Sunday Afternoon Reader, Part 5

Wow! It’s been over a year since I did one of these…so I guess I’m technically within the limits I set myself, but it’s definitely been too long nonetheless. Here’s three books I’ve made my way through recently. And hopefully Part 6 will be weeks away, rather than months.

The Death Archives: Mayhem 1984-1994

Publisher: Ecstastic Peace Library

Year: 2011

I’ve mentioned once or twice *cough* on here my love for heavy metal, and it’s near impossible to talk about the recent history of the genre without talking about Mayhem. I’ve always been kind of ambivalent about them (though I very much enjoyed Live in Liepzig), but to deny the influence they’ve had would be a fool’s errand – and when I saw them live in 2010, they put on a crushing live show. 

This book is primarily a collection of photographs, punctuated with short essays from Jorn “Necrobutcher” Stubberud, who’s the sole original member of the band these days. It would have been interesting to hear some thoughts from the others too, but of course most of them are simply dead now – buried by time and dust, in the band’s own parlance. But the photos are fantastic (witness one of the band members wearing a Bon Jovi shirt; could you imagine that now?) not only for their historic value to Mayhem but for their insight into wider European metal culture in the 1980s.

The Art of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Fantasy Game

Publisher: TSR, Inc

Year: 1989   

Back in the 1980s, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons was insanely popular. In addition to the core game and its supplements (quite expansive in its own right), it had spawned its own animated series, video games, a metric ton of tie-in novels and all manner of unusual merchandise. An art book is a logical extension of the game’s products; but by manufacturing AD&D beach towels I feel like there may have been some misunderstandings about the game’s core demographic.

The art in here is primarily drawn from the mid to late 80s, and exudes an impressive sense of professionalism, accompanied by commentary from some of the artists themselves. Most, if not all of it is easily available online, but it’s a nice relic from an era when the game was arguably at its peak popularity. Gone are the crude but charming line drawings of the 70s, and no doubt there’s plenty who would complain that it was emblematic of TSR’s shift from hobby product to milking a cash cow. 

There may be some fairness to that criticism, too; in less than a decade, TSR would find themselves absorbed into Wizards of the Coast, victims of bloated product lines, poor business decisions and mismanagement. What kept the business running as a hobby doesn’t necessarily scale to a global level. But Dungeons & Dragons lives on, with the 5^th edition released just in 2014 – it doesn’t look to be going away anytime soon.

Schulz and Peanuts: A Biography

Publisher: Harper

Year: 2007

As a kid, I was a massive fan of all things Peanuts, and was devastated when Charles M. Schulz died back in 2000. I had originally wanted to read this way back on first release, and have vague memories of flicking through it in Borders (remember them?) but probably couldn’t justify the cost. Waiting 10 years did mean I scored it for only $6, and I’m sure there’s a Charlie Brown-esque moral in there somewhere.    

Schulz’s family has been fairly critical of the book, and I can see why; though his personal life was far from enigmatic, author David Michaelis takes a deeper look than most previous biographers, and it stands at odds with some of the conventional hagiography that often grows around beloved public figures.

That said, though Michaelis’ commitment to uncovering the truth is commendable, it’s not a perfect book. It dwells far too long on certain subjects (like the dissolution of his first marriage) and not nearly enough on others that Peanuts fans might find salient (his involvement in the animated specials, his friendships with other cartoonists). I’m glad I read it, but don’t feel that I missed out for having waited this long.     

Dungeons and Dragons: Knight’s Catapult (Kre-O Review)

It’s been a while since I’ve looked at any Kre-O, and all of my previous posts (and purchases) on the subject have related to Transformers. But today, we take a look at another license that Hasbro is using for these building toys – Dungeons and Dragons.

I’ve discussed on numerous occasions my love for the game here – but these Kre-O sets do not really seem to be intended to be incorporated into a “proper” game of Dungeons and Dragons (though no one is stopping you from doing so). Rather, they seem to be elements for creating a Crossbows and Catapults-style wargame. 

This is a starter pack and comes with two main elements. A catapult (complete with three marble-sized projectiles) and a small barricade with a flag. The catapult apparently goes with the Orc and the barricade with the Barbarian, but I’m sure you can mix them up as you see fit. There are also a few details about rules included too, and some relevant cards. I pretty much just skipped over these, as I won't be playing. 

Kreons – the name Hasbro has given their little Kre-O people—are quite visually endearing. Aesthetically, they sit somewhere between a Minifigure and Minimate; like the aforementioned products, a base body is used to create all the characters, with differentiation coming via paint apps and accessories.

In the plus column, they have increased articulation in comparison with a minifigure. Their shoulders and hips are ball-jointed, and their torso can also swivel. This comes at a price though; the torso is wont to pop straight off, as there is only one plug and very little friction holding it to the waist. As a result, the whole thing tends to feel fragile and delicate in comparison with your average minifigure. In spite of their shortcomings, the two included with this set are both a lot of fun.   

The Barbarian is the main reason I bought this kit. Though I am primarily a DM, Barbarians are my favourite class to play. You can definitely see touches of Frank Frazetta’s take on Conan in him, but he’s distinct enough that they’re not in danger of getting sued. He comes with an axe, which he holds in one hand on promo art – but it seems like it’s actually a greataxe, and he can grip it in both hands.  

Of course a Barbarian with a mighty axe is useless without an enemy to hack into, and so the set comes with an Orc too. He’s wearing heavy armour, in contrast to the barbarian’s bare chest. 

Presumably he’s a devotee of Gruumsh, based on the scar over his eye, and stitched up eyelid. He’s much cooler than I thought he would be – distinct enough to be an individual character, while generic enough to be an army builder. He’s armed with a massive, bone-crushing hammer. You would certainly not want to be on the receiving end of one of its blows.

Both figures also include a stand for stability in posing. It fits the Barbarian fine, but the Orc seems quite awkward on it, and won’t fit properly in regular standing pose.   

I could see myself picking up some of the blind-bagged army builders that Hasbro has released to support this line, but I don’t think I’ll invest further in the starter sets like these. Though better than I anticipated, I am quite content playing the more traditional form of Dungeons and Dragons, and ultimately my heart belongs to Lego when it comes to building toys. But this kit will make a nice supplement to my Castle-themed sets.