Art by • Markus Vesper

Using IE to download Netscape

The story of how Rebecca Heineman overcame corporate incompetence to develop the Doom 3DO port in two and a half months is incredible (via @bghof.com) www.badgamehalloffame.com/doom-3do/

My trailblazing game industry bad-ass friend Rebecca Heineman has passed away. Fuck cancer. Friends, let’s not forget her: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebecca...

A more apt example for TRPGs is Pro Wrestling. Many folks confuse the nazicircus WWE's brand and manufactured history as the monolithic truth. However, just crack some books open, watch more broadly and read some old news clips and the entire brand's image crumbles under its own lies.

A frustration I have with fantasy and trpg dialog is the lack of historical depth and curiousity beyond marketed brands. Its like talking about the history of metal and refusing to budge from an ahistorical focus on Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden and Metallica as the sole important artists. Its wrong.

Geocities

NANCY AT THE PENNY ARCADE

149) The definitive history of Sword & Sorcery has not been written...and may never be. Brian Murphy's FLAME AND CRIMSON and Jeffro Johnson's APPENDIX N are decent starting points, but I feel there major gaps, and especially for more recent (1990s-2020s) S&S, inadequacies. Which is understandable.

Next Week!

In a mood. 1 like = 1 hot take on sword & sorcery

I do not think this is like intentional behavior in many cases. Its a social pressure driven by consumption. Its thorny, but I think needs pushed back against somehow. Probably by being loud and enthusistatic with cited sources to poke holes at nostalgia blinded talking point.

One of the more insidious parts of nerd culture is positioning itself as outsider-y while simultaneously enforcing a narrow selection of acceptable media for discussion. The media always has marketing behind it, usually legacy brand and sold like kid’s toys.

One of the more insidious parts of nerd culture is positioning itself as outsider-y while simultaneously enforcing a narrow selection of acceptable media for discussion. The media always has marketing behind it, usually legacy brand and sold like kid’s toys.

JC! You escaped? Is that what lockdown's about?

Is that Sting or "Sting"?

Nancy By Ernie Bushmiller November 12,1946

Art by • Simone Pinna

35) Jessica Amanda Salmonson deserves more kudos. As a writer, Salmonson's work is definitely a continuation of the WEIRD TALES tradition, including historical adventure fiction, S&S, horror, weird fiction, & poetry. Sadly, her peak of influence has passed, & not enough people read her now.

One of my favorite takes on "adventuring parties" is in The Barrow, where many are bands of killers, ex-soldiers and grave robbers. Sure, a few are bound together by a higher sense of purpose but those tend to be the exception rather than the rule (even then higher purpose doesnt mean good).

18) Trauma is universal. Sword & sorcery heroes hurt. They bleed. They make mistakes and other people hurt. They suffer loss, pain, imprisonment, defilement, subjugation. It is how they respond to that which makes them heroes, which drives them, which makes their story more than a fairy tale.

5) We are due for a critical reassessment of the 1970s-1990s sword & sorcery boom. There was a ton of S&S that was published during the peak paperback fantasy period which has been almost forgotten today. Who remembers Jean Lorrah's SAVAGE EMPIRE?

Me, being clearly a normal human being. "I did have to find the scanner, which in all the ruckus eluded me briefly." The fuck kind of English is that. Victorian Yokel? I need to read some books written in the vernacular of our times... Oh 1975 fantasy novel! That'll do it.

I am reading over some old rpg forums for reasons. Finding posts from folks who are still salty about nonsense is funny, especially because I doubt many would stand by their behavior, if it was someone else.

RIP to a real one variety.com/2025/film/ob...

Fully featured offline modes or LAN Server functions at least.

No one told me A Better Tomorrow was hella gay.

In this week’s newsletter, we delve into legendary territory. The year was 1977…with STORMBRINGER, I completed work on the Elric Saga and received my first World Fantasy Award nomination. theartofmichaelwhelan.substack.com/p/1977-year-...

Senate update: Republicans are now trying to sneak a backdoor national abortion ban into their government funding bill. Republicans will stop at nothing to control women's health care decisions.

Art by • Philippe Druillet

I was hanging out with my (much cooler) brother's band after his show. Astrological signs came up, and when it came over to me... "oh Im a neon"

Spears include spears and halberds.

The dumbest callous poltical takes tend to be from folks given a cushy ride from generational wealth. Ive known someone who has been wrong about everything for over a decade, but they just doubled down and surrounded themselves with folks of similiar background (or who aspire to be that way).

I am entering my rhomphaia phase.

Cat Food? Cat Food. AGAIN!

Art by • Hitoshi Yoneda

I wish I could be so bold to believe my 12 year old experience defines an activity. So sure in my lack of experience, that I can brush off any criticism or observation or historical context with inspid strawmen arguments or proudly defiant historical revisionism. wait... that sounds stupid

WORDS FOR WEDNESDAY

Hey, ya'll TRPG goofs. Criticizing a *text* or *published material* is not a criticism of *the game you are playing*. TRPG are things you do, not dead trees or ones and zeroes.

shit

Mike Johnson: ‘My Christian Faith Is More About Not Jacking Off Than Feeding The Poor’

GODZILLA: KAIJUU NO DAISHINGEKI SIMS CO., LTD. 1995 GAME GEAR

Save the Date! Duckstream 2025, our annual 48 hour charity stream, is happening from December 12-14. We will be raising money for @pointofpride.org, an organization that provides direct financial aid for trans people seeking care. Check out the post for more details! www.patreon.com/posts/142769...

There is an old podcast about reading through AD&Ds Appendix N (Runequest beat it to the punch). Its like frustrating because when talking about the story, its enjoyable but when they go into gaming talk its frustrating. The complex knots people work themselves for Dee & Dee is baffling.

GARFIELD: CAUGHT IN THE ACT NOVOTRADE SOFT 1995 SEGA GAME GEAR

Art by • Gerald Brom