Wednesday Comics

No Storm update this week, instead here are a couple of recent comics related purchases I made:

Head Lopper is the story of a white-haired and bearded warrior who carries around the still living head of witch he decapitated, while he goes on a quest to kill a sorcerer for a queen. Headlopping is what he does best and there is a lot more decapitation along the way. This is fun fantasy comic with an interesting setting. I only wish their was more of it.

The Star Reach Companion is a history of an obscure, but in some ways, important part of comics history. The titular Star*Reach (1974-1976) was one of few anthology series that bridged the gap between underground comics and the mainstream. Featuring edgier work by known creators, it prefigured Heavy Metal and independent comics in general. This retrospective not only gives comprehensive coverage of Star Reach, but it also covers similar anthology series of the 70s.

What's Got this Alien So Surprised?

Could it be he's heard that Strange Stars OSR is now in layout? It's been a long time coming, (longer than I planned!) but I am happy to say I placed the manuscript and art in the hands of the very able Lester B. Portly this past weekend.

We're in the home stretch. Stay tune!

A Science Fantasy World

Art by Jason Sholtis

Here's a roundup of the posts I've done for a (as yet) nameless science fantasy world.

Two PC races statted for 5e:
Hwaopt: Smelly reptilian scholars
Hohmmkudhuk: Anteater folk.

Four Nonhuman races, not statted: The Skarzg, Ylthlaxu, Trell, and Ieldra

And some encounters/locales in that world:
"Aboard the Aureate Majestrix on the Occasion of the Panarch's Anniversary"
"In the Vicinity of the Unthran Wood"
"More Descriptions for Hypothetical Hexes"
"Three Descriptions in Need of Hexes"

Apes of the Southwest

Here's the map with some events labelled from my ongoing Planet of the Apes game. Of course, this old map contains cities and roads, none of which continue to exist in the 36th century.

Review the highlights of the campaign here.

Würm: First Look

The Kickstarter for the English translation of the French prehistoric rpg Würm dropped yesterday. I haven't had time for more than brief flip-through but it seems pretty cool. Here are not observations:

• The art is at times a bit on the cartoony side (it reminds me a bit of some Franco-Belgian comic art), but is "realistic" in what it depicts, not pulpy. No Raquel Welch in One Million Years B.C. lookalikes. Neanderthals get a lot of depiction and as protagonists, not brutish adversaries.
• The mechanics related to hunting, tracking, and killing are as robust as combat is in most rpgs. There is a "Butchering" roll and a "Skinning" roll, apparently--and cool features like this: "If eaten raw in the moments following the death of the animal, the liver of a killed mammal grants the one eating it the Strength connected to this kind of animal until next dawn. Note that this power only applies to mammals."
• "Magical" abilities of various sorts are discussed including Shamanism and "Sorcery" (the making of potions and ointments). There are also rules for handling relationships with spirits and curses.
• The monster section contains the usual prehistoric beasts (no dinosaurs), but also, somewhat surprisingly, some fantasy staples like dragons, a couple of types of giants, and spirits of the elements.

All and all, it looks interesting, and I'm glad I backed the Kickstarter.

Wednesday Comics: Storm: City of the Damned

My exploration of the long-running euro-comic Storm, continues. Earlier installments can be found here.

Storm: City of the Damned (1982) (part 2)
(Dutch: Stad der Verdoemden)
Art by Don Lawrence & Script by Kelvin Gosnell

Through the device given him by the city's representative, Storm sees the fall of the 25th Century. The massive array of satellites around the Earth somehow  delivered a surged of deadly solar radiation through all the world's television sets and monitors. What few that were left in the ruins of society soon reverted to barbarism. If Storm returns to the past he will most likely die, but he stubbornly still intends to go.

The man reluctantly agrees to take Storm to Terminal One. On the way, he shows off the space and amenities of the city. When they pass a fire, he also gets to point out the robot emergency services directed by the central computer. Unfortunately, the robot transport breaks down. The building will be sealed to smother the fire, killing the people inside.

Storm and Ember rush to the rescue. Elsewhere a woman named Anor monitors the events. She is intriqued by Storm's behavior. She appears never to have seen "courage" before. Storm has a little girl in his arms, but the fire rages around him. Anor's unseen Master bids her to help him. She doesn't feel her powers are equal to the task, but she does as commanded.

Storm manages to jump to safety. The girl is safe, and Ember commends him on the rescue. For his part, Storm feels like he had some help in some way.

They travel on to Terminal One. The man shows Storm and Ember the central computer. All the important decisions for the city are made there. Before the man programs it to take Storm to the 25th century, Storm wants to ask it some questions. First off: What's the purpose of the city?

The computer tells him that after the barbarian invasion, the people of the city began to study humanity, to understand the setbacks that seem to periodically plague civilization. They studied evolution, then began to look toward man's future development. They began to look for and develop psychic powers. One subject developed telekinetic powers, but he couldn't control them and had to be atomized.

Storm questions the necessity of that action. The computer responds that it was not programmed for morality, only to protect the city. The computer then surprises Storm be making a request of him...

TO BE CONTINUED

Jovian Revelry

The most farflung civilized court of the Cosmos is that of Bethor, the convivial Oyarses of Jupiter. In the great hall of a domed palace bobbing in the variegated clouds, the revels are ceaseless, though the partcipants are everchanging.

Bethor himself is a laughing giant, bearded and ruddy-faced. His head is wreathed in laurel. The bejeweled cup in his hand is always full, despite the way he seems to heedlessly spill its contents with his gesticulations.

All the delights of the Cosmos find their way to Bethor's table: Mercurian wines, Venerian viands, the finest game meat of Earth. Beyond food and drink, entertainers of all sorts are invited by the monarch for his guests' pleasure--though the palace is hardly the full extent of diversions to be found close at hand.

Jupiter has many moons, and several of these host gambling houses, bordellos, and other places of pleasure. Small vessels flit between these worlds, but the more adventurous and properly accoutred travel betwixt in batwinged flying suits.

One of the most singular recreations is hunting leviathans, the great beasts that swim Jupiter's cloud depths. Hunters do not always come back alive, but all that do bring a tale with them. It is said that the only thing that may truly darken the mirth of Bethor is talk of Scarred Rahab, the greatest of the leviathans, in whose terrible pursuit Bethor is doomed to die in some remote future.

All the wealth of Jupiter is stored in coffers and compting houses are located on Io. Other great banks of the Cosmos also have houses there. Such wealth in one place might attract would-be thieves, but among the contingent of guards there is no less than a dragon--and the wrath of Bethor, who wields Jupiter's lighting, is not a thing to be trifled with.