'The Werewolf Hunter #2' arrives in time to scare away 2013!

The second issue of NUELOW Games' horror anthology, The Werewolf Hunter, is now available for download. Like the first issue, it's got great horror comics rarities from the Golden Age (two adventures starring Prof. Armand Broussard, the Werewolf Hunter himself; one starring the mysterious Lade Satan; and one re-introducing "girl photographer" Gail Porter to the world), fiction (an all-new story from Angela Beegle, author of the Werewolves of Washington series; and a Robert E. Howard story with revisions by yours truly), and more systemless RPG content to bring variety to standard monsters in campaigns.

Click here to see previews and to get your own copy of The Werewolf Hunter #2.

It's (like) a Christmas Miracle!

Now through the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas (that would be Jan. 5), you can own the entirety of NUELOW Christmas Past at a huge savings with just a few mouse-clicks by getting A Christmas Box [Bundle]!

Getting A Christmas Box is like getting a visit from Sugar Plum,
Santa's youngest daughter!

This big bundle of ROLF! gaming goodness contains the core game, five Christmas battle scenario packs--with Santa, his daughter Sugar Plum, and their friends defending Christmas from all manner of nefarious forces, with the Martians being first and foremost among them. This collection even includes our Christmas-themed short story anthology Horror for the Holidays,  and the first NUELOW appearance of Jill Trent, Science Sleuth.

Games... fiction... comics... everything you need to have a great Christmas Season with family and friends (except dice... those you're goning to need to provide separately).

Click here to get your very own copy of A Christmas Box [Bundle] for just $2.50. (That's 58 percent off what it would cost to buy the seven included products individually.).

The 2013 Christmas Special, starring Santa and that swinger Judy of the Jungle is also still available... you can get that by clicking here.

Judy of the Jungle swings into action!

Happy Christmas from NUELOW Games!

Just in time Christmas, we bring you A ROLF! Christmas Special: The Revenge of Santos (and other heartwarming battle scenarios). It's by the same crew that brought you last year's ROLF!: Christmas Chaos, and the centerpiece of this product is a standalone sequel not only to or very first Christmas Special--Santa vs. Santos vs. Jesus--but also to ROLF!: Hawaiian Manhunt.

If that isn't special enough, there's also a battle scenario that pits Frosty the Snowman against Abominable Snowmen, and one that answers the question "what would happen if Santa tried to collect James Randi's million dollar prize for proving his supernatural powers?"

In addition to all that gaming goodness, this booklet also features a nine-page comic starring Judy of the Jungle, because nothing says Christmas like a girl in a skimpy outfit swinging from vines!

As our gift to you, in thanks for visiting our blog, you can get The Revenge of Santos for 33% the normal price by using the links in this post.

May your Chirstmas Season be filled with much gaming!

Nothing can stop "Madden's Boys" (or the OGL Modern superhero rules)!

Our latest comics/rpg hybrid book is near and dear to the heart of NUELOW Games editor and designer L.L. Hundal She has a great affection for the art of Bill Madden... and this book features five stories penciled and inked by him.

Madden's Boys continues NUELOW Games's effort to shine a little light on cool forgotten characters and comic book creators and this is perhaps our most significant effort in that regard yet. Madden and his small body of work is so disregarded that even respected Golden Age historians respond with a "who?" when approached with questions. Like our previous Madden-centric books Mother Hubbard and The Unholy 3 & OGL Trickery, we present the entirety of a series he drew (in this case "Dynamic Boy") but the book also contains his contributions to the "Yankee Boy" series--the three inaugural stories of one the more successful creations to emerge from Harry 'A' Chesler's studio.

In addition to showcasing Bill Madden's dynamic artwork, Madden's Boys contains the most varied selection of roleplaying game material we've included in our comics/rpg hybrid books so far. Not only does it contain an all-new set of rules for making superheroes in d20 OGL Modern superhero games, but it also features game statistics for Dynamic Boy and Yankee Boy in the ROLF! and Hideout & Hoodlums game systems/ And it's all behind an original cover by Darrel Miller.

On New Comics Day this week, why don't you add a copy of Madden's Boys to your DriveThruComics shopping cart? You won't regret it!

A gift to help with your happy holiday gaming!

In celebration of the most wonderful time of the year, NUELOW Games and Andrew Pavlides bring you a gift of FREE overland/outdoor maps for use in your home games.

NUELOW Map Pack #1: The Forest features six geomorphic maps of forest terrain that can be combined into hundres of different outdoor adventure areas for any genre of roleplaying game or miniatures game.

This download includes a booklet with an index to the map segments, and a zip archive with each map as a seperate jpg file for easy printing.

Click here to see previews or to download your own copy of this Christmas gift from NUELOW Games to you!

Miley Cyrus ala ROLF! (with a special OGL d20 bonus feat)

In celebration of Miley Cyrus being named Artist of the Year by MTV, we present stats for her, so you can bring her to your gaming table. If you thought she was all about taking a dump on good taste and good music, you were wrong. MTV says so. It doesn't matter what it looks like she's doing in this picture.

ROLF!: MYLIE CYRUS 

MYLIE CYRUS (Female)
Brawn 14, Body 16, Brains 4
   Traits: Nimble, Too Sexy for My Shirt
   Combat Maneuvers: Backflip, Basic Attack, Dance Machine, Seduce
   Important Stuff Worn/Wielded: Giant Foam Finger (Large Melee Weapon. Deals 1 point of damage).

THE MYLIE CYRUS FEAT (for OGL Modern and More!) 

By L.L. Hundal 

  Prehensile Tongue Your tongue is unnaturally elongated, strong, and good for much more than just tying cherry stems into knots.
    Benefit: You can use your tongue to perform any Dex based skill that involves manipulating small objects, such as Open Locks. The skill check DC is increased by +4.
   Special: Prehensile Tongue gives a +2 circumstance bonus to Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and/or Seduction skill checks as appropriate. Anyone who sees your tongue on display must roll a Fort save or be put off food for 2d6 hours.

