Marvel Media Mania: Captain America: The First Avenger

Captain America: The First Avenger was released theatrically in the summer of 2011. 1LR Previously reviewed this film here but, for the sake of completeness, we'll revisit the film again. After all, many times when you rewatch a film you come away with a completely different perspective. Originally, this movie received a 17 out of 20 from 1LR.

 

The script for this film is excellent. It finds just the right tone for the movie and keeps a steady balance between emotionally character development and action. As seen by previous film efforts, Captain America is very difficult to get right but this film manages to walk the line. There are tons of references not only to tie this film to the other films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe but also to the Captain America comics. I liked how the actual first Cap comics were, in the film, inspired by Cap's real success.

The character development of Cap follows the comics... up to a point. There's the Super Solider Serum and Dr. Erskine. But I really liked how the army tried to use Cap first as a lab rat then as a poster boy for war bonds. Cap doesn't get into serious action until well into the film but I didn't mind. The character development and historical stuff was more than interesting enough to hold my attention. When the action does come, you're ready for it, not saying, "Oh no! Not another fight sequence!"

Cap's evolution into the battle uniform follows his evolution as a character. The stage costume he uses is very close to the real thing from the comics but it looks intentionally dorky. The movie builds to a hybrid army fatigues and super hero outfit that looks right at home in the film. Quite a few designs, from super large tanks to rotating super planes, look as if they came straight from the pages of a comic book.

Most importantly, the movie nails the character of Steve Rogers. He's humble and inspirational all at the same time with his neverending determination. It seems like the movies always want to reinvent or modernize characters like Cap and Superman because they're "too pure to relate to" but I'm really glad that they didn't try to give Cap some strange hang-ups.

I'll admit that this film played my emotional cords when Cap's plane is going down as he's talking to Agent Carter as if it's a normal phone conversation. How often does a superhero movie make you cry?

My opinion of this film has only improved since my original viewing.

1LR Review - 18 out of 20 - It's a Solid Hit!

Marvel Super Hero Squad MMO - Asgard Has Fallen!

There was a huge update today in the Marvel Super Hero Squad MMO over at www.heroup.com. To prepare for the Avengers movie which is a month away, Asgard has fallen! All I can say is that my children were simultaneously shocked and excited. Check out the pics: 

Even the color pallet of Asgard has changed!

The Rainbow Bridge is broken!

Reach for the Cosmic Cube and you'll find yourself on SHS's toughest mission yet - ALONE!

Free the frozen Asgardians... for a minute until they refreeze.

Check out the sick water and Loki statues where Thor statues used to be.

Even the puppet show changed! Poor Thor - turned into a rabbit!

Oh no! Loki ripped Thor's head off and replaced it with his own!

Order Placed for FCBD 2012

Every year I order tons of Free Comic Book Day comics. I give them away to kids. That's what Free Comic Book Day is suppose to be all about, isn't it?

Well, I just put my order in with Comic Store West. I was very pleased to see a ton of kid friendly options available again this year. And remember - these comics may be free to you but retailers actually pay anywhere between $0.25 and $.60 for each comic! Here're the titles I ordered:


Mouse Guard/Labyrinth & More
Mega Man
Bongo Free-For-All / Spongebob Freestyle
Peanuts Adventure Time Flipbook
Star Wars Serenity
Transformers 80.5
Avengers - Age of Ultron Point One
Yo Gabba Gabba
Antarctic's Zombie Kid
Sonic the Hedgehog
DC Nation Superman Family Flip Book
Marble Season
Moomin Color Special
Walt Disney's Donald Duck Family Comics
Barnaby
My Favorite Martian
Dinosaurs VS Aliens
Spider-Man Season One
Smurfs & Disney Fairies Feat Tinker Bell
Top Shelf Kids Club
Animal Planet World Most Dangerous Animals


I put in low numbers for the superhero stuff. My experiences have lead me to believe that kids just aren't that interested in superheroes or even Transformers for that matter. The most popular? Donald Duck, Smurfs, Top Shelf, Peanuts, and Star Wars. I'm anticipating STRONG demand for Zombie Kid and Spongebob!

