Ok, I need the money. Proclaim your dorkiness for all of the world to see with Dorkland shirts, stickers and messenger bags. Check out the shop and the snazzy logo that I designed for Dorkland. I will probably be adding some other merchandise as time goes by. There is some nice stuff, and the quality is pretty good. Eventually, this should become your one stop dork shopping place!
The Dorkland Shop
"Welcome to my store of dorkiness. By purchasing Dorkland products and proudly wearing them you can proclaim your dorkiness loudly and proudly. Join the nation of Dorkland!"
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
Monday, February 21, 2005
Writer Hunter S. Thompson kills himself
This was some pretty shocking news for me to wake up to. This is a great shame...I am just at a loss for words. He will be missed, he already is.
Writer Hunter S. Thompson kills himself
"Hunter S. Thompson, the hard-living writer who inserted himself into his accounts of America's underbelly and popularized a first-person form of journalism in books such as 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,' has committed suicide.
"Thompson was found dead Sunday in his Aspen-area home of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, sheriff's officials said. He was 67. Thompson's wife, Anita, had gone out before the shooting and was not home at the time."
Writer Hunter S. Thompson kills himself
"Hunter S. Thompson, the hard-living writer who inserted himself into his accounts of America's underbelly and popularized a first-person form of journalism in books such as 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,' has committed suicide.
"Thompson was found dead Sunday in his Aspen-area home of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, sheriff's officials said. He was 67. Thompson's wife, Anita, had gone out before the shooting and was not home at the time."
Sunday, February 20, 2005
DigitalGlobe -- Images For The Media
Do you want those high-res satellite photos for your game sessions like the ones that you see on the nightly news? Here is a place where you can find them. A great resource for GMs and Publishers as well.
DigitalGlobe
DigitalGlobe
Saturday, February 19, 2005
Classic Marvel Super-Heroes RPG
I know that I have this main site linked in my Dorkroll, but it is worth having an entry for it to bring attention. The original Marvel Super-Heroes RPG (as published back in the day by TSR) is one of my all time favorite RPGs. This site is great, and I have been a fan of it for at least five years now. It reproduces the core rules, and a few of the supplements, for the game in PDF form. If you like super-heroes and/or simple RPG systems and you missed this the first time around...you should go to it now.
Classic Marvel Super-Heroes RPG
"In the early eighties, TSR put out a roleplaying game called, aptly enough, 'Marvel Super Heroes.' The set was less numbers-based, and geared toward first-time players, people unfamiliar with role-playing games.
"The system really took off with the release of the Advanced Set in 1986. New powers and rules were added, the rank system made more flexible, and a number of supplements were released afterward to make for an even richer gaming experience."
This page has a link to a compendium of PDFs of the old Marvel-Phile articles that TSR ran in Dragon Magazine to support the system. There's some good stuff, plus official stats for Howard the Duck (of course I think that would be good stuff too).
Both of these sites are worth checking out. Good games don't die anymore...thanks to PDFs and the internet...they just become something that gets supported by the fan base instead. One day there won't be any more out of print RPGs.
Classic Marvel Super-Heroes RPG
"In the early eighties, TSR put out a roleplaying game called, aptly enough, 'Marvel Super Heroes.' The set was less numbers-based, and geared toward first-time players, people unfamiliar with role-playing games.
"The system really took off with the release of the Advanced Set in 1986. New powers and rules were added, the rank system made more flexible, and a number of supplements were released afterward to make for an even richer gaming experience."
This page has a link to a compendium of PDFs of the old Marvel-Phile articles that TSR ran in Dragon Magazine to support the system. There's some good stuff, plus official stats for Howard the Duck (of course I think that would be good stuff too).
Both of these sites are worth checking out. Good games don't die anymore...thanks to PDFs and the internet...they just become something that gets supported by the fan base instead. One day there won't be any more out of print RPGs.
The Basement Tapes: Definitive Run
A very interesting article, as told as a conversation between Joe Casey & Matt Fraction. I'm not sure who Matt Fraction is, but I do know Joe Casey (as I am sure do many of the readers of this blog). But still a very interesting conversation on comics today. This quoted bit is by Matt Fraction. It is well worth the read.
