Women of Action

Sometimes the fun in playing an RPG is the chance to really immerse yourself in a totally different world, personality, life situation, etc. There is tremendous fun in escapism. However, there is also something very emotionally satisfying about using the game as a chance to explore actual issues in a safe fictional space. Which is a roundabout way of saying things got real in my VtR game this past Saturday. I threw my players into a situation of non-stop action, and they were more than up to the task. I also couldn’t resist throwing in one of my infamous magnificent bastard NPCs to mess with one of my PCs who, to his credit, took the situation and ran with it. It was a good game.

I am less happy with the DC television universe as of late. They started out strong, but Gotham continues to slide from amusing absurdity to total hot mess. Which is a shame because all the actors on the show are awesome and fun. But the writing is, honestly, just awful. It’s getting painful to watch. It is totally confusing to me that Gotham not only got a back 9, but got a second season, while Constantine, which is far superior, got cut off at 13 episodes and is now in production limbo. No justice in ratings, I suppose. Constantine is my new Firefly.

I’m also disappointed with the female characters on the main DC shows. (I exempt Constantine because Zed is awesome and they have not given in to doing some stupid romance plot with her… yet.) But over on Arrow, Flash, and Gotham, the treatment of the female characters has been incredibly frustrating. With the huge exception of Thea Queen (who probably has the best story arc and character development of ANYONE on any of these shows, male or female), the female characters on these shows seem to be all portrayed as crazy or broken or just under developed. There are characters in these shows that are amazing strong female superheroes in the comics, but then the writers just totally screw them up on screen. Black Canary is dead/a defensive alcoholic who can’t fight worth a damn, Selina Kyle seems to solely exist to be Bruce Wayne’s love interest, Barbara Kane (who I thought was going to totally be Batwoman) is having a nervous breakdown and a super creepy relationship with two teenage girls, Future Poison Ivy is the most amazing example of a lamp character ever, Montoya is just… missing for some reason, and Flash fails the Bechdel test on such an epic level it’s cringe worthy. There are tons more examples, but seriously, I don’t even consider myself a feminist and I find this offensive. Hopefully, iZombie will balance out the scales a bit.

Way over on the side of the spectrum, Harley Quinn #15 was amazing and brought diversity to the DCU on a massive scale. So much girl power. You should be reading this book. And it deserves a Netflix show. It could be like Daredevil meets Orange is the New Black. But only if the writers don’t totally screw it up.

Thing I’m geeking out on: ETSY, but specifically Mythica Metalworks

When I attend a Strategicon, I always make a it a point to visit this one booth in the dealer room that sells these awesome handmade goods from crochet cephalopods to arm warmers to really neat chain mail jewelry. This last trip I acquired a stretchy chain mail bracelet that I love. I love it so much, and have received so many nice comments on it, that I tracked down the maker – Mythica Metalworks – and have requested a few more. You can keep your Tiffany baubles – give me personalized commissioned art pieces any day. Check out her online shop, order some things, she is amazing.

And…. We’re Back.

Belated New Year’s Resolution #105 – get back to updating content on here again. Now that we’re starting to expand our nonsense beyond just RPGs, I think I’m going to start reflecting that around here as well. (Cut back on RPGs and invest more time in artistic pursuits was also on the list.) So, unless there is something of particular RPG interest going on during the week, I think I’m going to run this weekly missive on two parts: News, and Things I’m Geeking Out On. Let’s see how that works out.

In the News category:

We will be running two slots at Strategicon in February (2/13 – 2/15)

On Saturday, we will be running a GURPS game based on a new SciFi/Fantasy setting we are working on which takes place in a multiverse, which means both cool tech and magic with be a thing.

On Sunday, we will be running a Hunter (nWod) game wherein our group of Hunters has discovered a popular Halloween Festival is being run by vampires.

Info for the con and early sign ups for our games can be found here.

We are also making plans for Wondercon and GenCon, where we will also being doing demos for Steve Jackson Games and Onyx Path respectively.

Lastly, I acquired a spiffy new DSLR for Christmas and now have a Flickr account if you are curious about my non-convention related pictures. I am also actively posting on HitRecord, if you are interested in that sort of thing. (It’s pretty awesome, you should check it out.)

Things I’m Geeking Out On: Indie Supernatural-y themed Movies

I’ve got three indie movies that I have added to my queue recently, which are either currently available or will be available shortly, depending on where you live and when you are reading this. Although each is pretty different in execution and tone, there is a general theme here of urban horror/fantasy done in a new and interesting fashion. My picks for movies I will likely be bugging people to watch with me in the near future:

Afflicted – The subject of a recent Girl on Guy episode, this is the most outside my comfort zone. I’m generally not big on found footage films, and I tend to like my horror with a large side of humor. However, I am a big fan of action and the trailer looks pretty amazing, so I’m going to trust Aisha Tyler on this one and check it out when it’s available on Blu-Ray.

What We Do In The Shadows – Just the trailer for this seemed like 90% of the World of Darkness games I’ve ever played turned into a goofy movie. I feel like at some point in the future someone will ask me what a Vampire the Masquerade LARP is like, and I will recommend watching this movie. But in an affectionate, self-effacing humor kind of way. Also, it reminds me I still haven’t watched Flight of the Conchords, and I should remedy that.

Suburban Gothic – Unlike the other two, it looks like this one is actually going to get a decent theatrical release, so maybe I’ll actually see it in a theater. (Or not, theaters are kind of over-rated.) Anyways, this looks super funny, reminds me of hanging out with my spooky minded friends in college, and has Kat Dennings, which is always a plus in my book. Kat Dennings is on my short list of actresses I think would be fun to have dinner with.