Expiration Date on Monsters?

(Image from today's Herman, by Jim Unger)

Coming Clean About Kashyyyk

I use to have better than 20/20 vision.  A few years after turning 40, I had to get reading glasses and I'm still not use to wearing them.  In fact, I should have worn them while proof reading The Bushwackers of Kashyyyk before I broadcast my "lookee-what-I-did" message to the known universe. 

It was only AFTER posting my first graphic novel on line, that I discovered a typo.  I'm sure there's more.

The problem with proof reading one's own work goes beyond failing eyesight.  Having a second pair of eyes to act as an editor usually helps catch such errors--before they're displayed to the public.  Though, until Stern-Rake Studio expands beyond "One-Man Band Status," I'll rely more heavily on my reading glasses to catch any wayward words.

Speaking of what's not seen, I received a couple of e-mails asking for the details of the game.  I must confess, that the action depicted in The Bushwackers of Kashyyk does not coincide EXACTLY with what happened during our game, but it comes very close.

This was an off-the-cuff scenario Adrian put together after we finished our Star Wars RPG (Role-Playing Game) session.  Stargrunt II (SG II) is wildly popular with our group and we thought we'd give it a try using my Star Wars Miniatures by Wizards of the Coast (WotC).  

SG II is written in a generic format, so players can use the rules in any sci-fi setting, along with the myriad of figures that are available.  To incorporate the widely different styles of figures, SG II uses the WYSIWYG ("wizzywig") rule.  That is, "what you see is what you get."  The intent of this is to minimize confusion about what type of weapon each figure is prominently carrying. 

Under this rule, we quickly discovered that most of the squads could not engage their enemies effectively, because they were armed, in essence, with oversized pistols.  This resulted in a lot of desultory fire, with squads falling back, only to rally and re-occupy their recently vacated positions.

The scouts were the only unit to close on the rebel position.  Once they did, however, a lucky die roll by me killed the squad leader.  Then an unlucky die roll by Seth caused the squad to fail its morale check--badly.  Once the scouts scattered, that left Seth with only 2 squads against my 4, and all of them were in defensible terrain.

Narrative-wise, this would have made a very boring story, so I condensed it.

This is known as "artistic licensing," or "acceptable lying," depending on your point of view.

Adrian came across some page-length, house rules which incorporated Force users, but we decided to keep things basic for this initial game.  Since a lot of WotC's Star Wars figures are wielding side-arms, for future games, we may also have to alter SG's WYSIWYG rule.

For those of you interested in playing SG II, the rules are available as a free download here:

http://www.miniaturewargaming.com/index.php/mwg/comments/stargrunt_ii_free_rules/

And for anyone interested in converting their AARs (after action reviews) into a graphic novel you can download Comic Life, for $29.99, here:

http://plasq.com/comiclife-win

My First Graphic Novel: The Bushwackers of Kashyyyk

Click on the pictures to open, then click on them again to enlarge.

On the Warpath Over a "Bloody" Game

(Image:  Bushy Run by Don Troiani)

The wargaming hobby often sparks controversy, usually from Christian groups sermonizing against Dungeons & Dragons.  Now, Native American groups are upset over an upcoming game based on King Philip's War:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_bloody_board_game

Never heard of King Philip or his war?

I had some vague knowledge of it, but I've never done any in-depth study on the subject.  For today's insta-research, Wikipedia provides some of the details:

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=King_Philip%27s_War&oldid=354447124

My fellow wargamers on The Miniatures Page (TMP) responded to the controversy in their usual eclectic fashion:

http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=196366  

I have no patience with the grievance mongers of special interest groups. 

While minority groups have a right to voice their concerns and complaints, it is also the right of my special interest group to see such games produced.  Playing these games is an interactive way of understanding the origins of the war, how the battles were fought, the war's consequences and most intriguing of all--the possibility of an alternate outcome.

With all due respect to Annawon Weeden (of the Mashpee Wampanoags), his comment, that it's "...just a way to have fun reliving a tragedy..." misses the point.   Many of the wargamers responding to this article on TMP pointed out that an enormous amount of historical research is conducted during a game's development.  One commentator noted that an extensive bibliography will probably come with this game.  Nor is the research limited to the game's design team.  Gamers intent on playing this, or any other game for that matter, conduct their own research on everything from the grand strategy of the opponents down to the footwear worn by the combatants.

In fact, thanks to Wikipedia, I learned more about this conflict than I knew prior to the controversy.  And increasing one's knowledge of history is a good thing, isn't it?

Note: 

1. Thanks goes to my friend Adrian for posting the Yahoo article and the Wikipedia entry on Facebook.

2. The Battle of Bushy Run actually occurred on 5-6 August 1763, near modern day Pittsburgh, during the French and Indian War.  I used the image of Don Troiani's painting simply because I liked it.

