It's Alive! - Miscellaneous Projects by Snizitch

Keeping busy over here...

2010-12-09T11:45:00.000-08:00

I haven't been doing a lot of hobby type projects lately, but have taken up updating SavageBarsoom.com. If you are interested in Edgar Rice Burroughs' Barsoom (John Cater: Warlord of Mars), swing on by and check it out.

Solomon Kane: Movie

2009-05-08T07:09:00.000-07:00

I haven't been following this too closely, but it appears there is a review for the Solomon Kane movie.

I had not seen the above poster before either; I like the look of it!

Land of the Lost: Complete Series (Limited Edition Gift Set)

2009-03-17T11:02:00.000-07:00

Amazon has the Land of the Lost: Complete Series posted for pre-order. The packaging is hilarious! I don't have the series yet, but this maybe the clincher for picking it up.javascript:void(0)

AVP: Ads

2009-03-17T10:53:00.000-07:00

These are too funny:

Mutant Chronicles

2009-03-02T12:46:00.001-08:00

Here is the trailer for the Mutant Chronicles movie. The music and John Malcovich's voice over bring down the thrills a bit, but it is looking pretty cool.

Big Man Japan

2009-02-26T07:40:00.000-08:00

Now this looks bizarre and wonderfully fun!

Just watch, words can not describe ;)

Inglourious Basterds

2009-02-20T07:18:00.000-08:00

Ah, I love good movie in which Nazis are getting blasted! Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds will be just the ticket for some good old fashioned Nazi-beat-downs. Knowing his other works, I'm sure it will be excessively gory and brutal, so keep that in mind before setting out to see it (when it is finally released).

Anyhow, some move posters are starting to pop-up around the net and I really like the look of them.

Land of the Lost Movie: hmm

2009-02-06T10:10:00.000-08:00

I really don't know what to make of the trailer for the Land of the Lost movie. Once I heard Will Ferrell was involved, I resigned to it being campy, but it looks like they are even taking some more turns with it. So far I don't like the look of the sets...

Big Halibut Don

2009-01-29T07:56:00.000-08:00

This is an old article from back in the days when I was a chef up in Sitka, Alaska. It's mostly about my brother and it still makes me chuckle when I read it.

Laughter fills the air as Big Halibut Don, who stands 6 feet 3, weighs 240 pounds and has hands the size of frying pans, heads down the stairs, inviting anyone who is interested for a beer at the pub down the street.

Read the article here >>

Funny Advertisement...

2009-01-22T07:18:00.000-08:00

I thought this ad for The Ladders (a job search site) was pretty darn funny and cute!

From Twitch:

This is brilliant.

When job search website The Ladders (as in “Climb the”, I suppose) needed a spokeman for their new ad campaign they turned to an unlikely source: cult kaiju monster Guilala, originally seen in The X From Outer Space and more recently in Minoru Kawasakai’s Monster X Strikes Back: Attack the G8 Summit. Yeah, it’s a choice that surprised me, too, but the ad company are obviously fans and this is one truly fantastic spot. Graaaar!

I just realized it has been more than 2 MONTHS! since I have posted. Plenty of things going on, I just need to get back in the habit of blogging!

RIP Michael Crichton

2008-11-06T10:52:00.000-08:00

1942 - 2008

Jason and The Argonauts: The Series...

2008-10-15T09:07:00.000-07:00

We can sure hope this will be good! Please, please, please!

NBC has picked up a script that retells the Greek mythology tale “Jason and the Argonauts.”

Crows

2008-10-09T14:41:00.000-07:00

My wife thinks I'm a whack job because my obsession with crows, yes, crows.

They amaze me at how clever they are.

The two of us were sitting at a restaurant last weekend and I was watching a man walk out of another restaurant across the parking lot. I was observing a crow following the guy around the block. The crow kept going from lamp post to roof top and then onto the power lines. My wife thought the crow was not actually 'following' the guy, but then the guy must of forgot something and he doubled back to the restaurant. Sure enough, the crow was right behind him. Maybe he was hoping for the guy to drop a french fry or some other goody, but the crow was indeed hot on heels. The only comment my from my wife was 'That's creepy!'.

Here are couple of YouTube videos that show just how clever crows really are:

Anyhow... kah!