--
Everything in this post, except the photo and Mylie Cyrus (who is defined as someone's product identity but not ours), is presented under the Open Gaming License. Copyright 2013 Steve Miller

NUELOW d20 Supers (Part Two)

Here's a little more of the OGL Modern superpowers add-on system that's slated to appear in our forthcoming Madden's Boys book. The pre-req for these talent trees is at least one of the Minor Power feats described in this post.

More to come --and feedback is always welcomed. (This post is published under the Open Gaming License. Copyright 2013 Steve Miller.)

A NEW SYSTEM FOR SUPERPOWERS IN OGL MODERN AND MORE

(Part Two)

TALENT TREES

INVULNERABLE
Robust: The character becomes especially robust, gaining a number of hit points equal to his or her character level as soon as this talent is selected. Thereafter, the character gains +1 hit point with each level gained.
   Resistence to Harm: Damage suffered from all non-magical and supernatural sources is reduced by 10 points. This reduction is is applied before saving throws or other damage-reducing mechanics are applied.
   Resistence to Magic: Damage suffered from all magical and supernatural sources is reduced by 15 points. This reduction is is applied before saving throws or other damage-reducing mechanics are applied.

   Unbreakable: Damage suffered from all non-magical sources is reduced by an additional 25 points. This reduction is is applied before saving throws or other damage-reducing mechanics are applied.
   Prerequisite: Resistence to Harm, Robust.

SPEED
Speed I: When making a full-round action, the character may take an extra unarmed attack, or take an extra attack with any held weapon The character also gains a +2 dodge bonus to Defense Rating and Reflex save, as well as a +10-feet per level increase to movement rate per round. The character can maintain his increased movement rate for a number of rounds equal to his character level before suffering from fatigue.
   Speed II: As Speed I, except the increase in movement rate per round is +20 feet per level.  
   Prerequisite: Speed I
   Speed III: When making a full-round action, the character may take two extra unarmed attack, or take two extra attacks with any held weapon The character also gains a +4 dodge bonus to Defense Rating and Reflex save, as well as a +40-feet per level increase to movement rate per round. The character can maintain his increased movement rate for a number of rounds equal to twice his character level before suffering from fatigue
   Prerequisite: Speed II
   Speed IV: As Speed III, except the increased movement rate can be maintained for a number of minutes equal to the character's level.
   Prerequisite: Speed III

In Memory of Al Plastino

On November 25, 2013,  the artist who gave us the first look at Supergirl and the Legion of Superheroes passed way. At 91, Al Plastino was, according to Mark Evanier, the last remaining living artist to have drawn Superman stories in the 1950s. He was also one of the few remaining writers and artists alive who helped lay the foundations for the comic book industry in the 1940s.

NUELOW Games observes Plastino's passing and honors his memory with a small collection of his earliest known comic book creations -- Al Plastino Early Work: 1940 -41. In fact, it features the very first comic book story he is known to have illustrated, as well as the earliest characters he is known to have co-created, or perhaps even created solo; records regarding who did what were rare among Golden Age publishers and virtually unheard of at the Harry "A" Chesler studio for whom Plastino drew these stories.

As it our habit, the book also features original roleplaying game content inspired by the comics -- in this case it's a brief description of Dynamic Man's first foes and a talent tree for use with OGL d20 Modern -- but it is Plastino's creations that are front and center this time. More-so than any other of our releases.

We hope you'll join us in remembering this fine and influential artist by taking a look at his roots -- and the very roots of comic book storytelling.

For previews or to get your own copy of Al Plastino Early Work: 1940 - 41, click here. Comments on the book, or just thoughts about Al Plastino's work in general, are welcomed in the comments section here or at the listing on the website.

In the Interest of Public Safety....

Dear Friends,

We hope this message reaches you in time,

This morning, we have seen news reports of shootings and stabbings and beatings at Black Friday sales across the nation. Please don't become a victim. We don't want any of our fans (or any gamers, really)  to get hurt.

In the interest of public welfare, we urge ALL gamers to instead gather their groups and hunker down with dice and paper and pencils and roleplay or rollplay until this crisis has past. Trust us: You will sill find cheap TVs when their are less crazy people off their meds in the stores.

In the meantime, as a public service, to encourage you to stay at home safely, we have marked 15 percent off on all of our comics/rpg hybrid products, all of our fiction anthologies (including the complete Robert E. Howard Collection), core rulebooks, OGL Modern supplements, and anything else that usually sells for more than $0.50. Yes--even the Stock Art Collections, so if you're a small publisher of e-books, maybe now is a time to take a look at them!

The special prices will last through this coming Monday. So let's stay safe IN there.

Click here to check out the NUELOW Games catalog of books and RPG stuff.

Two new comics/RPG hybrids available now

The latest ebooks from NUELOW Games continue our ongoing efforts to bring great Golden Age comics to modern readers while simultaneously presenting fun new game material.

First up, we have ROLF!: Hawaiian Manhunt. It features a classic Sally the Sleuth episode by Adolphe Barreuax, a trio of outrageous battle scenarios that form a sort-of sequel by ROLF! co-creator L.L. Hundal, and pre-generated characters and two all-new Spellings --"Change Trait" and "Oh, No You Didn't!" (This marks Sally's third appearance in ROLF!, with Turkey Shoot and A Recipe for Evil being the previous two.)

Then, just released this past weekend, we offer a look at a certified classic--Dick Briefer's New Adventures of Frankenstein. After reading the first two installments of Briefer's legendary series, you can pit Frankenstein's Monster against another horror legend--Herbert West, the Re-Animator, in a new battle scenario for ROLF!: The Rollplaying Game.

ROLF! co-creators L.L. Hundal and Steve Miller traded roles between the two books,  switching from editor to game designer respectively. We're both eager to hear what you think of these latest products, especially since Hundal has another Sally idea for the upcoming Christmas Special--for which we are still taking submissions.

A ROLF! John F. Kennedy Memorial Special

Like the attack on Pearl Harbor and the destruction of the World Trade Center Towers, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy was a shock to the American system and psyche, It's not surprising that the past couple weeks have seen lots of Kennedy coverage and retrospectives.