The Basement Tapes: Definitive Run
"From January of 1981 through February of '82, Frank Miller wrote and drew what's widely considered the definitive run of 'Daredevil.' In September of '82, he and Chris Claremont kicked out the 'Wolverine' miniseries, which is probably as definitive a run as that character has come close to having. Then, in July of '83 through August of '84, 'Ronin' came out-- at which point Frank both reinvented himself and caught his breath-- until early 1986, when he and David Mazzucchelli brought out 'Born Again' which I'd argue supplanted his earlier run as the definitive Daredevil book.
"So, as Daredevil #228 hit the stands, so did the first issue of 'The Dark Knight Returns.' Two months after that ended, 'Elektra: Assassin' began over at Epic, and at some point in there his Daredevil GN 'Love & War' also hit, both painted by the always-astonishing Bill Sienkiewicz. Then, as 'Elektra' was wrapping up, 'Batman: Year One' was starting and if there's been a Batman story more definitive and permanently iconic than 'Dark Knight,' it was 'Year One.' Think about it, the phrase 'Year One' has become industry shorthand, you know?
"So-- depending on how you look at it, that's easily five masterworks in six years, several of which are still held as the best those characters and/or books have been. Even today, this period of Miller's creative life is as inspired as it is inspirational-- whatever deal with whatever devil he made came to fruition and the guy was just on fire.
"I was pretty young during all that-- by 'Year One,' 'Frank Miller' was kind of a license to print money (maybe not Miller's license, but DC's, certainly) and, y'know, killer runs. Even 'Rolling Stone' did a story on Miller, mid-'Dark Night,' where he was giggling about the Reaganomic nightmare he'd cooked up for the caped crusader, and giggling even harder about how worried Marvel seemed over Daredevil being out of costume for six months...
"...My point, longwinded though it may be, is that this era of Miller's work was important and you knew it while it was happening.
"Is there anything or anyone comparable today? Not 'Who's the new Frank Miller,' but rather, can there be a new Frank Miller? I don't feel like creators are allowed to define themselves and their runs quite like they used to be... does that make sense? You know what I'm talking about?"
The Basement Tapes: Definitive Run
"From January of 1981 through February of '82, Frank Miller wrote and drew what's widely considered the definitive run of 'Daredevil.' In September of '82, he and Chris Claremont kicked out the 'Wolverine' miniseries, which is probably as definitive a run as that character has come close to having. Then, in July of '83 through August of '84, 'Ronin' came out-- at which point Frank both reinvented himself and caught his breath-- until early 1986, when he and David Mazzucchelli brought out 'Born Again' which I'd argue supplanted his earlier run as the definitive Daredevil book.
"So, as Daredevil #228 hit the stands, so did the first issue of 'The Dark Knight Returns.' Two months after that ended, 'Elektra: Assassin' began over at Epic, and at some point in there his Daredevil GN 'Love & War' also hit, both painted by the always-astonishing Bill Sienkiewicz. Then, as 'Elektra' was wrapping up, 'Batman: Year One' was starting and if there's been a Batman story more definitive and permanently iconic than 'Dark Knight,' it was 'Year One.' Think about it, the phrase 'Year One' has become industry shorthand, you know?
"So-- depending on how you look at it, that's easily five masterworks in six years, several of which are still held as the best those characters and/or books have been. Even today, this period of Miller's creative life is as inspired as it is inspirational-- whatever deal with whatever devil he made came to fruition and the guy was just on fire.
"I was pretty young during all that-- by 'Year One,' 'Frank Miller' was kind of a license to print money (maybe not Miller's license, but DC's, certainly) and, y'know, killer runs. Even 'Rolling Stone' did a story on Miller, mid-'Dark Night,' where he was giggling about the Reaganomic nightmare he'd cooked up for the caped crusader, and giggling even harder about how worried Marvel seemed over Daredevil being out of costume for six months...
"...My point, longwinded though it may be, is that this era of Miller's work was important and you knew it while it was happening.
"Is there anything or anyone comparable today? Not 'Who's the new Frank Miller,' but rather, can there be a new Frank Miller? I don't feel like creators are allowed to define themselves and their runs quite like they used to be... does that make sense? You know what I'm talking about?"
