Sheesh, it’s been a little while since I’ve written anything here. I’ve been traveling a bit (I’ll post photos soon!) and working (I can’t post the stuff right now.)
Last night I attended my first gaming session with the “Story Games Boston” group. You ask, what’s a story game? The definition is somewhat sketchy, but Story-Games.com says:
A Story Game is a type of role-playing game or gaming experience with a lesser focus on My Character and a greater focus on Our Story.
It was a fun and memorable evening with lots of laughs, dice explosions and bottle-tipping. It will be awhile before I get the hang of this style of play. Playing is heavy improvisation and whenever I try to improv, a big “Loading, Please Wait…” message scrolls across my brain.
Great group of folks and I’m looking forward to seeing them again next week.
Colin Hay’s show last night was one of the best concerts I’ve been to in years. He had us laughing throughout the night with stories of his tours, his time with Men at Work and his childhood. He played his hits (”You can’t ignore the big songs,”) and many tunes off of his “Peaks and Valleys” and “Going Somewhere” albums, my personal favorites.
Here is an excerpt, his cover of the Beatles’ Norwegian Wood.
Jen and I took a walking tour of the beautiful College Hill in Providence on Sunday, taking note of many of the important locations of H.P. Lovecraft’s works and life. We followed the wonderfully helpful map created by the kind folks at http://www.hplovecraft.com.
Poe and Lovecraft used to wander amongst these graves at the Cathedral of St John Episcopal
The inspiration for the house in Lovecraft’s “The Shunned House.”
The Fleur De Lys Studio, where great Cthulhu was first envisioned in stone.
The building given as the home of the artist in “Call of Cthulhu”
Founded in 1638 by Roger Williams, this is the oldest Baptist church and the mother church of the Baptists.
A library near Brown University frequented by Lovecraft, also Poe.
Having a sit down next to the Van Wickle Gates outside Brown University.
John Hay Library, across from Brown University, holds the largest collection of Lovecraft manuscripts.
H.P. Lovecraft Memorial
H.P. Lovecraft Memorial
The Samuel B. Mumford House, Lovecraft’s final home. Moved to this location from a spot next to the John Hay Library.
The Prospect Terrace park, with Roger Williams watching over Providence. One of Lovecraft’s spots.
Lovecraft’s home from April 1926 to May 1933
Lovecraft’s grave marker behind the Phillips family monument
“I am Providence” - Lovecraft’s Grave Marker
“I never can be tied to raw new things,
For I first saw the light in an old town,
Where from my window huddled roofs sloped down,
To a quaint harbour rich with visionings.
Streets with carved doorways where the sunset beams,
Flooded old fanlights and small window-panes,
And Georgian steeples topped with gilded vanes ~
These are the sights that shaped my childhood dreams.”
Mike Mignola spoke, moderated by Christopher Golden, at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston on Thursday, April 3, 2008. He talked about how he became an artist, his influences, Hellboy and what projects he’s working on now. If you have a chance to hear him speak, I recommend it. He’s genuine and very funny.
Three points that stuck with me:
He has a “working stiff, blue collar” work ethic. He’s always at his art table, seven days a week.
Went through a long phase where he wanted to be a different artist, (draw in a different artist’s style,) every two days.
Created Hellboy (as opposed to the mainstream superhero stuff that was prevalent in the early 90s comic market) because he wanted to do “what he wanted to do” and get paid for it.
My notes from the talk and several of the images he showed in his presentation are after the jump.
We see here Joss Whedon, whose art has touched me, touching my art!
He got the NE Browncoat package today. Thanks to Shelley and Holly from the NE Browncoats for sending this and to Jaime Paglia for making the hand off.
There’s a great story in the first 22 issues of the 80s Marvel G.I. Joe comic that follows the Joes dealing with eskimo (inuit?) tracker/mercenary Kwinn. He becomes a “friend” of sorts of Snake Eyes and they cause all sorts of mischief. It ends badly for Kwinn, but he gets some good revenge with “a grenade fallen from a dead man’s hand.”
Snake Eyes and Wild Bill give him a burial at sea, which is the scene for this little illustration here.
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