My pal & former colleague @brandon.insertcredit.com has a new game out! Congrats to all @necrosoftgames.com & @ysbryd.net on Demonschool, which CGMag says is “thoughtful, stylish, innovative and incredibly fun.” That’s “demonschool” with no spaces, available on most platforms except the Saturn 2.

OUT THIS WEEK: “Unfinished Conversations Package” by Chris Baker. Dad persona has so many things to share with you! @chrisbaker1337.bsky.social #writingcommunity #sciencefiction #flashfiction www.flashfictiononline.com/article/unfi...

“Don’t let the bastards grind you down. I love you all.”

My story in Flash Fiction Online's FamPunk issue is now available online. Thanks again to @flashfictiononline.bsky.social and guest editor @slashnburnett.bsky.social for selecting it! www.flashfictiononline.com/article/unfi...

I have a story in @flashfictiononline.bsky.social’s FamPunk issue guest edited by the incomparable @slashnburnett.bsky.social! Buy the issue or subscribe to FFO, & go subscribe to Emma Burnett’s Patreon for a sneekpeek at her book that’s out next summer. www.flashfictiononline.com/product/flas...

For Shacklebound Book’s new #WeirdWest anthology, I examined a tragic event in Texas history through the lens of Mexican ghost ballads, dark fantasy pulp, EC horror comics, Swinging Sixties steampunk, spaghetti Westerns, sci-fi manga, & psychedelic Jodorowsky fever dream www.amazon.com/dp/B0FSPD4FP4

Out today! Twenty flash fiction stories of the weird wild west, infusing horror, science fiction, and fantasy. Check it out and snag a copy! www.amazon.com/dp/B0FSPD4FP4

Kozy Krampus is unleashed. The new cozy cosmic horror holiday anthology from Underland Press has a story by me about the real-life 16th-century cyborg Götz of the Iron Hand, the monk Martin Luther, and the titular Demon of Winter. Buy a print copy or ebook here: www.underlandpress.com/kozy-krampus/

“What mid-country wife, seeing her susceptible spouse off for New York would be will­ing to venture his integrity and affection against an assault by Theda Bara, the arch-torpedo of domesticity? Alas, none!” www.popculturalprecursors.com/p/the-first-...

LOL, shared a link to my article about Theda Bara, the O.G. vampire of silent cinema, whose smoldering smooches caused a scandal in 1915. I guess she's still considered scandalous today—my post was flagged for graphic content by @moderation.bsk.app. VIEW AT YOUR OWN RISK!!! bsky.app/profile/chri...

SPOOKY SEASON SPECIAL: Before Dracula or Nosferatu ever rose from their coffins, there was Theda Bara. In 1915, Fox film studio turned her into cinema’s 1st vampire, 1st sex symbol, & 1st scandalous superstar. Read more & see more amazing clips & photos: www.popculturalprecursors.com/p/the-first-...

I wrote about the DeYoung Museum’s fantastic new manga exhibit, and how the California Bay Area played a pivotal role in manga becoming a global phenomenon. chrisbaker1337.substack.com/p/manga-a-ba... #manga #sanfrancisco #bayarea

My Sunday reading: “This travel writer introduced the undead to America. He also ATE HUMAN FLESH.” www.popculturalprecursors.com/p/the-father...

The travel writer who first introduced zombies to pop culture was also a cannibal who wrote about the smell, taste, and texture of human flesh with the relish of a restaurant critic. Read about his twisted life and legacy at the link below or in bio. www.popculturalprecursors.com/p/the-father...

My latest article pinpoints the original inspiration of all superheroes who got their powers from radiation, from the Hulk to the Fantastic 4: a bizarre thought experiment that ran in a 1953 mag. Read the unbelievable history at the link below or in bio. www.popculturalprecursors.com/p/the-origin...

I saw this coin-op E.T. at the annual Bell Plastics open house event in Hayward, CA. (They collect all kinds of weird and wonderful artifacts.) I was immensely bummed that it wasn’t plugged in and functional, as I couldn’t quite wrap my head around how a kid would “ride” this. Does anyone know?