 

Speaking With "Superman's Sister"

My search for the identity of the child actor who played the role of baby Kal-El in the first episode of The Adventures of Superman from 1952 has taken me far and wide. I've written to a dozen Superman experts with no concrete evidence.

You'll recall that I had previously received a tip from Captain Celluloid over at Superman Homepage that the infant was Aline Towne's own child.

Aline Towne in Superman from Earth

In researching Aline Towne, I came across her biography on www.imdb.com and noted that it had been edited by a Marta Waller. Aline was married to Charles Waller so I did a little research on Marta and was fairly confident that this was Aline's daughter. On the slim chance that Ms. Waller would feel inclined to respond to me, I sent her a missive. After all, she's a well respected newswoman and I was sure she'd be far to busy to reply to my questions.

Hello Ms. Waller,

I am trying to solve a mystery and I was wondering if you could help me. I am trying to identify the baby from the first episode the 1950's television show, The Adventures of Superman. I have a source that tells me that the child who played the baby Superman was the real-life child of Aline Towne who was featured in that episode. My source was unable to produce proof of this, however.

My research on the topic had lead me to think that you are Aline's daughter. I see you edited her biography on the Internet Movie Database so I'm assuming you're extremely knowledgeable about Aline Towne either way. =) 

I've attached a photo of the baby from the show. Can you help me identify this baby? I've been in contact with probably about 10 Superman experts and none of them can. 

Thank you very much for any assistance you can provide.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Dear Mr. Schaffer,

Thank you for your email.  It is always nice to see people are still interested in my mother's work from the 1950's.  Unfortunately, your source is not correct about the baby.  I wasn't born until late 1952 (and the photo is not me) and my brother was born in 1955.  I have no idea the identity of the infant, but I assume he would be about my age (60 this year).  I'm guessing really accurate records of "baby appearances" weren't a high priority in 1952. 

If there's any other trivia I can help with, please let me know and I'll be happy to assist.  Mom had a very interesting career, and it was fun telling everyone that our mom was Superman's mother!

Best regards, 

I sent an e-mail back to her inquiring about the third child of Aline Towne (a daughter) that is mentioned inthe www.imdb.com biography. She responded that her sister was born before her but since Ms. Waller didn't recognize the photo it couldn't be her older sister.\

It seems that I'll have to focus my research efforts elsewhere. Ms. Waller has been an enormous help to me and I'm very grateful for her assistance.

Marvel Media Mania: Captain America (1990)

The Captain America movie from 1990 was SUPPOSE to be a theatrical release but instead it was released direct-to-video..

 

I liked that this film parts ways with previous on-camera depictions of Cap. This film isn't afraid to get its hands dirty as shown by the slaughter of an innocent family in the opening scene and the point blank, on-camera assassination of a scientist. I also liked the slow opening. The film takes its time to set up the story and to develop the feel of the historical era.

The film then quickly accelerates to Rogers receiving the Super Solider Serum and going on his first mission as Captain America. The movie moves as a quick clip.

As for Cap's look... it's okay but really not great. I'll say this - the were very true to the comic book look. The Red Skull looks like a close-up of a lumpy, scarred Red Potato. That is, when the Red Skull is red at all. About 1/3 of the way through the film he gets plastic surgery and his skin isn't red anymore!

There are some neat insider references to the Submariner and Human Torch along the way that strongly suggest they exist in this continuity and are known by the population at large.

The story takes an odd turn when it tries to connect the 1940's action to the 1990's. It does so by using a kid, Thomas Kimball, who Cap saves and then he becomes the President in the 90's. It's a narrative stretch to say the least. We're to believe that the President still carries in his back pocket dark, grainy pictures he took when he was 10?

