Ray Harryhausen, 1920-2013

While many gamers were introduced to fantasy through The Lord of the Rings or Conan the Barbarian - of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe - my introduction was through Sinbad. I had a picture book and record album with tales of Sinbad, and for an hour I would sit and listen to the recorded voice of Shaharazade telling the tales, turning the pages at the sound of a gong. Later The Arabian Nights - the Scribner's version with the Maxfield Parrish illustrations - would take the place of that picture book, but in between came The Golden Voyage of Sinbad.

TGVoS remains the most influential fantasy film for me. I watched it, mouth-open in wonder, drinking in every detail, and a few years later - and it was only a few years later - when I was introduced to Dungeons & Dragons, it was Sinbad, and especially TGVoS, from which I drew heavily for the dusty tombs and haunted caverns and wicked sorcerers and hissing monsters which populated my early dungeons.

In the spirit of this blog, and in honor of a cinematic magician, the duel with the skeleton from T7VoS.

Osprey Publishing: French Musketeer 1622-1775

O, Osprey Publishing, how do I love thee? Coming this July, to Osprey's Warrior line, is French Musketeer 1622-1775.

The works of French novelist Alexandre Dumas have been reproduced time and again on stage and screen. Based on a genuine memoir by an officer named D’Artagnan, Dumas published The Three Musketeers. The King’s Musketeers were formed in 1622 and were populated by young men of noble birth, but often of poorer means. The Musketeers served as a form of military academy, which enabled these men to qualify for commission into the regular army, but the academy was not just a schoolroom - the Musketeers served in all major battles and campaigns of the period; their reputation for bravery was well deserved. This title explores the history behind the legends created by Dumas. Drawing on historical and fascinating accounts the truth of this most colourful and flamboyant of units is revealed.

I'm s huge fan of Osprey Publishing, with something like a hundred titles in my book collection. Though focused on militaria, the slim books are also social histories, with a wealth of period detail; this is particularly true of the Warrior series, which go into greater depth than the more broadly-focused Man-at-Arms books.

Looks like I'll have to read Matchlock Musketeer again a few times, to tide me over 'til July.

Letters to Isabel, Redux

Marcello recounts a game played by the adventurers in his latest missive to his dear Isabel.

I love this, integrating another game played by the players into the context of their characters and the game-world, in this case the board game The Resistance. It's one of those things I've done for many years, and it never ceases to make for a fun game-day.

Added bonus: The campaign now has an Obsidian Portal wiki going for it.

Wednesday Wyeth

Standing in for N.C. Wyeth this week is illustrator Frank C. Papé.

Graphic Novels Challenge: Samurai: Heaven and Earth, Vol. 2

Continuing the story of Shiro and Yoshiko begun in Volume 1, Samurai: Heaven and Earth's second collected volume follows the samurai pursuing Yoshiko from France to the Mahgreb and then across North Africa to Egypt after she is abducted - yet again - this time by a Spanish nobleman.

It's hard to escape the feeling that the whole purpose of this exercise is nothing more than an excuse to illustrate Yoshiko in a French gown and a harim girl's outfit, continuing the Japan-o-philia of the first volume, and indeed the artwork continues to be magnificent. I found myself struggling to remain interested - in the story, in the characters - particulaly while navigating the gaping plot holes. I mean, it's not like I was expecting With Fire and Sword here, but is it really asking too much for characters who are more than skillfully rendered cardboard cut-outs? I honestly had no stake in finding out if Shiro and Yoshiko would manage to be together in the end, and the last score of pages was a wearying plod to the end.

This seems to me like another lost opportunity. If Ron Marz was so desperate to tell the story of a samurai in Early Modern Europe, how 'bout using Hasekura Tsunenaga as a starting point, instead of this brutally contrived and ultimately unengaging attempt?

Swashbucklers on the Telly

Bayuca is the blog I hope RBE grows up to be someday - it's consistently one of my favorite reads on the intrewebs.

Today's post (in Spanish) contains some exciting news for fans of swashbucklers, with no less than four series in development for television: BBC is producing a new The Three Musketeers series for 2014: Starz is working on Black Sails, a prequel of sorts to Treasure Island featuring the exploits of Captain Flint and his crew, also for 2014; NBC is producing Crossbones, another pirate series; and a Captain Alatriste series is being prepared in Spain, with anticipated release in other countries as well.

I think I'm gonna need to upgrade my DVR.

The Pen and the Sword: Captain Alatriste

It was clear that the Italian was doing very well. He could have killed the wounded man any number of times, but he was satisfied to harass him with false lunges and feints, as though he were enjoying delaying the thrust home. He resembled a thin black cat toying with a mouse before sinking its claws into it. At his feet, knee on the ground and back against the wall, one hand clutching the wound bleeding through his clothing, the younger Englishman was trying not to faint, and barely parrying his adversary's attacks. He did not ask for mercy; instead, his face, mortally pallid, showed dignified determination; his teeth were clenched, and he was resolved to die without crying out or moaning.

"Leave off!" Alatriste shouted to the Italian. Between thrusts, the captain's cohort looked at him, surprised to see him beside the second Englishman, who was disarmed and still standing. The attacker hesitated an instant, looked back at his subjected opponent, made a halfhearted feint, and again looked toward the captain.

"Is that a jest?" he asked, stepping back to catch his breath, as he whipped his sword through the air right and left.

"Leave off," Alatriste insisted.

The Italian stared at him open-mouthed, unable to believe what he just heard. In the dying light of the lantern, his pockmarked face looked like the surface of the moon. His black mustache twisted into a sinister smile, revealing his gleaming white teeth.

"Don't fuck this up now," the Italian said finally.

Alatriste too one step toward him, and the Italian looked at the sword in his hand. On his knee, uncomprehending, the wounded youth shifted his eyes from one to the other.

"There is more to this than we thought," the captain stated. "So we will kill them another day."

The Italian stared even harder. His smile grew wider and more incredulous, then disappeared. He shook his head.

"You are mad," he said. "This could cost us our necks."

"I will take the responsibility."

"So?"

The Italian seemed to be thinking it over. Then, with the speed of a comet, he lunged at the Englishman with a thrust so forceful that had Alatriste not blocked his sword it would have pinned the youth to the wall.

- Arturo Pérez-Reverte, Captain Alatriste