130 years ago, comics were violent & crude, celebrating unassimilated immigrants & disrespecting every form of authority. They created pop culture as we know it, according to historian Peter Maresca. Read more & see some of the works he's unearthed here: www.popculturalprecursors.com/p/how-newspa...

This game dev came up with the perfect solution to the philosophical dilemma: Gotta Squish 'Em All. bsky.app/profile/byda...

1901 comic imagines a future where zeppelins clog the skies. Click the link to see more amazing old illustrations and read about Society Is Nix: Gleeful Anarchy at the Dawn of the American Comic Strip 1895-1915, available from @fantagraphics.bsky.social. www.popculturalprecursors.com/p/how-newspa...

An inventor tunnels to the realm of the elastic men. This 1910 comic is one of many amazing works unearthed in Society Is Nix: Gleeful Anarchy at the Dawn of the American Comic Strip 1895-1915, available from @fantagraphics.bsky.social. See more here: www.popculturalprecursors.com/p/how-newspa...

Han never shot "first". He shot solo. ;)

We debate whether #Han or #Greedo shot first. Swiss artist Martin Panchaud diagrams the crime scene, leaving no doubt. It's part of his complete infographic remake of #StarWars: ANH. I write about Panchaud's unique aesthetic & his new book in this article chrisbaker1337.substack.com/p/from-above...

Martin Panchaud’s award-winning “From Above: An (Info)Graphic Novel,” the most minimalist comic ever made, was just released in the US. I wrote an article about this utterly unique work, as well as Panchaud’s abstract adaptation of Star Wars: A New Hope. chrisbaker1337.substack.com/p/from-above...

The OG cyborg: “Götz of the Iron Hand.” www.popculturalprecursors.com/p/forget-the...

THUNDERBOLTS FANS: Forget the Winter Soldier—check out this IRL 16th-century cyborg. 🇩🇪🦾⚔️🛡️Wave hello to Götz of the Iron Hand. 500 years ago, this fierce knight sported a fearsome articulated prosthetic. www.popculturalprecursors.com/p/forget-the... #thunderbolts #wintersoldier #cyborg #Marvel #MCU

BEFORE THE HUMANE AI PIN, THERE WAS THE POWER GLOVE. The 1989 controller & the 2024 virtual assistant both failed within a year. What can they teach us? Why does the glove still have fans? Read my story. www.popculturalprecursors.com/p/before-the... #uxdesign #wearables #retrogames #nes #mattel

My piece about Andor getting its backstory from tabletop RPGs was translated by the Brazilian site Movimento RPG! Que a Força esteja com vocês, gamers de língua portuguesa! movimentorpg.com.br/drama-espaci... #StarWars #Andor #DisneyPlus #EscritaParaTV #RPGdemesa thx @estrelagustavo.bsky.social !

BEFORE YOU WATCH ANDOR S2: Check out how the rich backstory of the acclaimed series came from a 1980s tabletop RPG! The surprising story of how Disney+ STILL uses Star Wars lore dreamed up by game devs. www.popculturalprecursors.com/p/how-andor-... #StarWars #Andor #DisneyPlus #TTRPG #TVWriting

The 1980 game Adventure established the term “Easter Egg” to describe a hidden feature. 🥚🎮Read about it in this image gallery & get the full story at the link below. What's your favorite Easter Egg? www.popculturalprecursors.com/p/the-45th-a... #atari2600 #easteregg #8bit #retrogames #videogame

I played the heck out of this as an adolescent. Finding the easter egg was always a thrill. Random note: you could choose to play the gme in hard mode wher all the walls were *invisible*, for an extra challenge.

Here’s a neat article to get you ready for Andor that talks about something I had a hand in creating, a long time ago …. popculturalprecursors.substack.com/p/how-andor-...

