Welcome to the Jungle!

With Judy of the Jungle: The Lords of Memnon, NUELOW Games launches a new 3-volume series while digging into the once-popular jungle adventure genre.

The cover for NUELOW's first Judy of the Jungle book.

During the Golden Age of Comics, jungle adventure series were all the rage. Jungle heroes tended to either wear hunting togs and pith helmets, or little more than loin cloths, and as early as 1937, Will Eisner and Jerry Iger hit on the notion that a female jungle hero couldn't help but be popular with the core comic book audience. So, into existence came Sheena, Queen of the Jungle... and shortly after that, the first example of "fan service" was likewise published.

Sheena spawned many imitators, but none ever matched her popularity, nor have any had her staying power. Hundreds of Sheena comic book stories have been printed--with brand-new ones appearing within recent years--and she has been the subject of two feature films and two separate television series.

 Judy of the Jungle debuted in 1947, ten years after Sheena. She first appeared in Exciting Comics #55 where she became popular enough to knock long-time title star Black Terror from the cover within two issues of her debut. She enjoyed a 15-issue run, before fading into history.

 Judy may not have been the most groundbreaking of characters, but she was visually distinct from all the other Sheena wanna-bes--where they all wore some variation of an animal skin bikini, Judy's attire was a tattered cocktail dress. She may also have the most unique set of "daddy issues" in all of comicdom. Even better, her adventures never wanted for action. And her series is titled Judy of the Jungle.

This was a comic that was begging for a NUELOW Games edition.

 Judy of the Jungle: The Lords of Memnon features the first four Judy adventures, and the debut adventure of the first black jungle hero--Voodah.

Voodah is actually a more historically significant character than Judy. As already mentioned, he was the first black jungle hero... and he happens to be the creation of one of the few African Americans who worked as a full-time artist on American comics during the 1940s. However, I suspect that Voodah being black was more of an accident or perhaps spontaneous editorial rebellion, because when one compares Voodah's face to the way Baker drew other black characters, the features are very different. He seems to have been drawn as a white person, but then colored as black. My theory is further strengthened by the fact that Voodah was only black for this first three appearances (Crown Comics #3 - #5) after which he turned into a visual Tarzan clone, appearance-wise. There's also the curious detail that even when he appeared as a black man in the interior of the magazine, he never was when he appeared on the cover. Either the editorial mistake was caught by the fourth story, or the act of rebellion was squashed by higher-ups at publisher McCombs.

Voodah: White on the outside, black on the inside.

We may never know the real story at this late date, but it gives us a reason to still care about an otherwise uninteresting Tarzan knock-off that hasn't weathered the passage of time very well. With the exception of the one story illustrated by creator Baker--the one included in Judy of the Jungle: The Lords of Memnon--.and a second where he fights a dinosaur, the art on the series is as clunky and uninteresting to the modern eye as are the stories.

In addition to 38 pages of great comics, the book includes an all new talent tree and starting occupation designed to bring jungle action to your d20 OGL Modern games..

Check out previews of Judy of the Jungle: The Lords of Memnon, or perhaps even get your own copy, by clicking here. As always, if you get the book, let us know what you thought of it. We can't improve if we don't know what's right or wrong about our products!

Modern Advances: The Suicide Bomber

With Black Widows and other sundry crazies threatening to murder innocent people at the Winter Olympics this year, and Cartoonophobia once again rearing its head across the Muslim World, this seems like a good time to bring back NUELOW's classic Suicide Bomber advanced class.

Everything in this post from this point forward is Open Game Content. It may be reproduced as allowed for under the Open Game License. Copyright 2004, 2014 Steve Miller. (To check out NUELOW Games's d20 OGL offerings, click here.)

MODERN ADVANCES: THE SUICIDE BOMBER

By Dave Mendez

This is a one level advanced class for particularly sick and deluded characters who think it's heroic to walk to murder innocent, unsuspecting people by blowing themselves up.

