Art & Arcana reviewed in the NYT. Kind of a short, workmanlike review, but positive. H/t

Art & Arcana reviewed in the NYT. Kind of a short, workmanlike review, but positive. H/t
Robert Diber
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/30/books/review/dungeons-dragons-art-arcana-michael-sam-witwer-kyle-newman-jon-peterson.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/30/books/review/dungeons-dragons-art-arcana-michael-sam-witwer-kyle-newman-jon-peterson.html

Crazies from the ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK boardgame rulebook, TSR, 1981.

Crazies from the ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK boardgame rulebook, TSR, 1981.
Note Erol Otus' initials are backwards = OƎ
Was it drawn this way or was the image flipped during production?

My Gary Con XI game has been approved!

My Gary Con XI game has been approved! It's the same adventure as last year that I ran at North Texas but not Gary Con (because I had to cancel). It's now retitled In Search of the Brazen Head of Zenopus due to Mike Mearls using "Return to the Tower of Zenopus" for his game. I'm actually happier with the new title as it is more original and describes the goal of the con game. Murray wants that talking mask!

I've only submitted one session so far, for Fri morning 9-1. I'm still trying to decide on another time. My game won't appear on the Gary Con schedule until after they close registration (late December). They have 16 pages of games up now, but they are all Featured Events. #brazenheadofzenopus

If you missed it, I've been blogging my way through J.

If you missed it, I've been blogging my way through J. Eric Holmes' Maze of Peril. Chapter 1, Scene 7 ""The Grisly Business of Swallowing the Corpses", was posted two days ago (after a break of a few months). Of particular note in this installment, I show part of Holmes' original D&D map that corresponds to the story.

http://zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2018/11/maze-of-peril-ch-1-scene-7-grisly.html
http://zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2018/11/maze-of-peril-ch-1-scene-7-grisly.html

I'd never heard about this before, but apparently one of the Undermountain maps includes the map from B1 In Search...

I'd never heard about this before, but apparently one of the Undermountain maps includes the map from B1 In Search of the Unknown. I just saw it mentioned on twitter, but Dyson Logos blogged about it back in 2011! Per his post it's in the Eastern part of Level 1. Other parts of the maps come from a Tekumel megadungeon that David Sutherland drew back in '70s.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/dysonlogos.blog/2011/02/26/confessions-of-a-grognard-i-undermountain/amp/
https://www.google.com/amp/s/dysonlogos.blog/2011/02/26/confessions-of-a-grognard-i-undermountain/amp/

Delta on the distribution of alignments of humans in his OD&D games:

Delta on the distribution of alignments of humans in his OD&D games:

http://deltasdnd.blogspot.com/2018/11/alignment-distributions.html

Maze of Peril Ch 1, Scene 7: "The Grisly Business of Swallowing the Corpses"

Maze of Peril Ch 1, Scene 7: "The Grisly Business of Swallowing the Corpses"

The Tales of Peril book club is back, and with another glimpse of one of Holmes' original dungeon maps!

https://zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2018/11/maze-of-peril-ch-1-scene-7-grisly.html
https://zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2018/11/maze-of-peril-ch-1-scene-7-grisly.html

The Tom Baker years coincide exactly with the heyday of D&D🎆

Scott Mob wrote:

The Tom Baker years coincide exactly with the heyday of D&D🎆

Playing GASLANDS tonight for the first time.

Playing GASLANDS tonight for the first time.

Are you in New York City or the surrounding area?

Are you in New York City or the surrounding area? I'm thinking of organizing a gathering. The first step is to find out who is interested. Click below and fill out the form if you are.

Feel free to repost.

Today's session:

Originally shared by Van Noa

Today's session:

The PC's rode a runaway mine cart to it's conclusion nearly faceplanting in front of the skeletal guardsman. They bluffed their way past the Captain, securing some information on the where abouts of the Sunshard. Avoiding being pulverized on a conveyor belt, made short work of my rock eating monsters, knocked over the oldest tree in an underground arboreum and fought off a squad of attack penguins.

Overall a great game! Heading to the conclusion of the evil elemental forces beneath Skull Mountain.

Comment on the original post below (not my reshare) to be entered towin a drawing for a copy of Bayt al Azif #1,...

Comment on the original post below (not my reshare) to be entered to win a drawing for a copy of Bayt al Azif #1, the new CoC zine in which I have an article with an illustration by Chris Holmes . Jared is the editor and publisher of the zine.

Originally shared by Jared Smith

WIN A FREE COPY OF BAYT AL AZIF 1
To celebrate our one monthversary, we are giving away 3 free copies of Bayt al Azif 1!

Just +1 and Comment below to be entered in the drawing. (You can tell us about a character going crazy if you want!)

Bayt al Azif 1 includes 3 scenarios (statted for both Call of Cthulhu 7th edition and GUMSHOE/Trail of Cthulhu/Fall of DELTA GREEN): secret agents tracking down something smuggled into medieval Damascus, a group of teenagers spending the night in an abandoned school, and an investigation into a shooting of civilians during the US-Vietnam War. Plus a solo adventure set in the Miskatonic University Library, interviews with Chris Spivey of Darker Hue Studios and with Rogue Cthulhu, reviews of classic Cthulhu RPGs and all the releases of 2017, plus history, comics, advice, and more!