While many reviewers are down on this film, I actually was able to enjoy it to an extent. Sure, it's full of cheese but it's Captain America... what do you want?

The action isn't spectacular but it's not quite bad either. It's good in concept but sometimes the editing makes things hard to follow. And who wants to see an old president beating up bad guys? We paid to see Captain America, not Air Force One!

In the plus side for this movie in strange connection to A Christmas Story. Both Ralphie's mom and dad have parts in this film!

While not great, it was certainly the best Captain America effort up to 1990.

1LR Review - 12 out of 20 - It's a Glancing Hit!

Happy Easter, Gamer!

Today is the day we celebrate our risen Savior, Jesus Christ! So 1LR wants to wish you a happy Easter, gamer! I'm not sure how the resurrection of our Lord and Savior translated into bunnies, eggs, and jelly beans but so be it! Here's a couple of cool geek Easter picks for you:

 

Dead-Pooh Comic Book

Everyone knows the ubiquitous Deadpool by now. He's everywhere. He's in every comic.

 

Deadpool is a spoof on actual superheroes. What makes him work is he points out the ridiculousness of superheroes and the comic book medium in general. 

So what do you call a spoof of a spoof? Dead-Pooh. That's right - Winnie the Pooh reimagined as Deadpool. 

 

So this leads me to think... what other mashups can we come up with? Here are my initial offerings:

Bugs Bunny + Batman = Batbunny

   +  

Popeye + Hulk = Hulkeye

   +  

Smurfs + Marvel Mutants = X-Smurfs

  +   

... Hmm... I guess that last one really wasn't so different after all.

1LR Eclipses KGS Pageviews

One Lost Road has reached a milestone - we've eclipsed The Keystone Gaming Society in pageviews!

Why is this a milestone? Because 1LR was inspired by KGS. To eclipse them is like outdoing a mentor. Currently, KGS has 21,306 views while 1LR has 22,292. =)

Now, to be fair, KGS has had to restart their website twice and lost probably about 3,000 or so pageviews in the process. But 1LR has only been around since July, 2011 and KGS has been around since July, 2010 - a whole year more!

1LR wishes KGS the best in their future endeavors and wants to see more podcasts from that group! You can give them some love at www.keystonegamingsociety.com.

 

Marvel Media Mania: Captain America II: Death Too Soon

This is the sequel to the earlier made-for-TV Captain America movie. Except for Len Birman and Reb Brown, the entire cast is new. This was done as a second Captain America pilot in the same year for CBS.

 

Let's talk about what's good about this movie first - Christopher Lee. That's right - Count Dooku was in this film! He played the bad guy whose name I can't remember even though I just watched the film (It's just "Miguel" - I looked it up on www.imdb.com). He does a pretty good job as his voice and stature naturally lend to a menacing villain. 

Beyond that, this movie is almost complete cheese. Sure, Brown's Rogers actually summons some emotion in this one when he's yelling at a single mother. But forget about actual character development or plot. In the first movie there was a neutron bomb. In this one there is a super-deadly chemical that's about to be released into a city... wait, wasn't that a few seasons of 24 as well? 

I watched this with my four year old son and he kept asking, "When are we going to see Captain America?" When Rogers does suit up on a rare occasion, you wonder why you were looking forward to it. Cap's shield throw is so super-slow it's a wonder he hits anything with it. When he runs on the beach at super speeds, the waves seem to be crashing very quickly as well. Cap slides down a railing like a little kid. And, oh yeah, it turns out his motorcycle has had a hang glider in it all along. Which he uses. To. Very. Slowly. Chase. The. Villain. Who. Is. Driving. A. Car.

Yawn. I thought the first one was bad because it had so little Cap action in it. Now I see the filmmakers were showing their better judgment.

1LR Review - 7 out of 20 - It's a Miss!

The Great Debate: Should Class Dictate Behavior?

