Steve Zieser Subject of Successful Cloning Program...

...and by that I mean that I get a creepy deja vu when looking at this recent example of Fat Cotton's Artwork, I would have sworn it was a piece by Steve Zieser!

American Barbarica is a pretty Awesome-Stupid blog, and as a fan of Character Portraits-Regardless of Artistic Merit, I am thinking that we all can use more Cellphone Pictures of Character Sheet Portraits.

Although I'm all about "Weridsciencefantasyplanet" right now, there's a couple of blogs that have been doing Yee Olde Traditionyl Phantasie Lande style stuff with an approach I find fresh and exciting. I love the Scurrilous Dung Ages vibe of what I've been seeing of Middenmurk, which achieves the miracle of Making Me Like Halflings. I also adore Ancient Vaults and Eldritch Secrets, which always makes me think of old disney movies on acid! And as a former victim of the "Making the Perfect Fantasy Earth Campaign Setting" obession/madness, it's great seeing that the Tao of D&D is doing exactly that with proper obsessiveness.

Also, I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one who already misses Chgowiz's big shiny head. There was a lot of practical oldschool D&D advice/theory on his blog which will be sorely missed...

A Correction, Fat Cotton Fantasy Artiste and a Memorial Tribute

Yesterday I wrote a post about a "Stupid" moment in my game. I should have used the term "Absurd," as in "Coen Brothers-esque Sublime Absurdity." I certainly don't want any of my players operating under the misapprehension that I consider them or our game stupid in any derogatory sense. Often I use the term Stupid to refer to RPG matters in the Jeff Rients-ien fashion:

Stupid games do not take themselves seriously. PCs can die horrible deaths and other grim stuff, but that horrible death might involve being eaten by a horde of zombie chickens. Big dice charts, such as wandering monsters or random mutations, are often associated with this style of game. Most comedy games fall into this category, as do all the good versions of Gamma World. The new editions of Paranoia and WFRP look pretty Stupid to me as well.

Some of my favorite rpg moments have to be when events devolve into beautiful absurdity, and I would never want to discourage players from attempting crazy plans. I heartily approve of improvised sound effects! (and now we know why a cape is worth being on the equipment buying lists!)

As well, I would be remiss to not mention that talented surreal Planet Algol-related illustrator Wesley Fat Cotton now has his own blog to display his artwork.. Although it is slim on the content, it is also new, and hopefully some of you folks in need of an artist for your creative madness will find his style suitable for your project, especially as I know that he is eager to work with some of you crazy internet rpg types!

Also...

CHGOWIZ/OLDGUYRPG BLOG
03/22/2010 - NEVAR FORGET!

The drama is over (Drama Explanation Here!), folks are actually communicating instead of flaming each other, but The Old Guy RPG Blog is Gone! I'm not going to speculate or comment on why Chgowiz withdrew from the community, but I really dug his blog (the solo games with his wife always gave me the warm fuzzies "What A Great Loving Couple!") and I'm sad to see it go. I am also sad that The Tomb of Hulkasarag/The Land of Two Rivers ancient Mesopotamia oldschool D&D project is apparently dead as a result...it would have been a perfect companion to Ancient Kingdoms: Mesopotamia. There would have been no "Black Ziggurat Madness" without Chgowiz either!

Good luck and best wishes to Chgowiz...you will be missed.

Saturday Saw-Bearifying

Courtesy of Robin Ruddock, Jeff Rients and Dilvashti the Carrion Sculptor is the "Saw-Bear," former guardian beast of the Tower of the Twin Sky Masters.

As an aside, it is very gratifying to see that Lester/B. Portly, the "Erol Otus" of the trio of core Planet Algol artists, has been doing some work with other fellows of the OSR. I encourage anyone with a need for quality fantasy art to contact Lester/B. Portly, "Sutherland"/Robin Ruddock or "Trampier"/Fat Cotton, and commission their considerable talents for your project.

A Simple Announcement Regarding and Illustrious Position

Please welcome our new Editor, the talented gamer and artist Wesley "Fat Cotton," aka "Alamogordo Slim," to Planet Algol. Wesley did a bang-up job polishing the prose in the private Planet Algol files, thus his new position. This humble blog should benefit greatly from his sharp eye and sterling grammatical skills!