Never ones to misuse a moment/trend, we at NUELOW Games hereby offers one as well. On this very day,  November 22, fifty years ago President Kennedy was assassinated by a pathetic little monkey named Lee Harvey Oswald. Oswald was himself assassinated two days later, bringing about the events we relate below.

ROLF!: JOHN F. KENNEDY vs. LEE HARVEY OSWALD

Design: Steve Miller - Editing: L.L Hundal

Copyright Steve Miller 2013

(permission granted to copy for personal gaming use)

This is a simple battle scenario for two players that uses the Houseboat on the River Styx and The Associated Shades of Hades setting as its starting point. (Well, the deaths of President Kennedy and his assassin are the starting points, but the world of Houseboat is what lets them meet.

BACKSTORY

"Wait... what happened?"

   Lee Harvey Oswald, Soviet Dupe (although he himself considered himself a soldier in the international army of partisans fighting for the freedom of the oppressed and downtrodden), looked around, confused. One moment, he had been with police and other running dog capitalist lackeys, the next he was laying in the bottom of a gently rocking small boat, There was a little water in it, and his ass was wet.

   "You're crossing the River Styx, my good man," 

   Oswald sat up and looked at the hooded figure at the boat;s stern. It was a small man in a hooded cloak, operating an outboard motor that put-putted far more softly than he would have expected. The man's face couldn't quite be made out in the deep shadows of the hood, but his eyes glittered and his teeth shone as he smiled and told Lee, "There's someone on the shore who really wants to meet you."

   "I don't know what's going on, but you need to get me to a payphone." Harvey looked around. The boat was moving across inky black water that was as smooth as glass. The craft was bound tightly by a fog so heavy that the boat's wake could barely be seen and no land was visible in any direction.

   "Not one for reading, eh?" the boatman said with a hint of condemnation in his voice. "If you were, you'd know what the River Styx was. Pick up that manual on the seat there. I'll give you your bearings."

   Oswald's gaze turned to the point indicated by the old man's bony finger and saw a booklet with what appeared to be Adam and Eve on the cover titled So You're Dead--Now What?: A Newcomer's Guide to Hades.

   "What the hell are you playing at?" Oswald shouted, getting to his feet.

   "It's personalized service," the boatman replied. "Mostly because bloody Captain Ahab thought he saw the White Whale and ran the usual ferry aground trying to chase it, but also because John wanted to make sure he knew exactly where you'd arrive so he could get to know you."

   "Turn his boat around, or I'll kill you." Harvey growled.

   "All-ashore who're going ashore," the boatman replied. The sudden jolt of the boat running aground toppled Harvey and sent him tumbling through the air. He landed hard in the tall grass on the riverbank. "Mr. Kennedy, meet Mr. Oswald."

   Oswald's head was spinning from the impact and as he looked up, he saw an impossible figure looming over him--the broad-shouldered shape of John F. Kennedy--the man he had assassinated two days prior.

   "So you're the coward who shot me," Kennedy grumbled, pulling Oswald to his feet. "Let's see how tough you are face-to-face."

   "No. Wait. This can't be happening!"

   And that's when Oswald noticed that Kennedy had a big knife and a machine gun slung over his shoulder.

  "But it is," Kennedy replied. "On behalf of the Associated Shades of Hades, let me welcome you to the Afterlife with a richly deserved ass-kicking.

PRE-GENERATED CHARACTERS

These characters are made using a few Traits and Battle Maneuvers not found in the main ROLF! bookbook. They are in the ROLF!: Dead Presidents supplement. (If this had been an actual product, we would have provided them along with the characters.)

JOHN F. KENNEDY (Male) 
Brawn: 28; Body: 18; Brains: 8
    Traits: Egomaniac, Limousine Liberal
    Combat Maneuvers: Basic Attack, Disarm, Debate Philosophy, Knock Out, Seduction, Strike Pose,
Run Away!, Walk and Chew Gum
    Important Stuff Worn/Wielded: Combat Knife (Small Melee Weapon. Deals 2 points of dmg). Machine Gun (Medium Ranged Weapon. Deals 3 points of dmg. Ignores Armor.).

LEE HARVEY OSWALD (Male... sort of)
Brawn is 19; Body 10; Brains 4.
    Traits: Coldhearted, Dead-Eye, Dumb
    Combat Maneuvers: Basic Attack, Disarm, Dodge, Run Away!.
    Important Stuff Worn/Wielded:, Bayonet (Small Melee Weapon. 2 points of dmg.). Sniper Rifle
(Medium Ranged Weapon. 3 points of dmg. Ignores Armor.)

THE BATTLE SCENARIO
Kennedy and Oswald fight until one or the other is defeated. Then they can fight again the next day.

An Index of Houseboat on the River Styx ROLF! products:

The Associated Shades of Hades

Playwrights and Piledrivers

Serenade for Sirens in G Major

Dead Presidents

Want to contribute to the 2013 NUELOW Christmas Special?

It's the time of year when we turn our minds to our annual Christmas product. L.L. Hundal is working on a ROLF! battle scenario titled "Revenge of Santos" (or maybe "Return of Santos"... she's debating), but other than that we have no idea yet what else we're doing this year.

And this is where YOU have a chance to become a published writer or RPG designer (which is half a step above self-published).

The NUELOW Christmas Special needs YOUR submission of new ROLF! rules, characters, and battle scenarios, OGL d20 or OpenD6 material, comic strips, poems... so long as it's Christmas-y and a bit weird or funny, we're interested in it. Submissions are open until Monday, December 9.

Send us your contribution! Be an object of admiration for the dozens upon dozens of NUELOW Games fans out there.

Here are the official submissions guidelines:

1. Send your original creations as attachments or in the body of emails to stevemillermail@gmail.com. Text submissions must be a maximum 500 words in length. Cartoons and other graphics must be in jpg format. NUELOW Games is willing to review brief proposals to see if we like the idea before you execute it. NUELOW Games reserves the right to reject your completed submission even if we approved a proposal. By agreeing to review proposals and submissions, NUELOW Games is not establishing or implying any obligation between the submitter and itself.