I've got to admit: In the recent First Edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons (OSRIC) campaign we just ended, I was slightly irked by how some of the other players ran their characters.

We had a barbarian. In 1e, barbarians are suppose to mistrust and/or despise magic. They get experience points for destroying magic items. In fact, the rules state that they aren't even suppose to associate with clerics until at least second level. Our barbarian didn't have any problem breaking magical items... but he also accepted magical healing and adventured with a cleric and a magic user.

We also had a ranger. According to 1e rules, the ranger can't have a stronghold and can't own more wealth than he can carry. But our ranger certainly came across as selfish! When we found a 1,000gp tapestry, he drooled at the thought of hanging it in his future castle. When it came time to sell some trade goods we found, he happily denied the original owners a fair cut.

We had a druid as well. A druid that charged into combat like a fighter time and time again despite the fact that he continually got knocked unconscious.

So all of this got me thinking... to what degree should class dictate the behavior of your character? For me, I think the answer is - A Great Deal. For the purposes of this article, we'll stick to Dungeons and Dragons for the sake of simplicity.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not advocating that every fighter, paladin, or thief has to be exactly the same. But I think that, broadly, the class gives a range of behaviors in which a character's actions should fall.

Classes are set up with certain restrictions, negatives, and bonuses. When taken as a whole, these defining character class markers act as a signpost for how a particular class should be played. What's the point in taking a fighter if all you do is stand back and shoot arrows? Fighters are suppose to charge into combat - if you wanted to shoot arrows you should have made a ranger.

But what about beyond combat? Should character class dictate your character's out-of-combat actions? Once again, I say to a large extent, yes. A cleric should obviously gravitate toward serving the church. A cleric shouldn't be going down to the town market and try to lift coin purses.

However, I do believe that there's a range that your character's can fall into. So my paladin could have been an overly-zealous, holy-avenger type, a lady's man, or perhaps a hardened old warhorse with a drinking problem. But no matter what, my paladin had to act in unselfishly and in a lawful good manner. To do otherwise would simply to not be a paladin at all, as it describes in the rules.

Sure, some classes have more leeway than others. I think a fighter is about the most flexible character class. Every other class kind of pre-bundles a character profile in the DNA of the class's rules.

So to me, it's only good roleplaying to allow your character class (and race!) to restrict you when you're constructing your character's personality. After all, isn't that how it is in real life? We expect doctors and police officers to be trustworthy and car salesmen and lawyers to be silver tounged devils. Good roleplaying only reflects real life.

Who Was Baby Clark Kent? Mystery Continues, New Information!

As you may know, we're on a quest here at 1LR to discover the identify of the child actor who portrayed the baby Kal-El from the first episode of The Adventures of Superman. Here's the photo from the show:

Startling new information has just come in to 1LR from Superman expert Lou Koza - this same child actor appeared in another show! Here's the picture:

Much to my chagrin Mr. Koza was unable to remember which show this picture comes from! If you can help, please let me know! 

Gaming Notes: AD&D 1e (OSRIC) #6

The conlclusion!

When last we left our heroes, we had dragged our sorry bodies back to the town with our dead cleric in tow. We healed up, the cleric was resurrected but sidelined for the duration, and we headed back into the Caves of Chaos!

This time we were joined by some men at arms, one of which had experience in the caves. A report had come in right before our return that the Drow with the Staff of La had encountered a garrison on his way to the Caves of Chaos and decimated their forces! We made haste to stop he evil plans!

Upon entering the caves, the gong sounded for the first time. We raced toward the sound of chanting. As we entered the cavern with the portal in it, we saw the Drow strike the gong a second time with the Staff of La and a massive demon came through the portal of chaos! One more strike and the gate would be fully open and hordes of evil would come pouring forth!

We rushed to engaged the Drow while the men at arms held the demon at bay, laying down their lives in the process! Skeletons and zombies came pouring through the portal! At one point, I must admit, the prospects of success looked pretty grim. Along the way the druid's dog, Mangy, whom he had charmed into obedience, made the ultimate sacrifice as did many fighter NPCs.

