Hong Kong Action Theater: Preferred Styles and Other Teahouse Rules

My role-playing group has made its voice heard and HKAT will be this summer role-playing project. Of course, I can't leave well enough alone, and though I like the various Attributes in the game and how they simulate Hong Kong movies, there's really a piece of the puzzle missing. While I agree that the game's contention that mechanically, a punch is a punch is a punch (they at least include a variety is the strength of those punches), reducing martial arts to generic punches and kicks robs the game of important flavor. After all, how many classic martial arts films were about specific styles, often developed to defeat the dominant style of the day? To model that aspect of kung fu movies, I'm introducing the concept of Preferred Styles to the game.

Preferred Styles are an Attribute which can be taken by an Actor (Jet Li has Wushu, for example, while Donnie Yen certainly has mixed martial arts) or, more commonly, a Role. If taken as an Actor Attribute, it looks like this:
Preferred Style (Actor Only)
Cost: 1 Point/Level
Relevant Stat: None
When Attributes and Skills from the Preferred Style are purchased for a Role, their TOTAL cost is reduced by the number of Levels in this Attribute. The extra points may always be spent on other Attributes and Skills or to raise the ones the Role already has. The total cost may not be lowered by more than was spent for the Attributes and Skills from the Preferred Style. Once per film, regadless of whether or not the Actor's Role has any of the Preferred Style's Attributes, the GM may allow him or her to pay 1-5 Star Points (GM's discretion) to use an Attribute,Skill, special ability or punch/kick/grabble bonus associated with the Style. An Actor may only have one Preferred Style, but may change it over the course of his or her career by purchasing it again (through the Character Advancement rules), voiding the original Style.

Preferred Styles come into their own as Role Attributes, and in part act as Attribute/Skill packages related to a particular Style. GameMasters may hand out these bundles wholesale to Actors when they successfully bid for a Role, or use them as options an Actor must choose from, and may of course limit which options are actually available based on game genre (wire fu options, for example). When Actors can pick their own Attributes more freely, they may use these suggestions to create a more coherent Style. In addition to the Attribute packages, Styles will often have certain special abilities, including their own distinctive bonuses and penalties on punches, kicks and/or wrestling maneuvers. Many Styles come with a built-in weakness as well. (GMs should not forget to award Actors with Preferred Styles extra points to spend when their Styles are represented.) Here are a few examples, though most Styles will be created on demand (players' or GM's).

So for example, say you wanted to recreate the plot and feel of the famous Chang Cheh movie The Five Deadly Venoms, you'd need to create Centipede, Snake, Scorpion, Gecko and Toad styles. Let's do three of them right now (keep in mind that on skill checks, bonuses are minuses[-] and penalties are pluses[+] in HKAT):

Preferred Style: Centipede
Wriggly and quick, Centipede's strikes are so fast that it is almost as if he has a hundred arms and legs. The weakness of this style is to attack both the opponent's upper and lower body in a simultaneous assault.
Package: Extra Attacks Level 4-6, Extra Defenses Level 4-6, Swift Reactions Level 1; Wire Fu: Fists of Fury, Whirlwind Attack, Whirlwind Dodge
Special: Centipede Punch [Damage -2, Initiative +2, Hit -1 from second punch on in the same round, Defense +1]. Animal Totem bonus: -2 to Hit and Defense against Mantis Style.
Weakness: +3 Defense against simultaneous attacks to upper and lower body.

Preferred Style: Snake
One hand is the venomous fangs and precise finger motor control. The other is the stinging whip of a rattling tail. Masters of this ability can also fight extremely well from a prone position. The weakness of this style is to prevent the Snake from using both hands in combination.
Package: Focused Damage Level 2; Wire Fu (choose 3): Be Like Water, Block Fu Power, Counterstrike, Nerve Strike, Precise Strike, Speed of the Cobra, Slithering (the Snake can move at normal speeds while lying on his stomach, and half speed while on his back)
Special: Snake Fang Finger [Damage +1, Initiative -2, Hit -1, Defense +1], -1 bonus to all Wrestling maneuvers. Prone fighting: Snake gets no penalties for fighting from a prone position.
Weakness: If one of his arms is immobilized, all combat actions suffer a +1 penalty.
Preferred Style: Toad
Toads are nearly invulnerable to weapons. The style, sometimes called Qigong, is a primarily defensive pose, but makes the practitioner invincible to just about any form of attack, including blades and puncture. They can even bend solid metal. The weakness of this style is that any master of the Toad style has a "weak spot" that when punctured, drains the user's Toad style benefits (most notably the iron skin.)
Package: Damn Healthy!; Sword Fu: Shatter Weapon (may be done bare-handed); Wire Fu: Iron Skin (skin counts as full-body armor that stops 10 points of damage), Superhuman Lunge, Unyielding Stance
Special: -2 bonus to all Wrestling maneuvers. Toads can make Grab maneuvers against weapons with their bare skin, gaining a -3 bonus to do so if just hit by that weapon. The attempt to grab is made as a Defense action. Animal Totem bonus: -1 to Hit and Defense against Centipede Style.
Weakness: At the start of the film, the Toad should select a part of the body that is his or her only weakness (examples: Ears, eyes, armpits, navel), write it down on a piece of paper and not show it to anyone (not even the GM). If the Toad is ever hit on that part of the body by a Called Shot, he or she must fess up to it (showing the paper), take unarmored damage and accept that all his or her Wire Fu abilities have been drained (until healing has taken place). Honor is important in Kung Fu films - an Actor must reveal his weakness at the end of the film and if he or she cheated, he or she loses all Star Points (at the start of the next film, will get whatever role the other actors don't want).

For variety's sake, here's a Style not based on an animal totem:
Preferred Style: Wushu
Wushu is actually a very generic term for Chinese martial arts, but in kung fu films, the word is most often associated with the performance-based, quick and fluid, acrobatic style of Jet Li.
Package: Art of Distraction Level 3 (using a martial arts demonstration), Extra Defenses Level 2, Signature/Graceful, Swift Reactions Level 2, Acrobatics Skill Level 3; Wire Fu: Be Like Water, Feather Foot, Rapid Strike
Special: Tumbling fist [Damage -3, Initiative +2, Hit -2], Eight trigram palm [Damage +1, Hit -1, Defense +1], Supreme ultimate fist [Damage +4, Initiative -1, Defense +2], Shape intent kick [Damage -1, Initiative +1, Hit -1]. The Wushu artist also gains a -1 Hit bonus when using one of the twelve weapons of Shaolin.
Weakness: Wire Fu Disability - Slow Motion. If the Wushu artist has performed for his opponent (with Art of Distraction), that opponent may spend a Star Point to use Judge Opponent on him or her.

Hey players! Any style you absolutely want to see stated-up?

