the roads by mid-afternoon.

By early morning today, we had several inches of snow in our neighborhood, while schools across the region closed or delayed opening.

Here's a photo gallery of Snow in Seattle.

I've been hoping to post some game-related material this week.

But for now, I'm too busy shoveling...

Star Trek's Golden Anniversary

(Star Trek 50th Anniversary Video One)

Star Trek is "...boldly celebrating 50 years of...television, movies and more." 

I think I watched the very first episode, The Man Trap, when it premiered 50 years ago today, but I didn't know the name of the show back then.  All I recall from that vague, and half-century-old traumatic memory was that the salt vampire scared the bejeezus out of me.

(The Salt Vampire--giving Trekkie kids nightmares since 1966)

It wasn't until I was in junior high school, that I started watching Star Trek regularly, a few years after the series went into syndication, thanks to my friend Stephen who told me about the show.  I was hooked after watching the first episode, which I'm sure wasn't about the Salt Vampire.  Stephen and I would talk about the show during our walks home from school.  After we parted company for the day, I practically ran home in order get my homework done, and not miss the opening credits of that evening's episode.

Yes, I was--still am--that nerdy.

I even watched the The Animated Series when it aired on Saturday mornings, though I considered myself "too old" to watch cartoons.  Fortunately, I got over the teen-angst attitude, and got back into watching animated shows--with a vengeance.

Anyway, the Star Trek "revival" started to achieve orbit as the 70s came to a close.  First, with Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and for us wargamers--Star Fleet Battles (SFB).

(The latest version/successor to SFB:  Federation Commander)

Since those days, the Star Trek franchise has been cruising along at warp speed, with four spin-off TV shows, and another one due out next year; along with a dozen more feature films.

Some of these were sensational hits, like The Wrath of Khan...

 ...while others, such as The Final Frontier were near-franchise killers.

Fortunately, The Final Frontier wasn't the final frontier for Star Trek, as The Next Generation movies attempted to go boldly were no movie production had gone before--until Star Trek: Nemesis.

Now we're in the era of the "Reboot Films" which have have been well-received, for the most part.

Here, I'll pause to admit two things:

First, I'm one of those in the minority who wasn't crazy about 'Trek Into Darkness--the Wrath of Khan Redux.  I thought it was too early in the rebooted story arc to have a "Ship Out of Danger" scene.  Kirk and Spock didn't have anywhere near as much time together as the "prime" characters did to form this kind of bond.

Second, I haven't gone beyond my own normal routine to see Star Trek Beyond.  Fortunately, it's still playing in theaters, so there's still time to save my "Trek Cred."

The Star Trek 'verse doesn't merely consist of TV shows and movies.  The Expanded Universe (EU) is chock-full of books, games, webisodes, and music (We Just Make Some Sh*t Up).

Star Fleet Battles (SFB) was an extremely popular when it first came out, and Amarillo Design Bureau (ADB) is still producing SFB-related products.  I'm so heavily invested in SFB, that I don't have any shelf-space for the newer Attack Wing game.

Most of the Star Trek novels are pretty good, but I haven't read one in over a decade, mostly because I want to read stories about characters other than the bridge crew of the USS Enterprise.
I also have a few Star Trek computer games, I'm too prone to motion sickness to actually play them.  But I haven't gotten rid of them either.

Star Trek gaming isn't limited to ship-to-ship combat.  The first Star Trek tabletop role-playing game (RPG) was produced by FASA until the early 80s.

Subsequent RPGs seemed to pop up every decade or so, first by Last Unicorn in the 90s and then Decipher in the early 00s.   My favorite, which I haven't played yet, is another ADB product...

(Starfleet Games, Prime Directive Index)

Despite these publication efforts, along with the legion of Star Trek cosplayers...

(Cosplayers wearing non-standard uniforms, exploring a familiar "strange new world" in The PRF, TOS Star Trek Corset)

...and crossplayers...