RIP Paul Newman

2008-09-29T07:53:00.000-07:00

1925-2008

PETA Urges Ben & Jerry's To Use Human Milk

2008-09-24T09:34:00.000-07:00

VERMONT -- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sent a letter to Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, cofounders of Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc., urging them to replace cow's milk they use in their ice cream products with human breast milk, according to a statement recently released by a PETA spokeswoman.

"PETA's request comes in the wake of news reports that a Swiss restaurant owner will begin purchasing breast milk from nursing mothers and substituting breast milk for 75 percent of the cow's milk in the food he serves," the statement says.

Read the article here >>

WOW! PETA are frickin' bug nuts! Crap like that will make more and more people not take them seriously!

Meat Gazer

2008-09-19T09:08:00.000-07:00

Click to enlarge.

A little image I whipped up for the BJ Shea Morning Experience; tasteless? yes!

Toybot Studios: Blog and Photos

2008-09-19T08:32:00.000-07:00

I just stumbled upon this site today; Toybot Studios. Lots of great Japanese toys, reviews and photos. Make sure to dig through his Flickr pages... well, not all them, since there are over 10,000 pics!

G: An Independent Kaiju Film

2008-09-18T11:04:00.000-07:00

Click the video to go to the film makers YouTube page to view more videos:

A nice write of the production can be found here, on SciFiJapan.com.

Monsterpocalypse: Launch Kit Prizes

2008-09-18T07:44:00.000-07:00

Defender X, Cthugrosh & Gorghadra will be the prize support Megas in the Launch Kit. (Source)

Monsterpocalypse: Countdown to launch!

2008-09-16T15:35:00.000-07:00

A cool bit of art on the MonPoc page.

October 10th is the official release date! Squirrel away your pennies!

Monster Brains: Strangenest abound!

2008-09-15T08:37:00.000-07:00

"From the infernal creatures to the delerium, you will take pleasure."

Check out Monster Brains for some cool and unusual tid-bits on monsters and more!

September 11th

2008-09-11T08:26:00.000-07:00

While not being a New Yorker or knowing anyone that was directly affected by the events of September 11th, 2001, it is hard to really grasp how devastating that day was. Sure, it's easy to understand the loss, but I'll never know the deep pain that still comes to so many from that day.

Anyhow, take a moment to reflect and send a prayer, good vibe, well wishes or whatever you do to those that were left behind in the wake of that terrible day.

Matt Damon on Palin

2008-09-10T14:29:00.000-07:00

The DIRE PLANET Digital Book Tour, Day Six

2008-09-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

Matthias Gantlet & Joel Jenkins
His muscles strained as he grappled to hang on to the back of the car; the full torque of the engine would be enough to throw any common man from the back of the steel beast. But this was no ordinary man, he had honed his body for events like this. He could see the damsel inside the vehicle and he was not going let her slip from his grasp!

Well, he did let her get away, and he actually was just messing around and showing off at the time. Joel decided to spring off the back of the Mercury Capri before it was moving too much faster than it's current speed of 35 mph. Upon landing he dislocated his shoulder, something that would never happen to the heroes that inhabited the pages of his adventures. Regardless of the outcome of his encounter with the Mercury, Joel Jenkins has always been an inspiration and hero to friends and family. I speak from experience, close to 30 years of it.

Much like Matthias, Garvey and the other leading men of his adventures, Joel has always been there for friends and family. Most recently helping me move 4 times in the past 2 years and he actually did the bulk of the heavy lifting himself, since my back has been nothing but problematic as of late. Never one to complain, Joel just steps up to the task and gets things done. He is truly a man of action! Anyone that knows Joel can easily see the parallels from himself to his heroes.

Like all of Joel's stories, the Dire Planet Series is packed full of action, intrigue and adventure. Do yourself a favor and pick up at least the first book; I bet you can't resist picking up the rest of them.

To continue your tour of Joel Jenkin's Dire Planet, head over to Martin Stephenson's blog tomorrow.

Monsterpocalypse at PAX

2008-09-02T10:04:00.000-07:00

I made it to PAX on Friday and bought 1 starter, 2 monster boosters and 2 unit boosters. I wish I was able to pick up a second starter, to allow for easier play with friends that don't have the game yet, but I'll make do with what I have.

Here is what I pulled from the boxes:

Human Mollusk

2008-08-22T12:46:00.000-07:00

Some twisted, yet very cool art can be found over on the Human Mollusk blog. Check it out! >>

Appaloosa

2008-08-21T13:54:00.000-07:00

Now this looks like a great gritty western! Check out the trailer >>

Speed Rally

2008-08-20T12:32:00.001-07:00

Speed Rally looks like a neat game, which may be worth checking out. A friend and I have been tinkering with Savage Wheels off and on for sometime now, but we still have not made it "Fast & Furious"; it is more like "Slow & Clunky".

