C is for the Corsair Queen

The Corsair Queen and her ship Destroyer prowled the waters of the Caribbean in issues 25,26, and 27 of Buccaneers from Quality Comics. Her true name was Lila Evans, and she was the daughter of the governor of Cartago. When her father was murdered in a pirate raid, Lila took to the high seas in search of revenge and adventure. While posing as a pirate, she became the scourge of all injustice.

Corsair Queen is an example of how it was far more common-place for major publishers to have regular series that weren't superhero-centric. We will be presenting the two best of her adventures later this year in our Speak Like a Pirate Day Special in September. That product will also feature a ROLF! Battle Scenario that pits her against the very first woman to take up the mantle of the Black Cat. (By then, we may even include some rules for Lester Smith's CORE RPG. Time will tell!)

In the meantime, here she is ala ROLF!: The Rollplaying Game of Big Dumb Fighters.

Lila Evans, the Corsair Queen (Female)
Brain 20, Body 17, Brains 7
Traits: Busty, Nimble, Honorable
   Battle Manuevers: Backflip, Basic Attack, Castrate, Disarm, Disembowel, Double Strike, Seduce, Strike Pose
   Important Stuff Worn/Wielded: Flintlock Pistol (Small Ranged Weapon, deals 2 points of damage. Ignores armor. Cutlass (Medium Melee Weapon, deals 3 points of damage).

B is for Beau Brummell

NUELOW Games is taking part in the A to Z Blogging Challenge by shining a little bit of a spotlight on an obscure Golden Age comic book character that is slated to appear in one of our future products.

B is for Beau Brummell

Beau Brummell was a dapper millionaire and amateur detective who first appeared in the pages of Triple Threat Comics #1. In that story, he stopped a disgruntled department store employee from endangering one of his investments. In his second appearance (in Atomic Bomb Comics #1), he finds himself the only person who can save the careers of several kidnapped singers. Brummell never breaks a sweat while taking on crazed thugs, and he defeats them with an arsenal of novelty items that would make The Prankster jealous. At the end of each of this two appearances, an attractive woman throws herself at him, but Beau Brummell is a gentleman who travels alone, and his closing line in each tale involves him offering to arrange a cab to take her home.

As with so many minor (and a few major) Golden Age comics characters, the identities of Beau Brummell's creators is lost to history. The artist on the second story is generally assumed to be Nina Albright, but the other talents are even unguessed at. We're happy to adopt this orphan, however. We haven't quite decided where we're going to reprint his two appearances, but if he doesn't end up in an issue of Complete Golden Age Oddballs, he'll be the star of this year's Christmas in July ROLF! special.

And speaking of ROLF!, here's Beau Brummel in that game system....

Beau Brummell (Male)

Brawn 16, Body 18 (includes +1 Hat Bonus), Brains 6

   Traits: Coldhearted, Comic Relief, Improv Master

   Combat Maneuvers: Basic Attack, Debate Philosophy, Dodge, Double Strike, Strike Pose, Withering Insult

   Important Stuff Worn/Wielded: Top Hat (+1 to Body when worn), Evening Wear and Cape (Armor/Cloches, absorbs 1 point of damage). Walking Stick (Medium Melee Weapon, deals 2 points of damage). 2 Gag Items (One-shot Small Ranged Weapons that deal 1 point of damage).

Beau Brummell and lady friends. Art by Nina Albright

A is for Atomic Thunderbolt

I'm going to be spending the A to Z Challenge writing role-playing game material for comic book characters published between 1939 and 1954 who only appeared in 1 - 6 stories and then slipped into oblivion. In some cases, I will throw in a game tidbit or two, or I will beg L.L. Hundal to step up the plate and lend a hand. (Anyone out there can play along, too, if you want to add something to an entry. That's what the comments section is for.)

