Monday, July 27, 2015

Daily Cosplay

Three Books. One Kickstarter

On Kickstarter now!

Codex Germania: Here Mr. Young explores the myths of the ancient Germans, as they looked upon the world during the age of the Roman Empire. In some ways it mirrors the Northmen, but in many more, it reveals the many hidden secrets of the warriors of the dark and brooding woods of north-central Europe.

Codex Slavorum: Often overlooked the many and diverse peoples of eastern and southern Europe believed in a vibrant world of towering gods, clever fey and wild enchantments. Beyond even the Shadows of Rome theirs is a world onto itself.

Codex Classicum: The Greeks first emerged on the world stage 3000 years ago. Their's was a vibrant culture that spawned some of the most fantastic and enduring myths the world has ever known. Mr. Young tackles these and places them in context with their Roman and Etruscan counterparts.


Armor Up ~ Post Apocalyptic




Supergirl

I'm really looking forward to Supergirl. I'm not sure why I really haven't been able to get into any of the super hero TV shows....Green Arrow for a few seasons....but this one appeals to me. I think probably because I like both Superman and Supergirl. I've always felt they were under appreciated for what they are....not what people want to portray them as.

But regardless of all that babble, the uniform looks very cool.

Gencon Bound Booth #1503

Its that time of year again! We are getting ready for Gencon the Best Four Days in Gaming...well unless you include all the times you've played Castles & Crusades.

We pack and arrange today, load in the morning and head out late in the morning of the 28th or early in the afternoon. We'll wander into Indy on Wednesday morning at some point and begin set up. That's always the hard part. Its usually hot and confused and lots of encounters. But all good.

So we'll be at Booth 1503, selling our wares and books too!

Come by and see us.


Action Reel ~ Sucker Punch


Ice Flow on Pluto

So there seems to be moving ice on Pluto, signs the planet is geologically active. It too cold to be water ice, but isn't too cold to be nitrogen ice. But regardless this means its not a dead hulk of a planet bobbing around on the edge of the solar system. Its active.

It also means, though we won't know for a bit, that the planet may have an ocean beneath the ice. If there is something moving on the surface, there's a good chance there is something moving beneath.

And who knows, there may be life down beneath that crust.

And if not, come a few billion years form now, when the sun expands, devouring Earth, Pluto may warm enough to allow life to thrive.

Imaginarium ~ Through the Tree Line



Lucy Lawless

I had no idea that Lucy Lawless was in Ash vs the Evil Dead. I'm not sure how I missed that, but then again its probably a miracle I caught it even now. That gives me one more reason to watch a show I was already going to watch!

I did see where she is trying to revive Xena Warrior Princess, which is pretty cool. Her husband produced that show back in 90s so that gives it a decent chance. Not sure if they could get a toe hold in the market now, but perhaps.

TV Trailer ~ Ash vs Evil Dead (in case you missed it)


Word of the Day -- Chariot

A chariot is a type of carriage driven by a charioteer using primarily horses to provide rapid motive power. Chariots were used in militaries as transport or mobile archery platforms, for hunting or for racing, and as a conveniently fast way to travel for many ancient peoples.

The word "chariot" comes from the Latin carrus, itself a loanword from Gaulish. A chariot of war or
one used in military parades was called a car. In ancient Rome and some other ancient Mediterranean civilizations a biga required two horses, a triga three, and a quadriga four.

Ox carts, proto-chariots, were built by the Proto-Indo-Europeans and in Mesopotamia as early as 3000 BC. The original horse chariot was a fast, light, open, two-wheeled conveyance drawn by two or more horses that were hitched side by side, and was little more than a floor with a waist-high semicircular guard at the front. It was initially used for ancient warfare during the Bronze and the Iron Ages, but after its military capabilities had been superseded by other vehicles, the chariot was used for travel, in processions, for games, and in races.

The critical invention that allowed the construction of light, horse-drawn chariots was the spoked wheel. The earliest spoke-wheeled chariots date to ca. 2000 BC and their use peaked around 1300 BC (see Battle of Kadesh). Chariots had lost their military importance by the 1st century AD, but chariot races continued to be popular in Constantinople until the 6th century.

Friday, July 24, 2015

Daily Cosplay

I love the name of this character, Kim Possible. That is a fantastic name. 

Never admit defeat!


X Files Teaser! ENJOY!

This is beyond awesome!


