Your Morning Head: Ape Week

My friend Rodger tells the story of being a kid, laying on his belly at his friend’s house and watching 2001: A Space Odyssey.  He and his buddy were enthralled by The Dawn of Man scenes in which early man-apes discover the use of tools.  His friend’s father wandered into the room and joined the boys watching the movie while sipping his beer.

The father scrutinized Kubrick’s film for long moments until at last he rendered his evaluation: “This ain’t nothin’ but a damn monkey movie.”

Anybody who’s listened to more than a few episodes of Funnybooks knows I have a deep and abiding affection for monkeys.  Talking monkeys, that is.

I enjoy them in all their forms.  Comics, TV, movies… at the office, in the grocery store… love ‘em.  In my homebrew SF game, the local sheriff?  Talking monkey.

I don’t really understand my fascination with talking monkeys.  I just know that I am drawn to them.

With the advent of this week’s release of Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Ideology of Madness will honor the Planet of the Apes franchise for all its done to elevate the dialogue between man and ape.  Additionally, we’ll look at other chatty ape notables.  And we’re giving stuff away!

More on that shortly.

Ain’t nothin’ but a damn monkey movie?  And a damn monkey comic.  And a damn monkey TV show.  And a damn monkey website.

Written on August 2nd, 2011 , Ape Week, Movies & TV, Your Morning Head Tags:
Your Morning Head: Peanuts’ 60th Year

I was a HUGE Peanuts fan as a kid. A whole shelf of Charlie Brown books adorned my wall.

When I was twelve, I hiked up Pecos Baldy in New Mexico with my Boy Scout troupe. Late in the hike, I was struggling to keep up having fallen far to the rear of the party. Our Scout Master, Dr Poindexter, tugged on my pack.

“Why is your pack so heavy!?!”

I shrugged. Hell, I didn’t know. It just was.

He opened it to find that it was FULL of books. Peanuts books.

“Why did you pack books for this hike?!?!” Read the rest of this entry »

Written on December 13th, 2010 , Comics, Your Morning Head Tags: ,
Your Morning Head: Squee!

I am as tickled as I can be.

The media property that got me into SCI-FI was not Star Trek, nor was it Star Wars.  No, my gateway to SF was none other than the Six Million Dollar Man.  To this day when I hear series producer Harve Bennett’s narrative from the opening sequence – “Steve Austin, Astronaut… a man barely alive…” – I get chills of excitement!

I am a sucker for this show.  Love it.  Only problem is that there has never been a legitimate way to own the series.  It has never been released legally in the States on VHS or DVD.  Oh sure you can get Region 2 discs or plenty of Chinese pirate DVDs.  You can even pick up the Spanish language version, El Hombre Nuclear (I guess they didn’t want to do the Peso conversion), but there’s not been an American release.

Until this November.

The complete series, digitally remastered even, will be available on November 23rd. It’ll be tricked out with 17 original featurettes, 6 audio commentaries, plus interviews with series stars Lee Majors and Richard Anderson (aka Oscar Goldman).   Seven year-old me is doing cartwheels.

I squealed when I read the press release last night.  The Wife has been mocking me on Facebook since.

The fact that I’m voicing the “bionic” sound FX as I move through the house at Bionic slo-mo doesn’t help either.  But screw her.  This shit’s awesome.

November 23rd, eh?  I know what I’ll be doing over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Steve Austin, astronaut. A man barely alive. Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to build the world’s first bionic man. Steve Austin will be that man. Better than he was before. Better, stronger, faster.

On another note, I’m escorting The Wife to her work thing tonight.  I asked her, “Which superhero shirt should I wear?  I’d wear Superman, but maybe they won’t get the irony.  More of a Captain America crowd?  Or are they more urban… Black Bastard perhaps?”

Written on September 15th, 2010 , Science Fiction, Your Morning Head Tags: ,
Your Morning Head: When I was 12

Watching the news this weekend, I was disturbed to learn that a twelve year-old girl and her thirteen year-old boyfriend gunned down her mother and step-father.  The girl had apparently run away from home last month and returned, guns-a-blazing.  Her mother was dead on the scene.  Her step-father, who slipped into a coma shortly after identifying the shooters, died last Thursday.

“I can’t believe this,” I remarked to my wife.  “When I was twelve, I played with action figures.  I played DnD!”

“So, nothing’s really changed?” She asked.

“I don’t play DnD anymore,” I scowled her direction.  “I prefer games with mechanics that drive the story forward and reward deep roleplaying, games where players share in the storytelling.”

She snorted, “Elitist.”

Written on September 7th, 2010 , Role Playing Games, Your Morning Head Tags:
Your Morning Head: Penultimate Session of Doom

I was putting dinner together for my players when The Wife asked, “Sandwiches?  Again?  Aren’t you worried they’re going to get tired of this?  Don’t you want some variety in your menu for game night?”

I blinked in confusion.  What? Not want sandwiches?  No am make sense.

Of course, The Wife is the same person who in order to determine what we should have for dinner will ask me what I had for lunch.  As if it is somehow relevant!  If I had tacos for lunch, I’m still good for tacos at dinner!  Same with Thai food, pizza, or… yes… even sandwiches.

To be on the safe side, I asked the guys about this.

They blinked their confusion as well.

Sandwiches remain on the menu.

The boys needed the nourishment.  They had a long night ahead of them. Read the rest of this entry »

Written on July 23rd, 2010 , Role Playing Games, Savage Worlds, This Empire Earth, Your Morning Head Tags: ,
Your Morning Head: Do-overs


I was listening to an episode of The Game’s the Thing in which PLAY UNSAFE author, Graham Walmsley, was interviewed.  To hear Walmsley describe it, PLAY UNSAFE is an advice book for players on how to maximize the fun at the table.  I liked what I heard, until I heard Walmsley recommend the do-over.