2. All accepted submissions will be published under the Open Game License, except for elements that NUELOW Games chooses to define as Product Identity, and material for the ROLF! game. When your submission is accepted, you assign the copyright of your creation to NUELOW Games in exchange for a byline, a free copy of "Christmas Extravaganza," and a free copy of one other NUELOW Games product of your choice. (If any part of your creation is revised and used in future releases, you will also receive a byline.)

3. Payment will be made upon the release of "Christmas Special" depending on whether you have notified NUELOW Games as to your choice of free product.

4. All decisions by NUELOW Games staff are final.

(We hope to get submissions... it would be nice to get some new blood in our products!)

d20 Supers (Part One)

I have an idea for superpower mechanics for use with OGL Modern and other d20 OGL systems. It uses the feats and skill tree system. Here's the starting point... characters who possess one or more of these feats each representing the weakest manifestation of traditional comic book superpowers, will then be able to pick "Superpower Talent Trees" (perhaps not the best name... but they're talent trees that give access to increasimgly strong powers),

The Superpower Talent Trees will follow in a bit.

Feel free to sound off on the feats and the idea in general. That's what the comments section is for after all. (These feats are published under the Open Game License and may be reproduced according to the terms described here. Copyright 2013 Steve Miller.)

A NEW SYSTEM FOR SUPERPOWERS IN OGL MODERN AND MORE

(Part One)

THE FEATS

Minor Power: Flight

You are able to “leap tall buildings in a single bound.”
   Benefit: You can fly (Perfect) up to 250 feet vertically, or 100 feet in horizontally. If you plummet after reaching your maximum altitude vertically, you will suffer falling damage.

   Special: This feat is a prerequisite for the Superpowers Talent Trees.

Minor Power: Invulnerability

Sticks and stones DON'T break your bones.
   Benefit: Damage from blunt, piercing, and slashing weapons is reduced by 2 points. You gain a +4 bonus to rolls made to resist or reduce damage from acid, cold, electricity, heat, and falling.

   Special: This feat is a prerequisite for the Superpowers Talent Trees.

Minor Power: Speed

You move quicker than normal people.
   Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to all initiative rolls. The character can also move up to 60 ft. in a round without suffering penalties to Move Silently or Hide skill checks.
   Special: This feat is a prerequisite for the Superpowers Talent Trees

Minor Power: Strength
You are a physical powerhouse.
   Benefit: The character’s Strength and Constitution attributes increase by 3 when this feat is chosen.

   Special: This feat is a prerequisite for the Superpower Talent Trees.       

'Science Sleuths #4' brings four different series under one cover

The fourth issue of Science Sleuths is our most varied yet. It brings four different strips from the Golden Age of comics, with regular features "Jill Trent, Science Sleuth" and "Rocketman" being joined by the cross-time adventures of Ace Buckley and paranormal expert Armand Broussard, the Werewolf Hunter. And it's all behind a killer cover by Gus Ricca.

In addition to the comics, which are brimming with roleplaying game scenario ideas, Science Sleuths #4 contains matieral for use with OGL Modern (or any d20 System game that could benefit from a handful of gadget, and NUELOW's flagship game, ROLF!

Click here to see previews or to get your own copy of this great anthology.

NUELOW Heroes & Villains: Ace Buckley and Toni Stark

In Science Sleuths #4 (releasing later this week), another science-minded couple joins the line-up--Ace Buckley and Toni Stark, time-travelers. They will also appear in Science Sleuths #5, and they may or may not be the stars of a Thanksgiving-themed ROLF! supplement. I have an idea for what I think is a cute short story that I hopefully will get done in time; if not, it will show in Science Sleuths #5.

Ace and Toni visit Queen Bess's England. More in Science Sleuths #4.

Meanwhile, here are Ace and Toni ala ROLF! (created with input from L.L. Hundal) along with a time-travel oriented, never-before-seen Combat Maneuver. Other Traits or Combat Maneuvers not in the basic ROLF! rule book can be found in Science Sleuths #4, or ROLF! Christmas Special III.

ACE BUCKLEY (Male)

Brawn 17, Body 15, Brains 8

   Traits: Dead-Eye, Driver, Improv Master, Too Sexy for My Shirt

   Combat Maneuvers: Basic Attack, Debate Philosophy, Disarm, Dodge, Driver, Murderous Mitts, Sure Shot, Time Traveler

   Important Stuff Worn/Wielded: Type of Armor appropriate to time period he has traveled to (absorbs 1-3 points of damage); Medium-sized Melee or Ranged weapon, appropriate to the time period he has traveled to (deals 3 points of damage).

   Origin Story: Ace Buckley was an engineer and scientist who worked for the Stark Machine and Manufacturing Company. Einstein's Theory of Relativity fired his imagination, and he eventually designed what he was sure was a working time machine. Toni Stark, the daughter of Ace's boss, help fund the construction of an actual working machine... and then joined Ace on his travels through time to witness (and sometimes interfere with) historically important events. 

TONI STARK (Female)

Brawn 14, Body 15, Brains 7

   Traits: Busty, Nimble

   Combat Maneuvers: Basic Attack, Bitch Slap, Dance Move, Dodge, Seduce, The Walk, Time Traveler

   Important Stuff Worn/Wielded: Clothes appropriate for time period she has traveled to. Small Melee Weapon appropriate to the time she has traveled to (deals 2 points of damage).

   Origin Story: Although every bit as brilliant and scientifically minded as her brother Howard, their parents wanted nothing for Antonia "Toni" Stark but for her to find a socially suitable husband. Toni had different ideas, though, and she began befriending fringe scientists and researchers in the hopes of finding an outlet for her intellect and scientific curiosity. When she heard that an employee of her father's firm was pursuing time-travel technology in his spare time, she knew that she had to be part of that effort. She helped fund Ace Buckley's construction of a working time machine and became his traveling companion through the ages.