"Childs, Julia Childs..."

2008-08-14T09:25:00.000-07:00

Julia Childs a spy? I think that is too cool!

WASHINGTON — Famed chef Julia Child shared a secret with Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldberg and Chicago White Sox catcher Moe Berg at a time when the Nazis threatened the world.

They served in an international spy ring managed by the Office of Strategic Services, an early version of the CIA created in World War II by President Franklin Roosevelt.

Read the FOXNews article >>

Laika

2008-08-13T12:15:00.000-07:00

This is a rather sweet tribute to a space-canine, check out the entry over here.

You can read up on the pooch here.

Code Monkey

2008-08-13T12:05:00.001-07:00

The song is by an artist named Jonathan Coulton, which I didn't hear of until today; funny stuff and top it off with some decent music!

Plenty more goodies over at Spiffworld.

Monsterpocalypse: Martian Menace Part 2!

2008-08-13T11:38:00.000-07:00

I'm late posting this, but oh well.

Here are the Martians!

So far, this is one of my favorite factions!

Gak! Gak! Gak!

This is retarded!

2008-08-11T10:28:00.000-07:00

Seriously. If you have been following this movie at all you will know they pull no punches; they make fun of everyone!

Official site >>

Chuck Norris Action Jeans!

2008-08-11T09:43:00.000-07:00

I remember seeing the ads for these back in the 80s... I'm sure the Gantlet Brothers bought them by the case!

RIP Bernie

2008-08-11T08:51:00.000-07:00

Bernie Mac

1957-2008

RIP Issac Hayes

2008-08-11T08:45:00.000-07:00

Issac Hayes

1942-2008

Monsterpocalypse: Martian Menace!

2008-07-16T09:16:00.000-07:00

The last faction has been partially revealed (waiting on pics of the minis!). Here is the official little blurb:

Mars, long since depleted of resources and reduced to a barren desert of red dirt, no longer provides the necessary sustenance for the Martian species. Seeing the error of their ways much too late, the Martians looked beyond their planet for a source of new resources. Conveniently, Earth is right around the cosmic corner. The invasion has begun.

Head of over to the main site to read more.

Monsterpocalypse: Shots from Origins...

2008-07-10T09:30:00.000-07:00

I'm a bit slow on the blogging these days (lots going on), but I thought I would post some new Monsterpocalypse images from Origins; note the Martian faction!

RIP George Carlin

2008-06-23T11:12:00.000-07:00

George Carlin 1937-2008

There is plenty of news out there if you want find out the details, but for here this will do...

Life Reflections by George Carlin

Never raise your hands to your kids. It leaves your groin unprotected.
I'm not into working out. My philosophy is no pain, no pain.
I'm in shape. Round is a shape.
I'm desperately trying to figure out why Kamikaze pilots wore helmets.
Do illiterate people get the full effect of alphabet soup?
I've always wanted to be somebody, but I should have been more specific.
Ever notice when you blow in a dog's face he gets mad at you, but when you take him in a car he sticks his head out the window?
Ever notice that anyone going slower than you is an idiot, but anyone going faster than you is a maniac?
You have to stay in shape. My mother started walking five miles a day when she was 60. She's 97 now and we have no idea where she is.
I have six locks on my door, all in a row. When I go out, I lock every other one. I figure no matter how long somebody stands there picking the locks, they are always locking three of them.
One out of every three Americans is suffering from some form of mental illness. Think of two of your best friends. If they are OK, then it must be you.
They show you how detergents take out bloodstains. I think if you've got a T-shirt with bloodstains all over it, maybe your laundry isn't your biggest problem.
Ask people why they have deer heads on their walls and they tell you it's because they're such beautiful animals. I think my wife is beautiful, but I only have photographs of her on the wall.
A lady came up to me on the street, pointed at my suede jacket and said, "Don't you know a cow was murdered for that jacket?" I said "I didn't know there were any witnesses. Now I'll have to kill you too."
Future historians will be able to study at the Jimmy Carter Library, the Gerald Ford Library, the Ronald Reagan Library, and the Bill Clinton Adult Bookstore.

Death Race: Trailer

2008-06-17T00:03:00.000-07:00

I think it is looking at least some what entertaining: see the trailer here.