The ranger was the one to land the killing blow on the Drow, ending the threat. The barbarian quickly picked up the Staff and smashed it (earning thousands of experience in the process!) while I bravely rushed the demon. Eventually, we subdued all of the evil forces and the portal was closed.

Our brave heroes stood in triumph!

Marvel Media Mania: Captain America (1979)

Captain America is a 1979 made for TV movie that was released on CBS on the day I turned two years old (not that I remember it!).

The actor who played Steve Rogers / Captain America in the film, Reb Brown, comes across as being really mellow. In fact, he barely shows any emotion at all! That's probably what they were going for, to attempt to bridge the gap between Cap's traditional military origins and the anti-war crowd. Rogers is a soft-spoken, reluctant hero that basically has to be dragged into being a superhero. Instead of the Super Soldier Serum, Rogers receives his powers from the FLAG serum that saves his life after an attempted murder. The name "Captain America" comes from a nickname Roger's father had since Rogers isn't actually a Captain at all!

This film is perhaps best remembered for the kooky reimagining of Cap's. It actually takes a significant amount of time before Rogers gets into his full, final Cap uniform.  The shield's white ring and blue area are replaced with clear ones and Cap is able to use it as a windshield on his motorcycle. Cap's wings are painted on his motorcycle helmet. Essentially, Cap is completely focused on his motorcycle. He's more Evil Knievel than Captain America!

Cap action is more slapstick than combat. He spills oil so the bad guys slip. He knocks out a bad guy with car exhaust, not his shield. Basically, stuff any ordinary guy could do without superpowers. Yawn.

The villains are common gangsters/terrorists - no super villains. But somehow these thugs have gotten their hands on a neutrino bomb! What do they plan on doing with it? Not blackmail - they're just going to blow up a city. Beyond that, we don't get much in the way of an explanation as to their motives. Sounds ridiculous but I think that was probably three seasons of 24!

Probably the worst thing about this movie is how boring it is. Between Roger's monotone voice, the vague villain motivations, soft music, unnecessary scenes, lots of exposition, and really slow buildup to actual Cap action this film just seems to drag on and on.

1LR Review - 9 out of 20 - It's a Miss!

Comic Store West's Backroom Sale

Comic Store West's recent "Backroom Sale" was a bit of a misnomer because it wasn't just the junk from the backroom that was on sale - ALL of the comic book back issues were $2 a pound! Wow-Wee-Mama!

Needless to say, my knees buckled, my palms became sweaty, and I began to salivate like one of Pavlov's dogs. Thoughts ran through my head like, "Scott, you could get current on all of the comics you've missed over the last few years! It wouldn't cost much..." But, I resisted the urge. Instead, I stuck to my mission - buy comic books for my children and my nephews and niece. I wanted kid-friendly comics so I really had to dig through the piles.

I ended up stopping in all three days of the sale. I stopped in Friday to the preview so I could grab some deals while they were still around. Turns out, 15 minutes late was far too late to get any board games! Next time I'll get there on time!

I dropped by again on Saturday because I thought to myself, "You know, you really should have scored some more of those kids comics! They're so cheap!"

And then I stopped in Sunday as well. Sunday was "Make-an-offer" day where comics could be even cheaper than $2 a pound. I got an entire short box + 13 pounds for around $35! Sweet!

In the end, here's the final result of my self control:

And, YES, this WAS showing self-control. I'd estimate I got a couple hundred comics and my total bill was probably around $50.00. I'd call that pretty darn good.

Comic Store West's sale was one of the best I've ever seen. They didn't just put out junk - they had something for everyone, from mainstream superhero books to small press, from fresh-off-the-rack comics to some pretty old stuff. 

Next time CSW has a big sale like this, I'll be sure to arrive on time!