The Unofficial Thriller Web Page
This was one of the first comics that I remember reading that was written for an audience other than pre-adolescent boys. Engaging, complex and true to its pulp roots, Thriller (no connection to Michael Jackson) was a brilliant comic. I really wish that the creators had been allowed to finish it. Maybe DC Comics will get off of their butt, release the initial issues through their Vertigo line, and then get the creators to finish the first storyline and then continue on to new ones.
This would make a pretty cool RPG setting too...
The Unofficial Thriller Web Page
This would make a pretty cool RPG setting too...
The Unofficial Thriller Web Page
Beatles & Bizarros
And now for something completely different...Certainly an interesting blog.
Beatles & Bizarros
"Gives listings of various appearences of The Beatles in comic book format, as well as the DC character, Bizarro."
Beatles & Bizarros
"Gives listings of various appearences of The Beatles in comic book format, as well as the DC character, Bizarro."
The Stars Are Right In Nigeria
This is just too funny to not post for everyone to see. The reverse Nigerian scam....by way of Cthulhu.
The Stars Are Right In Nigeria
"It's October! In this spirit of Halloween, for this scam I'm trading my Tom Udo persona for Randolph Carter. If you're familiar with the works of H.P. Lovecraft, a fantasy and horror writer from the 1920s, you'll appreciate this, as I include a bunch of references to Lovecraft's "Cthulhu mythos." If you're not, sit back and enjoy the ride as Randolph gets way more than he bargained for. In the exchanges below, Randolph's messages have blue headers, and the Nigerian Lad's are in red. To help you read through faster, the important parts of the Nigerian's are highlighted in red text."
The Stars Are Right In Nigeria
"It's October! In this spirit of Halloween, for this scam I'm trading my Tom Udo persona for Randolph Carter. If you're familiar with the works of H.P. Lovecraft, a fantasy and horror writer from the 1920s, you'll appreciate this, as I include a bunch of references to Lovecraft's "Cthulhu mythos." If you're not, sit back and enjoy the ride as Randolph gets way more than he bargained for. In the exchanges below, Randolph's messages have blue headers, and the Nigerian Lad's are in red. To help you read through faster, the important parts of the Nigerian's are highlighted in red text."
Hotels In SPPAAAAAAACCCCEEEEEE!!!!!
The Five-Billion-Star Hotel
"On the Las Vegas Strip, home of the biggest and most extravagant hotels in the world, shell-shocked tourists file past one stunningly ostentatious display after another. In the desert city, water says wealth like nothing else, and there’s a lake of it in front of the Bellagio, with fountains blasting 240 feet in the air in time to Broadway show tunes. Just up the street, the Mirage demonstrates that it has money to burn with a fiery volcano erupting from the top of a 119,000-gallon waterfall.
"Tucked away on the service roads behind the Strip, the humble Budget Suites of America hotels are, in contrast, nearly invisible to tourists. Catering not to revelers but to the hordes of migrants looking for quick work in America’s tourism epicenter, Budget Suites eschews flashy displays of any sort, flaunting instead affordable weekly rates and the homely comforts of laundry rooms and kitchenettes.
"Still, when it comes to grand ambition, the impresarios of the Strip are mere pikers next to Budget Suites owner Robert Bigelow. For his next hotel enterprise, Bigelow is looking beyond the bright lights of Las Vegas—beyond Earth’s atmosphere, in fact. He is actively engaged in an effort to build the planet’s first orbiting space hotel. Bargain-basement room rate: $1 million a night. For its water show, this hotel will have all of Earth’s blue oceans flying past its windows at 17,500 miles an hour. Guests on board the 330-cubic-meter station (about the size of a three-bedroom house) will learn weightless acrobatics, marvel at the ever-changing face of the home planet, and, for half of every 90-minute orbit, gaze deep into a galaxy ablaze with stars." [via Daily Illuminator]
"On the Las Vegas Strip, home of the biggest and most extravagant hotels in the world, shell-shocked tourists file past one stunningly ostentatious display after another. In the desert city, water says wealth like nothing else, and there’s a lake of it in front of the Bellagio, with fountains blasting 240 feet in the air in time to Broadway show tunes. Just up the street, the Mirage demonstrates that it has money to burn with a fiery volcano erupting from the top of a 119,000-gallon waterfall.