Other House Rules
Description bonuses: Flavor is all-important. When players describe their actions in a particularly colorful and exciting way, the GM shall give him or her a -1 bonus to succeed at that action. Conversely, the GM may is allowed to give players a +1 penalty for particularly boring descriptions (you know what I mean, "I hit him"), in particular at climactic moments.
Training montages: The training montage, often covering an entire year or more, is a beloved tradition of the kung fu film. When the plot demands it, a Role may enter into a training montage, learning a new Preferred Style in a matter of only a few scenes that show the character's progress and the new techniques learned. The GM may give the character a package, replace the Role's Attributes with the new package, require the Actor to spend Star Points to acquire the new package, or even ask that Skill tests are made in each montage scene to learn (or not) each part of the Style package.

The Tony Jaa Variant: HKAT features a number of fun variants that simulate versions types of action films. In Guerrilla Filming, for example, the GM improvises the whole game and rolling a natural 12 creates major accidents for the Actors/Roles. One special event variant I'd like to try is one based on Thai action superstar Tony Jaa's films. His trademark is that the action is more real than movie magic, with crazy stunts and fights with real physical contact. To simulate that contact, I'd be tempted to try the new approach to martial arts (of a version of it) I've tried to design on this very blog. I'll let the article speak for itself.

I admit to having other ideas, but they'll keep for later. Hopefully, you weren't bored by my thoughts on an obscure (but fun!) little game.

Doctor Who #149: The Underwater Menace Part 3

"Nothing in the vorld can stop me now!!!"TECHNICAL SPECS: The episode exists and is available on DVD in the Lost in Time boxed set. First aired Jan.28 1967.

IN THIS ONE... The fish people go on strike, the Doctor and friends try to capture Zaroff and a famous line (above) is spoken.

REVIEW: So this is the episode we do have access to at this time, and it seems the grainy telesnaps didn't do justice to its flaws. The costumes, when seen in stark contrasts and movement look impossibly silly (especially the guard uniform with the Robin mask and conch helmet), and the sets are much more cramped than one might expect. Of course, how much scenery can there be when Joseph Fürst chews it all up like it's his last meal on Earth? Wow, that is a BIG performance from Zaroff. HUGE. And it may be on the better reasons to watch the episode. Thous looks deep to see the madness in his eyes, but he really doesn't need to. And when Zaroff gets physical, well, he can shrug big rocks off. His murder of the brave priest Ramo is another piece of camp, with the trident sticking out of him at a 90 degree angle, violent but comical.

Still, I'll give points to the production for some of its designs. The market place is small, but crowded and full of life. Those kids playing in a fountain with a small fish add a lot. Unfortunately, the music in the scene is completely insane and like a lot of the sound design, too loud to properly hear the dialog. The fish people are fairly well realized, though they skimped on the make-up by having a few of them be incomplete transformations (at least, that's what it looks like). The ballet where they swim/fly around on wires is mostly good - not that many wires showing - but oh my, it lasts forever and has no plot value. At this point, the fishies are supposed to be on strike (like everyone else, they do what they're told by, well, ANY character who speaks), so why are they shot doing stuff?

But that's the story's continued problem. The plot is nonsense and the characters all act stupidly. Even the Doctor here, whose plan hinges on Zaroff actually conducting the search himself. He does, but on the eve of his greatest triumph, should the lead scientist be acting like a common guard? If you're going to stop the countdown by capturing Zaroff, why is there a need to make the fish go on strike? And why does the food spoil within hours except to turn the farming strike into a real threat? The second Doctor, painted as a master of disguise since he set foot on his first planet, here takes on the persona of a shade-wearing swami, not that the costume holds very long, or even hides him in a crowd of Atlanteans wearing shell costumes. Camp? Yes. Drinking game in the making? Maybe. Good? Dear Amdo, no!

REWATCHABILITY: Medium-Low - The visuals sometimes take on an exotic quality not unlike The Web Planet's, but the script is cringe-worthy. Whovian Man cannot live on that last line alone!

Dial H for Hypnosis

Three short stories per issue and almost a dozen characters per issue means I'll continue to split Adventure Comics into two posts, which will just make the fun last twice as long, right?

Case 21: Adventure Comics #480
Dial Holders: Chris and Vicki
Dial Type: Watch and Pendant Dials
Dialing: Chris and Vicki's transformations are sometimes accompanied by loud noises (like BOOM!). An energy-guzzling villain can sense the power inherent to the Dials apparently from a continent away, and his analysis reveals them to be "mystical". The Dials confer skills as well as powers, so that for example, Molecular Maiden can understand the physics required to create "cosmic fuel" out of free atoms.

Name: Mister Mystical, Master of Magic (alliterative!)
Created by: Jeff Anderson, Age 13, of Alpena, Michigan
Costume: The red and yellow color scheme works, and though the chest area is a bit over-busy, the red helmet gives Mister Mystical an interesting look, not unknown among DC's mystical heroes. The mystic flame coming off of it is a big plus.
Powers: Mister Mystical can conceivably create any effect with his magic. In the story, he creates mystical bonds and a magical spaceship (albeit one that requires fuel from another source).
Sighted: In Fairfax, fighting a the Sphinx. In the end, he creates a spaceship to help the Sphinx return home.
Possibilities: As a recurring character, he might have been appealing, if only to keep readers thinking about what's under that helm. Is his head on fire like Dormammu's? The idea of a helmed magic hero connects him to Dr. Fate, and that connection could be mined to create a more coherent magical family of characters.
Integration Quotient: 60% (I'd use the Dr. Fate connection for all it's worth)
Name: Molecular Maiden (very Legion reject)
Created by: Dennis Trachim, age 12, of Winnipeg, Canada
Costume: With those long boots, Molecular Maiden is just knee-holes away from Supergirl, though the similar gloves make he look like one of those stretchable toys, tiny in the center and long everywhere else (including the hair). Not ugly, but pretty generic.
Powers: M.M. can manipulate matter at the molecular level, though the limits of her powers are not well-known. She can excite air molecules to let her fly, and creates "cosmic fuel" that will allow the Sphinx to get home.
Sighted: In Fairfax, fighting the Sphinx. In the end, she creates fuel for the Sphinx's spaceship and waves him home.
Possibilities: Sometimes, I like to think the Dial H heroes spend all their time protecting their creators' home towns, especially when those places are in Canada. In the Marvel Universe, Canada has Alpha Flight. In the DCU, my country might have those Dialed heroes. Thank me later, Winnipeg.
Integration Quotient: 15% (pretty slim possibilities because she's just too generic)
Name: Hypno-Girl (very Legion, this one, or even Hero of Lallor)
Created by: Elliott Buchholz, age 16, of Fords, New Jersey
Costume: Borders on the fashion nightmare. The Lone Ranger mask. The two red buttons on her front (one a buckle, the other whatever the Dial transforms into). The strange hanging chad cut on her shorts. The way the gloved sleeves turns make her arms a bit claw-like.
Powers: Hypno-Girl fires a beam from her head that puts people in a hypnotic trance (limited to 2 or 3, it seems). She can put them to sleep or to work fighting for her.
Sighted: On Thunder Axe's private island HQ. She helped defeat the villain and rescue wealthy socialites (including Vicki's own parents).
Possibilities: Mind control is not the most valorous or interesting of powers for a hero, and Hypno-Girl's got an ugly costume and dated name besides. I think I probably hit it right on the head when I mentioned the Heroes of Lallor. She might fit in there.
Integration Quotient: 10% (oh, I'm sorry, you don't remember the Heroes of Lallor?)
Name: Star Flare, the Human Missile (hardly representative of his abilities)
Created by: Terrence Mohammed, age 15, of Jackson Heights, New York
Costume: Star Flare looks a lot like a science fiction barbarian might. Think Killraven or a very comic booky John Carter. The asymmetrical chest piece even has a Kirbyesque vibe to it (though it's not quite drawn that way inside the book where all you notice is the fat piping). Otherwise, it's pretty straightforward attire.
Powers: According to Hypno-Girl, Star Flare "makes his own energy", whatever that means. He can fly and is a skillful fighter, especially with his Star Sword, which can slice through anything, including Thunder Axe's axe.
Sighted: On Thunder Axe's private island HQ. He defeats the villain and destroys his unique weapon.
Possibilities: Star Flare's incongruities might make him a potable New God, but he could conceivably have sustained a short Sword & Science series like, say, the original Starfire's.
Integration Quotient: 45% (the sword gives him a niche to exploit, but I don't think he'd last very long)