By the time i'm done, a couple dozen more heroes will have been added to the NUELOW Games line-up, and you will have received previews of the content for upcoming issues of Complete Golden Age Oddballs and other of our comics/rpg hybrid books.

And here's today's hero:

A is for Atomic Thunderbolt

Comics writers (and readers) for the past 20-30 years have liked to congratulate themselves on how mature and edgy their comics are these days. They like to describe the comics of previous decades as kiddy stuff. Well, the truth of the matter is that there were mature themes in comics from the earliest days.

Take for example Atomic Thunderbolt. Here's title the star of which came into existence because a mad scientist, frightened by the destructive power of the atom bomb, had devised a method to transform humanity into creatures who could survive atomic blasts and radiation. Willy Burns, a WW2 vet suffering from post traumatic stress disorder and severe depression, volunteers to be the scientist's test subject, because he feles he has nothing left to contribute to the world. It perhaps goes without saying, but the scientist's experiment goes horribly wrong, causing a massive explosion that kills him, destroys his laboratory and all his inventions... but leaves a transformed Willy as the only thing standing in the wreckage. Willy vows to use his newly gained powers for good, to fulfill the scientist's dream of a better tomorrow for humanity. (Those "newly gained powers" included the ability to fly, to create explosions with his bare hands, and to generate waves of force at will.)

Atomic Thunderbolt, drawn by Mort Lawrence

In the space of less than a dozen pages, the debut story of Atomic Thunderbolt tackled the long-term damaging effects war can have on those who wave it, the threat that atomic weapons posed (and still pose) to life on Earth, and even the dangers of scientists who feel their ends justify their means--the to Willy apparently benevolent scientist was willing to force someone to be his test subject if he hadn't happened upon Willy. Even more, the story makes it clear that he was one of the minds behind the invention of the atom bomb. I think this maturity level of the ideas in this story measure up to anything that we saw in the 1980s and 1990s when it was hip to blather on about how "grown up" comics were. And the anonymous writer of Atomic Thunderbolt told his story without needing to resort to profanity.

Aside from his origin story, Atomic Thunderbolt appeared in one more adventure. In it, he crossed paths with Rigor & Mortis, a pair of screwball immortal alchemists whose sorcery might be as dangerous as atomic weapons if they weren't so inept. The adventure with Rigor & Mortis was the second story in Atomic Thunderbolt #1, as in 1946 it was still typical for a comics magazine to contain numerous short stories in various genres and featuring different characters.

While each of the four stories included in Atomic Thunderbolt #1 ended with a plug for issue #2, no such issue ever saw print. In fact, this was the one and only comic book to ever be published by the Regor Company. Atomic Thunderbolt never flew again... until now! He will return in a future issue of Complete Golden Age Oddballs along with Rigor & Mortis and an all-new ROLF! battle scenario!

Coming to a bookstore near you -- "Ginger & Snap"!

It began as a joke when someone hinted that if 1940s gender-swapping twins "Ginger and Snap" were created today, the series would have a totally different tone and thrust. We found the joke so amusing that we even worked up a mock ad for the "modern" title Ginger & Snap.

Guess what? What started as a joke will be reality by this time next year! A deal has been signed between NUELOW Games and Catalan Communications to create an all-new 64-page graphic novel featuring a more mature/adult take on Ginger and Snap's gender-bending exploits. It will be illustrated by Milo Manara (of "Click" and "The Great Adventure"  fame) and co-scripted by NUELOW's Steve Miller and L.L. Hundal. The graphic njovel will also feature a 16-page d20 OGL supplement that will make Feats of an Adult Nature look like a Kindergarten ABC primer.

Our little comics projects are bringing us success beyond imagination... and we didn't even have to do a Kickstarter to make it happen!

If you want to check out the Ginger and Snap e-book reprinting the four original stories, clock here. 

It's a One-Shot Sale!