Preview: Planet Eaters

2008-06-13T12:12:00.000-07:00

The Planet Eaters' models have been posted over on the Monsterpocalypse site.

Since the dawn of civilization, Man has sought in the heavens for omens of good or ill. Had we known what lurked among the stars, humanity might have kept our eyes on the ground.

Death Race Set Pics

2008-06-03T09:31:00.000-07:00

Some set pics from Death Race are up on JoBlo.com:

Some nice looking vehicles and inspiration for Savage Wheels!

Preview: Shadow Sun Syndicate

2008-06-03T08:56:00.000-07:00

The Shadow Sun Syndicate models have been posted over on the Monsterpocalypse site.

Hidden behind a shroud of enigmatic activities, the mysterious criminal cartel known as the Shadow Sun Syndicate alleges its mission is to preserve humanity and society, though sometimes this seems to come at the cost of the aforementioned humanity and society.

Isolated Tribe Spotted in Brazil

2008-05-30T13:53:00.000-07:00

I think this is fascinating. It's hard to imagine cultures like these still existing in this day and age, but they do. Makes me want to revisit some modern day games located in one of these remote locations!

Monsterpocalypse: More faction pics...

2008-05-22T15:06:00.000-07:00

More faction pics added to the official site; some more hyper-forms (the clear versions of the monsters):

Rambo...

2008-05-21T10:12:00.000-07:00

***WARNING!***

This is ultra violent; don't watch if you are squeamish!

The Rambo DVD comes out next week and I'm looking forward to it, since I missed it in the theaters. There are spoilers in this clip.

Now, Rambo is a bit of sissy in this clip; the Gauntlet Brothers would have picked that puny machine gun up and ran around with it ;)

Wormhole Goes Gold

2008-05-16T11:03:00.000-07:00

WorldworksGames has just released Wormhole.

WorldWorksGames is proud to present “Wormhole”, a groundbreaking space combat game. Why groundbreaking? Because Wormhole is the only such game that allows anyone to build up a massive fleet without spending hundreds of dollars on expensive miniatures and rule books. You don't even have to wait for shipping to get your hands on it because Wormhole is a completely digital product which you download from home, print, build and play! We’ve included everything you need in an easy to navigate package, stepping you through the entire process from planning your game to building your fleet.

Head on over to WorldWorksGames today and buy your copy!

Preview: Lords of Cthul

2008-05-12T16:21:00.000-07:00

The Lords of Cthul models have been posted over on the Monsterpocalypse site.

"No one knows if the cultists who summoned the Lords of Cthul to our world intentionally invited or accidentally unleashed them."

Savage Wheels: Handy PDF for Converting Hot Wheels

2008-05-08T17:16:00.000-07:00

Over on the Imagine Image Multimedia they have a great PDF for converting Hot Wheels for Car Wars, Dark Future and etc.

Click here for the PDF >>

Savage Wheels: Converting Your Hot Wheels

2008-05-08T15:16:00.000-07:00

I have been digging around a bit and found some nice bits for converting your Hot Wheels for Savage Wheels (or what ever your game may be) via Stan Johansen Miniatures.

First up are some nice examples of converted vehicles:

View more here >>

On the same site one can order some cool weapons for their rigs:

Order those bits here >>

On the same page linked above you can find some nice minis to match up with your vehicles:

G.U.A.R.D Models Added

2008-05-06T13:10:00.000-07:00

The more they are revealing, the more I'm liking it! Some G.U.A.R.D. models have been posted over on the Monsterpocalypse site.

The production value looks top notch, now let's hope the prepainted miniatures look as good as the production pieces.

Plus a nice little piece of art.

Savage Wheels: Standees and Markers

2008-05-02T13:42:00.000-07:00

I posted standees, casualty markers and effect markers (oil slick, caltrops and mines). The standees and casualty markers were drawn by Greywolf (take a peak at his site to see more awesome models and goodies).

6 different teams; 1:64 (Hot Wheel size)

Click here to view the files that are available.

When you are done folding them, they should look something like this:

If there is any interest I will post 25-28mm versions of these.

Terrasaurs Faction Revealed

2008-05-01T15:41:00.000-07:00

"These skyscraper-sized lizards have exploded from the depths of the South American jungles, bent on consuming industrial equipment and stomping on anything that bars their path."

View all the details at the main site.

Sleestacks!