"Tucked away on the service roads behind the Strip, the humble Budget Suites of America hotels are, in contrast, nearly invisible to tourists. Catering not to revelers but to the hordes of migrants looking for quick work in America’s tourism epicenter, Budget Suites eschews flashy displays of any sort, flaunting instead affordable weekly rates and the homely comforts of laundry rooms and kitchenettes.
"Still, when it comes to grand ambition, the impresarios of the Strip are mere pikers next to Budget Suites owner Robert Bigelow. For his next hotel enterprise, Bigelow is looking beyond the bright lights of Las Vegas—beyond Earth’s atmosphere, in fact. He is actively engaged in an effort to build the planet’s first orbiting space hotel. Bargain-basement room rate: $1 million a night. For its water show, this hotel will have all of Earth’s blue oceans flying past its windows at 17,500 miles an hour. Guests on board the 330-cubic-meter station (about the size of a three-bedroom house) will learn weightless acrobatics, marvel at the ever-changing face of the home planet, and, for half of every 90-minute orbit, gaze deep into a galaxy ablaze with stars." [via Daily Illuminator]
Thursday, February 17, 2005
My Little Golden Book About Zogg
This reminds me of Henry Darger.
My Little Golden Book About Zogg
"I was in a supermarket recently searching for a brown mustard-and-conditioner in one. It was while I was reading the ingredient label on a jar of Gouldens Dry Scalp Formula that I looked to the children's book rack and there spied the title 'My Little Golden Book About God.'
"Now as anyone knows, my interest in life's headiest metaphysical mystery has led me on some stange journeys; from the highest mountain peaks of Peru to snort crystalized alpaca urine with an Incan shaman to the sewers beneath Istanbul to read 900-year old grafitti scrawled by the heretical Saint Phoqallyall. Having found no theological resolution in these rarified encounters I have left the door open to the chance that sublime truth may be found where I least expect it.
"So it was with genuine anticipation that I opened the book, curious to know what the people at Little Golden Books believed small children who stick Beeferoni up their noses could absorb about the Inscrutible One.
"You cannot imagine my horror, however, when my eyes met pages filled with saccharine, pastel artwork depicting cold-eyed androids that were clearly not of our realm. In a Beautiful Mind moment of schizophrenic clarity I saw the book for what it was: not a gentle introduction to life's most profound curiosity, but a primer for the parasitic offspring of an invisible invasion!
"For the safety of our race (if any still remain) I have translated this book in the hopes that a resistance may arise. Read the baby powder scented Final Solution of our enemies from beyond, otherwise known as My Little Golden Book About Zogg."
My Little Golden Book About Zogg
"I was in a supermarket recently searching for a brown mustard-and-conditioner in one. It was while I was reading the ingredient label on a jar of Gouldens Dry Scalp Formula that I looked to the children's book rack and there spied the title 'My Little Golden Book About God.'
"Now as anyone knows, my interest in life's headiest metaphysical mystery has led me on some stange journeys; from the highest mountain peaks of Peru to snort crystalized alpaca urine with an Incan shaman to the sewers beneath Istanbul to read 900-year old grafitti scrawled by the heretical Saint Phoqallyall. Having found no theological resolution in these rarified encounters I have left the door open to the chance that sublime truth may be found where I least expect it.
"So it was with genuine anticipation that I opened the book, curious to know what the people at Little Golden Books believed small children who stick Beeferoni up their noses could absorb about the Inscrutible One.
"You cannot imagine my horror, however, when my eyes met pages filled with saccharine, pastel artwork depicting cold-eyed androids that were clearly not of our realm. In a Beautiful Mind moment of schizophrenic clarity I saw the book for what it was: not a gentle introduction to life's most profound curiosity, but a primer for the parasitic offspring of an invisible invasion!
"For the safety of our race (if any still remain) I have translated this book in the hopes that a resistance may arise. Read the baby powder scented Final Solution of our enemies from beyond, otherwise known as My Little Golden Book About Zogg."
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