Captain America on the Cover of Empire

Empire magazine is featuring Chris Evan in full Captain America gear on the cover. You can find articles about it all over the web, such where I found this image: comicbookmovie.com

 Say what you will, but I'm looking forward to this movie.

Gotta love Foxtrot

The comic Foxtrot is one of my favorites and I think it is funny that such a geek oriented strip makes it into my local paper. Now if only they'd add Spider-man, Full Frontal Nerdity, Flare and the Phantom.

Stock art for your RPG

This really doesn't affect me since I am not currently designing my own rpg products, though I am thinking about it, but Louis Porter Jr. has apparently released a line of stock art for you to use.
I admit that I don't know much about the topic, but the prices seem pretty reasonable to me. If you are designing your own game or supplement I'd suggest checking them out.

A quick rant about digital magazines, plus more Matrix movies.

I am a pretty big magazine reader. I read at least 20 mags per month (my wife made me cut back) and that doesn't count comics. Of course 3-4 of them are related to my field of study, but the rest are just for fun.

Pretty much every day I have a magazine or comic book in my mailbox and the magazine rack is one of the first places I hit in any store. I actually choose the stores I prefer shop at according to the quality of their magazine racks.

This is one of the reasons I was so upset when WotC canceled both Dragon and Dungeon magazines and moved them to a digital format. I absolutely hate reading digital magazines and until Kobold Quarterly came along they were the only gaming mags I knew about. Though Knights of the Dinner Table did ease the pain of their loss somewhat.

Sure I read quite a few blogs, online news sites and messageboards, but those are usually quick reads meant to grab small bits of info. I use them just to keep up to date on topics I can't always find in magazines. Honestly my online reading pretty much revolves around RPGs, and current comic book news. Everything else I try to get from a print magazine.

Before long it seems like I will be stuck reading damn near everything in digital format or not reading them at all. RPG books, comics, magazines, newspapers are a going digital. 

I don't want to buy a new tablet PC/ipad, e-reader or smart-phone just so I can enjoy my favorite magazines/comics/books. I'm not that old and I stay fairly knowledgeable regarding current technology, but this push to make us slaves to our digital masters (a little melodramatic, I know) not only makes me feel old, but it pisses me off. I don't mind having a choice between print or digital, but I don't like being forced to accept something I don't like or want just keep keep reading the things I enjoy.
 I feel the same way about this push for all movies to be 3-D. I don't $#%^ing want to see movies in 3-D! I want plane old 2-D that I can enjoy without paying an extra $10 per ticket and without wearing those $#%^ed - up glasses.

What was I talking about? Oh, yeah...

Wizard magazine, one of the few comic book magazines that can still be found on the magazine rack in your local grocery, and pretty much every where else,  is apparently ceasing publication along with sister magazine Toyfare. According to the press release at Newsarama, Wizard will become a digital magazine called "Wizard World".

Now I admit that Wizard has not been up to par for quite a while and they have always been a bit selective about which comic/companies were covered, but with hobby magazines quickly disappearing from magazine racks they were kind of the last bastion of geekyness among all of the mainstream mags. All we have left are the few science magazines (as long as they manage not to get hidden behind the latest issue of Rachel Ray), Archie Digest (the last comic book on the rack) and the few remaining video game magazines. I find this very upsetting.

Here is the press release:

GAREB SHAMUS UNDERTAKES PUBLIC COMPANY WIZARD WORLD, INC. AND LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE PUBLICATION ‘WIZARD WORLD’
New York, NY (January 24, 2011) – Gareb Shamus, recently appointed President and CEO of public company Wizard World, Inc. (“Wizard World”) (OTC: GOEE.PK), today announced that the Comic Con Tour, which consists of pop culture conference events that provide high visibility marketing opportunities to pop culture brands and companies in multiple venues throughout the year, is now being produced by public company Wizard World. The Wizard World Comic Con Tour intends to cover 12 cities in 2011, including major cities such as New York City, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Austin and New Orleans. The Tour will include sponsors ranging from major movie studios and TV networks to gaming and toy companies to content publishers.
In addition, Wizard World plans to launch in February 2011 an all-new digital magazine called ‘Wizard World’ that will appeal to pop-culture fans, the same audience to which Mr. Shamus has catered to, for over 20 years. Wizard World digital magazine will provide coverage of the world of comic books, toys and superheroes, and the personalities behind them.
“This is a very exciting day for Wizard World and the industries it serves,” said Shamus. “Having the Tour produced by a public company provides additional opportunities to expand and grow the Tour. The new digital magazine Wizard World will give consumers the content they want in a magazine format with which they are familiar, but distributed in a form that is always available at any time on any device. It is a natural evolution for us in this market.”
Wizard World Comic Con will begin its North American tour at New Orleans Comic Con held from January 29 to 30, 2011. The full event schedule can be found at www.wizardworld.com.