Requirements:
Int: Max 7
Wis: Max 4
Knowledge (Religion): 1 Rank
Use Rope: 5 Ranks
Feats: Fanatic

Class Skills:
Knowledge (Chemistry), Demolitions, Gather Information, Hide, Use Rope
Skill Points at each level: 2 + Int mod

1st level class features
Attack Bonus: +0; Fort Save: +1; Ref Save: +0; Will Save: +2; Defense Bonus +0; Rep +0.
   Special Features: Make Bomb, Go Boom
   Weapon and Armor Proficiences: Suicide bombers are proficient with simple weapons.
   Make Bomb: You can use your Demolitions skill to make a bomb that only work when you strap it to your self. Once the bomb is attached to you it can not be removed by any means, if someone tries to disarm or take the bomb off it will blow up. Bomb does 1d10 point of damage/ per ranks of your alchemy skill.
   Go Boom: Once you gain enough experience to reach your next character level, the bomb will go off killing you and doing damage within a 30 ft +5 ft./rank in Demotions radius.


Want to see more from Dave Mendez? Check out Modern Basics: Tools of Terror and Blood.

Free for Super Bowl Weekend -- the 'You vs. Me' RPG!

The staff at NUELOW Games (one being Eurotrash by birth, the other by upbringing) know next to nothing about American football. Still, what with Steve Miller being based out of the Seattle area, we still feel like we want to join in the excitement.

To that end, we are offering all Seahawks fans and Broncos fans a gift (and anyone else really). Through Monday, Feb 3, our two-player RPG You vs. Me can be downloaded free of charge! Use it to bridge the gap between yourself and that special friend who is rooting for the "wrong team"--or you can use it to make the rivalry even stronger.

It can also be used during the Half-time show if it sucks.

Click here for more information about You vs. Me, and to download your own copy for free!

And... gooooooo team! To victory!

Cover drafts from upcoming NUELOW Games releases

We're intending to release three Judy of the Jungle books this year. Here are drafts of the covers for them. They may be used as they appear here, they may be altered, or they may be replaced entirely if a better idea presents itself between now and release time).

By Alex Schomburg

By Ralph Mayo

By Alex Schomburg

OGL Rules for the Wild

As mentioned in our 2013 Christmas Special, we're planning to release some jungle comics in 2014. In the process, we came up with some tidits for OGL Modern that are perfect for creating characters like Tarzan, Sheena, and soon-to-be NUELOW Games stars Voodah, Rulah, South Sea Girl, and, of course, Judy of the Jungle.

The following material is presented under the Open Game License, and it may be reproduced under the terms spelled out in it. Copyright Steve Miller 2014.
.
Starting Occupation: Defender of the Wild
You are at home in the wild, far away from modern civilization. You defend the wild space in which you live, attacking those who would threaten it with the savagery and determination of the animals you call friends.
  Prerequisite: Age 15+.
  Skills: Choose four of the following skills as permanent class skills. If a skill the character selects is already a class skill, he or she receives a +1 competence bonus on checks using that skill. Animal Handling, Climb, Intimidate, Jump, Move Silently, Ride, Spot, Survival, Swim, Treat Injury.
  Bonus Feat: Select one of the following: Archaic Weapons Proficiency, Acrobatics, or Brawl

Talent Tree: Jungle Master
Talents from this tree are available to all characters who meet the pre-requisites.
  Prerequisite: Strength 14+, Dexterity 14+, Constitution 16+
  Beastmaster: You gain a +4 competency bonus to all Animal Handling skill checks. Animal Handling becomes a permanent class skills. If it was already a class skill, you gain 2 ranks in Animal Handling.
  Hearty: You gain double the amounts of hit points through First Aid and natural healing.
  Silent Death: You gain a +4 bonus to all Move Silently checks. You deal +2 damage with melee weapons.
  Terror of the Jungle: You have a +4 bonus to all Buff and Intimidate checks when in a wilderness environment.
  Untouchable: Your Class Defense Bonus increases by +2 when you select this talent. For all even character levels acquired, you gain an additional +1 bonus to you class-based Defense Bonus.