New Combat Maneuver

Time Traveler: The character has access to a time machine or some other method to travel through time. If a fight that is ended through the successful use of the Run Away Combat Maneuver, or similar game effect, the character uses his or her time travel machine to restart the fight. All characters return to their original starting position.

Madden's Boys Meet the HeartbreakerA NUELOW Heroes & Villains Battle Scenario

MADDEN'S BOYS MEET THE HEARTBREAKER

A ROLF! Battle Scenario by L.L. Hundal

Artwork by Bill Madden

Copyright 2013 NUELOW Games & Steve Miller. All Rights Reserved/

(Permission granted to copy for personal use.)

1/0: INTRODUCTION
As the NUELOW Games staff (all two of us) work on the next collection of Bill Madden comics--tentatively titled Madden's Boys--Steve Miller has been up to his usual tricks of poking fun at the stuff we're planning to publish. This panel caught his eye in one of the Yankee Boy stories, and he just HAD to put it on Facebook as part of his irregular series of Out of Context Theater posts.

 Well, this triggered an idea--a classic ROLF! battle scenario along the lines of our mid-1990s offerings that caused Frank Mentzer to quip: "The download is guaranteed virus free, but I can't be sure about the characters."

2.0: THE PRE-GENERATED CHARACTERS
Here are the characters featured in the Battle Scenario. They were created using rules from the core ROLF! game, as well as ROLF!: Something About Superheroes and ROLF!: Christmas Special II. (If this was an actual release, we'd repeat all the Combat Maneuvers and Traits not included in the core game here.)

Dynamic Boy (AKA Kent Banning, Male)

Brawn 16, Body 14, Brains 6

   Traits: Improv Master, Superpower (Super Strenth [Personal], Flight [Personal], Bonus: +2 Brawn ATT [Permanent]

   Combat Maneuvers: Basic Attack, Pimp Slap

Important Stuff Worn/Wielded: Superhero Outfit (Armor, absorbs up to 2 points of damage).
    Origin Story: Dynamic Boy almost died while saving the life of Dr. Brown's daughter. The good doctor then proceeded to save him by feeding him an unknown substance he had secured from cultists high atop the Himalyan mountains. 

Heartbreaker (AKA Katie Felmann, Female)

Brawn 14, Body 16, Brains 6

   Traits: Coldhearted, Nimble, Stone Cold Killer

   Combat Maneuvers: Basic Attack, Bitch Slap, Castrate, Double Strike, Seduce, Strike Pose

   Important Stuff Worn/Wielded: Leather Vest (Armor, absorbs 2 points of damage), Thigh-high Boots, (Armor AND Leggings, absorbs 1 point of damage). Dagger (Small Melee Weapon, deals 1 point of damage). Pistol (Small Ranged Weapon, deals 2 points of damage that ignore armor).
   Origin Story: Heartbreaker was a CIA operative who relied on "womanly wiles" to achieve siccess in her intelligence gathering missions. When her identity was exposed by a publicity-seeking U.S. senator, she barely escaped from her last assignment with her life. In revenge, she assassinated the senator, and she has been working as a high-priced, freelance hit woman ever since.

Yankee Boy (AKA Phil Martin, Male)

Brawn 14, Body 13, Brains 6

   Traits: Irrepressible Optimist, Nimble

   Combat Maneuvers: Basic Attack, Bitch Slap, Deflect, Dodge, Murderous Mitts, Strike Pose

   Important Stuff Worn/Wielded: Superhero Outfit (Armor, absorbs up to 2 points of damage).
   Origin Story: Phil Martin woke up one day, frustrated with the growing anti-American attitude he detected in the people around him. So, he made himself a superhero outfit and started kicking ass in the name of life, liberty, and the American Way.

3.0: THE BATTLE SCENARIO
This scenario is for two or three players, depending on how you want it to unfold. Each player controls one of the characters from above.

3.1: What Has Come Before
Heartbreaker has been hired by the Great Question to destroy Dynamic Boy and Yakeeboy. Deciding to use the youthful superheroes to take each other out, she has been posing online as a teen girl and has been flirting with them via their "social media" accounts and :"sexting"-type activities. Earlier today, she set up a meeting in a secluded spot, telling each of the boys that she wanted to take their relationship to the "physical level." Just before they are to arrive, she sends each of them a text message, apparently in a panic. "Yankee Boy is jealous of our love--he has vowed to kill me!" to Dynamic Boy, and "Dynamic Boy is jealous of our love--he has vowed to kill me!" to Yankee Boy. She now lurks nearby, waiting to see which of the boy heroes wins the fight, and then.intends to leap out and finish off the one still standing..

3.2: The Battle, Part One
The fight starts at Ranged Distance. Dynamic Boy and Yankee Boy both agrily demand that the  other leave Katie alone. They then attack each other. The fight
   Special Game Note: If Yankee Boy successfully uses his Strike Pose Combat Maneuver to halt Dynamic Boy's attack, the player of Yankee Boy can choose to either continue the fight, or he can say that Yankee Boy tries to talk to Dynamic Boy and figure out why he's suddenly turned into a psycho-stalker targeting his girl. Dynamic Boy's player rolls 2d6, and if the result is equal to or less than 6, the two teens stop fighting.

3.3: The Battle, Part Two
Once either Dynamic Boy or Yankee Boy are defeated, Heartbreaker breaker attacks the remaining hero, controlled by the player of the defeated character. If the fight between the heroes ends as described under the Special Game Note above, the player who controlled Dynamic Boy now controls Hearbreaker, while the other player controls the two heroes. (If there players are playing, each of them controls one of the characters.)
   The fight continues until Heartbreaker or her targets are defeated.