• In case you hadn't heard, according to Slice of Sci-fi who got this from IGN, who were told by Keanu Reeves (I feel like I'm in Middle School again), there are plans to make 2 more Matrix movies. I think everyone agrees that the Matrix trilogy (mostly #2 &3) had some issues and could have been better, but over all I liked them. Though I  freely admit that the parts that were bad, were really really bad, but the parts that were good absolutely kicked ass. So I am kind of torn. Part of me wants to see a new movie and part of me is kind of dreading it.

Another treasure rediscovered

I've been trying to rebuild my 2nd edition AD&D collection for a while now (how the originals were lost is a story for another time) but it's difficult to do when you are on a gaming budget (it sucks being a grown up with bills to pay) and still trying to keep up with new product released for current RPGs. So I scan ebay, half.com, Amazon and used books stores when I get some extra coin in my pocket and sometimes my quest pays off.
This week I'm proud to announce a new little treasure has been added to the collection, the Monstrous Compendium vol. 1. I also found copies of the black PHB and DMG to put next to my original 2e PHB and DMG. I'm expecting them any day now.
Most of you could probably give a rat's ass about the fact that I reacquired this book, but I'm excited about it. I've wanted a new copy of this for years and either had other obligations or was honestly broke when I came across it. For me this is a real treat so let me have my moment of happiness.

Now I just need a group willing to play 2e. Unfortunately I don't think they sell those on ebay. At least not in my price range.

A little bit of everything

Lately I've been focusing all of my attention on strictly RPGs, and most of that has been focused on Pathfinder or WotC/D&D. So today I've decided to do a post that touches on multiple topics.

RPGs & other games

• I don't know exactly why,but according to RPGNow this is the last month you can buy pdfs of the Cortex system's Battlestar Galactica and Serenity RPGs. Whatever the reason, the pdfs for these games as well as other Cortex games, are on sale. I really like the Cortex system so I grabbed a copy of Six-Shooters and Spaceships for $4.99. The core rules for BSG and Serenity can be yours for $9.99.
• Troll Lord Games is also running a sale on RPGNow for its Castles & Crusades products. If you've been thinking about trying this game, now would be a good time.
• I've honestly never played Runequest, although I've heard good things about it. With pdfs for Runequest II on sale at RPGNow, I may finally give it a try.
• The new Villains and Vigilantes adventure, Infinity Lounge, is now available for free at RPGNow. While you're at it check out the interview with V&V creators Jeff Dee and Jack Herman over at Ain't it Cool News.
• If you haven't played Heroclix in a while, check out some of the cool new stuff coming out from Wizkids.
• I played a few games of Dragon Dice back when TSR released the game in the 90's. I lost track of the game and thought it had disappeared until I recently heard that the game was making a comeback and is currently being produced by SFR. 
• Speaking of dice games, Cthulhu dice by Steve Jackson games is a simple, but fun little game I picked up a few months ago. Zombie Dice is also a lot of fun.

Comic Books

• In response to fan's complaints about the price of comic books and the reported decline in sales DC comics' Drawing the Line at $2.99 goes into effect this month. Nearly all of the monthly comics released by DC are supposed to hold the $2.99 price for the foreseeable future. In response Marvel is reportedly dropping many of its monthly books to the $2.99 price as well. Since I primarily read DC I am happy very happy about this. Of course the 4 - 5 Marvel books I read will probably be the ones that don't see the price drop, but the lower DC prices should make up for it.
• In case you didn't know new issues, as well as back issues of Heroic Publishing's books can be found on Drive-thru Comics or you can order print versions of the books from the company's website. Personally I usually read Flare and Champions, but the other books are pretty good too. 
• I just recently found out that Drive-thru Comics also has a lot of Top Cow books available on their site. 
• While I'm on the Drive-thru Comics kick I recommend picking up the issues of Shi and 2000 AD that are available to download. 
• DC comics is dropping the Comics Code for their own rating system. It's about time.