(Image:  Analysis Mrs. Spock? by Bellcrius)

...I'm under the impression that the "...galaxy far, far away..." is a more popular setting than "...the final frontier..." for tabletop RPGs.

Maybe the companies that produced/are producing Star Wars RPGs have a better marketing strategy.

Or maybe gamers prefer to imagine themselves as Jedi Knights, or scoundrels with a "...good blaster..." at their side, rather than a playing a doomed Red Shirt.

Regardless of the competition from Star Wars, Star Trek has been more than entertainment--it's been a cultural phenomena.

Of course, not everyone likes Star Trek.  My second ex-wife thought the show was sexist.  I'm not sure what gave her that impression...

...okay, maybe the original series went overboard on the fanservice, especially with the stripperiffic women's costumes.

Despite being the "Mad Men of sci-fi," Star Trek was ground-breaking.  The episode, Let That Be Your Last Battlefield for example, was a black-and-white allegory about racism.

Literally:

Meanwhile, back on 20th Century Earth, the show hit racism head-on.  The episode Plato's Stepchildren featured TV's first inter-racial kiss:

First, however, there had to be women on board the Enterprise for Kirk to make out session with one of them.  Oh sure, the skimpy uniforms worn by female crew members make them seem like the first in a long line of Bridge Bunnies.  But portraying women serving in critical areas of a military vessel was unseen in pre-'Trek movies and TV shows.

Then there's the plethora of gadgets we use today that can trace their origins, and inspiration to the devices used on the show.

Doesn't this look all-too familiar now?

(Image found on the Communicator's entry in: Wikipedia)

Thanks to Bluetooth technology, WORKING cellphone communicators are now available.

Star Trek hasn't been, nor currently is, perfect.  Even us fans love poking fun at the tropes spawned by the show.  That's why every Star Trek fan I know, including myself, love the movie
Galaxy Quest.

(Galaxy Quest in TV Tropes)

The film is an Affectionate Parody of Star Trek, making it one reason why it's on Screen Crush's 25 Best Sci-Fi Movies of the Past 25 Years List.  Some fans even consider Galaxy Quest a bona fide Star Trek film.

Affectionate parodies aside, Star Trek hasn't shown any signs of slowing down to sublight speed anytime soon.

Even my second ex-wife was nice enough to buy me one of my favorite colognes for Christmas...

(The cologne can still be found on Amazon.com, but sadly with a different bottle)

...I laughed every time I looked at the bottle, (yes, I actually splashed this stuff on), and still smile looking at the image of it.

For those who want to get involved in the 50 Year Anniversary festivities, check out the Star Trek Events that are taking place world-wide.

(Image from:  The Trek Collective, Comic Previews)

Live Long and Prosper.

The Force Has Awoken!

(Image from:  Star Wars.com Theatrical Poster)

By now, thousands of fans have probably seen midnight showings of Star Wars:  The Force Awakens.

From initial accounts at the premiers in Hollywood and London, audience response has been enthusiastic.

It will be about a month before I see it due to my wife's and my own work schedule.  But at least we have reserved seats in a deluxe theater!

In the meantime, I submitted my picture of my Tantive IV fighting a couple of TIE fighters to the Seattle Times.  It was included in the gallery of an article asking Star Wars superfan? Share pictures of your favorite collectibles.

(Image:  From my Tantive IV product review, and Picture #3 in the article's gallery)

For those who'll see the movie before I do:  I hope the movie and the big-screen experience was everything you hoped it to be.

Comic-Con Staying Put, Uh, Maybe?

(Image by Steve Breen)

Today was the last day for this year's Comic-Con International: San Diego. 

For years this con, deemed to be the biggest & best of the comic book conventions, has been held in California's second-largest city since 1970.

So it came as a surprise when I stumbled across the above cartoon Steve Breen posted on the Comicon's first day. 

(In case you have aging eyesight like I do, I used a magnifying glass to read what was printed on the redhead's skirt.  It reads:  Bigger Cities).

When I tried to investigate further, the only articles I've come across were posted in 2010 and 2012.  