Gaming Notes: Monsterpocalypse

I have been chomping at the bit for quite awhile to try out Monsterpocalypse but I never had the opportunity until recently. Elliott recently taught me how to play and I liked it.

I played the Defender X Guard Protectors and Elliott played the Gorgahydra Destroyer Planet Eaters. The goal of the game is to destroy your enemy's big bad monster. 

Elliott and I quickly swarmed one another killing off some of our more minor monster units. I saw a window of opportunity and struck at his Gorgahydra Destroyer with a small army of minions. In response, his big monster had to transform into its second, more powerful form. Elliott went on the offensive and my own monster had to fall back to its second form as well. Ultimately, my swarm of smaller units overwhelmed Gorgahydra Destroyer and I was victorious!

I liked the gameplay. The resolution system is easy and it works. The game pieces are brilliant! They look really awesome! Still, I'd like to try it out just doing one giant vs another like in the old Godzilla movies.

Marvel Media Mania: Captain America (1944)

Captain America was a 1944 black and white movie serial of 15 parts by Republic Pictures.

Pretty much the only thing this serial has in common with Captain America is the name of the hero. Steve Rogers isn't even in this episodic adventure! Instead, Captain America's alter ego is Grant Gardner, district attorney. Captain America isn't given an origin. We don't have any idea why Gardner would dress up as a superhero and fight crime, especially since Gardner himself is just as likely to mix it up with thugs as Captain America is. Captain America doesn't even have his signature shield! Nor does he have Bucky and he doesn't even fight the Nazis of the day (remember, this is 1944!).

To me, this serial is directly inspired by the much superior Captain Marvel serial. There plots are very similar and even share some of the same themes (Captain Marvel had a scorpion theme, this had a scarab theme). In fact, they share some of the same cast. The plots are typical of the era's serials - a mysterious crime syndicate is trying to attain power and the hero is the only thing standing in the way. Very little thought seems to have been given to the series. Even for the day the Captain America costume looks horrible (especially the eye holes). Actor Dick Purcell doesn't do a particularly convincing job in either the roll of Captain America or as Grant Gardner.

The cliffhanger endings end up seeming more like cheats or cheap tricks rather than real, intriguing heart-stoppers. Most of the time, Captain America escapes merely by dumb luck since he has no real super powers.

Captain America is bloodthirst in this serial (which is totally out of character). He often charges into a room, pistol drawn, ready to shoot. Rarely does a villain escape with his life. The police seem to accept this without question. In one scene, Captain America phones the police and tells them to come over right away, he just killed a man. The police respond with "Good job! Go get 'em!" The police seem to be completely helpless at every turn, relying solely on Captain America to solve their problems.

All in all, this serial's greatest failing is not being true to the character of Captain America. It does retain some value as the first time a Marvel character appeared on screen and for that alone it is worth watching.

1LR Review - 6 out of 20 - It's a Failure!

April Fool's!

You're all smart enough to realize that EVERYTHING I posted yesterday was a big April Fool's Day prank, right? Well, except the Pac-Man MMO of course.

Haha! Just kidding! Of course the Pac-Man MMO was all lies too! Wait... don't cry! I'm sorry!

Legend of Zelda Movie Trailer!

This trailer is a fake but it shouldn't be. Who puts this much effort into an April Fool's Day prank? This year I'm REALLY going to have to step it up.

President Obama - Closet Gamer!

We've known for some time that President Obama is a fan of comic books, particularly Spider-Man. It was his affinity for the character that lead to Marvel have the president meet Spider-Man in a comic book story a few years ago.

But in breaking news, Obama made some startling revelations yesterday at a stop in New York. He was greeting fans and onlookers after giving a speech when someone from the crowd asked him, "What games do you like to play?" The president responded with a broad grin and shook his head. "Man, I used to sling some dice back in the day," he said. The man asked Obama what he meant and Obama said, "Roleplaying Games! I remember a thirteenth level dwarven cleric I had that was really something special." 

