Wayward Leather puts Designs on Nerdarchy Live Chat
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O50YCw_lqAc&w=560&h=315] Nerdarchists Dave and Ted welcomed artist and craftsperson Mellie Z. to the Nerdarchy live chat to talk shop about her fantasy-themed leatherwork creations. Mellie hand-crafts fantastic pieces for display, wearable garments and accessories, bags and "monster boxes." [caption id="attachment_19924" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Mellie Z. creates handmade, fantasy-themed...
Satine Phoenix is living the nerdy dream
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJ5Hts-8VQY&w=560&h=315] Nerdarchist Dave got three special guests for the cost of one when he welcomed Satine Phoenix to the Nerdarchy live chat. Hanging out on her birthday from her home/studio in sunny Los Angeles, Phoenix shared her morning chatting live and answering questions. Nerd culture...
Absolute Tabletop takes the Oath of the Frozen King with Nerdarchy
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPJk2Taia9c&w=560&h=315]
Nerdarchist Dave welcomes Matt Click and Tim Kearney from Absolute Tabletop to live chat #45 to talk about Oath of the Frozen King, their latest Kickstarter project. With a solid history of RPG content creation, AbTab’s latest offering is the Adventure Kit, which they describe as “versatile, flexible frameworks for roleplaying game adventures.” The modular presentation allows for minimal prep time for GMs, enabling you to run adventures for your players at the drop of a hat.
Talking nerdy with Nerdarchists Dave and Ted in the live chat
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bRORnQO-wQ&w=560&h=315]
Sans guest, Nerdarchists Dave and Ted hung out with fans live, answered viewer and Patreon questions and talked about nerdy stuff during live chat #46. The classic Nerdarchy camaraderie was in full swing as these OG Nerdarchists chatted with each other and interacted with a lively chat room.
Cardboard Fortress lowers the drawbridge to Nerdarchy live chat
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWXDUlTHYuw&w=560&h=315]
Nerdarchy friend and regular gamer in Nerdarchist Dave’s Gryphongaff game, Anthony Amato from Cardboard Fortress Games joined the daily live chat to talk nerdy. Amato is a graphic designer, illustrator and game designer. Along with fiance and longtime business partner Nicole Kline, they’ve created several tabletop games like RESISTOR_. He’s also contributed work to other games like Grow, designed artwork for the Tabletop Cooperative and is a regular at the Philly Game Forge’s dev night.
Common Man Cocktails gets alchemical with Nerdarchy
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1wNFRC2rRI&w=560&h=315] If you're looking for fantasy, science fiction or pop culture-inspired cocktails for your next party or gaming session, your quest is complete. Derrick Schommer from Common Man Cocktails joined Nerdarchist Dave for live chat #42 to discuss recipes and a whole lot more. Schommer...
Jim Moreno live chats with Nerdarchy
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhNiw4u9KLw&w=560&h=315]
Want to know what it takes to be a writer covering nerd culture? Nerdarchist Dave welcomed journalist and writer Jim Moreno to the Daily Live Chat #41 at Nerdarchy’s YouTube channel to talk about his journey to becoming a professional writer and share tips and advice for aspiring writers.
Comic Book University: YouTube for the super hero in all of us
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="326" class="zemanta-img"] The Incredible Hulk #1 (May 1962). Cover art by Jack Kirby and Paul Reinman. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption] I don’t normally do a shout-out for a solitary YouTube channel, especially one that is fairly new, but the channel called Comic Book University...
Dungeon Crate brings RPG loot to your front door every month
There seems to be a subscription box service for just about everything nowadays, from crafts to wines to all kinds of foods and more. There are even a number of different subscription boxes for the nerd or geek in all of us. But what about tabletop role playing gamers?
Before January 18, the pickings seemed pretty slim, but that was the launch date for Dungeon Crate, a monthly subscription box service with a focus on role players and the games we love.