Movies

• I had some reservations about Seth Rogen playing the Green Hornet, but after seeing the movie this past weekend I have to admit he did a good job. The movie was a lot of fun and Jay Chou kicked ass as Kato. I saw it at an IMAX 3-D theater and even though I'm not a fan of 3-D, I can't deny it was pretty cool. 
• Images of Chris Evans in full Captain America costume have been released. As a life long Cap fan, I can't wait to see this movie.
• The preview for Thor was playing when I went to see Green Hornet and it looks awesome!
• Apparently Bane and Catwoman will be the villains in the next Batman movie. I'm not too keen on the actors chosen for the parts,but everyone said Michael Keaton would suck as Batman and I thought he did a great job.
• After X3 I didn't really care about seeing X-Men: First Class but it is beginning to look promising.
• Jon Favreau apparently won't be directing Iron Man 3. 
• I'm sure everyone knows about the Spider-man movie reboot and while Garfield seems to wear the suit well, I'm just not ready for a reboot.

TV

• I don't know what everyone else thought, but in my opinion the new NBC series The Cape sucked. It definitely showed potential and it could have been an amazing faux Batman tv show, but alas it was a complete disappointment.
• I haven't had the chance to watch them yet but I've heard good things about both The Avengers and Young Justice cartoons.

Keep your D&D out of my Pathfinder

I like many other Pathfinder fans, have expressed my dreamy eyed wish that Paizo would somehow acquire the rights to the D&D brand. We all just "know" that, in our dream world at least, this would bring world peace and a new age of enlightenment. However I have reevaluated my position on this and I hope that the brand either stays where it is or goes to someone other than Paizo.

I was over on the Paizo boards the other night when I came across several posts that expressed just how having the D&D brand would be a burden for Paizo and I couldn't help but agree. I also read the very interesting essays by Ryan Dancey over on EnWorld, which I recommend giving a look. I was actually amazed that the points raised by Mr. Dancey and the posters on the Paizo boards are, for the most part, things that honestly never occurred to me or that I never really gave much thought. I'm generally pretty level headed and reasonable, but I now know that I let my dislike of WotC and my love of most things Pathfinder keep me from really thinking about what I said. Now I feel like a complete dolt.

Why in the hell would Paizo want D&D? Right now, according to some reports, Pathfinder is selling as well as D&D (better if you believe some of the rumors) even though Pathfinder doesn't have the 40 years of name recognition. The more I think about it the more impressed I am that Pathfinder has done as well as it has. Paizo likely wouldn't exist if not for 3rd edition D&D and now they are tying WotC for first place in RPG sales. Going up against the granddaddy of all RPGs and this little company is actually holding their own, and according to some people winning. The irony is that they are using a revised version of older D&D rules to do it.

Another reason Paizo should stay away from D&D is the "baggage", as some on the boards referred to it, of way too many campaign settings. Mostly because us bitchy fans will be outraged if their/our favorite setting doesn't get attention (MAZTICA!!!). Right now Paizo has Golarion which is a kitchen sink setting, but in a good way and one that seems to be as well if not more thought out than some of the stuff put out for actual D&D.

If you want Ravenloft, Greyhawk, FR or even Kalamar it has a passable counterpart in Golarion. They are just tweaked a bit and go by different names. Golarion is nearly every D&D setting on one planet, there really is no need for more settings at this point, if ever. Paizo owning D&D and having to support more setting would probably be a headache and drain on their resources that just isn't worth the benefit of owning a name that really isn't worth what it used to be.

Finally I think that acquiring the D&D brand in the near future would lessen the great work that the Paizo people have done. They were basically the 1st level group who went up against the Ancient Red Dragon and  not only survived these first few rounds, but has managed to get in some pretty good hits of their own. Maybe years from now once Pathfinder has established its dominance in the RPG market ;-) ,  buying the D&D brand might be worth it to them, but not right now.

So I retract any previous mentions I may have made here or on any message boards, I do not want Paizo to acquire D&D at this point. I believe and hope that Paizo can continue being a successful publisher for years to come on their own merit. I want them to be known as the publishers of Pathfinder, the game that showed us all that the name D&D is not all powerful in the RPG world.


** After I finished writing this post I found this really good post over at The Wasted Lands about why the demise of D&D would be a good thing for the RPG industry.

Even though I'd hate to see the brand disappear from the world of TTRPGs, I have to admit there is a part of me that is curious to see what the world would be like if it happened. Unfortunately there wouldn't be a Clarence around to make things right if we didn't like a world without new D&D products, but I would almost be willing to give it a try.

Maybe an actual crash is exactly what the industry needs. A chance to reboot, so to speak. Maybe another company could step up and find a way to make RPGs appealing to the masses or maybe the market would shrink and return to the truly niche hobby it used to be. Then in 20 or 30 years some kids will find their grandparent's old RPG books and strange dice. Maybe they will start a whole new retro-gaming revolution. Kids around the world will unplug from their PS10s and X-box 1800s to gather around an actual table to delve dungeons and slay some dragons. That would be kind of cool.