2008-05-01T10:18:00.000-07:00

If these shots of the Sleestacks are any indication of what the film is going to be like consider me excited!

BEFORE (From the series)

AFTER (From the new movie)

Now grant it, the new movie has Will Ferrell in it, but good thing for me I love campy!

(updated: image was missing)

Dinosaurs Attack!

2008-04-30T11:17:00.000-07:00

This set of trading cards is a wee bit twisted. They originally released back in 1988, a bit of follow up to the Mars Attacks cards.

"Tastes like chicken!"

Yes, he is nibbling on a baby! :(

Anyhow, check out Bob's Dinosaurs Attack page for all the gruesome entrails, um, I mean details!

Giant Monsters Attack! Blog

2008-04-29T13:59:00.001-07:00

I'm sure it's painfully obvious why I like this blog:

Monsterpocalypse @ GAMA

2008-04-28T14:39:00.000-07:00

Some images from GAMA 2008

Some cool looking monsters in the works!

Dark Knight: New Poster

2008-04-25T12:01:00.001-07:00

I just love the look of the poster above, no other reason for posting it.

You can find a GIANT version of it over here.

Monsterpocalypse New Site

2008-04-24T16:51:00.000-07:00

Monsterpocalypse launched a new preview site for their game that will be coming out, some new information and such over there.

I'm looking forward to this game, hopefully it delivers.

CaveSpeak

2008-04-22T16:11:00.000-07:00

I got a chuckle out of this.

Archaeo-cinemalinguistic researchers have collected evidence of primitive language(s) used by the tribes of One Million BC, Valley of the Dragons, One Million Years B.C., When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth, and Caveman. The results of their labors are recorded here. No attempt has been made to distinguish different tribal languages; hence the redundancy in some cases of key cave-living concepts.

G.U.A.R.D Faction Revealed

2008-04-20T15:51:00.000-07:00

"In the defense of Earth and all humanity, G.U.A.R.D. (Globally United Advanced Research & Defense) has assembled the greatest scientific minds and most accomplished military leaders to develop the most technologically capable armed force the world has ever seen."

View all the details at the main site.

Neanderthals & Dinosaurs...

2008-04-17T12:17:00.000-07:00

I picked up a bunch of dinosaurs that I'm going to repaint (the ones that need it) for my Sticks & Stones campaign. The bulk of them are from Target and Toys R Us, with a few higher quality models coming from a local toy store (those are Schleich figures).

The 6 raptors are Tamiya models.

You will also see some Neanderthals mixed in, these are from Jeff Valent's Sticks & Stones line.

If you wondering exactly where some of the minis came from, post a comment.

Cavemen are Coming!

2008-03-28T14:15:00.000-07:00

I ordered my Cavemen this morning! I have 14 of these uglies in route:

This is preparation for a gaming session this summer.

Sticks & Stones (Savage Worlds Setting)

2008-03-20T17:40:00.000-07:00

This looks like a hoot!

I'll have to go buy some plastic dinosaurs I spotted the other day!

Sticks & Stones Site

Monsterpocalypse!

2008-03-06T12:56:00.000-08:00

Privateer Press is coming out with Monsterpocalypse and there some nice looking images showing up around the web from the NY Toyfair.

One of note that I really like is this guy:

The buildings and game board look a bit lame, in my opinion, but the monsters are looking great. Also, I'm not really keen on the bases for the miniatures, but that maybe something one would have to see up close.

I have had my own giant monster/kaiju game in the works for years now, so I'm on the side of embracing this new game.

So Long Electronic Tales!

2008-03-04T20:05:00.000-08:00

I'm late in posting this, but I just wanted to say farewell to a site I helped out as the webmaster on (and some artwork) for 10+ years: ElectronicTales.com.

Joel Jenkins, the owner, author and operator of the site is still on the web, but has taken to blogging. You can find Joel's blog here and he is continuing to pump out action packed adventures!

Check out Amazon.com and pick up one of his stories... heck! get a few!

The Secret of Devil's Island

2008-03-04T19:22:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Joel Jenkins for his awesome game summary!

The Privateer ship, the Screaming Vulture, working under a commission from King Henry, is pursued into Caribbean waters by three Spanish ships hungry for vengeance. The captain of the Screaming Vulture, Pteor Chandenko, maneuvers through a cluster of islands relying on the shallow draw of his ship to carry him through small channels where the Spanish ships can't pursue and he is able to cut them off and engage them separately.