Bonus Supervillains
Name: The Sphinx (Marvel has a Sphinx, of course, but the wider DCU too - it was the name of a couple of Quality Comics villains, and the French name of the Riddler on television!)
Created by: David Wile, age 18, of Nova Scotia, Canada (no town?)
Costume: The yellow and black give the Sphinx a golden look, one that reminds you just enough of his sculptural namesake, with his pharaoh headdress. The V-shaped antennae possibly sell his alien origins, but are the weakest part of the design.
Powers: The Sphinx has massive mental powers, but they seem dependent on the amount of energy he can drain from living beings and technology alike. He survived for five millennia buried in Egypt and influenced the minds of the natives to build the Sphinx statue (he was trying to make them excavate though). He can fly at untold speeds, and senses great energy sources from far away (from Egypt to New England). In addition to draining energy from people and machines, he can throw tractor beams to move those energy sources about.
Sighted: An Osiran, his craft crashed in Ancient Egypt more than 5000 years ago and he was buried under the ground where the natives were influenced to build a statue that looked just like his craft. When somebody started drilling for oil right next to the Sphinx(es), it awakened him. He flew to Fairfax to drain the power from the H Dials, but Chris and Vicki decided to help him and create a spacecraft that would return him home.
Possibilities: Though apparently a homage to Sutekh from Doctor Who's Pyramids of Mars, the Sphinx's ties to both outer space and Ancient Egypt gives him a lot of potential for recurring appearances. His influence might have been felt back in time by Nabu, Black Adam or Hawkman, for example.
Integration Quotient: 90% (clean look, good name, and an origin story with a lot of interesting baggage)
Name: Thunder Axe (fairly cool, but it's also the name of his weapon)
Created by: Joe Johnson, age 14, of Long Mont, Colorado
Costume: Thunder Axe looks vaguely like a Spaceknight, but the pink gloves have got to go (his henchmen are primarily pink, so they must've been desperate). The face plate has some intimidation factor, but the triangular ears are rather silly. And the axe/lightning motif on his chest looks like he's trying to hard. There's too much going on there, especially with the four pink dots surrounding it. The featureless axe is also devoid of interest. All in all, Thunder Axe looks better on the cover where he gets nice blue highlights are more decorative armor.
Powers: Thunder Axe is an able, armored fighter, but he's nothing without his thunder axe, which can be thrown great distances (miles, even!) cut through anything, and always return to his hand (after hooking a suitcase full of money if need be). Thunder Axe also has a hydrofoil and a private island HQ.
Sighted: Off the coast near Fairfax. Thunder Axe attacked a cruise ship and captured various socialites to ransom them for millions. He was apprehended by the Dial heroes, which makes it at least his second arrest.
Possibilities: A fair generic villain with an axe that acts a lot like Thor's hammer, the fact that I can't immediately name a superhero to match him against works against him. Aquaman, I guess? Aquaman always needs new villains to fight in or near his native environment.
Integration Quotient: 40% (ultimately boring, his future appearances are severely in doubt)

Five more characters YOU invented in the issue's third story, but you'll have to stay tuned to the SBG!

Doctor Who #148: The Underwater Menace Part 2

"This is what will happen. Zaroff intends to raise Atlantis... but in little pieces."TECHNICAL SPECS: Though this episode was recovered late last year, it has yet to be released to the public. A reconstruction will have to do in the meantime. First aired Jan.21 1967.

IN THIS ONE... Everybody escapes their fate and Zaroff reveals his plans to blow up the Earth.

REVIEW: What does this episode have in common with Galaxy 4 Part 3? Both were found in 2011, and it may be that both deserved to be missing. But where Galaxy 4 is simply noisome and boring, The Underwater Menace may have performances of interest to offer on video. Troughton's in particular. I can't wait to see how he does Zaroff's crazy eyes, how he plays with a headdress (this week's hat?), or his subtle sabotage of the power control to save Polly from her fishy fate. Maybe Polly, Ben and Jamie will also benefit. It's hard to imagine the guest cast doing any better though. Ara is all "I'm helping you because the script tells me to", and there's little to make Ramo, Damon, Thous, Sean and Jacko particularly memorable. Zaroff IS memorable, but for being completely insane. Has there been a crazier villain in Doctor Who, EVER? He wants to blow up the world just because he can. The achievement! Yes, well...

Of course, the science behind it is all bad. The Doctor says the Earth is BELIEVED to have a molten core as if it weren't fact, and Zaroff's plan is to drain the ocean away into a drill hole, like the planet is some giant bathtub. No matter how brilliant he's supposed to be, why is this even the idea of a scientist whose claim to fame is feeding the masses with plankton? The story is DUMB, plain and simple. Zaroff's "Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!" line is surely the Whovian equivalent of Ed Wood's "Your stupid minds! Stupid! Stupid!" The only people in Atlantis who listen to reason are those who have already decided they dislike Zaroff, but since reasoning with people is what drives the plot, we're only ever frustrated. It just can't be done. These characters are all cartoons.

