#RPG Calling All My Gaming Friends On Facebook, Old And New...

Did you know I'd set up a Facebook group for friendly debate and banter about old school gaming, called I'd Rather Be Killing Monsters?

It's been active for a month and has already attracted just shy of 200 members, but would always welcome more.

In recent weeks, it has been home to a wide range of discussions from handling player-character deaths in-game and attitudes to mega-dungeons, vampires, firearms, and Hawk The Slayer, through to and to favourite settings and preferred campaign lengths.

While we call ourselves an "old school" group, I take a very broad approach to that, considering "old school" to be more an attitude than a definitive set - or style - of rules systems.

The main thing I'm looking for is a positive approach to discussing the hobby, an inspirational creative hivemind that will benefit members willing to join in the conversation.

You can find the group here on Facebook.

We've Followed The Breadcrumbs And The Witch's House Is Finally In Sight...

Artwork by Ghoulish Gary Pullin

The Axe Must Fall...

Thanks to a combination of mini-series coming to an end and a tightening of the old purse strings (thanks, in large part to the declining value of the pound and the increasing price of comics), my monthly pull-list is at an all-time low.

These are the titles I'm currently getting - or have pre-ordered:

• Conan: Battle For The Serpent Crown
• Conan The Barbarian
• Crone
• Daphne Byrne
• Dark Agnes
• Dungeons & Dragons: Infernal Tides
• He-Man & The Masters Of The Multiverse
• Jim Henson's The Storyteller: Ghosts
• Killing Red Sonja
• Knights Of The Dinner Table
• Norse Mythology
• Reaver
• Red Sonja
• Red Sonja: Age Of Chaos
• Red Sonja and Vampirella Meet Betty and Veronica
• Savage Avengers
• Sword Master
• The Immortal Hulk
• The Last God
• The Last God: Tales From The Book Of Ages
• Three Jokers

You'll probably notice a paucity of actual superhero titles in that list these days.

This is because I'm now getting my quality superhero fix through film and television. With the current high quality and broad portfolio of comic book shows available via the various streaming services, that itch is getting well and truly scratched for - it has to be said - a fraction of the cost of comic books these days.

Comic book-wise, I think the future lies in mini-series.

I shall keep an eye out, for instance, for the return of Battlepug, and the launch of Marvel's Solomon Kane, and I'm hoping for further titles covering Conan's adventures in the Hyborian Age, rather than his on-going, anachronistic exploits in the modern Marvel Age (Is Savage Sword ever coming back?).

Everybody Was Kirk Fu Fighting!!!

In unabashed celebration of Captain James T. Kirk’s singular fighting skills, Star Trek: Kirk Fu Manual is every Starfleet cadet’s must-have training guide for surviving the final frontier.

As captain of the legendary U.S.S. Enterprise, James T. Kirk engaged in his share of fisticuffs, besting opponents with a slick combination of moves and guile that remains unmatched. Is there anyone you’d rather have watching your back as you take on Klingons, alien gladiators, genetically engineered supermen, and even the occasional giant walking reptile?

Kirk Fu is a series of unarmed combat techniques developed by one of Starfleet’s most celebrated starship captains over several years of encounters with alien species on any number of strange new worlds. A blend of various fighting styles, Kirk Fu incorporates elements of several Earth-based martial arts forms as well as cruder methods employed in bars and back alleys on planets throughout the galaxy.

It is as unorthodox in practice as it is unbelievable to behold. Including excerpts from Kirk’s own notes and personal logs, the Star Trek: Kirk Fu Manual is the perfect training guide for surviving the depths of space. With proper training and practice, every Starfleet cadet can become one with Kirk Fu.

Dayton Ward’s Star Trek: Kirk Fu Manual, illustrated by Italian comic book artist Christian Cornia, is scheduled for release in early March.

The book is destined to become essential reading for would-be members of Starfleet (and its contemporary precursor, Space Force) looking to learn the secrets of the most versatile fighting technique on the Final Frontier.

The 64-page, 7″ x 7″, hardcover is available for pre-order from Amazon here, and you can see some sample page spreads below.

Comics Without Context...

Musical Monday: The Evil Dead (SnakeyeS)

First single for upcoming new Snakeyes album. This is the video for The Evil Dead, produced by artist Leo Traverso, a good friend of the band, is an animated homage to classic horror movies and the cosmic terror universe created by H.P. Lovecraft.