If you’re not happy with the way the game’s gone, do it over.

Now, I’ve come a long way as a GM over the past few years.   I used to be totally Old School GM Guy.  The whole It’s-My-World-And-You’re-Just-Playing-In-It kind of GM?  That was me!

Over the last two years, I’ve brought the players into the world building process and even gone all sandbox with them!  To great success, too.  Seriously, I’ve played some of my favorite games over the last two years.  I am totally open to this whole hippie gamer culture that’s emerged.  I’m considering joining a co-op!

But this do-over thing?  I dunno about that. Read the rest of this entry »

Written on July 9th, 2010 , Games, Role Playing Games, Your Morning Head Tags: ,
Your Morning Head: Still Dirty

Look at all those bonus dice for the players, and only three complication chips for the GM.

If there’s one thing I suck at in my games, it’s predicting run time.

Back in April, I thought I had one, maybe two sessions left in the first season of my This Empire Earth game.  We’ve run two games since then and I still think I’ve got two more sittings before the curtain falls.

I’ve prepared two scenes to wrap up this season of the story and lead into the next.  Neither has occurred yet.  But we’re so close!

What’s gotten in the way?  Some really great gaming. Read the rest of this entry »

Written on June 25th, 2010 , Games, Role Playing Games, Savage Worlds, This Empire Earth, Your Morning Head Tags: ,
Your Morning Head: Game Master Impartiality?

lady-judgeI hear a lot of talk that Game Master’s are supposed to be impartial. The image of a judge comes to mind. Someone who sits above personalities and who has no motivation on any side of an issue, no personal stake. The GM’s role, many would say, is to serve the rules, the system. If he’s serving anything else, there is no neutral arbitrator. Resolutions become unfair.

I don’t subscribe to this school of thought. I think the GM should have a stake at the table, owing his allegiance to the fun. Certainly the priority should be to the fun of the players, but I think it’s valid and even desirable that the GM be watchful for his or her own fun.

Of course, that’s my two cents.  I asked The Game Master Brain Trust their thoughts on the subject. Read the rest of this entry »

Written on June 2nd, 2010 , Role Playing Games, Your Morning Head Tags: ,
Funnybooks with Aron and Paulie: Dawn of the Phat Flash

fb2010_43tallIn the days leading up to Free Comic Book Day, Aron, Paul, Wayne, and Jonathan gathered to discuss the books they paid for, announce a contest winner, and tease Free Funnybook Day!

  • Saturday May 1st is Free Comic Book Day at a participating comic shop near you!
  • Monday May 3rd is Free Funnybook Day right here at Ideology of Madness.  We’re giving away so many comics it’s insane!!!
  • BRIGHTEST DAY UPDATE
    • Green Lantern #53
  • THANOS IMPERATIVE UPDATE
    • Guardians of the Galaxy #25
    • Nova #36
  • SECOND COMING UPDATE
    • X-Men Legacy #35
    • X-Factor #204
  • Batman: Streets of Gotham #11
  • INDY SPOTLIGHT
    • Incorruptible # 4
    • Magdalena #1
  • Announcing our Blackest Night Give-a-way winner!

Free Comic Book Day is Saturday, May 1st at a participating comic shop near you.  And come back to the site EARLY on Monday, May 3rd for the unbridled awesomness that will be FREE FUNNYBOOK DAY!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Written on April 25th, 2010 , Comics, DC, Independent, Marvel, Podcasts, Your Morning Head Tags: , , ,
Your Morning Head: Just When You Thougt It Was Safe

persuadingJust so you know, this will be yet another missive on the subject of Persuasion skills (YAMotSoPS).  This is my fourth such YMH on the subject.  …But wait!

I’m working through something here.

Listening to Happy Jacks Bar and Grill this week, I was surprised to find they revisited the subject.  One of their hosts, Tappy, was not present for the first conversation.  As he had a much different opinion than those of his co-hosts, he and moderating host, Stu, poked the coals of this subject’s dwindling fire, stoking it to a crackling roar.

Before we get too far into the meat of things, I’d like to clarify something Stu said in this episode.  He stated that I wrote a letter to his show addressing the issue as well sending same to the folks at Bear Swarm and Kicked in the Dicebags suggesting that I was stirring the shit all across the pod-o-sphere.  While it is true that I sent an email to Happy Jacks Bar and Grill asking for their feedback, I did so because their show features a regular listener mail segment.  I did not; however, send a note to KiDB or Bear Swarm asking them to comment on the situation. In fact, Bear Swarm has not recorded a show on the subject, though the show’s moderating host has commented on the subject here on the blog.

It is true I sent a note to Ross Payton giving him a heads-up at the time I posted my original article.  That was a courtesy.  I also took the opportunity to thank him for a fun game.

So, I guess an argument could be made that I prompted the guys at RPPR to record their episode.  But I prefer to think that the reason why RPPR, KiDB, The Podge Cast and Happy Jacks Bar and Grill all recorded episodes on the subject (and in the case of Happy Jacks, 2 episodes) is that this is an interesting subject that fuels a lot of passion on either side of the fence.

All that aside, I rather enjoyed the conversation on this week’s Happy Jacks.  Tappy and Stu had a terrific, polite discussion in which two guys with very different opinions on the topic expressed their positions.  Tappy made a great point. Read the rest of this entry »

Written on April 23rd, 2010 , Podcasts, Role Playing Games, Your Morning Head Tags:
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