Review: Falling Skies (2011)

“And the human spirit remains the most powerful weapon on this planet.” This show was originally on cable channel TNT, which was why I didn’t see it. It was executive-produced by Steven Spielberg (as was Halo, another show I recently reviewed). Star Noah Wyle (as Professor Tom Mason) is also credited as a producer on …

Part Fifty-Six: 2020. Doctor, Ain’t There Nothing I Can Take? A Historical Overview of Role-playing from the Trenches

"Coconut" by Harry Nilsson I’m sure I don’t need to remind anyone that 2020 was the year we were hit with the pandemic. The world was transformed as most of us stayed home. The streets were (almost) empty, as were grocery store aisles. It was so quiet you could hear songbirds again. We weren’t spending …

Review: Halo (2022)

This series, based on the video games, debuted in 2022 and has been renewed for a second season. It was executive produced by Steven Spielberg, who you’ll remember for Jaws, Close Encounters, Indiana Jones and that execrable remake of West Side Story. But we’ll just skip right over that last one, because I’m not bitter. …

Review: The Borderland Series

Along with a Tip of the Hat to Thieves World You may be aware of the Thieves’ World book series created by Robert Lynn Asprin in 1978. It was a shared world detailed in short story collections, spun-off novels, and even a 1981 Chaosium boxed set published with stats for NINE roleplaying games! The last …

Review: Space Force (2020)

As enthusiastic as I was to see the founding of our real-life Space Force, I kept my fingers crossed when I switched this series on. Yes, it’s mostly a comedy. Absurdist, but low key. From Netflix, got two seasons. Here’s my spoiler-free reaction. Steve Carell stars as a career-military guy. With John Malkovich, Noah Emmerich …

Artist Retrospectives XI – Margaret Brundage

Margaret Brundage's first sale, 1932. Pulp Era We began our retrospective with artists of what was termed the Golden Age of Illustration. With today’s installment we move on to the Pulp Era. The term “pulp” magazine is a reference to the cheap paper these periodicals were printed on. With a heritage going back to newspaper …

Part Fifty-Five: 2019, Be All That You Can Be. A Historical Overview of Role-playing from the Trenches

In the world of 2019 real-life news I am compelled to mention the new US Space Force! With an emblem evocative of Star Trek, and a vibe that brings to mind the Space: Above and Beyond show, I couldn’t help but feel a frisson of glee. What didn’t bring me glee was the dissolution of …

Review: Forbrydelsen (aka “The Killing”)

And we’re back with another spoiler-free review. Forbrydelsen (which actually means “crime,” not “killing”) was a Danish show that premiered in 2007 and had three seasons. It starred Sofie Gråbøl as Inspector Sarah Lund, a homicide detective in Copenhagen. As I’ve mentioned before, I watched this because I’d already seen Gråbøl in the British series …

Artist Retrospectives X – Kay Nielsen

Kay Nielsen was a Danish illustrator, 1886-1957. His parents were well-known in the world of theater. Reminds me of Canty, or panels in Cerebus. He studied art in Paris, and he became fascinated by the work of Aubrey Beardsley. Pierrot Nielsen moved to London in 1911 and gained success as an illustrator, but WWI interrupted …

Part Fifty-Four: 2018, The Enemy Within. A Historical Overview of Role-playing from the Trenches

We lost two luminaries in 2018. First up, multiple award-winning author Harlan Ellison. Awards: Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy, Edgar, Stoker, Méliès and Inkpot. He was a larger than life personality and reading a biography would be well worth your time. Ellison wrote fiction (Repent Harlequin Said the Ticktockman, A Boy and His Dog, I Have …