Progenitors (inspiration and source material)

[SpinwardMarch]

I have never seen much of the science-fiction horror movie genre, only bits and pieces, which is enough. I have sleeping issues, and don't need to see really gory stuff. I'm ok with reading some of it. I am just old enough to have caught the beginnings of a few of the Twilight Zone and Night Gallery programs, before being sent to bed.

On the other hand, I grew up reading Poe, all the Sherlock Holmes material, and some other pretty wierd stuff, including a little Lovecraft. Mysteries were my thing. I had just finished my first year of college when the first Star Wars (1977) movie was released.

P.S. CalFire did get the fire near my house (2 miles) put out Tuesday evening. But not before I pulled all the evacuation gear out, and got it ready to put in the car. I think I have fire-related PTSD. I am ok, now.

[Yrkoon]

Take care of yourself, SpinwardMarch! I am in southern Japan, and we have a giant typhoon bearing down on us now. It'll be here in 24 hours. All we can do is hunker down. If there's a blackout, you can play Hans for me!

[ravenn4544]

Grateful not to worry about wildfires here in eastern PA! Stay safe!

Yrkoon - didn't realize you were from Japan. Fortunate enough to have been there a few times (Osaka and Kyoto) for work and love it. was able to take my daughters with me on one trip (last trip i knew i was going to make) and they really loved it also. beautiful place and lovely people.

[Inferno]

Way back somewhere in the clouds of the late seventies and early eighties. I think between Empire and Jedi, a theory came out about what the Clone Wars was.

I remember this. Boba Fett was so cool, mysterious and bad-ass in Empire Strikes Back that for three years, all these wild theories were swirling around him and his armor which, the novelization mentioned, dated back to the "Clone Wars," whatever that was.

Among fans, Fett achieved legendary status by 1983, only to be humorously offed by a blind, comedy relief Han Solo in Act 1 of Return of the Jedi. Fett's jet pack accidentally misfires and he is eaten by a Sarlacc, who then burps! Then came the Ewoks.

[Yrkoon]

It's pretty blustery right now and garbage collection has been cancelled, but we have power and water, so things are looking up.

I'm an expat Canadian in Japan.

[Urson]

I had wondered what your story was, Yrkoon- but decided it wasn't my business, so I opted to keep my nose out.

[Yrkoon]

Glad to be in two games with you, Urson.

[Inferno]

Apocalypse Plagues

So it's ironic that our real-world plague has nearly brought about the end of this game world.

We've come full circle. At the game's launch I said, "When I was a kid, Thundarr the Barbarian, zombie apocalypses, Mad Max, and the original Planet of the Apes loomed large over my imagination. Probably because of the frightening, exciting idea of civilization ending."

Of course, some of the best of the end-of-the-world movies are driven by plagues, in an enjoyable blend of sci-fi and horror.







Not least of all, when a zombie plague is treated as an infectious pandemic, like in 28 Days...





...World War Z...





...and Zack Snyder's Dawn of the Dead...




...whose opening scene and opening credits (with Johnny Cash!) are the best parts of the film and perhaps of any zombie flick.

It's the end of the world. And I feel fine.

[Inferno]

Thundarr the Barbarian



As you may have noticed, the Saturday morning cartoon, Thundarr the Barbarian, was the bizarre nexus of all my nerd interests as a kid.

Conan. Man's civilization cast in ruin.




A world of savagery, super-science and sorcery.





Monsters and mutants.





Mad Max. And mad wizards.





Dungeons and Dragons. Evil robots. Planet of the Apes.





Light sabers and Chewbacca himself!




And no wonder, having been built by comicbook luminaries Jack Kirby, Alex Toth, Steve Gerber, Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway.

Best cartoon opening ever, when you're 12 years old: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhAobPugvsk

What a guilty pleasure.

[Urson]

I was already in college when Thundarr premiered. But I watched it every week, mining ideas for Gamma World adventures.