I guess with nothing posted recently, it's safe to assume Comicon will remain in San Diego forever.

Uh, Right?

Regional Game Convention Announcement

As any member of the Northwest Historical Miniature Gaming Society (NHMGS) will tell you, "t'is that time of year."

That is, time for our annual Enfilade! Miniature Game Convention.

Pre-registration ended a couple weeks ago, but you should be able to sign-up at the door .  (Yeah, I need to improve on the timeliness of my public service announcements).

This year's theme is:

What's not obscure though, is information you'll need to find, and stay, at the Red Lion Inn, Olympia, WA.

If you don't have time enough to game, there's the ever-popular Bring & Buy, along with vendors from all over the region selling their wares.

If you can't make Enfilade! at all this year, be sure to check out the NHMGS website for other conventions, game days, and other happenings scheduled during any given year.

And schedule time off for next year's Memorial Day Weekend!

GODZILLA BIOLOGY 101 - Nerdist Special Report (with Kyle Hill)

My previous Nerdlist video post glossed over the history of Godzilla movies.

Now in this short, Kyle Hill discusses if a creature such as Godzilla could even exist.

History of GODZILLA (with Dan Casey)

Nerds everywhere (even here) are excited about the new Godzilla movie which opens in a couple days (May 16th 2014).

Nerdlist has been running a "Godzilla Week" for the past several days.  The attached video gives a brief history of the Godzilla movies.

I remember the first time I saw Godzilla.  It was on a late night monster movie program.  I can't say I've watched every Godzilla film, but I've watched a slew of them.  Including a bunch of other "kaiju movies" as they're now called.

And unlike a lot of other Godzilla fans, I even like the 1998 version.

(Movie poster for the 1998 Godzilla)

Celebrating the Seahawks!

I don't follow sports all that much.  I didn't even have a "Sports" label for this blog until today.  But ever since I was first stationed here in Washington State at the beginning of my military career, I've considered myself a fan of all of Seattle's teams.

Just not like any of these guys...

So even though this isn't a sports blog, the Seattle Seahawks victory over the Denver Broncos in last weekend's Superbowl, is impossible for me to ignore.

Especially when 700,000 "12th Man" fans attended yesterday's parade through downtown Seattle and city officials were expecting "only" 200--300,000 to show up.

Folks just didn't attend this historic event--they recorded it for posterity.

While I have little inclination to brave huge crowds and cold weather, I certainly hope for a repeat performance for the upcoming football season.

GO HAWKS!

Happy 50th Anniversary to Dr. Who!

(Image:  Dr Who montage)

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the BBC's sci-fi/cult classic Dr. Who.  The Wikipedia entry says Dr. Who holds the record for the longest running sci-fi TV series in the world.

While Wikipedia is known for playing fast and loose with facts, I believe this one.  I remember my sister Rox watching Dr. Who, then played by Tom Baker, as avidly as I watched Star Trek.

I must admit though, while I'm familiar with the series--especially the arch enemies--the Daleks--

 

--I never really followed the show.

But even though I'm not a fan, I'd like to extend a Happy Anniversary to all my "Whovian" friends and family.

Enjoy the celebration!

(Image from: Dr. Who Series Seven) 

Pioneer Wargamer Passes Away

A couple of days ago, the wargaming community heard the quiet news that Donald Featherstone passed away.

The actual details have been hard to come by.  So far, I only received the news via blogposts by Mister Nizz, van Kradenburg and the crew from Meeples and Miniatures. 

I've known of Donald Featherstone and his work for about as long as I've been a wargamer. Although the only times I encountered his books were in various libraries.  I never seemed to find any in the game stores.  (This was back in the pre-online shopping/E-bay days). 

So I only have two of his works:

Wargaming: Ancient and Medieval Periods, and

Campaigning with the Duke of Wellington & Featherstone...