The crowd was shocked and somebody yelled out, "What about Settlers of Catan?" The president pointed into the crowd and said, "Let's just say I know my way around that island!" 

This could be election-year pandering but Obama's references included some insider jargon and knowledge that someone who wasn't a gamer wouldn't have. Could it be that Obama has continued roleplaying in the White House? If so, this would be a first in American history.

I wish the president would be more forthcoming about his gaming habits. A public endorsement from him could do quite a bit to improve the public's awareness of the hobby.

No word on the gaming credentials of an of the president's Republican challengers.

Marvel Media Mania: Doctor Druid

Doctor Druid was a direct-to-video animated film from 1987. I was torn as to where to review this since Dr. Druid is a mystically based character (which would place him in the Midnight Sons category) but he was also a card carrying Avenger. Avengers won out.

Initially, the Doctor Druid animated film was suppose to be for Doctor STRANGE but at the last minute Marvel refused to allow the studio to use Doctor Strange. The studio essentially replaced the word STRANGE with DRUID everywhere in the script and didn't make any other changes. So at first it's a little off-putting to see Dr. Druid, the Sorcerer Supreme living in the Sanctum Sanctorum with a house-servant, Wong, and his girlfriend Clea. But actually this film is a moving character drama that focuses on Doctor Druid's broken childhood.

There are several scenes that really touched my heart. The first was when Doctor Druid discovers Wong has been doing drugs. His forlorn cry, "Wong's a junkie!" really broke my heart. Excellent voice acting! The second was when, on their honeymoon, Clea reveals to Doctor Druid that she had been born as a man, she magically transformed herself into a woman, but she's now going back to being a man. I thought that was risky territory to get into for a 1987 kid's cartoon but the way Doctor Druid reacts really sets him apart as a role model.

The forty five minute alternate reality flashback dream sequence relies heavily on subtext and symbolism. I don't know why, but I really connect with that part of the movie. It makes me feel like going out and buying lots and lots of Doctor Druid related merchandise.

The only part I didn't like at first was the ending when Doctor Druid leads the audience in sing-along Satantic incantations. I say "at first" because after I got over my hold-ups and went along with it, it just started seeming right somehow. You wouldn't happen to know where I could purchase live chickens, do you?

In conclusion, this animated film broke new ground for cinema, human rights, and world religion at the same time. It's an epic that will never die.

1LR Review - 20 out of 20! It's a Critical Hit!

Geek Gear: Lightsaber Bread Knife

While a full-blown lightsaber is probably years away, Four-One Designs announced recently that they've moved into production with "Lightsaber Bread Knives." You hear right - Lightsaber technology put to a practical use!

This technological wonder doesn't operate QUITE like it's science-fictional daddy, however. There is a physical blade that is specially designed with space aged materials so it can hold a super-science polymer that, when exposed to electrical current, acts quite a lot like a lightsaber. These knives are set to be able to cut through steel pipes! 

Needless to say, Four-One Designs is hard at work making cutting boards that are lightsaber resistant.

The price for the initial offering of one of these bad boys is $149.99. You can order here. Supplies are limited!

Gaming Notes: Advanced Dungeons and Dragons #4/1

Well, last night's session was one to remember! Let me tell you what happened.

As you'll recall, a thief/mage, barbarian, ranger, druid, and my paladin are currently clearing out the Caves of Chaos. We seemed to be making pretty good headway when it all went wrong. We were pretty deep into the caves when we discovered that the thief/mage had been pocketing some of the loot without telling us!

Well, needless to say, this didn't go over well. The barbarian stepped up and challenged him to a 1-on-1 fight to the death or he demanded the thief leave the party. We were all stunned but the thief/mage, pleading his innocence, agreed to the combat rather than have to roll up a new character. The thief/mage's only shot was a sleep spell. Once the barbarian made his saving throw, the combat was pretty much over. The thief/mage lie dead at the barbarian's feet! I couldn't believe the DM actually allowed this to occur but I did think the thief/mage deserved it.