[ravenn4544]

Loved this one. I look around today and think back to my own childhood and think how damn lucky I was to be able have saturday morning cartoons and afterschool cartoons that were downright awesome (I liked Thundercats too ). The constant barrage of media availability just removes that anticipation for something that only comes on once a week. And if you missed it, it was gone! Forever! Unless you happened to catch what kids don't understand - the 'rerun'. Just stream it, Dad! yeah, yeah.

Now, you mention that it was one of the best opening themes. It's a good one.

But for the best opening theme, I have a tough time thinking of any that are better than this one. Still beats out all others than I can think of then and now. Memory lane!

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x22hrom

[tarlyn]

I was born in 1965,,, so I watched a lot of cartoons let me tell ya back then


Superfriends, Thundarr, Battle of the planets [even tho I was a teenager,]

ANy cartoon on tv back then I watcehd them all especially Hanna Barbera ones

[Inferno]

Battlestar Gallactica opening was great. And I agree with you Raven, on the urgency of live TV vs. the languid ubiquity of content today. Humans seem wired to be more interested in getting a thing, than in having a thing. Which probably doesn't bode well for us as a species, but what can you do?

Tarlyn, Challenge of the Superfriends had another amazing cartoon intro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZL8i_AnZQ18

[tarlyn]

I saw them all , trust me!

I was also a member of DC online until it changed so radically I cancelled my membership.. I did however love watching those old cartoons

Ohhhh cartoon intros eh???

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2m45TLVKRs

Hanna Barbera had some so cool cartoons

[Inferno]

Alex Toth



It was interesting how Hanna-Barbera animation studios quickly went from Yogi Bear and Top Cat to all those adventure/superhero shows. They must have seen how the Silver Age Marvel and DC comicbooks were breaking through with kids.

Veteran comic artist Alex Toth did some beautiful designs for H-B. He really understood how to make attractive characters that were still simple enough to animate.



His body of work is endless, and endlessly gorgeous.





















Toth's work is still influencing young artists today.



(Frank Miller too, it would seem!)

[Urson]

AFAIK, it was never explained what the Mok were (are?) I always assumed they were heavily-mutated baboons.

[Inferno]

AFAIK, it was never explained what the Mok were (are?) I always assumed they were heavily-mutated baboons.

With those manes, I thought they were lion-men as a kid.

But now I see they are Wookies, right down to Ookla's sidekick role, and his inability to speak English yet still be understood by his friends.

Of course, Thundarr's sun sword is a light saber. Star Wars sure loomed large in the late 1970s/early 1980s.

Trivia: Ookla's name was inspired by UCLA.

[tarlyn]

I think that yes, Mok's were obviously inspired by Wookies, But their faces are more feline/lionesque. Check their fangs/teeth.

Their size is same as Wookie definitely.

[Inferno]

Westworld (1973)



This sci-fi horror flick was Michael Crichton's first film about a high-tech amusement park whose attractions end up killing the park's guests.

An influential film, it inspired several things in addition to Sheriff Yul and Jurassic Park:

Its concept of protagonists running through a dangerous, artificial world while observed from a control room of technicians inspired 'Cabin in the Woods,' 'The Truman Show,' 'The Matrix,' 'Escape Room,' 'Saw,' 'Running Man,' the X-Men villain Arcade, and countless others.

Its unique, striking trademark visual...




...was soon widespread in the sci-fi of my youth, turning up everywhere, from 1970s Doctor Who...





...to the glorious Fembots of The Bionic Woman.




Furthermore, Westworld anticipated roleplaying games! In 1973, it shows us a future where adults immerse themselves in a simulated environment to roleplay adventure tropes from different periods and genres as a form of entertainment.

And perhaps least importantly, it inspired an early homebrewed module in this campaign where the PCs unknowingly enter a mad wizard's simulation of a D&D dungeon - Dungeonworld if you will - to deadly effect.

Oh, and Yul Brynner is always the best.

[ravenn4544]

HBO or some other channel has a Westworld series on now (maybe started a few years ago?). Is that the same premise? I never watched it.