YouTube Movie Upload: Nightmare at Naktong

I played this Korean War miniatures game at last year's "Enfilade!" convention right after filming Clash at Kursk. The battery in my camera was almost exhausted, but it managed to hold out long enough for me to make my latest YouTube movie Nightmare at Naktong:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWW_yuoCZnw 

The scenario was based on the battle of the Naktong Bulge, which was fought from 5-19 August 1950 and was a critical turning point in holding the Pusan Perimeter:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Naktong_Bulge

Unlike the historical action, my friend Adrian, playing the role of  Colonel Chang Ky Dok, and I prevailed against the imperialist yanquis. 

Happy Easter!

The history and traditions of Easter according to Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter

Book Review: Get Known before the Book Deal

The first time I heard of Get Known before the Book Deal, was during Karen Burns' workshop on platform building, at last year's PNWA (Pacific Northwest Writers Association) conference.  (See PNWA Author Workshop post 7 Aug 09).  It took me several months to get around to buying, and then, reading the book, but I'm very glad I did.

Christina Katz (aka The Writer Mama), provides an invaluable guide for aspiring writers to establish their platform.  The premise of this book, as the title suggests, is that would-be authors must obtain a degree of visibility before they query agents.  This visibilty includes, but isn't limited to:  Your presence on the internet, public speaking, teaching classes, writing and publishing articles, joining professional organizations and networking, or as the author prefers to call it, "connecting."

Ms Katz advocates that growing your presence in steady increments is the best way to ensure getting your book published.  Establishing a platform boosts not only your credibility, but your confidence, while at the same time, it will provide literary agents with a proven track-record of your work.  Otherwise, when you meet for the first time, it will seem like a blind date.  That is, uncomfortable experience for both of you.

While Get Known before the Book Deal, is all about self-promotion, the author cautions the reader to avoid crossing the line between "being visible" and being "an annoying pest."  It's not all about "me! me! me!"  A writer has to think about providing a quality product for their readers throughout their platform construction, during their book publication and beyond.

While written for non-fiction writers, the platform-building concepts Ms Katz discusses can apply to fiction writers as well. In fact, this is the first writer's self-help book in which I started applying a couple of the lessons before I finished reading it.

Get Known before the Book Deal, has garnered 37 x 5-star ratings on Amazon.com, the most I've seen yet in any book.  However, Ms Katz's work isn't immune to criticism.  From what I can understand of the 4-star rater's comments, he was somewhat dissappointed this book was only targeted to authors.  Unfortunately this isn't the lowest rating either.  There are two 1-star raters.  One of them deemed the book "useless," while the other thought it worth only a single-star because he could find used copies for only $2.50.  Therefore, in his mind, the content can't be all that valuable.

Sheez!  Talk about sour grapes.  I wish I paid $2.50 for my copy!

I'm happy to add a 38th, 5-star rating to Ms Katz's constellation.

Book Review for: Vlad the Last Confession, the Epic Novel of the Real Dracula

The people of Romania consider him a national hero.  To his enemies theTurks, he was known as Kaziklu Bey, the "Impaler Lord,"  while those living under his harsh rule called him Vlad Tepes--"Vlad the Impaler."  But thanks, in part, to Bram Stoker's gothic thriller, the rest of the world knows him best by the bone-chilling name of:

Dracula

"Dracula" derived from "Dracul," actually means "Son of the Dragon," but was often tranlated to "Son of the Devil."  This was the perfect name for the character Bram Stoker originally called "Count Wampyr:"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dracula

But C.C. Humphreys didn't write a vampire novel.  Instead, Vlad, the Last Confession, is an historical novel about the real Dracula:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vlad_III_the_Impaler

The author faced a daunting task writing about a leader, that few--if any--outside Romania admire.  In true journalistic fashion, Mr. Humphreys neither demonized, nor praised Dracula's actions.  The land Dracula ruled, Wallachia, was sandwiched between the Kingdom of Hungary and the Ottoman Empire.  Wallachian boyars, or high nobles were, therefore, adept at Machiavellian politics long before The Prince was even written:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallachia

Under these conditions, the "Son of the Devil" decided the best way to ensure the survival of his kingdom was to be crueler and more terrifying than his enemies.  He certainly achieved his goal, even from beyond the grave.

In Vlad the Last Confession, Mr. Humphreys utilized his talents as an actor to unearth the plausible motivations of the dreaded "Impaler Lord." The author neatly ties all the historical facts with this conjectured psych profile to weave a story, not only of torture, terror and betrayal, but also of forgivness, love and small triumphs.

