'The Three Lives of Fantomah: Book One'

NUELOW Games launches a new series with The Three Lives of Fantomah. This three volume series will present the best from the 49-episode run (in Jungle Comics #2 - #51) of a character that started out as the first female superhero in comics, transformed into a standard "jungle girl," and ultimately became the ruler of a "lost civilization."

The cover for The Three Lives of Fantomah: Book One

The book features four stories by the character's creator Fletcher Hanks (known for ultra-powered heroes who kill evil-doers in creative ways) and the first by "W.B. Hovious," a pen-name that various writers and artists produced the series under after Hanks' departure. In addition, it contains some d20 System/OGL Modern rules that are designed to capture Fantomah's unusual nature and development as the series unfolded. If you liked the quirkiness of the Modern Advances and Modern Basics series of products, you want to check this one out, as it makes unusual use (perhaps even abuse) of the d20 System's magic, level, and XP systems.

Click here to see previews or to download your own copy of the book. You can see further previews of the series at the Shades of Gray blog by clicking here.

It's a Party in the CIA with Madam Zero!

Some parody songs are more amusing and entertaining than the source they are based on. A perfect example of that is Weird Al's "Party in the CIA." It's got better lyrics than the original and its video even makes more sense.



It's a favorite of the NUELOW Gang, even if L.L. Hundal's Significant Other has banned it from their home, because Hundal would play it over and over while singing along as she searched through comics for us to republish.

I'm bringing it up here, because it also seems like a perfect theme song for the most recent release for ROLF!: The Rollplaying Game of Big Dumb Fighters...

ROLF!: Zero vs. One is a full-fledged ROLF! supplement with two battle scenarios, four pre-generated characters, and a number of new Battle Maneuvers and Traits. In addition, it features the complete run of Madam Zero, an obscure back-up series from Fiction House's Fight Comics that featured one of comicdom's most mysterious heroines. And Madam Zero is exactly the sort of character that "Party in the CIA" is about.

Click here to see previews of ROLF!: Zero vs. One, or to get your own copy.

Coming Soon: Warrior Maiden Starlight

We're currently putting the final touches on our biggest book yet -- a color collection of the complete "Starlight" series by writer Ann Adams and artist Ralph Mayo. Mayo was also the primary artist on NUELOW's Judy of the Jungle books, as well as being a collaborator of Frank Frazetta on Kathy.

Warrior Maiden Starlight collects all six Starlight episodes for the first time between two covers. The series debuted in Indians #2 and lasted through Indians #8, appearing and disappearing during the second half of 1951. Set during the mid-16th century, in a time prior to contact with European settlers, the series follows the adventures of a a rebellious Huron girl who is out to prove that she can out-hunt, out-fight and outsmart any warrior, any day. She was the last of the strong female lead characters that were a staple among Fiction House's anthology titles, with the premiere among them being Sheena, Queen of the Jungle.

A number of critics have said that the only reason Fiction House published comics with female leads was so they had an excuse to present page after page of T-and-A, as their "strong female characters" usually appeared in very skimpy outfits. However, Starlight puts a lie to that theory in every way. She is always fully clothed, even in scenes that provide a perfect opportunity for her to strip down and provide some "fan service," so there's no question that this character exists to be a strong and positive leading lady figure. In Mayo's drawings, she's always beautiful but never turned into a sex object... something contemporary comic book artists should try. If they really were interested in presenting "strong female characters" (as the claim so often goes) they'd draw their female characters more like Starlight and less like Hustler Magazine centerfolds.

Warrior Maiden Starlight will be the biggest RPG/comics hybrid product from NUELOW Games so far, with a pagecount clocking in around 70. We hope you'll decide to check it out when it becomes available. In the meantime, here are ROLF! stats for Starlight, and a draft of the cover. The final cover will feature the full logo, as well as slightly different artwork.

STARLIGHT (Female)
Brawn 20, Body 17, Brains 7
Traits: Dead Eye, Nimble
Combat Maneuvers: Basic Attack, Castrate, Dodge, Double Strike, Sure Shot, Run Away
Important Stuff Worn/Wielded: Bow (Medium Ranged Weapon, deals 2 points of damage). Knife (Small Melee Weapon, deals 1 point of damage).