4.0: DESIGNER'S AFTERWORD
Dynamic Boy and Yankee Boy were characters that appeared in issues of Dynamic Comics and Yankee Comics respectively, published in 1941 and produced by Harry "A" Chesler's art studio. Heartbreaker is an original creation.
   Dynamic Boy and Yankee Boy were teenage characters modeled after the superheroes from which the anthology titles drew their names (Dynamic Man and Yankee Doodle Jones) but otherwise had no connection to the adult superhero in question. Curiously (although typical for a Chesler-produced strip), Dynamic Man did end up with a sidekick by the name of Dynamic Boy, but it was a completely different character than the one this battle scenario was inspired by. Yankee Doodle Jones also had a kid sidekick, cleverly named Dandy.
    Bill Madden drew both published Dynamic Boy stories, the first three Yankee Boy tales, and he may have penciled the fourth with someone else finishing the art. I think Madden's art deserves more attention than it's gotten over the years, and that's why I'm happy to be part of NUELOW Game's forthcoming Madden's Boys book--which will feature the entire run of the Dynamic Boy series, as well as the first three Yankee Boy episodes. We also may or may not include the Rocket Boy series; we're working on determining whether Madden had a hand in that one or not. I hope you'll join us for them.
   Meanwhile, check out Madden's artwork in The Unholy 3 and OGL Trickery or Mother Hubbard.

NOTE: IF YOU WANT TO GIVE US FEEDBACK ON OUR COMICS ANTHOLOGIES OR GAME PRODUCTS, PLEASE DO! WE VALUE YOU INPUT! WOULD-BE REVIEWERS SHOULD GET IN TOUCH AS WELL... MAYBE WE CAN GIVE YOU A FREE BOOK OR TWO.
 

Coming of the Werewolf Hunter....

In celebration of Halloween, NUELOW is launching its latest series of comics retrieved from the dark, forgotten corners of the Golden Age of the 1940s to be joined with new fiction and RPG material for our own systems and those covered by the OGL.

The first issue of The Werewolf Hunter is now available from RPGNow, DriveThruRPG, DriveThruComics, and DriveThruFiction--downloadable from whichever one of the sites you prefer to shop at. This first issue features the Werewolf Hunter, Professor Broussard himself, squaring off against two nefarious werebeasts; the mysterious Lady Satan's transformation from spy to mystic as she takes on a werewolf who preys on children; and a bone-chilling werewolf tale illustrated by Lee Elias, the lead artist on Black Cat.

In addition to the comics, this issue also includes a classic werewolf short story from Robert E. Howrd, the creator of Conan, and an original piece of fiction by Steve Miller (yep... me) revealing a secret that has been buried since the end of World War II.

Finally, there is a universal RPG supplement designed to bring variety to werewolves in any RPG system.

Click here to check out previews of The Werewolf Hunter #1.

Plus, be sure to check out the Lady Satan book for the first stories about NUELOW Games' latest superstar.

http://www.rpgnow.com/product/116140/Lady-Satan

Presenting the works of Bill Madden....

How do we select the comics we decide to publish in our anthologies o Golden Age reprints?

I've been asked that question a couple times now. The answer is the same that it was for the Robert E. Howard collections we produced last year... we find stories we think deserve more attention than they're gotten and we use our little vanity press here to put them before a new audience. Other things we consider is whether the material would hold any appeal to a modern reader whatsoever (who doesn't happen to be a total nerd).

Given those factors, it shouldn't be surprising we led with things like Jack Kirby's Stuntman, George Tuska's Lady Satan, and, of course, the lovely Black Cat.

For that same reason, it was a foregone conclusion that we'd want to put the work of forgotten 1940s comic book artist Bill Madden in front of modern readers. When L.L. Hundal first came upon his work, he was another creator about whom she said, "It's as if he drew these just so we could adapt them for RPGs!"

Upon surveying the dozen or so stories that she has identified as being by Madden, I agree that he was an interesting and unique talent. I can nitpick individual panels and some of his layout choices, but overall he had a dynamic style that stands out from the pack, and it seems to me that he deserved more recognition than he got.

Who was Bill Madden?

According to Jerry Bails' "Who's Who of American Comics 1929 - 1999", Bill Madden (who also signed his work as William J. Madden and W.J.M) produced comics for the Chesler Studio during WW2 and moved to the Schoffman Studio during the post-war years; these studios produced content comics magazines from dozens of different publishers. There are indications that he started his comic book career working with industry pioneer Harry "A" Chesler as early as 1937, with work for Chesler's Centaur Comics imprint, but we've been unable to verify that with any certainty.

In general, very little information is readily available about Bill Madden. He's not a Bill Draut, Lee Elias, or George Tuska who kept working in the comics field after the 1950s and into the era where fans were hungry for details about creators. By the dawn of the Silver Age, Madden was long gone from the comics field, or at least no longer working in any sort of audience-facing capacity.

All we've been able to learn about Bill Madden through our usual half-assed, Google-driven research methods is in the preceding paragraph, and that the majority of his published, identifiable work was done through Chesler on their short-lived B-series--things like "Carnival," "Dynamic Boy," "Mother Hubbard," and "The Unholy 3." His presence at Chesler's studio is itself noteworthy as it was an important shop in its day, where celebrated artists like Joe Kubert and Carmine Infantino got their earliest professional gigs in the comics biz. Kubert was 11 or 12 when he apprenticed at Chesler's, and since Madden did not appear to serve in WW2, he may have been too young, too old, or maybe suffered some health issues. We don't know, and at this late date, we may never know. (But if someone out there wants to share details about William J. Madden/Bill Madden--where he came from and where he went after 1954--please get in touch!)

While Madden the man is obscured in the shadows of history, his work is here for us to enjoy. As mentioned, we've identified about a dozen stories that we'll be  reprinting in our comics/rpg anthologies over the next several months. In fact, we've already released half of them. Each of our books featuring his work collect the entirety of his recognizable contribution to a given series.

Our most recently-released Madden project features nothing but his work, cover to cover. "Mother Hubbard" was a series that ran for the first three issues of Scoop Comics in 1941. The third Hubbard tale (untitled in its original presentation and titled "Eye Trouble" for its NUELOW Games release) served as a source for the notorious Frederic Wertham's Seduction of the Innocent. (Perhaps this is why Madden left the comics field; Lee Elias walked away from the industry for almost ten years after Wertham claimed his art on the "Black Cat" series for Harvey was "perverse.")