What are subscription boxes?
Fantasy Artist Spotlight – Daniel R. Horne
I have been enjoying fantasy art since I was a boy in the 1970s. Initially I grew to recognize and love the works of Brothers Hildebrandt, Frank Frazetta, Walter Valez and Darrell K. Sweet. Most of these artists drew my attention by their fantastic work on paperback book covers. During the 1980s, I found myself drawn to newer artists, those whose works were featured in role playing material, mostly Dungeons & Dragons products and Dragon magazine. Names like Erol Otus, Bill Willingham, Jeff Easley, Larry Elmore and Keith Parkinson became familiar to me, along with hosts of others.
Yet one artist stood out for me among all the others, that artist being Daniel R. Horne.
Fantasy Artist Spotlight – Daniel R. Horne
Fantastic Fantasy Art| Tony Diterlizzi
Dragon Magazine cover of a Diterlizzian halfling.
It’s time to walk the hallowed halls of my artist pantheon, this time with the imaginative work of Tony Diterlizzi. I first knew Mr. Diterlizzi’s work from his RPG artwork for 2nd Edition Dungeons & Dragons, primarily in the Monstrous Manual… and then- Planescape! How mind-blowing was that 2nd Edition boxed-set with it’s purple and brown tones and whimsical, yet with an aspect of danger, characters? He has contributed his pencils and brushes to RPG artwork for the fore mentioned Dungeons & Dragons, Magic the Gathering, young adult book covers (“The Spiderwick Chronicles”), children’s books (“Ted” and “The Spider & The Fly”), and even a full-length young adult novel series that he wrote himself (“The Search for Wondla” series)!
Grimm’s Fairy Tales Rumplestiltskin Scene 2
Dimensional Illustration by illworx Illustrations
A mysterious stranger offers the girl his help, but the help of some always comes with a cost…
Mad Max Fury Road & The Dark Fantasy Art Influences of Brom
Furiosa’s black war paint beside Brom’s painting from 10 years prior.
So I may lose nerd cred here, but I was only just able to see the fantastic, nitrous injected film that was Mad Max Fury Road this past weekend. I don’t feel I can add much to the discussion of the cultural significance of the film, but there is one unique slant regarding the visuals that I might offer.
Fury Road explodes like an oil tanker flame-throwered and jack-knifed into the desert wastes at 60 mph with rich, detailed costumes, weapons, and vehicles- I was simply floored by how visually extravagant this film was! The many muted tones of the film giving the few instances of vibrant color an incredible punch!
It was full of dark fantasy imagery coupled with something else- maybe call it a “Rust Punk” aesthetic with all of it’s super-charged, lethal, heap of junk vehicles. For those less well-versed in dark fantasy imagery, it tends to have a more threatening and fetishized look about it. The first name that comes to mind when I think “dark fantasy” is: Gerald Brom, or to many, just simply Brom.
Grimm’s Fairy Tales Rumplestiltskin Scene 1
Dimensional Illustration by illworx Illustrations
The king makes the girl an offer she cannot refuse!
How to DM — Cheat With The Lazy Dungeon Master
Hello and welcome fellow Nerdarchists. I’ve got a great way for you to up your tabletop roleplaying game skills. It’s called The Lazy Dungeon Master written by Michael Shea. Don’t worry about which edition of Dungeons & Dragons you are playing. This book is useful. As a matter of fact I’m gonna go out on a limb and suggest you could use nearly all of the advice given for any tabletop RPG. This book is short, sweet and packed with valuable Dungeon Master tips. If you are looking for a how to DM resource this one is at the top of my list. It weighs in at an anemic 123 pages but offers storm giant sized value. If I would have stumbled across this book there is no way I would of bought it, but because a friend recommended it I decided to give it go. At 123 pages I was thinking what the hell is this Michael Shea guy going to tell me about how to DM? I mean, I’ve been gaming for over 30 years at this point.