Coming tomorrow... "Real American No. 1"!

In 1941, writer/artist Dick Briefer introduced the first Native American superhero to comics -- the Bronze Terror!

The Bronze Terror was secretly Jeff Dixon, a successful lawyer who fought against those who would oppress his people both inside and outside the court room. His adventures, which took him from the Reservation to the Big City and back again were featured in the back of Daredevil issues #2 - 11, before fading into history. It wasn't until the 1970s that another comic book series would draw so heavily on racism and other problems of Native Americans in the modern United States. So, just like with his trailblazing signature series New Adventures of Frankenstein, Briefer was ahead of his time.

The cover for NUELOW Games' Real American No. 1

Tomorrow (Thursday, 1/16/2014), NUELOW Games will proudly release Real American No. 1, a book featuring the four best Bronze Terror tales (as selected by editor Steve Miller) and a battle scenario for ROLF!: The Rollplaying Game together with stats for the Bronze Terror, his girlfriend Lilly, and more.

We hope you'll give it a look.

ROLF!: Shia LaBeouf vs. Alan Moore

Recently, actor Shia LaBeouf and writer Alan Moore separately announced their retirement from public life. A ROLF! battle scenario came to mind.

THE FUTURE HERMIT SMACKDOWN

By Steve Miller

(soon to be the work of Shia LaBeouf and Grant Morrison)

Permission granted to copy for personal use and amusement.

Backstory
"It's done!" said Shia LaBeouf. "I have announced my retreat from public life because of the meanies in the media... and I'm getting more attention than ever! Yay! It sure was great that Alan Moore did the same thing back just before New Year's or I may never have thought to do it!"
   There's a knock at the door.
   "Are you Shia LaBeouf?" asks the old man with the wild beard and hair when Shia opens the door.
   "Yes. I am the actor/writer/artist known as Shia, who recently retired from pubic life because of negative comments about me in the media."
   "I'm Alan Moore, and I'm here ta kill you, you fookin' thief!"

The Battle
The fight is for two players. each controlling a character. It continues until one of the characters is defeated.

The Characters
There are several traits and battle maneuvers not in the core ROLF! game. Sorry. Most of the ones not there can be found in ROLF!: Old and Angry. (The one all-new Trait, Plagiarist, is detailed under "New Traits.")

ALAN MOORE
Brawn 20, Body 13, Brains 7
  Traits: Improv Master, Old, So Very British
  Battle Maneuvers: Basic Attack, Double Strike, Debate Philosophy, Dodge, Murderous Mitts, Signature Move, Withering Insult

Alan Moore

SHIA LABEOUF (Male)
Brawn 19, Body 19, Brains 4
  Traits: Improv Master, Plagiarist
  Battle Maneuvers: Basic Attack, Debate Philosophy, Strategic Bleeding, Strike Pose

Shia LaBeouf

New Traits
Plagiarist: Once per round, the character can use any Battle Maneuver or Spelling that has been used by any other character in the fight. If the ATT check to use the "borrowed" attack fails, the character loses one Body ATT point.


AND... A FEAT FOR USE WITH YOUR d20 SYSTEM GAMES!

In a show of appreciation for the great talent that is Shia LaBeouf, here is a feat for use with your d20 System. I'm putting it here, and I'm going to claim it as my own. After all, art should be free and we should all be free to claim that we create whatever art we feel like claiming we create!

Plagiarist [General]
You gain a +4 bonus to Linguistics checks to create (but not detect) forgeries, and when you impersonate a specific person those who know the target of your impersonation get only half the normal bonus to their Perception checks to realize you are a fake. (#microfeats)

'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.