Take Sean and Jacko. Ben and Jamie meet up with them in the mines, and they've got an escape plan. But that escape plan is as dumb as everyone else's plans. They've found a tunnel that leads to somewhere unknown, and they can't return to the mine under penalty of death if they take it. It's foolhardy in the extreme. Why Ben and Jamie follow is anyone's guess, and they're real lucky that it coincidentally reunites them with Polly in the temple. The audience isn't so lucky though, as the trip through the tunnel maze is long and dull, especially on audio-only, and even its bit of jeopardy ellicits a yawn.

REWATCHABILITY: Low - I could have picked at a lot more nits, but at some point, you've just go to throw in the towel and admit it's just not very good and leave it at that. When Lost in Time 2 is released, the episode might go up to Medium-Low, but I doubt it'll achieve more.

I Swear I Was Going to Have a Substantial Post Ready

...but I was so close to finishing Season 1 of Game of Thrones, it all got away from me.Sean Bean, pray for me to the Old Gods that I may do better tomorrow.

Doctor Who #147: The Underwater Menace Part 1

"You're not turning me into a fish!"TECHNICAL SPECS: One of two episodes from this story still missing from the archives (a brief clip survives). Though I've heard the CD version narrated by Anneke Wils, but will use a reconstruction for the purposes of this review. First aired Jan.14 1967.

IN THIS ONE... The TARDIS crew are captured in 1970s Atlantis and are almost sacrificed to an ancient goddess.

REVIEW: Oh, Underwater Menace, do you deserve your bad reputation? You probably do. In some circles referred to as the Plan 9 from Outer Space of Doctor Who, it might be enjoyed as a piece of kitsch à la Ed Wood. Hey, it's even got a mad scientist with a thick accent who claims to have a pet octopus. That's right out of Ed Wood's Bride of the Monster. And what a mish-mash! It's science vs. religion, using extreme sensibilities. One one side, Professor Zaroff the mad scientist. On the other, High Priest Lolem who wants to sacrifice the outsiders as soon as he sees them. Both amoral. And the whole thing set in a contemporary sunken Atlantis that likes to surgically implant plastic gills on people and turn them into fish-people to farm the sea bed. Where else but in Doctor Who, eh?

We're at least spared the serial's notorious cheapness (at least, until the surviving episodes) and from the grainy pictures and audio, it's hard to tell whether the design stands up or not. The Atlanteans' attire could be silly or inspired (did I spot a giant fish-head helmet?), and the statue of the goddess, itself fish-like looks pretty cool. We've got beach scenes and caves on location, and a death trap worthy of Indiana Jones or James Bond, with progressively sloping tables threatening to dump our heroes into a shark tank. The video might show this to be terribly staged, who knows, so the missing video may be a mercy. In the single clip we have, as Polly is forced into an operating room to meet her fishy fate, we may note mirrored metal walls, and in that moment, yes, the production design does look interesting. Is the newly-found Part 2 a revelation? Time will tell.

But of course, beyond its design and premise, The Underwater Menace suffers from a pretty lame script. Jamie's first scene aboard the TARDIS is boring and stilted, the Doctor seems obsessed with prehistory for no good reason (Polly actually figures out the date), and pulls a great big shortcut by knowing who Zaroff is already. The only sympathetic guest character is Ara who does whatever the Doctor tells her to as if she owed him her life, but of course, they've never met. Not that the villains have much of a motivation either, except executing the script's demands in terms of jeopardy and deus ex machina. The episode also forgets about the TARDIS' translation powers and has Polly speak various languages to see if the natives speak them. Happy to see Polly's skills, but they're moot in the context of the program.

THEORIES: The Doctor signs a note "Dr. W" as if to imply, once again, that his true name is Who. From Romana's long true name, we may assume the "Who" sound is at least the first syllable of his Gallifreyan name.

REWATCHABILITY: Medium-Low - The premise is completely cracked and I admire that. However, it's no excuse for a bad script.

Bionic Sexism... by Kenner

So Steve Austin gets Mission Control Center...And Jamie Summers gets a Bionic Beauty Salon?!
They obviously just cannibalized The Prisoner's Electroshock Therapy Playset for that one...

Doctor Who #146: The Highlanders Part 4

"Well, the real job's only just beginning. Getting back to the TARDIS with only a rough idea of where it is and the whole English army out to stop us."TECHNICAL SPECS: Missing from the archives. You know the drill, I've used a reconstruction. First aired Jan.7 1967.

IN THIS ONE... The slave ship is liberated, Grey arrested, and Jamie joins the TARDIS crew.

REVIEW: I'm not entirely sure when they decided to add Jamie to the cast, but this episode tries its damnedest to justify it. The Laird's piper/bodyguard gets the "killing blow" on Trask, throwing him overboard (rates highly because Trask is such a terrible character). The Doctor tricks Grey by showing him the signet ring and insinuating that Jamie is Prince Charles. After the adventure is all over, Jamie springs out from under a tarp for no better reason than maybe not wanting to go to France (well, if he doesn't like travel...) and suddenly seems detached from the family he showed fierce loyalty to. And of course, when Polly asks if they can keep him, like a good puppy dog, he walks into the TARDIS. Who knew he would stay with Troughton's Doctor to the end and become one of the most beloved of companions? Sorry Ben, you'll have to share your lines with him for the next couple stories. The scripts have already been handed in and he wasn't in them.

Otherwise, it's business as usual for the end of a historical story. It's even got a big noisome fight we can't see, like The Smugglers only a few stories before it. Things are resolved, the baddies are punished, and it ends with a desperate race to get back to the TARDIS. The Doctor finds a third hat he'd like (a sailor's) and plays a final trick on Grey. He also gains yet another identity, that of a Redcoat, leading me to wonder where one might get a fake mustache in the 18th century. Ben pulls a Houdini underwater to escape the slavers and leads his team to victory by secreting a cache of weapons back to the prisoners. And Polly is forgiven for being so cruel to Lieutenant Ffinch as the officer gets both a high-profile collar in Grey and a little kiss from a swinging 60s beauty.

Because this is a comedy - despite some of the historical brutality - a kind of cartoon morality is strictly enforced. Ffinch is rewarded because leaving him humiliated isn't fair to a character we never disliked. Similarly, Perkins the comedy clerk makes an about-face and becomes the Laird's secretary, escaping to France with the rebels. Again, the audience would never ask for this silly little man's head, despite his collusion in a slave trading ring. Trask gets dunked and isn't seen coming up again, but he's a cartoon pirate, not a whole character. Only Grey, a real historical figure, must answer to a realistic fate.

VERSIONS: I am not aware of any important story changes in the Target novelization.

REWATCHABILITY: Medium - All's well that ends well, and that's about as much as one can ask from a story like this. The noisy battle and the imperative to turn Jamie into a companion perhaps detract from the neat conclusion.