The cover of Mother Hubbard from NUELOW Games

Earlier this month, we released The Unholy 3 and OGL Trickery. Madden drew two stories about a trio of con artists and masters of disguise who have turned their talents to taking down criminal practiciners of their "craft." Inspired by the screwball comedies of the 1930s--the headlined by the Marx Brothers, Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn, William Powell, and Myrna Loy--these stories should be particularly appealing to both lowers of comics and old movies. The book also contains a non-Madden adventure featuring superhero Black Cobra spending a chaotic night at the ballet, and these three stories are great examples of the freewheeling nature of comic book storytelling during the Golden Age of Comics.

The cover of The Unholy 3 and OGL Trickery from NUELOW

The first of our books to feature Bill Madden, and the one that inspired L.L. Hundal to go digging for more work by him, was Carnival. It's a collection of three circus-themed mysteries, and although it only features one story by Madden, it's a great introduction to his work. It's also an excellent place to start with the NUELOW Games comics line, because it's rife with the sense of freewheeling, no-holds-barred storytelling that attracts us to so many of the short comics features from the 1940s and early 1950s.

The cover of Carnival from NUELOW Games

We have at least one more title featuring unadulterated Madden in the planning stages. It's it working title is Madden's Boys, and it will be a collection of superhero adventures with Dynamic Boy and Rocket Boy. (There may be others--we're still researching this one.)

We're also in the process of identifying other Madden work. I think I've spotted him in at least two other stories, under the inks of other artists. I'm trying to confirm whether I am right or not before we publish. (My ID of Al Plastino in a couple of spots is a bit dodgy, and while I feel confident about my judgement that it is indeed Madden's work on a couple "Madam Satan" stories, I want to be as sure as I can be.)

Meanwhile, I hope you will choose to take a look at Madden's under appreciated work in Carnival, Mother Hubbard, or The Unholy 3. If you do, please share what you think, either on the site you download the book from, or here at the blog.

NUELOW Stock Art Collection #4 now available!

We've just released our latest collection of artwork from our archives for your enjoyment and publishing projects.

 NUELOW Stock Art Collection #4: Scenes From Yesterday's Future: contains 38 color and black-and-white drawings, most of which have been adapted from the covers of Gold Age comic book such as Planet Comics and Space Adventures. Click on the link to see previews of the set, or to get your own copy and start adorning your website or retro sci fi projects with illustrations by Joe Doolin, Dick Giordano, and others.

On sale now -- 'Science Sleuths #3'

As seems appropriate for the third issue of our popular Science Sleuths comic/rpg anthology series,we're bringing installments of three different series featuring crime-fighting scientists.

With Science Sleuths #3,"Rocketman" gets added to the mix. "Rocketman" chronicles the adventures of Cal Martin and his fiancee Doris Dalton. Partners in love and business, who also share a passion for crime-fighting, they are brilliant inventors who have chosen to keep their greatest inventions for themselves and to use them to become the costumed superheroes Rocketman and Rocketgirl.

This issue also features ROLF! stats for Rocketman and Rocketgirl.

For the next few issues, "Rocketman" will be the lead feature in Science Sleuths, with Jill Trent becoming the backup feature. Some of the "Rocketman" stories will be extra-special, as they will feature partially new scripts by NUELOW Games's lead designer and publisher Steve Miller.. This issue marks the final time Spider Queen slings her webs, though.

Click here to see previews of Science Sleuths #3 and to get yoiur very own copy. You can read more and see an additional preview of this issue at the Shades of Gray blog.

When life imitates ROLF!: Hollie-May Saker vs. the Feminazis!

We should have written this battle scenario. But real life beat us to it.

A pair of Rush Limbaugh's Feminazis tore off their shirts and stormed the catwalk at the Paris Fashion Week. They harassed and "manhandled" one of the models. The model, Brit Hollie-May Saker, punched one of them in the nose and continued modeling the flapper-style dress she was wearing.

You can read all about it in "That Bitch Ruined My Walk" by clicking here.

And, inspired by actual events, here are a couple of battle scenarios and ROLF! stats for Hollie-May Saker (and I really hope that last name is pronounced "sack-her" and not "say-ker"), FEMEN Feminazi protesters, and Rush Linbaugh. Yes... Rush Limbaugh has nothing to do with Paris Fashion Week or Hollie-May Saker, but we once Hollie-May is done kicking the crap out of the Feminazis, the Feminazis can vent their frustrations on Limbaugh.


PRE-GENERATED CHARACTERS

HOLLIE-MAY SAKER (Female)
Brawn 15, Body 17, Brains 5
   Traits: Improv Master, Nimble, Short-tempered, Too Sexy for My Shirt,
   Combat Maneuvers: Basic Attack, Murderous Mitts, Strike Pose, The Look, The Walk
Important Stuff Work/Wielded: High Fashion (Clothes), Smartphone (One-shot Ranged Weapon. Deals 1 point of damage).


FEMEN PROTESTER/FEMINAZI (Female)
Brawn 12, Body 14, Brains 3
Traits: Dour, Too Sexy for My Shirt
   Combat Maneuvers: Basic Attack, Bitch Slap, Castrate
   Important Stuff Worn/Wielded: Penis-shaped Club (Melee Weapon. Deals 2 points of damage).


RUSH LIMBAUGH (Male)
Brawn 11, Body 12, Brains 6
   Traits: Jolly, Too Sexy for My Shirt
   Combat Maneuvers: Basic Attack, Debate Philosophy, Disarm, Dodge, Knock Out, Run Away
   Important Stuff Worn/Wielded: Expensive Suit (Clothes), Cigarcase (One-shot Ranged Weapon. Deals 1 point of damage). The Golden EIB Microphone (Melee Weapon. Deals 2 points of damge.

For more fashion-world mayhem and violence, check out ROLF!: Supermodel Slapfest. The Combat Maneuvers featured in the previous character designs not in the main rules can be found in that supplement.

And just because, here are some random pictures of Holly-May Saket...

I'ts National Buy a Book Day! (Sept. 7)

Time to get out to your local bookstore and buy a book. Do it. Now. Then read it!