After looting the thief/mage's body, we continued on and after defeating some goblins, the barbarian found more magic arrows! The barbarian took great delight in snapping them one at a time in front of the ranger's face (since the barbarian hates magic). I personally thought the DM was rubbing it in by describing the arrows as, "Crying out like your own children caught in a burning building." Needless to say, the ranger flew off the handle and attacked the barbarian. It didn't help that the ranger and thief/mage were close friends. The party came to the aid of the barbarian and we were down yet another party member! The ranger's body yielded a disappointing amount of swag.

Our next encounter was with a orc magic user and it didn't go well. Our numbers, diminished as they were, were insufficient. I fell victim to a stunning spell and I was out the entire combat. The barbarian, refusing magical healing, went down, leaving the druid alone to defeat the orc magic user! Needless to say, at the end of the combat the druid was begging for what meager healing I could offer.

THAT was when I backstabbed him, killing him! Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha! The entire table of players sat around looking stunned! My lawful good paladin had just killed a comrade in arms! That was when I revealed that my character wasn't a paladin  at all but actually a thief in disguise! What better disguise than a big, clanky suit of armor that radiates good? I gleefully told the party that it was I who had planted the stolen loot on the thief/mage! It was I who planted those magical arrows so the barbarian would find them! And lastly, I had FAKED being stunned in the fight with the orc magic user, hoping he would kill off at least one of my comrades!

I quickly looted the bodies of the druid, barbarian, and orc magic user and beat feet. Those caves are WAY too dangerous to go into by yourself. You've got to have a party to support you!

 

My guess is that next week my "paladin" will come rolling into town looking for a new party to adventure with. Heh heh heh.

Pac-Man MMO Announced

Awesome! It was just announced at the Pac-Man Con that the Pac-Man MMO is set to launch later this month!

Rumor has it that the graphics may have been upgraded to 8 bit! Some fans has been upset at this news, saying that it isn't, "true to the source material," but I don't think they went far enough. Why stop at 8 bit? Why not 16? This is the new millennium, after all.

There are going to be plenty of options in the game. You can play a boy yellow circle, a girl yellow circle (it's said that bow colors are unlockable), or a baby yellow circle. 

As for action, you can eat, eat, eat, and eat some more! Pellets, fruit, power pellets, keys, bells, ghosts, and pretty much anything else. This game is a dream come true for the obese and/or nostalgic. 

I can't wait to plunk down my $39.95 a month for this vintage regenesis! It's a great, big Pac-Man world and I'm ready to eat it all!

My Next Solo LARP

This is an announcement of the upcoming Solo LARP meeting. It will be at my house next Thursday from 10:00 pm to 5:00 am. Of course, you're not invited but I thought I'd let you know about it in case you wanted to announce your own Solo LARP meeting.

FYI - I'll be playing the role of a man sleeping. If you see me playing this role, please don't talk to me because, you know, it is SOLO LARPing. That and it would be just creepy to see you in my house at one in the morning.

As you know, my last Solo LARP didn't end well. The mall security didn't understand that I was just PRETENDING to be a shoplifter! When I tried to bribe them with in-game money, that's when they really lost it. Don't tell anybody but I think one of them was Solo LARPing as a guy who's breath doesn't stink. But he wasn't too successful if you catch my drift! Lucky for me, I consulted with the rules judge and he allowed me to transfer my essence into another one of my characters, the psychotic track and field star, who pummeled he way out of there and then ran like the dickens!

Solo LARPing is gratifying because you really feel like you're a member of the community. This movement is so widespread, it's hard to ignore it. Don't we all pretend to be someone we're not? We all put on the happy face and pretend everything's okay. We all invent a version of ourselves we want people to see. Just don't LARP as a dog. You'll get strange looks. Trust me.