STORY REWATCHABILITY: Medium - Was it too soon after The Smugglers? I kinda think so and wouldn't be surprised if fans mistook events from one for those in the other. What saves it (and makes it more memorable) is the fine comedy from the entire cast (aside from Trask, of course).

This Week in Geek (9-15/04/12)

Buys

The Whoniverse is the star of my buy pile this week (bet no one's surprised): The series 6 music CD, the special edition DVD of Remembrance of the Daleks, and Torchwood: Miracle Day.

"Accomplishments"

DVDs: William Shatner's Full Moon Fright Night Presents Vampire Journals (quite a mouthful) found its way into my collection because it's the Shat, but Shatner is actually the worst thing about this DVD release. He hosts a gothic vampire movie in the Lestat mold (bleh) for the Sci-Fi Network, which means frequent interruptions for commercial breaks and usually unfunny strings of puns from the host. At least he seems to be having fun. Vampire Journals itself wasn't as bad I thought it would be, and more or less taught me how to run a Vampire: The Masquerade game (I'm not sure how that achievement rates). It's about a vampire who hunts vampires and his battle against an evil ancient vampire for the soul of a beautiful pianist. It's not bad, it's just not particularly good. I liked the way vamps turned into shadows, but that's about it. The DVD includes an interview with Stan Lee on the most dubious of justifications, but was part of the original showing. It's Stan's usual stuff, but Shatner gets a few things we don't usually hear out of him. There's also a making of featurette for Journals, and promotional materials for New Moon releases, road shows and monster bras.

I'm not a particular fan of either Peter Pan or Johnny Depp, but I'm very much a fan of Finding Neverland. For one thing, Depp is so much more restrained in his performance than he is in a lot of other things. For another, I'm a real sucker for stories like this where the life and work of an author mix liberally (Shakespeare in Love is another). There isn't a bad note in the film, and he could so easily have slipped into sentimentalism and melodrama. The performances are excellent, the story wonderfully poignant, and the turn-of-the-century stagecraft really interesting. Ultimately, it's about letting your imagination go free, which justifies any and all changes made to the J.M. Barrie's biography. The DVD includes a strong commentary on both the film and its deleted scenes, making of elements taking the film from idea to the premiere, and some fun outtakes.

Where the Wild Things Are is another "imagination run rampant" film, but a very different one, as you would expect from director Spike Jonze. Based on the 1963 children's book by Maurice Sendak, it actually has a darker and creepier edge. 9-year-old Max actually runs away from home in the film (not just to his room) and there's something very odd about the monsters he encounters on his journey which isn't just from Sendak. No, the fact that they have very normal voices - the actors don't put on any monsterish tones - make them even more eerie. Max will become their king, but he'll make a mess of things and we'll realize that they represent some of the worst sides of himself - his anger, fear and boredom - and he'll return home having wrangled with inner demons in the only way a child can, through imagination and play. There are some lovely moments, the effects are top-notch and the monsters' expressions especially well done, but its strangeness does keep you at arm's length and I found it more touching in the real world than in the fantasy. As with other Jonze DVDs, the extras are slight and fanciful, mostly behind the scenes hi-jinks. There's the story of why animals are hard to work with, a prank on the director, a short film by star Max Records, and on-set stories of having children around at all times.

Greg the Bunny's second IFC season has only six film parodies (including Passion of the Christ and Blue Velvet), but the DVD package attempts to give you much more. There's the half-hour reunion special that relaunched Greg for the Independent Film Channel, the full pilot for Warren the Ape's Supper with Friends (much funnier than in the few minutes actually used on the special), plenty of deleted scenes and outtakes, a montage of the best in Greg's public access appearances, webisodes, a gag reel, a music video, photo galleries and making of materials. As with Season 1, there's commentary available on almost everything as well. I continue to be a big fan of uncensored puppets in the real world, and I'm sorry it's over.

I watched my Ocean's Collection a few weeks ago, but not the original 1960 Ocean's 11 starring the Rat Pack as an old WWII unit who reunite to steal from five casinos on the same night. It's not bad, especially once the heist starts, but it shows its age. It's a lot more talky than the Soderberg remake, for one thing, and is in fact as indulgent as Ocean's Twelve, letting its stars do their thing and fearing to leave anything on the cutting room floor. Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. even have extended musical numbers. The first hour is all set-up, and unfortunately, not all of it pays off. The subplot with Ocean's wife peters out before the end, and various other back stories are told, but aren't relevant to anything that happens later. I was also surprised by the less satisfying ending, even if it's straight out of the novel. So definitely not as fun as the more recent film, but nonetheless a nice snapshot of 1960s Las Vegas. Frank Sinatra Jr. offers an informative if over-fawning commentary track sometimes supplemented by Angie Dickinson. The DVD also has small featurettes on each of the casinos hit by the thieves from people who worked there, and a Tonight Show clip in which guest host Sinatra interviews Dickinson and talks about their experience together.

In the late 80s, comedies about people behaving very badly indeed became popular, for some reason (today, that's more a television thing) and the best of these was A Fish Called Wanda. Hadn't seen it in years, but it's kept its edge, with memorable performances from all involved. While I'm a big fan of Monty Python's Flying Circus on TV, the films' relentless absurdity makes me lose interest in them rather quickly. But Cleese's script for Wanda is crisp and tightly-plotted and provides a more satisfying experience, at least, for me. The DVD package is quite good too, with both vintage (1988) and contemporary (2006) material. The vintage stuff includes a Pythonesque message from Cleese, 50 minutes of making of set around probing interviews with John Cleese and a less interesting episode of "On location", which talks about the film and where it was shot. The more recent stuff includes an excellent commentary track by Cleese, trivia subtitles that fill space with non-movie related subjects like philosophy and the British legal system, a remembrance-focused documentary, and lots of deleted scenes with introductions by, yes, once again, John Cleese. The package is rounded out with picture galleries, and did I mention John Cleese? Well, for Cleese fans, let me make sure: John Cleese is in most of these extras. That's right, Meryl Streep--I mean, John Cleese.

In 2009, Korea produced The Sword with No Name (or literally, Like Fireworks, Like Butterflies), a historical epic very loosely based on real events (Queen Min's openness to other countries in the 19th century and how it led to rebellions and aggressive action by Japan). This is really a sweet and tragic romance between the Queen and her (fictitious) bodyguard, with some insane moments of martial arts action. I bought into every part of that strange equation. Su Ae is wise, centered and affecting as the Queen, and Cho Seung-Woo has a playful, awkward side that plays well against his portrayal of a suffering warrior and lover. The film benefited from being set in a time and place my Kung Fu Friday crowd knew little about. And as for the action sequences crossing into fantasy territory, I saw them as poetic interludes more about feeling and tone than about what was actually happening. That the cool didn't take me out the historicalness is a minor success. The DVD's making of is little more than behind the scenes footage and is of very mild interest unless you really want to see the performances on video, but there are some nice (of awkwardly staged) interviews with the two stars that are worth a gander.