If you can't get out, we recommend you buy one of the fiction anthologies NUELOW Games has produced. They're cheap, and they exist to show you sides of writers you thought you knew but really don't. Click here for previews and to buy dowloadable PDFs that work great on your computers or iPads.

Getting a graphic novel or two also counts as supporting National Buy a Book Day. We have those at NUELOW Games as well, if you can't get out of the out of the house. Film Fun Comics Vol. 2: The Black Cat vs. HIM! and Film Fun Comics Vol. 3: British Agent 99 contain both fiction AND comics! Click here to see our selection of comics, also in PDF format and perfect for your iPad. (As an added bonus, every one of our comic book products also features RPG content!)

Support the writers, artists, publishers, and retailers among us. Keep your brain fed, and help feed those who grow and distribute that brain food!

Coming this later this week...

We're releasing another collection of drawings from the NUELOW Games stock art files. Adapted from Golden Age comic book covers (and other sources), this horror themed collection is being released just in time to help you with your October RPG games or online publications, as the 30+ color and black-and-white drawings are being offered under a liberal license that lets you do pretty much anything you want with them.

Look for NUELOW Games Stock Art Collection #3: Beauties and the Beasts at all the usual outlets day after tomorrow. (Meanwhile, check out Stock Art Collection #2: Dames, Danger & Death.)

The Return of Sally the Sleuth!

When Sally the Sleuth goes undercover at the culinary college operated by Chef Gordon Blue, the question isn't whether she'll solve the mystery but whether she'll manage to keep her clothes on while doing so. We hope you'll check out ROLF!: A Recipe for Evil, the latest comics/RPG hybrid project from NUELOW Games. It marks Sally's second appearance in ROLF!, and our 12th release to feature actual comics along-side the game content..

Last year, we published what we thought would be perhaps the first of two NUELOW Games products to contain actual comics--ROLF!: Turkey Shoot. It was a revival of the first woman detective in American comics and possibly even the genre's first "Good Girl," Sally the Sleuth, together with half a dozen of her earliest adventures.

That "Thanksgiving Special," however, led to way for a whole new product product category for us... the game/comic book hybrid, a concept Steve Miller has felt strongly about for many years. While we still haven't done anything with what was conceived as our second comics project (aside from a blog post written by L.L. Hundal), there have been a dozen other releases, which you can check out here. With the original Black Cat as a sort-of anchor character, we've dusted off characters that haven't been heard from since the 1940s and given them new life while presenting and remaining true to their original adventures. In some cases, we've even published, for the first time, the complete run of certain characters within a single book, like we did with the Veiled Avenger in Lady Satan and British Agent 99 in Film Fun Comics, Vol. 3.

We have many more comics/RPG hybrid comics planned. We hope you will consider checking out not only ROLF!: A Recipe for Evil, but also some of our other offerings. The Science Sleuths series is proving to be quite popular, for example, and the first few issues are devoted entirely to crime-fighting females like Sally. (With issue #3, we're adding a crime-fighting couple to the mix, as the Rocketman series joins the line-up.)

For the full listing of all our comics releases, click on the "World's Greatest Comics" badge to right. (That's right... we only publish the World's Greatest Comics here at NUELOW Games.)

More "Science Sleuths" from NUELOW Games!

Brains, beauty, and a healthy helping of brawn... they're shooting from the hip and making weird science!

Science Sleuths #2 is now available for purchase at all the usual outlets! Click here to see previews or to get your very own copy. It features three action-packed stories starring Jill Trent and Daisy Smythe, as well as another Spider Queen tale. As always, there are some RPG tidbits as well--this time, it's d20 Modern OGL stats for Jill, Daisy, the Spider Queen, and the original Black Cat, the leading lady of our comics line. There are also a couple of other amusing filler items, because Steve Miller is obsessed with trying to make sure stories and chapters start on right-hand pages.

A special attraction in this issue is "Jill Trent: The Freezer Gas," which features early artwork from the legendary Frank Frazetta.

It's Lovecraft's birthday, and YOU get the gift!

Today, August 20, 2013, is the 123th anniversary of the birth of H.P. Lovecraft. We're celebrating by giving YOU the gift.

For today only, you can download ROLF!: Herbert West vs. the Zombies for free. The battle scenario was inspired by a string of stories that were among Lovecraft's least favorite of his works, but which rank among the ones we like the best here at NUELOW Games.

Click here to get your copy now! Don't panic, and keep your Elder Sign handy.

Howard Phillips Lovecraft: 8/20/1890 - 3/15/1937

Given what's going on in Egypt....

... and the absolute disaster that is the Obama Administration's Mid-East policy, would it be bad form to mention that John Kerry vs. the Queen of Evil features Kerry as a 3,000 year-old priest of Iss revived in modern times to fight his undying nemesis? Yeah... probably, especially since it features ROLF! stats for Kerry, the Queen of Evil, the goddess Isis, and ancient citizens of Luxor. And then there's the back-up feature starring Black Cat where she takes on "Cleopatra of the Casbah." Yes. Almost certainly bad form, not to mention possibly disrespectful of the rioters burning Christian churches and attacking government buildings. So, I better not mention that book at all, even though it can be downloaded right now for the special "pay what you want" price.

It would be even tackier of me to bring up ROLF!: Super Muslim Bros., which pokes fun at the architects of the bloody mess that is Egypt today, as Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton go on a secret mission to help Mohamed Morsi out of a bind. Yeah... that would be even worse, since that one features ROLF! stats for Morsi, Obama, Clinton, Muslim Brotherhood Thugs, mummies, and other bloodthirsty Egyptian "protesters." And I should certainly not mention that you can find it for sale at RPGNow.

Yeah... that would be horribly insensitive to the "death to America" crowd, which is pretty much everyone in Egypt these days....

I think I'll just focus on promoting our new comics/gaming project -- the happy four-color wonder that is Carnival! After all, it's got game material geared for OGL Modern, a far more popular game that ROLF!, so it just makes sense. (It even features a Black Cat story that is non-Egypt related... and plenty of clowns that have nothing to do with formulating U.S. foreign policy.)