Ironically I wasn't a gigantic fan of the show back when it started...not to say that I didn't love the show, it was great and I watched the crap out of it...but these two characters are some of the best to ever hit the screen, large or small, and these two actors are flawless in the execution.


Mythos Kickstarter Sample Art

As you may or may not have heard, we are running a new Kickstarter: Mythos. This one unleashes three new books of mythology: Codex Germania, Codex Slavorum and Codex Classicum!

Join the Fray!






Man Of War, Sharks, Jellies and Other Perils

As we've all heard North Carolina has had a spate of shark attacks (seven or nine or such) with quite a few people seriously hurt. News is floating out of the eastern seaboard that now Portuguese Man of War are being sighted along the beach lines, washing ashore and what nots.

Those sons of devils can be serious.

It reminds me of a trip Tim, Kenneth and myself took to Florida some years back. While swimming one of us got stung by a jelly fish. I can't remember who, but it hurt like a devil. Drug him out of the water, up to the beach. When the pain reside we went back into the water, and promptly another one of us got stung. Back out of the water, wait a bit and back in, the third got stung. Back out, back in, stung again.

I can say this, I was stung twice, and that huts like a devil with a pin cushion. The pain is intense and sharp and clouds everything out of your mind except it. It didn't last long, so I know that guy was small that tore me up, but lord have mercy did that hurt.

This went on a few more times. Six or seven stings before we finally decided to not die in the surf stung to death by obnoxious jelly fish.

So keep an eye out if your on the Jersey shore.

As a side note, I would like to think it was just one jelly fish hanging out in the surf, watching us come in and out of the water (we kept going back in the water in the same spot), and stinging the tar out of us.

Armor Up



Movie Trailer 2 ~ Hungers Games Mockingjay Part 2


Star Wars The Force Awakens

The movie is barreling along with all kinds of tidbits coming out here and there, just enough to keep our palates wet . . . I wonder if that is intentional?

Yes.

But this is bad ass, we have a picture of Bullhead, the latest of the X Wing pilots making the rounds in the unfolding world of Episode VII.


Your Not This Cool

Whatever you do today, you won't be as cool as this guy.

King Arthur Returns to Film

Charlie Hunnam, who we know from Sons of Anarchy, makes a dash to the big screen in King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Its set to release next year.

He definitely has the charisma, and can carry a good script, but traditionally these Arthur movies are not very good, doing some weird derivative of history or some odd this or that as they try to make the whole thing more palatable for modern audiences. Which is silly, modern audiences are much like ancient audiences, they like a good, compelling story that's told well.

If the story is there, Mr. Hunnam can carry it out.

From Entertainment Weekly.


Word of the Day -- Farrier

A farrier is a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of horses' hooves and the placing of shoes on their hooves, if necessary. A farrier combines some blacksmith's skills (fabricating, adapting, and adjusting metal shoes) with some veterinarian's skills (knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the lower limb) to care for horses' feet.

Historically, the jobs of farrier and blacksmith were practically synonymous, shown by the etymology of the word: farrier comes from Middle French: ferrier (blacksmith), from the Latin word ferrum
(iron). A farrier's work in colonial America or pre-Industrial Revolution Europe would have included shoeing horses, as well as the fabrication and repair of tools, the forging of architectural pieces, and so on. Modern day farriers usually specialize in horseshoeing, focusing their time and effort on the care of the horse's hoof. For this reason, farriers and blacksmiths are considered to be in separate, albeit related, trades.

In the British Army, the Household Cavalry have farriers who march in parade in ceremonial dress, carrying their historical axes with spikes. They are a familiar sight at the annual Trooping the Colour. There is also a farrier on call "round the clock, twenty-four hours a day, at Hyde Park Barracks."

In the United Kingdom, the Worshipful Company of Farriers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The Farriers, or horseshoe makers, organized in 1356. It received a Royal Charter of incorporation in 1571. Over the years, the Company has evolved from a trade association for horseshoe makers into an organization for those devoted to equine welfare, including veterinary surgeons.

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Daily Cosplay


Short Film ~ To the End

The second day of the shoot on set for the the short film we are working on, To the End, was hellofafun day. It was hot again, but the crew and cast were all easy going about that. Lots of cool interior shots. Everyone captured the mood I shot for in the script perfectly.

It's really nice when things come together.

Still hoping to debut the sucker at Gencon.

The threat.....


Sam between takes....


Tom, Sam and Megan about to hear "action"....


Imaginarium




Dang, Keanu!