Audios: I started a new 7th Doctor cycle of Big Finish audios, a trilogy that uses a former villain as a companion. Gone are Ace and Hex (whenever these stories take place). In A Thousand Tiny Wings, Andy Lane instead makes the Doctor meet up with Elizabeth Klein (Tracey Childs), the Nazi from an alternate timeline first introduced in Colditz, who undid her Nazi future in trying to steal the Doctor's TARDIS in the past. They meet up again in 1950s Kenya during the Mau Mau Uprising, but have to tangle with a very strange alien as well. It's a good audio story, not least of which because the unusual antagonist would have been difficult to realize on television. The starring Nazi isn't the only morally ambivalent character in the story, which keeps up dramatic interest until Klein is inevitably asked to come along. But can the Doctor teach her a lesson about the evils of fascism before she up and steals the TARDIS?

Survival of the Fittest actually starts with Klein's Story, a one-parter by John Ainsworth and Lee Mansfield. Through the use of flashbacks, it recounts just how Klein found her way to Colditz, and is quite good. Fans will be overjoyed to find a certain character make an important appearance (no spoilers for you!). The bigger story (in three parts) is by Jonathan Clements and creates a really neat sentient insect race that communicates through smell. Clements has the brilliant idea of having the TARDIS translate those smells into words (and vice-versa) and then allowing that concept to affect the story in a variety of creative ways, enhancing the standard "outsiders exploit alien world" plot that Doctor Who has done so often. And it all build to one whopper of a cliffhanger. Steve Lyons, it's all in your hands now!

Hyperion to a Satyr posts this week:
III.ii. The Mouse-Trap - Tennant (2009)

Doctor Who #145: The Highlanders Part 3

"For those who wish to sign, over here. For those who wish to hang, over there. Make your choice!"TECHNICAL SPECS: Missing from the archives. A reconstruction was used to write this review. First aired Dec.31 1966.

IN THIS ONE... Ben and the Scots refuse to sign Grey's contract and the Doctor meets up with the girls and acquires a number of weapons.

REVIEW: In Part 3, I feel like the serial's lost its way a little bit. There's entirely too much pirate stuff - Trask shouting at his prisoners and such. In addition to the plight of the Scottish Laird, we now have the case of Willy McKay who's lost his ship to the likes of Trask, and whether or not the prisoners will sign away their lives to Grey. Lots of shipboard subplots, but at least Ben plays it smart and prevents the men from being divided by the issue by ripping up the contract. He'll get the equivalent of waterboarded for his trouble.

Of course, the episode suffers from the missing video. Seeing Michael Craze dropped in a fog-filled water tank was no doubt dramatic and atmospheric, but all we have left of the cliffhanger sequence are murky telesnaps and hissing audio. The missing visuals also cause some confusion as to what the Doctor was doing feeding a guard in the previous episode. I thought he was getting aboard the ship, but he wasn't. So what was the point there? And with him dressed as an old woman, there's bound to be room for physical comedy and surprised reactions, but that's all lost as well. The set pieces just aren't as funny this time around, because they're not as dialog-based. Polly teases/tortures Ffinch some more, and the Doctor puts a gun under Perkins' nose, but these seem pale echoes of previous altercations.

The sense that the episode is keeping time is represented in the Doctor's behavior too. While things seem desperate (for Ben), the Doctor just wants to go to sleep. It's the kind of inappropriate reaction that's making its way into the character's make-up (and which will be taken up by Tom Baker later, among others), but it's hard not to be as frustrated with it as Polly is. And it seems a needless pause when the next scene shows him with a wheelbarrow full of "liberated" weapons. How about showing us the theft instead? Nevertheless, things DO happen. Polly makes plans and they work out, Ben is a proper hero, and revelations about the signet ring come to light. It's just that on audio-only, it's the "ooh, arrh"s that you remember most.

REWATCHABILITY: Medium - Every time things start to get interesting, we cut back to the ship and it's a bad pirate movie. Can't hate it too much, but really does suffer from being a "lost episode".

Reign of the Supermen #420: Waxworks Superman

Source: New York World's Fair waxworks (1964)
Type: ObjectThis ad appeared in a number of 1964's DC Comics, and it wasn't until I found Devlin Thompson's site that I saw a picture of the real exhibit it was based on, reproduced here:
Pretty cool, even if the Cyclops has little to do with Superman. "Hey, what do we have that our Superman dummy could fight?" "Well, I'm taking down that Odyssey display..." It's even imaginable that Superman and Lois used to be other people as they don't really look like any of the actors that portrayed them, except vaguely. And yet, I like it a lot better than other waxworks dummies I've seen because there's ACTION! Frequently, waxworks Supermen are just posed figures you can take your picture with, three-dimensional cardboard cut-outs, really.

If you're looking to find out more, I recommend the Superman Super Site's page on the subject, with additional photos of the wax Supermen based on George Reeves, Christopher Reeve and Brendan Routh.

Doctor Who #144: The Highlanders Part 2

"I've never seen a silent lawyer before."TECHNICAL SPECS: Missing entirely from the archives, I've had to go to a reconstruction for help. First aired Dec.24 1966.

IN THIS ONE... Polly blackmails Ffinch. The Doctor commits malpractice on Grey and Perkins. And later puts on a drag show to get aboard a slave ship.

REVIEW: A very entertaining episode thanks to the cleverness exhibited by the main cast, Part 2 features a Doctor who fluidly moves from one identity to the next like a living piece of psychic paper. One minute he's a hilarious German doctor, teaching the natives about "germs" (Jamie naturally deduces that germs and Germans have something in common) and using astrology, and the next he's an old woman, putting the guards of the slave ship to sleep with a special broth. Troughton's abilities as a character are brought to bear in his incarnation of the Doctor, turning him into something of a chameleon, and it's all rather funny too. His best moment in the episode is his use of ridiculous diagnoses to trick Grey and Perkins. "Print blindness" indeed. Even when he is himself, this Doctor is a load of fun, enjoying himself only when there is danger, thriving on the challenge. It's a trait that future Doctors will exhibit a lot, and it may well be that Troughton's performance was the most influential of all the Doctors. Care to disagree?

Polly's story is great fun too, luring Ffinch into a pit trap and flirtingly blackmailing him by threatening to reveal he was disarmed and captures by a couple of girls (one of them a crybaby at that). Polly is at her best here, taking control and taking that cheeky tone that served her so well in The War Machines. And of course it works on Ffinch because he's a bit of a dandy and a poser. When his men find him in the pit, he has to bribe them just so they'll pull him out in what sounds like a disingenuous union negotiation. The balance is definitely more on the side of comedy this time around, though you still have a man thrown overboard to drown in the cliffhanger to remind you of the stakes.