The Vulture disables one Spanish ship and the other is forced to go aground or sink. The third Spanish ship flees. Now with one Spanish ship, El Cervantes, in tow the Screaming Vulture heads toward Jamaica to divide its spoils. However as they pass near a small isle with high cliffs and thick jungle growth spilling from its heights, the strong wind suddenly dies and their sails fall limp, and they sit astride a becalmed sea—the waters turning bloody red, and then darkening as the blazing sun slips over the horizon.

Shortly after midnight a scream is heard from El Cervantes, and Pteor Chandenko and former French musketeer, Jean L'Eveque leap on board after there is no reply from the watch that was set. They find only the bones of the watchmen in a puddle of luminescent green goo. Their flesh has been dissolved from their body.

A faint trail of luminescent green is seen through the waters, heading to the one inlet on Devil's Island, as it is called by the superstitious sailors. Even Chandenko's first mate, the normally level-headed Mr. Ferrand is convinced that an evil presence is holed up on the island and has caused the wind to cease and will slip out nightly to devour a few of them until only two ships devoid of life are left. To convince the Captain of his case he cites several legends and then points to the moonlit hulks of ships that have been broken on the jagged teeth that surround Devil's Island.

These, Chandenko, surmises could easily have been ships that were blown their by the winds with a full complement of crew and so he is not convinced. Yet another day of blistering heat and no wind leads to another night in which two more crewmen are devoured, and again there is a phosphorescent trail leading in the direction of the island.

On the next day Chandenko's hopes for a wind to take them away from the cursed shores of Devil's Island do not come to fruition and as night falls he decides on taking a desperate measure in the hopes that he can prevent the deaths of yet more crewmen. He orders a longboat let down and with twenty men they row through the dangerous wash and beach the longboat on dark sands.

They climb the bluffs, through the dense foliage, and against the yellow moon they see smoke rising from the center of the island. Twenty men do not easily travel quietly through unfamiliar terrain, and they blunder into an ambush of robed men with wild eyes and curved blades. Still, hardy freebooters are not easily slain, and only one of Chandenko's men is killed, disemboweled by a cultist's sweeping blade. The freebooters cut down their frenzied attackers, but then a hideous beast, skin dripping with phosphorescent slime and drooling from flaccid lips and swinging scythe-like claws comes rumbling from the forest. With a swing of his razor scythe he beheads one freebooter, and with a swing of another he cuts a howling cultist in twain. Then he flips their remains into his waiting maw, his gastric juices digesting the flesh and secreting the bones.

Some of Chandenko's freebooters fall trembling in fear before the hideous creature and others turn and flee, while a few fire gunshots into the beasts slimy hide. These do not seem to phase it, so Chandenko strikes with his great two-handed blade, but the hammered steel of the sword only shivers in his hand, deflected by the beasts thick skin. The creature swings at Chandenko and only the steel of the musket slung across his back keeps him from being sliced asunder.

The French Musketeer backs up a pace and fires round after round into the beast, and finally a ball of hot lead cuts through the beasts eye and slices through his brain, dropping the horrific monstrosity to the earth.

Some of the remaining cultists flee into a cavern and bar the steel door behind them.

“The beast is dead by virtue of superior French marksmanship,” said L'eveque. “We can return safely to the ship now and wait for a wind to spring up.”

“Are all the French bursting with such optimism?” growled Chandenko, he was a burly man with wild beard and Kossack blood ran thick in his veins. He'd seized control of The Screaming Vulture by physical strength and maintained control over the crew by sheer force of will and presence. “Smoke still pours from that mountain top, and if Mr. Ferrand is correct a curse has been laid upon our ship so that wind will not move it until we have removed that curse. We must delve into the depths of the caverns and destroy every last one of these depraved cultists, lest they summon up some other beast from the depths and again have it creep upon us while we sit in dead waters.”

The captain had spoken and L'eveque rammed another ball into the bore of his musket, followed by wadding to keep it in place. With a prybar, Chandenko attacked the sturdy door that capped the cavern mouth, and soon it gave way to his strength. He, L'Eveque and six other stout freebooters explored the torch-lit, and twisting passages beyond. Howling cultists hurled themselves from shadowed niches and corners, their curved blades slashing, but Chandenko hurled them back with the edge of his two-handed blade and L'Eveque skewered the cultists on the edge of his blade.