But reader beware!  Vlad the Last Confession is not for the faint-of-heart.  This is a dark tale, that plunges into the depths of "man's inhumanity to man" and, for the most part, ends in a bloody train wreck.  That being said, I enjoyed this "wild ride into the night" and give the book a 5-star rating.  At least one reviewer on Amazon.com agrees with me.  Among the other 4 reviewers, 3 gave the book a 4-star rating, while the 4th gave it 3 stars, for an average 4-star rating.  All in all, a great read!

Building a "...Wretched Hive..."

"...of scum and villainy."

While I have a suitable collection of 25/28mm buildings for fantasy role-playing games (RPGs), I have none for my science fiction RPG figures.  For pre-fab looking structures, I started out with Sterilite storage trays like this:

I used Storage Tray Models # 1605 (6 1/4" x 5" x 2 1/8") and #1606 (9 5/8" x 6 1/4" x 2 1/8").  I purchased 8 of each at my local Fred Meyer store, but you can buy them on-line directly from the company:

http://www.sterilite.com/Category.html?Section=Storage&ProductCategory=50#

The #1607 trays (12 3/8" x 5" x 2 1/8" shown above), remain unpainted because I couldn't fit them under the paper cutter I used to slice off the curved rims of the trays.

For paint, I chose Krylon Fusion, which supposedly bonds to plastic.  However, from my short experience, I think it depends on the type of plastic.  I first used this brand to paint two of my large card tables a swirling green and blue to represent a base-level body of water for my game table.  Unfortunately the paint scratches off my, now blue-green, tables very easily.  On the other hand, the Krylon Fusion paint does seem to bond to the Sterilite trays as advertised.  Though I still  wrap each tray in a plastic grocery bag to protect the paint.  (Be sure to say "plastic" when the checkout girl asks "Paper or plastic?").

Since the trays are suppose to represent cheap, pre-fabricated buildings I chose light brown and light grey for the colors.

Here are some samples of the buildings so far:

You "...must be cautious."

Because "...this place can get a little rough."

Even if you're "...ready for anything."

The figures shown in each picture are samples of some ruffians from Wizards of the Coast's Star Wars Miniatures.

The next phase in my Sci-Fi Slumlord Construction project is to cover-up the holes.  I plan on using black construction paper to simulate windows to darkened or even burnt-out rooms.  Once the "windows" are in place, I'll figure out what to use for doors...

Book Review: The Shadow in "The Plot Master" and "Death Jewels"

"Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!"

This opening line, followed by the ominous laughter, first chilled listeners tuning in to the The Detective Story Hour radio program on 31 July 1930.  The Shadow remained on the air until 26 December 1954, but the Dark Avenger wasn't confined to the airwaves.  Within a year of this first broadcast, The Shadow morphed into a multi-media juggernaut, spawning over 300 pulp-novels, numerous comic books and graphic novels, along with five movies.  The Shadow cast a long shadow indeed:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shadow

I remember listening to one program with my dad during a PBS-Radio rebroadcast in the 1970s.  In fact, I was more impressed with this radio show than I was with the 1994 film.  While I've known of The Shadow's existance nearly all my life, I never read about any of his exploits until I picked up a copy of The Plot Master and Death Jewels last month, republished by Nostalgia Ventures, Inc. 

In The Plot Master, The Shadow tries to thwart a spy from stealing top-secret plans to a revolutionary submarine, while in The Death Jewels the Dark Avenger is on the trail of a crime ring relieving New York socialites of their priceless baubles.  Both stories were written by The Shadow's main author, Walter B. Gibson, under the pen name of Maxwell Grant.

Like the Doc Savage reprints, The Shadow books earn 4-5 star ratings from a handful of reviewers.  While written in the same "pulp-style" as the Doc Savage novel I previously posted about, I found The Shadow more enjoyable to read.  Doc Savage is too much of a paragon for my taste.  Looking back at my previous book review, I was rather put-off by the fawning descriptions of The Man of Bronze's amazing abilities.  In fact, one of these abilities is that of an actual doctor.  Therefore, he refrains from taking the life of a villain directly. (They usually come to a bad end when they're ensared in their own fiendish devices).

The Shadow, on the other hand, is an anti-hero vigilante.  Once confronted, criminals neither expect, nor receive, any mercy from the Dark Avenger.  Their life of crime is cut short by a bullet fired from The Shadow's signature weapons--a pair of .45 automatics.

As with all pulp-novels, there is very little character development because these stories focus entirely on the action.  I expected that, but what I found irritating, but laughable, was the prevelance in both stories for heroic and villainous monologues, especially when the hero/villain states what's obvious to the reader.

This irritation aside, I give both The Plot Master and Death Jewels a 3.5-star rating.  They're not literary masterpieces, but they were fun to read!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Here's a short bio of Ireland's patron saint:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick