MERLIN IS DEAD.

Scottish actor Nicol Williamson scummbed to esophogeal cancer in December, but his family just recently announced his death to the public. He was 75.

I'll of course always remember him for his near lyrical portrayl of Merlin, a performance to which I've come to compare all on-screen magicians, spellcasters, sorcerers, warlocks, and conjurers. Rest in Peace great wizard....



Obit in the New York Times.

See Merlin bid farewell to his king one last time.

Warner Bros.: We can't tell the difference between Elfquest and The Hobbit

Wow. The geniuses at Warner Bros. were developing an Elfquest movie (ostensibly looking for fantasy properties to replace their beloved Harry Potter franchise) and recently dropped the project because, as co-creator Wendy Pini puts it:

After close to four years of suspense – and longer than four years of your much-appreciated interest and support – the word has come down from Warner Bros. And the word is “no.” Their simple explanation is that they don’t want to compete with The Hobbit. This was a possibility, among several, that we were prepared for. It is a relief, at last, to know.

Apparently randy space elves are too similar to uppity halfling burgulars. Or more precisely, they hear the world "elf" and think "Tolkien". I suppose that's one better than thinking "Santa's helpers". On the other hand, perhaps Warner Bros. knows something about the elves in the new Hobbit movie we don't. (shudder)

More at Bleeding Cool

D&D 5E contents video!

"Grognard" is a new race!

;)

IT'S HAPPENING

I'm sure you've heard/read this already, but D&D 5 is coming--and Wizards of the Coast says it wants input this time. From the New York Times:

But there might yet be hope for Dungeons & Dragons, known as D&D. On Monday, Wizards of the Coast, the Hasbro subsidiary that owns the game, announced that a new edition is under development, the first overhaul of the rules since the contentious fourth edition was released in 2008. And Dungeons & Dragons’ designers are also planning to undertake an exceedingly rare effort for the gaming industry over the next few months: asking hundreds of thousands of fans to tell them how exactly they should reboot the franchise.

There's a movement now, perhaps you've heard of it. It's called the OSR.

 

So where's the banner? How do we mobilize this? Shouldn't there be a big wishlist of what we'd like the new edition to be? Where should it live and can we all sign up?

 

• Full article on NYT
• Wizards' web article

Harryhausen Documentary Trailer Promises Awesomeness....

...but I can find no trace of the finished film's actual existence. Here's what facts I DO know about this video:

1. It's produced by Frenetic Arts, a French-based studio.
2. It's not out yet, despite being scheduled for Spring 2011 completion.

If you have info on this, please comment. Until then, we'll just have to be satisfied with every Harryhausen monster in one video. :)

P.S. As of June 2011, Ray Harryhausen is 91 years old and still has all of his original models from the films. He is as cool as they get!

Avengers Assembled into First Official Trailer!

Yep, it's everywhere today!

Enjoy!

D&D Needs Your Help: 2011 Hall of Fame Video Contest!

So you know that Dungeons & Dragons is a finalist for the 2011 National Toy Hall of Fame, right? Well they (the National Museum of Play) are asking fans to submit a short video, images, or written story telling a story about why one of the nominees are is so important to them--it's called the I Love This Toy contest.
 
The competition this year is pretty stiff--Star Wars figures, Hot Wheels, and Transformers are all still VERY popular. Yes, they're all Hasbro properties, so (technically) is D&D. Here's the problem--only two inductees will be selected. A few years ago, that number was three but the class of 2010 had only two.

Entries can't be longer than 2 minutes in length and there are even PRIZES:

• 1 Grand Prize (by online votes): $250 Amazon.com gift card
• 3 Curator's Choice prizes (determined by a panel of National Museum of Play experts): $150 Amazon.com gift card

So grab your camera/video camera, some old D&D books, a set of funky dice, and some miniatures and do your darnest to persuade the judges--and the voting public--to include the orignal fantasy RPG in the 2011 class.

Hurry: the deadline is next Friday, October 14!!

• Contest webpage
• This year's story entries 
• Register to create your story
• Contest rules
• Props to GeekDad on Wired.com

Wild, Wooly, and "Daffy" Wizard Runs Amuck!

No, I'm not the first person to post this. But I definitely want it on the blog because it is awesome and should be seen by as many eyeballs as possible.

That is all!

D&D is a National Toy Hall of Fame finalist!

The National Toy Hall of Fame has included Dungeons & Dragons on the slate of finalists to it's 2011 inductees--only two selections will be inducted.  The full list includes dollhouse, Dungeons & Dragons, Hot Wheels, Jenga, Pogo Stick, puppets, R/C vehicles, Rubik’s Cube, Simon, Star Wars action figures, Transformers, and Twister. As you can see, a few items are non-branded, but Hasbro came out the big winner with eight of the 12.

From the Washington Post:

Forty-six toys have earned a place in the Hall of Fame. Among them are Crayola crayons, Silly Putty, and Hasbro’s Mr. Potato Head and the Easy-Bake Oven. Toys are chosen for induction based on several criteria, including “icon status,” longevity and innovation.

John Frascotti, chief marketing officer for Hasbro, said the company was “thrilled” to have so many finalists recognized as “childhood touchstones.”

I'm not sure if this is more or less nominees than previous year's but it seems as though the game has it's work cut out for it. Here's a look at the nominating criteria:

• Icon-status: The toy is widely recognized, respected, and remembered
• Longevity: The toy is more than a passing fad and has enjoyed popularity over multiple generations
• Discovery: The toy fosters learning, creativity, or discovery through play
• Innovation: The toy profoundly changed play or toy design. A toy may be inducted on the basis of this criterion without necessarily having met all of the first three.

I'd say based on Icon-status, Discovery, and Innovation, D&D should be inducted, but let's face it, several of the other nominees have had more staying power beyond their initial fadishness. Still, the fact that it's still around and currently remains published in a fourth edition may be enough. The other finalist I think would be worthy are Star Wars figures, which should be an easy "in" based on how they single-handedly changed the entertainment industry as a whole.

Well, it would be nice to see D&D given it's proper due. What do you think its chances are of being inducted?

Did I mention that X-Plorers is Now Available?

Yes? Good. Just trying to get the word out. I've been shouting this from the mountain tops on Exonauts and Gamma World War, but I added a few clarifications...

CALLING ALL X-PLORERS....

X-Plorers is now available as a box set, softcover print-on-demand, or a no-art FREE download. You now have THREE WAYS to start conquering the galaxy--and you could be doing so as soon as THIS AFTERNOON while you wait for your box or softcover to arrive in the mail. Here's a look at the inside of the softcover....



The game is rules-light and can be played as-is, but it's REAL strength is in it's ability to be fiddled with under the hood. Personally, I like to tinker and I'm working on my own setting using the rules. If you're looking for more resources to help get started, check out the X-Plorers tab on the top of this blog.

On a side note, the venerable Space Admiral and X-Plorers Publisher John Adams is holding a new character sheet design contest. The winner will receive a FREE box set of the game! So submit your designs to Brave Halfling. UPDATE: the PC sheet size is 5.5 x 8.5" and John has not yet set a deadline. He also reports that there are approximately 50 Boxed Sets are left--but that was several days ago already...

More info:

• Here's a link to what's included in the box sets.
• What's new in this edition and what it's all about.

Anyway, go get your copy and start X-ploring!