I met the man once, back in 1997.  Some gamers I was briefly acquainted with, while stationed at Fort Bragg, NC, knew Mr. Featherstone.  He'd arrived to join them on a road trip to the Siege of Augusta wargame convention.  During a private gaming session on the night before they left, he chatted with me about his superimposed image on the cover of Campaigning with the Duke.  He said the advice he was giving Wellington was on where to buy the best fish & chips.

So even though my encounter with Mr. Featherstone lasted only several moments, he did sign my copy of Wargaming Ancient and Medieval Periods.  So his passing feels a tad personal to me.

Rest in Peace Mr. Featherstone and thank you for all you've done for our hobby.

The Guild Creator visits the Emerald City

(Image by Michael A. Robles)

 

A week ago, I did a review of The Guild.  Here's a photo I hijacked on Facebook of Guild creator, Felicia Day, being interviewed for a podcast by Shelly Mazzanoble and other members of Wizards of the Coast.  Miss Day will be one of the featured guests at the Emerald City Comicon this weekend.

 

Until the doors haven't opened yet at the  Washington State Convention Center, Miss Day was given a guided tour of the Wizards of the Coast facility:

(Image by Michael A. Robles)

All Up In My ----------?

(Image from:  Denver Westworld)

 

 Normally, I keep my comments about the daily sad state of affairs to my current events blog, Station WTFO.  However, since the Petraeus Affair contains a literary element, I thought one of the funnier aspects of this sordid tale deserved a spotlight here.

 

The title of Paula Broadwell's book is, All In: The Education of General David Petraeus.

 

However, that is not the title 7News came up with for it's 5 O'Clock News Show two nights ago.  In the frenzy to get the progrram on the air, someone in the station snagged a spoofed title on the internet and added it to the broadcast.

 

So instead of seeing the All In graphic, viewers were treated to the title:  All Up In My Snatch.

 

Who says there's no poetic justice in the real world? 

 

I wonder if the general-biographer affair will drive up book sales?  (The comments on Amazon.com are all over the map).

 

All joking aside, this scandal is no laughing matter.  Issues of compromised national security and dereliction of duty may be involved.  Today's breaking news is that Ms. Broadwell may have a significant amount of classified material on her computer.

 

A big no-no in both the intelligence field and within the literary community.

 

Hometown Flooded

My hometown of Binghamton, NY, was hit with a flood today.  According to WBNG, 20,000 people have been evacuated.  Folks say this is worse than the 06 flood.  Back then I wasn't on Facebook.  Now I'm overwhelmed by the photos my fellow Binghamtonians are posting.

Sign of the Times?

As a writer, one of the saddest events of our economic times is seeing Borders close.

Stacey Curtin of Yahoo Finance's Daily Ticker has the story behind the bookstore's bankruptcy:

http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/another-retailer-bites-dust-borders-doomed-amazon-deal-163606690.html 

Christina Katz, author of The Writer Mama and Get Known Before the Book Deal, shared her memories of Borders on her blog:

http://christinakatz.com/borders-to-liquidate-assets-share-your-borders-memories-meme/ 

When the Real World Intrudes

On 27 April, tornadoes cut a swath of destruction across the southern US.  Normally, I post disasters such as this on my Station WTFO blog.  I reserve this blog for writing and wargaming--leisurely activities that take place "outside the real world."

Unfortunately, the real world has a way of intruding into our leisure pursuits in a big and sometimes devastating way. 

Earlier today I received an e-mail notice from the game company Avalanche Press, owned by Mike Bennighof, PhD.  Usually, I scan the newsletter for new products and then delete the message.  The "Storm Update" link in today's message, however, caught my eye and I followed it to a post on Avalanche Press's website.

Suddenly, I discovered Avalanche Press was located in Birmingham, Alabama--one of the many communities devastated by last week's tornadoes.

After reading Dr. Bennighof's update, I felt it was necessary to post about it here.  Sometimes we need to be aware of what's happening beyond our game tables.

http://www.avalanchepress.com/Storm_2011.php 

Best wishes to Dr. Bennighof, his staff and to their families and friends.