Once Chandenko looked into the wild, wide eyes of a cultist as their blades locked and beyond he saw hideous movement, as if a thousand maggots squirmed beyond the window of his eyes.

“They are possessed by some strange force,” shouted Chandenko. “That is why they come on, regardless of pain and heedless of their wounds.”

In a chamber hung with manacles and instruments of torture, a half dozen robed cultists again hurled themselves against the band of intrepid freebooters only to be cut down. In the shadowed corners of the room were a chained wolf and a manacled man, naked to the waist, and his dark skin marked with burn and cut.

Chandenko found a set of keys among the dead and rose from a crouch. “What brings you to this dank cavern, stranger?”

“The name is Unka. I am a shaman of the Algonquin people, kidnapped, sold into slavery, and escaped to ply the seas. The ship on which I sailed became becalmed and night after night men would disappear from its decks, until finally the captain went mad and drove the ship ashore on the tides.”

“So why did these cultists keep you alive instead of feeding you to the demon?”

“I was among twenty-three which still lived and were captured. I and my wolf are the last alive; the others were indeed fed to the beast, which they call Licamphus; those who are many and live beneath the seas.”

Chandenko unlocked the shaman and handed him the keys. “So there are more of those things?”

Unka nodded gravely. “You have slain their Licamphus, and now they will call another from the summoning circle.”

The wolf growled and Chandenko took a step back unless he become a meal for the hungry beast. “Is your dog safe to run free?”

“He is only safe when he is free. He is my friend and you have nothing to fear from him.”

“Then go free or come with us as we hunt down the last of these demon-worshiping fiends,” said Chandenko.

Unka did not respond, but after recovering some bags of powders and talismans that belonged to him, and arming himself with a spear, he joined in the procession of freebooters as they trod through dripping caverns. At the end of a long hall torchlight flickered and a room opened up to reveal a sorcerer in black robes who pored over a yellowed parchment at a desk of stone. The footfalls of the freebooters alerted him and he rose, his yellow, maggot-ridden eyes glaring.

“Halt, interlopers! How dare you tread the sacred ground of the Licamphus?”

Chandenko surged down the cavern, his great blade leaping from his scabbard as he drew it forth. Then the necromancer uttered ancient words, and the stench of death suddenly pervaded the hall. From the walls of the cavern and from the very ground beneath his feet, cadaverous forms burst forth, flesh rotting and wormy.

Even as the rotting limbs began to drag him down, Chandenko drew his pistol and aimed at the necromancer—but then an oozing hand caught his wrist and dragged it down, even as he pulled the trigger and the flint sparked, sending a ball of lead into the stone desk instead of the necromancer's skull.

The necromancer said a few more arcane words and threw a handful of bones into the air, and suddenly a wall of whirling bones grew up in front of him. The freebooters hacked away gory limbs that clutched at them and Unka cast a powder into the air and fanned it outward. Suddenly the undead army fell to dust, and the bone wall faded into nothingness, leaving the necromancer unprotected.

Before Chandenko could cover the distance between them, the necromancer spoke the words of yet another ancient spell and his form became wraith-like and insubstantial, and then he walked through the far wall of the cavern—a place where no mere man of flesh and blood could follow.

“Like a ship rat disappearing into the bilge,” said Chandenko.

They went deeper into the caverns, and Chandenko led the way through a narrow crevice and into a wider tunnel. Crouching in the darkness were eight sets of eyes glowing yellow, squirming shapes behind the whites. These were not mere worshipers, but acolytes of Licamphus, there chests bare and bleeding where they had cut themselves in their rites of worship. They came on in silence, throwing themselves at the Captain who narrowly avoided being diced by their whirring blades. He stepped back into the narrow crevice where they could only come at him one at a time, and he felt the furry form of Unka's wolf familiar slipping past him and saw the blur of his body as he leaped at the throat of the nearest acolyte.

This bought Chandenko a moment's respite, and now he stood his ground killing man after man until all the acolytes lay strewn in gory dismemberment across the rough floor of the tunnel.

Jean L'Eveque was chafing for action and a disappointed expression crossed his face when he saw that all were dead.

“Don't worry,” said Chandenko as he leaned on his sword, regaining his breath after the brutal battle. “There are sure to be a few more lurking about.”

The rough-hewn tunnels gave way to a large chamber, strewn with broken and crumbling pillars, and beyond the shattered door at the rear, bright brazier flames cast a shifting yellow light. On a dais stood four priest's of Licamphus, chanting words which never should be heard or spoken by mankind so that they might summon forth that abominable thing which they worshiped.