The Lone Gunman

Now here's some great news for X Files fans. The Lone Gunman, the three conspiracy minded gentlemen who became Mulder's info harvesting shadow army will be back for the revisit next year. That's very cool, and one step closer to capturing the feel of the old show.

Welcome back Byers, Frohike, and Langly!

Logan's Run

It looks like this classic Sci Fi movie is headed for a remake.

This news pops up now and again, as interested parties have a discussion about it and leak to the public their discussions...to gauge interest of course (not a bad thing, you have to gauge interest). And so the leaking is happening again.

Not really sure how I feel about this one. Most remakes are usually pretty good, but Logan's Run was really a good movie. And very timely for its day and age, with a less dystopian view of the future than one might imagine. All is well in the end...

Any its going to be hard to find someone as pretty as Jenny Agutter.

Armor Up




Triggered Invasion Didn't Happen

Our forlorn hope for an invasion from Pluto, triggered by New Horizon's space craft didn't happen. Many scientists predicted that the probe would actually spark a reaction from the planet's inhabitants, sending them careening across the solar system in a mad cap fashion, hell bent on destroying planet earth and enslaving its inhabitants!

But it didn't happen.

Not  yet.


Honestly, that planet looks bad ass.

Also, I'm tired of calling it a dwarf planet, that's just obnoxious and unnecessary. I'm just going to call Pluto a planet.

Movie Trailer ~ Mission Impossible Rogue Nation

Opens this weekend I think...


The Alley

Word of the Day -- Octothorpe, Number Sign, Pound Key, Hashtag



Number sign is a name for the symbol #, which is used for a variety of purposes, including (mainly in Canada and the United States) the designation of a number (for example, "#1" stands for "number one"). In recent years, it has been used for "hashtagging" on social media websites.

The term number sign is most commonly used when the symbol is used before a number. In the United States, it is sometimes known as the pound sign (particularly in the context of its use on telephone keypads), and has been traditionally used in the food industry as an abbreviation for pounds avoirdupois. Outside of North America the symbol is called hash and the corresponding telephone key is called the "hash key", and the term "pound sign" usually describes the British currency symbol "£". The symbol is defined in Unicode as U+0023 # number sign (HTML # · as in ASCII).

The symbol may be confused with the musical symbol called sharp (♯). In both symbols, there are
two pairs of parallel lines. The main difference is that the number sign has two horizontal strokes while the sharp sign has two slanted parallel lines which must rise from left to right, in order to avoid being obscured by the horizontal musical staff lines.

It is often claimed that the use of the number sign for pound derives from a series of abbreviations for pound, the unit of weight.

According to this suggestion, the symbol goes back to the abbreviation lb. for "pound" (Roman term libra pondo or "pound weight"); this abbreviation was printed with a dedicated ligature type, with a horizontal line across, so that the lowercase letter "l" would not be mistaken for the numeral "1". Ultimately, the symbol was reduced for clarity as an overlay of two horizontal strokes "=" across two forward-slash-like strokes "//". An alternative theory is that the name "pound sign" is a result of the fact that character encodings have historically used the same code for both the hash symbol and the British pound sign "£". It is sometimes supposed that the problem originated in ISO 646-GB, but it seems more likely that it has its origin in Baudot code in the late 19th century.


For example, Follow @TrollLordSteve because it is #amazing!

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Daily Cosplay

Shooting To the End ~ Short Film

Yesterday we began shooting the a short film, To the End. We are working with Litzwire Sound + Vision to bring this thing to life, and so far its fantastic.

We are working with the production company Litzwire Sound + Vision.

The commercial is basically in two parts, the first out doors, the second in an old cabin. We  started filming late in the afternoon to get some ambient light, but good lord it was hot. It actually wasn't even that hot, only about 90 something, but the air was thick in the woods, and not a scrap of wind blowing anywhere. The humidity was high and we were all, very quickly bathed in sweat.

But no complaints from anyone. The cast and crew worked crazy cool in the crazy hot and made the first part come to life.

It was new for me. Something different this way comes if will. I've never been on the set for anything like this.

I will be tweeting from the second day of shooting (today), so please take a moment and follow me on TWITTER.

Here are some shots from yesterday's shoot:



Gygaxian Fantasy Worlds: An Introduction

For several weeks now, we’ve been hyping up the Gygaxian Fantasy World series on various platforms, Facebook, X, Instagram, and Twitch. It ...