The drawing is for a PDF copy of the issue, but if over 100 people enter, one winner will also get a softcover print copy. If over 200 people enter, another winner will also get a hardcover print copy! Winners will be drawn on Monday, November 26, 1 pm EST.

We've really appreciated the support and response to issue 1 so far, we are working on issue 2 already! Thank you so much!

Here's a link to the listing on drivethrurpg.com with preview pages:
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/246851

Studio Ghibli's first film, Castle in the Sky is back in theatres across the country tonight at 7 PM.

Studio Ghibli's first film, Castle in the Sky is back in theatres across the country tonight at 7 PM. Check your local listings.

https://www.fathomevents.com/events/studio-ghibli-fest-2018-castle-in-the-sky
https://www.fathomevents.com/events/studio-ghibli-fest-2018-castle-in-the-sky

I found an obscure illustration of a dragon by Larry Elmore in a 1982 TSR-licensed product that is clearly in the...

I found an obscure illustration of a dragon by Larry Elmore in a 1982 TSR-licensed product that is clearly in the vein of the Sutherland Red Dragon ---

https://zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2018/11/elmores-take-on-sutherland-dragon.html
https://zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2018/11/elmores-take-on-sutherland-dragon.html

Watch the trailer, it features the Holmes Basic set.

Watch the trailer, it features the Holmes Basic set.

Originally shared by Zenopus Archives

I backed this Gygax documentary Kickstarter. 2 hours left!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dorksofyore/the-dreams-in-garys-basement-a-documentary-on-gary?ref=project_link
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dorksofyore/the-dreams-in-garys-basement-a-documentary-on-gary?ref=project_link

Tegel Manor reprint

Just got this in the mail today, impressed with the quality. How about this for some Holiday gaming, bust out your Holmes box set, old Ral Partha and Grenadier minis, roll up characters, hand the players their player map and some graph paper, give them the creepy back story and off you go .

Originally shared by Scott Mob

Today's mail arrival. I really need to stop ordering stuff. They did a good job with this JG reprint. 3 detached maps come with it(player, manor and area).

This is a little off topic, but I know some of you have read MarvelComics.

Chris Holmes wrote:

This is a little off topic, but I know some of you have read Marvel Comics. I read an obituary of Stan Lee yesterday and learned that the Fantastic Four and I were both born in 1961. This made me doubly happy because it was my childhood favorite. Apparently Dad read us Marvel comics aloud before my brother and I could read ourselves. May the God's bless Stan Lee and Jack Kirbyville and Steve Ditko too.

AD&D Playing Aids Binders

AD&D Playing Aids Binders with fantastic cover art by Alex Nuckols. Produced by St Regis under license from TSR. See the rest of the line here --- http://tomeoftreasures.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=2063&sid=4e53fc40133bc942438368172a9e4b7f

Originally shared by Scott Mob

Most recent items to enter my crib. The Dark Tower is in good shape and works. From an extra life charity event silent auction I won locally here.

"Fasten your seatbelt, True Believer!"

"Fasten your seatbelt, True Believer!"

I will always remember Stan Lee's excellent narration for Spiderman and His Amazing Friends (1981) and the Incredible Hulk (1982). It's hard to find good audio clips of this on-line, but here is a trailer for the Hulk show which features his narration.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kj0dlKuHEjg

I wrote up the short list of articles I've had published in print/pdf other than at the Zenopus Archives blog/site.

I wrote up the short list of articles I've had published in print/pdf other than at the Zenopus Archives blog/site. Includes publications by Demos Sachlas Allan Grohe Jon Hershberger Jon Wilson Michael Thomas Wayne Rossi

https://zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2018/11/things-ive-written-published-elsewhere.html
https://zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2018/11/things-ive-written-published-elsewhere.html

Matango (Mushroom People) for Holmes Basic

Tristan Tanner wrote:

Some good old fashioned body horror mushrooms! Also, the matango laugh sound is one of the most horrifying noises I've ever heard.

https://bogeymanscave.blogspot.com/2018/11/matango-mushroom-people-for-holmes-basic.html

Got my copy of Arts and Arcana on Halloween

Chris Holmes wrote:

Got my copy of Arts and Arcana on Halloween. Just the treat I wanted. Really nice sections on Sutherland and Otis. Blue book gets a nice page. Lots of interesting info and art. Allan G and Billy Galaxy get acknowledged
Zach probably should have got acknowledged for bringing the original text to light.
I am still reading it and finding more treasures.
Thanks for another great book Jon.

Perusing my copy of the 1975 Tomb of Horrors, I was pleased to see that despite the brevity of the original...

Perusing my copy of the 1975 Tomb of Horrors, I was pleased to see that despite the brevity of the original descriptions the exact phrase "green devil face" appears when describing the famous trap.