Chandenko was quickest, and he darted to the dais and hewed off the legs of the nearest priest who tumbled forward to the floor with a sickening cry. Then the senior priest, a dark-browed man with more teeth than his mouth could contain, made a motion and said a word that smote Chandenko's ears like a thunderclap.

Behind him, amidst the knot of his freebooters, a spectral thing of hideous form and nature appeared, and with one stroke of a razor-sharp flipper, he sliced away the head of an unfortunate freebooter. The others fired in frenzy and fear, but their bullets passed right through the thing, which had turned insubstantial and could not for the nonce be touched by the physical.

However, the bullets sped toward the dark-browed priest and he motioned with his hand, waving the bullets aside, so that they balls of lead clattered across the stone and came to rest against the far wall.

Unka drew upon the innermost reserves of his shamanic powers and with a cry, he drove out the evil thing that was in their midst, so that it was dashed into nothingness.

Chandenko leaped at the dark-browed priest who lifted a hand to ward off the sword, but his spells could not be cast quickly enough and the blade cleaved through hand and collar, slaying him in an instant.

The other priests went down under a wave of freebooter blades as they swarmed up and over the dais.

Chandenko looked over the blood-spatttered dais and the carnage that they had wrought. “Perhaps now, we will be able to escape this island unmolested.”

Jean L'Eveque turned his gaze upon a pair of weathered chests that sat against the far wall of the chamber. “It seems like these priests have not taken a vow of poverty. Those look to be the money chests of the ships wrecked upon this island's shore. This evening may have been a more profitable venture than I had dared hope!”

RIP Gary Gygax

2008-03-04T18:39:00.000-08:00

Gary Gygax went onto his next big adventure today.

He was truly instrumental in throwing my, and my friends, imaginations into overdrive when I was a kid!

Just recently our gaming group has been re-exploring Against the Giants.

Learn more about Mr. Gygax here.

2008-02-15T17:04:00.000-08:00

I was excited for the release of this.

But now that I see it, I'm a little less enthusiastic.

Snow!

2008-01-29T11:07:00.000-08:00

We ended having a bit of snow yesterday and our dogs loved it!

Kitbash: Game Room (WIP)

2008-01-27T13:13:00.000-08:00

Click the above image to see more shots of my Game Room Kitbash, which I submitted over the weekend.

Savage Wheels: Tiles

2008-01-27T10:28:00.000-08:00

Savage Wheels tiles were made to scale to use with Hot Wheels or similar size vehicles. You can find some awesome paper vehicles on Greywolf's site.

To download the tiles for Savage Wheels either you can: Download them one at a time or download the full zip (38 MB).

Build: Maiden of the High Seas

2008-01-27T10:15:00.000-08:00

I recently posted a photo of SeaWorks: Maiden of the High Seas I built.

The model for this can be found at WorldWorksGames.com.

Kitbashes involved:
The Vulture
Pirate Flags

Build: Kaiju City

2008-01-27T10:00:00.000-08:00

I recently posted some photos of my Kaiju city, which is a work in progress.

The models for this can be found at WorldWorksGames.com. The sizes will need to be scaled down; go read the forums to find out how to scale the models to fit your needs.

Kitbashes used:
Architectural Elements
Note: Numerous modifications, such as the gameboard, have been done by myself.

Pirates of the Spanish Main Islands

2008-01-27T09:30:00.000-08:00

I created a set of islands for use with Pirates of the Spanish Main.

RIP Heath Ledger

2008-01-22T12:00:00.000-08:00

1979-2008

Kitbash: Swivel and Harpoon Guns

2008-01-15T00:00:00.000-08:00

My Swivel and Harpoon Guns kitbash has been posted over at WorldWorksGames.com.

Kitbash: Brig Wall

2008-01-08T00:00:00.000-08:00

My Brig Wall kitbash has been posted over at WorldWorksGames.com.

Kitbash: Pirate Flags

2007-12-26T00:00:00.000-08:00

My Pirate Flags kitbash has been posted over at WorldWorksGames.com.

Kitbash: The Vulture

2007-12-18T00:00:00.000-08:00

My "The Vulture" kitbash has been posted over at WorldWorksGames.com.

Kitbash: Skeletal Masthead

2007-12-11T00:00:00.000-08:00

My Skeletal Masthead kitbash has been posted over at WorldWorksGames.com.