If I have complaints, they're relatively minor. The music, for example, could really do with more period atmosphere, taking off from the title card cue. But that's always the last we hear of the bagpipes, sadly. And then there's Trask, the slave ship captain, who's come out of a clichéed pirate movie, going "Arrrh" all over the place. Even The Smugglers, which was ABOUT pirates, didn't go to such over-acting extremes. I suppose it adds to the comedy that surrounds the otherwise serious character of Grey, but it's still well over the top.

REWATCHABILITY: Medium-High - A very funny episode, even without the benefits of the video.

Movie Marquee Friday: Dark Addendum

The training grounds are not for such as you...
He puts a lot of himself in his branding...

Out of the shadows, something new comes...

Waking from a dream of scarred concrete...

The hooting Shaft of the martial arts set...

The streets will pay in bloody gunshots...

Over watered-down drinks served by Delilah...

Titters of gossip ruin the piece's elegance...

Doctor Who #143: The Highlanders Part 1

"The clans are broken. Shot to pieces by the English guns. Never had the chance to get to within claymore's length of them."TECHNICAL SPECS: Aside from a few brief clips, the episode is story is missing from the archives. Though I've listened to the Frazer Hines-narrated CD release fairly recently, in this case, I've opted for a reconstruction. First aired Dec.17 1966.

IN THIS ONE... The TARDIS lands in 18th-century Scotland and it's the first appearance of Jamie McCrimmon.

REVIEW: Some call it the last true historical adventure, and I'm one of them (sorry, but Black Orchid is a genre piece that just happens to be set a few decades in the past), and it's got what it takes to be exciting, dramatic and funny too. And of course, it's the story that first introduces uber-companion Jamie McCrimmon, not that you'd think he was companion material here. No, he's a bloodthirsty sort, loyal to his Laird, putting a gun to the Doctor's head and talking about killing the English. Nor is the role particularly important - he's just one of three Scots attending the wounded Laird, albeit one of only two that survives, though if you were to ask anyone by the end of this episode, they'd say Kirsty, the Laird's daughter, was more of a companion (at least, to Polly). So it's pretty obvious Jamie wasn't meant to join the TARDIS crew all along. From humble beginnings...

Of the actual companions, Polly has the better role, bravely creating a diversion to save the men from a hanging, and generally playing the "modern woman" to Kirstie's easily defeated "primitive". Of course, she's got a lot to learn about respecting other cultures, attempting to strip Kirstie's of her jewelry for money, including an all-important signet ring. It's not very nice of her to call the Scots girl a "peasant", but it's a realistic character flaw for a city girl to look down on country folk (and in the past, isn't everyone country folk?). Ben is a bit of a bumbler, meanwhile, misreading every situation, attracting the attention of the Redcoats with an accidental gunshot, and generally showing his lack of historical knowledge. And then there's the Doctor who frequently defies expectations with his reactions. I like how when he's asked if he's want to people to think him scared, he answers "Why not?", for example. At this point in the series, it seems the production team really do think he's called "Doctor Who", leading to a bit of levity when he passes himself off as a German called Doctor von Wer (again, an impostor). And he finds yet another hat he'd like to wear, thankfully ditching the weird high hat he started wearing in his first appearance.

As with many historical adventures, The Highlanders mixes the drama inherent in the savagery and war of the past, and the sort of comedy we associate with adventure serials. So our heroes are about to be hanged when they are saved by Gray (the only actually historical character), a corrupt solicitor who sells captured rebels as slaves to the colonies. Serious stuff, but writer Gerry Davis relieves some of the tension by making Gray tut at the declining quality of English strategy, strolls onto the battlefield with a bottle of wine, and has a comedy adjutant in Perkins he can abuse. Ffinch's Sergeant gets a black comedy moment when he makes fun of his squeamish officer who always finds an excuse to leave when there's killing to be done. It's a story that's a lot like its Doctor. Deadly serious with a veneer of madcap comedy.

REWATCHABILITY: Medium - A good start to the last historical, with action and comedy in equal measure and as usual, a great performance from Troughton. Fans of Jamie may feel frustrated at how he was initially written though.

Doctor Who #142: The Power of the Daleks Part 6

"They're the new species, you see. Taking over from homo sapiens. Man's had his day. Finished now."TECHNICAL SPECS: Aside from a few brief clips, the episode is gone from the archives. I've used a reconstruction (Part 1, Part 2). First aired Dec.10 1966.

IN THIS ONE... The Daleks decimate the colony and the Doctor blows them up with a power surge.

REVIEW: It's been some time waiting, but in the end, the Daleks act exactly as they've always done and start exterminating everyone. One by one, guest characters and extras alike are mowed down in what is actually the program's first on screen Dalek massacre. It's a prolonged affair, and even when we're not seeing it, we can hear a blend of screams and gunfire in the background, made all the more tangible by the use of straightforward firearms in the colonists' hands. The humans are no less bloodthirsty, as Bragen orders the execution of the rebels he just encouraged to revolt to get himself on the throne. But here's the thing. Daleks may have been bred to kill, but humans have different ethical thresholds. Janley dares question this order and almost gets summarily shot, and it will be Valmar who will shoot Bragen rather than see those orders carried out. As an audience, we're asked to compare human action to Dalek action - which murders are justifiable? Any of them?

Ultimately, though there was a lot of ambiguity in the preceding chapters, the Whoniverse's innate morality wins out in the end. Every "name" character who dies in this episode was guilty of something, even Lesterson whose scientific hubris opened this particular can of worms. Robert James once again gives an interesting performance as the pitiable Lesterson sacrifices his life by approaching the Daleks are repeating their line back to them, "I am you servant!". He gave them life, and they give him death. No daddy issues here, eh Daleks? (Has anyone ever done a psychoanalytical study of the Daleks and their relationship to Davros?) Among the dead, we of course number the Dalek army, which the Doctor manages to blow up quite spectacularly (we have some clips of it, thankfully) by sending a power surge down their static electricity generator. When the heroes return to the TARDIS, there's a melted Dalek only a few feet from it, and we wonder just how close we came to the Daleks' final victory. As the police box dematerializes, its eyestalk manages to pathetically go up, but I doubt the future of the race lies in this one specimen. Other fugitives from Skaro's civil war though...

I realize I didn't mention the Doctor much (or Ben and Polly at all), but like the Daleks themselves, the story lets the guest cast sort things out. It's all action, running and shooting, and final confrontations. Rather than be caught in the crossfire, the cast might as well keep its head down and let things resolve themselves as if this were a historical adventure with a well-known and unavoidable end. Except the Doctor does act as the agent of good that destroys the Daleks, and then acts coy about it, the scamp. Have you accepted this new Doctor yet? I know you have. And it looks like Ben and Polly are well on their way as well.