My Easter Egg vid gets a shoutout at the end of this:

NEWSLETTER: The 1980 game Adventure established the term “Easter Egg” to describe a hidden feature. The practice quickly spread to other games, as well as to software and DVDs. I spoke to Adventure's creator Warren Robinett. #atari2600 #easteregg #8bit www.popculturalprecursors.com/p/the-45th-a...

This is my shit.

Eeeeeee, this is such great SW lore. And no surprise to the kid who collected all the ttrpg guides she could get her hands on in the late 90s, because they had the best details of the kinds she needed she needed for her fanfics.

Really interesting post. The West End Games Star Wars RP system had a lot of flaws, but was (and is!) so much fun. WEG's system was always a better fit than d20. I still have all these sourcebooks at my parents' house. But there's a lot of historical impact I didn't know about, or had forgotten.

* whistles innocently * oh what’s this? Sounds interesting. Who would cause such a thing to happen?

Good read: How Andor Got its Backstory from a Tabletop RPG popculturalprecursors.substack.com/p/how-andor-...

The origins of Andor—and a huge chunk of Star Wars lore—in an influential indie role-playing game. @chrisbaker1337.bsky.social on fire here: open.substack.com/pub/popcultu...

How Andor Got its Backstory from a Tabletop RPG: In 1987, 'Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game' added vital details to the sci-fi universe that are still used today in movies, games, novels, and streaming series. #starwars #andor #ttrpg popculturalprecursors.substack.com/p/how-andor-...

Everything you always wanted to know about Hopalong Cassidy. By @chrisbaker1337.bsky.social popculturalprecursors.substack.com/p/the-tv-cow...

NEWSLETTER: 75 years ago, Hopalong Cassidy became the first superstar of the TV era. Then he built a gargantuan product licensing and endorsement empire that put Walt Disney to shame. Read about it and see some of his 2500+ branded products here. popculturalprecursors.substack.com/p/the-tv-cow...

NEWSLETTER: Before Jurassic Park or King Kong, there was Gertie. A few months before World War I kicked off in 1914, audiences thrilled at the spectacle of the first realistic special f/x dinosaur. popculturalprecursors.substack.com/p/110-years-... #jurassicpark #kingkong #dinosaur

Exactly 70 years ago, the most iconic sound effect in cinema history debuted: Godzilla’s roar. It was created by a composer of classical symphonies who became obsessed with the biology of giant reptiles. Follow the link to read the full story. #godzilla #kaiju open.substack.com/pub/popcultu...

William Seabrook introduced the term “zombie” to America. He was also a self-confessed cannibal who wrote in excruciating detail about the smell, texture, and taste of freshly cooked human flesh. I wrote about his legacy in my newsletter. popculturalprecursors.substack.com/p/the-progen...

@infinata.bsky.social Hi I’m working on an article about the impact of the West End Games SW TTRPG on subsequent SW lore, & I wonder if I could send you a couple of questions about your WEG work. (I wrote a WIRED magazine profile of @holocronkeeper.bsky.social a long time ago; still a lore nerd.)

Exactly 20 years ago, the frenetic climax of a Street Fighter tournament helped video games become one of the top spectator sports. I wrote about it on my site dedicated to tracing the origin stories of the latest trends in the zeitgeist. open.substack.com/pub/popcultu...

Netflix's adaptation of the 1998 Tom Wolfe novel "A Man in Full" is out, and...it's not very good! Skip it and watch the first adaptation of Wolfe's work, a 1973 film based on a classic Esquire mag feature. Follow the link in my profile to read it and subscribe to my newsletter!

It’s been exactly 100 years since the release of Buster Keaton’s silent comedy Sherlock Jr. The film is still ahead of its time. Follow the link in bio to read about just how revolutionary the film was, and to see more clips. #popculturalprecursors #busterkeaton #sherlockjr

Check out my new article on @slate.bsky.social : "Are Video Game Adaptations the New Superhero Movie? Studios are betting big on TV shows and films based on popular postapocalyptic games." Seriously, there's Fallout, Borderlands, H:ZD, Stray, Twisted Metal, The Last of Us season 2... bit.ly/3Q5avBZ