VERSIONS: The novelization - one of the rare few published by Virgin rather than Target - features a few notable differences. Sgt. Benton and Sarah Jane Smith are mentioned in the prologue. The Interplanetary Mining Corporation (from Colony in Space) is said to be the driving force behind the colony. And the events of The Tenth Planet are set in the 1990s.

REWATCHABILITY: Medium-High - There's little time for clever dialog with all the shooting going on, but it's an exciting ending to a tense Dalek thriller. Satisfying across the board.

STORY REWATCHABILITY: High - I've said this before, but the fact that they wiped Patrick Troughton's first story, a Dalek story that outdoes Terry Nation's to boot, is perhaps the greatest crime against the program ever committed (albeit without malice). Even on audio, Troughton's performance shines through and wins us over. There's lots of intrigue and the Daleks are particularly devious. And if you're a fan of the new series, you'll recognize its influence on its writers.

Siskoid's Zine of Geekery #2 - Early January 2007

Take the way-back machine and go back more than 5 years to the start of this blog with the Outdated Zine version! Just a fun way to spend the time, attempting archives in pdf form. I wrote one new piece of text for the thing, reproduced here for completeness' sake.

Bob Haney - Mad Genius
There are certain comic book writers who have a particular appeal to comic book bloggers. Obviously, we like great story telling and quality comics, but everyone does (or should). What separates a chosen few, however, is that their stories - especially their vintage stories - are, to put it simply, COMPLETELY INSANE! And for some of us, that is what comics is all about.

Think about it. Comics is the one medium that’s visual enough to include the ideas that would cost too much elsewhere, and disposable enough that anything can be tried within their pages. For many comic book bloggers, the crazier the better, and some writers definitely embraced that philosophy as well. Robert Kanigher, Bill Mantlo, Jack Kirby, and Bob Haney. Most definitely Bob Haney.

Haney’s is a special brand of craziness because though he was middle aged (born 1926) when he started the Teen Titans (1964), he still insisted on giving his heroes their own brand of teen-speak, which provides the modern reader with an extra layer of surrealism. Not to same the plots didn’t do that by themselves. Filled with wacky villains as disposable as the books themselves, Haney’s work had an “anything goes” quality that borders on the naive, or “outsider art”. In his Brave and the Bold, he was notorious for ignoring DC continuity to tell the stories he wanted to tell, whether that meant giving the modern Batman a career during World War II or turning Black Canary into Bruce Wayne’s secretary. Metamorpho, the Super-Sons, the House of Mystery’s Cain... His contribution to the DC Universe are as varied as they are memorable.

And thanks to the Showcase Presents series, the SBG got very interested in Haney’s work and featured it frequently. We hope you’ll enjoy the blog’s look at the early issues of the Teen Titans, which started last issue (all the appearances before they got their own series) and will continue in the next few (up through the first volume of Showcase Presents Teen Titans).

Mister Haney, we send our thanks from this world to the next.

Oh No! It's My Annual RPGs I'd Like to Play Post!

It's that time of year again when I muse about what game I might run for the summer. Last year turned out to be a bust, and it was completely my fault. We wound up choosing Savage Worlds/Slipstream and one player even made a character, and then I withdrew from society for personal reasons (exhaustion, really). Other players didn't really push me, so it was probably a general feeling. So this year, we have to make up for it! Of course now I've got different things to worry about. One of these is a larger pool of players, not all of which I trust to attend regular role-playing sessions. I want to be there for everyone who's asked to play (including those I've promised to initiate into the mysteries), but anything above 5 players around the table isn't practical. I used to run the perfect game for ins and outs - Dream Park - but ran it for so long that I just want to do something different now, preferably something that doesn't involve multi-genring which I've done to death. Another factor is tone, because I have players who definitely prefer comedy over drama. Any hopes of seriously running something like Call of Cthulhu goes out the window.

Now, I've done these kinds of posts before, mostly notably in 2011 and 2007, and there are some good ideas in there I could be convinced to run (if I haven't already). Taking a look at my collection, what do I have ideas for?

Hong Kong Action Theater! Most of my group is into Hong Kong cinema and watches an Asian film with me once a week, on Kung Fu Friday. HKAT plays on that, has reasonably light rules, I have copies of both the core rules (mostly for modern day gun play) and Blue Dragon, White Tiger (the historical and wuxia stuff). I might run this Dream Park style, with continuing characters in a "franchise" that sometimes skip movie tracks to tell stories in other eras (like the famous Venoms). That might be a way to "Dream Park" it and involve different players from session to session, even newbies. I've got to go to bed with the rules tonight because on paper, it's the front runner.

Doctor Who: Adventures in Time and Space. With all the work I'm doing on Doctor Who reviews and Doctor Who RPG elements, you KNEW this game was going to make an appearance. Maybe it could be a little side-game, 70s-style with only a Time Lord and a companion, with occasional guest stars. Might allow me to get my feet wet without necessarily taking the plunge (and dragging many people in the pool with me). Or will that be too much Doctor Who for one summer?

Savage Worlds: Slipstream. It was all ready to go last summer and then petered out. The materials are there. One character's already made. And it's nice to have a finite campaign you know can drive the schedule all for an entire season and end just when vacations are over and it's time to crank work up to 11 again (which for me is September). Slipstream is one option among several Savage World campaigns, of course, but since my group singled it out last year, still a contender.

Trekjammer. Someone in my group recently said he'd be up for some Star Trek RPG. I am too, but then again I'm not. Trek's given me problems in the past because there are too many deus ex machinae built in, from large crews under players' command to the various technologies available. What I'd be inspired to do, though, is take AD&D 2nd's Spelljammer and turn it into Trek. Make it all sword & sorcery, but give it the political set-up of the show. The good races are the Federation, the Romulans are dark elves, the Klingons are orcs or something. And the ships have magical equivalents of transporters, holodecks, et al. I think this would be a hoot, and replacing the Spelljammer setting, which was never that interesting beyond the premise, will actually make it more familiar. At least, to Trekkies.

Top Secret. I still have never run an espionage game of any length above the one-shot, and I'd like to give it a go. On my shelf, I've got the original Top Secret, James Bond 007, GURPS Espionage, and Mercenaries, Spies and Private Eyes. Pretty old school, so I'm willing to grab another system, so long as I get to run some cool impossible missions. This would me the biggest challenge, because it's a genre I've barely dabbled with, but the mission set-up creates an easy motivation for players to get in the game, and M:I in particular is friendly to guest players.

Ultimately, not all of these will be everyone's cup of tea. I've just got to make my peace with the fact that whatever choice I make, it make lock a few players out for the summer.