Lady Satan. Veiled Avenger. Ginger & Snap. Dynamic Man. Dynamic Boy. Yankee Boy. Mother Hubbard. The Rainbow. The Bronze Terror. The Red Demon. The Queen of Evil. Green Knight.

Those are some of the extremely cool characters we've retrieved from the scrapheap of pop-culture and introduced to the 21st century audience. While we mostly reprint their original adventures in these books, each one also contains all-new roleplaying game material for d20 OGL Modern (which is easily used with almost any d20 System variant, including the ever-popular Pathfinder game.

Through 4/15/2014, we are selling all the "one-shot" titles in our comics/rpg hybrid line of books at the reduced price of $0.99. You should take this chance to check some of them out while saving a few pennies. Maybe you'll meet your new favorite conic book character, while finding some great ideas or new rules for your next RPG session.

Here are the great books that can be yours for next to nothing for a limited time! (By the way, all NUELOW Games products are currently pdf-format ebooks. That may change soon, but for now, it's the only format we offer. But it works great on the various tablets, pads, and computers!)

Real American #1 presents the four best adventures of one of the earliest ethnic lead heroes to appear in main stream comics. A Native American lawyer who put on a mask to fight crime, the Bronze Terror stood as a unique figure in comics until Marvel Comics introduced Red Wolf in the 1970s. Written and drawn by Dick Briefer, with an all-new ROLF! scenario by Steve Miller where he crosses paths with another crime-fighting jurist, the Red Demon. (Click here to see preview pages from Real American #1 at the Shades of Gray blog.).

New Adventures of Frankenstein presents the first two chapters of Dick Briefer's legendary "Frankenstein" series, together with a tale starring Armand Broussard, the Werewolf Hunter. The book also features a brand-new ROLF! scenario in which Victor Frankenstein joins forces with Herbert West, Re-Animator to defeat Frankenstein's Monster... which a surprise foe waits and watches in the shadows.

Ginger and Snap presents all four published adventures of a pair of twins who solve problems by trading places. It's a cute, kid-friendly series that revolves around light gender-reversal humor. In fact, it's such a good-natured, innocent series that it probably couldn't be made today. (Click here to read more about this book at Shades of Grey blog.)

Al Pastino Early Works: 1940 - 1941 brings you the first creation of one of the most prolific Superman artists during the 1950s. Included in this collection of never-before-collected in one place historical rareties is perhaps the first-ever self-referential comic book superhero tale.

His Honor and... the Demon presents the best adventures of Bill Draut's Red Demon, a character some historians speculate may have been co-created with Joe Simon or Jack Kirby. The book also includes story with NUELOW Games' mascot, the Black Cat, and an all-new ROLF! scenario where she crosses paths with the Red Demon.

When a corrupt priestess of Isis uses dark spells to escape divine wrath by resurrecting herself thousands of years past the time of her gods, she failed to take into account the tenacity of the righteous contemporary Kalkor... who is known in the modern age as John Kerry!  John Kerry vs. the Queen of Evil spotlights the current U.S. Secretary of State in

Lady Satan brings together the stories featuring the original Lady Satan–a cold-blooded assassin stalking Hitler's minions in occupied France during WW2–and all four appearances of the Veiled Avenger. This book is the first time all these stories have been collected in one place. The book also features ROLF! game stats for Lady Satan and Veiled Avenger.

Carnival is an example of the diverse sort of comics that were on newsstands during the 1940s. It contains two circus-themed mysteries and one tale that sees the Black Cat busting crime under the big top. The book also features OGL Modern d20 rules for circus-themed heroes.

Madden's Boys spotlights the work of NUELOW Games' favorite forgotten artist from the early days of comics, Bill Madden. The book collects five stories drawn by Madden for the first time in one place, including both appearances of the original Dynamic Boy, and the three initial Yankee Boy stories from 1941. The book also includes an all-new set of superhero rules for use with OGL Modern d20 games.

Mother Hubbard presents all three stories featuring Bill Madden's nursery rhyme-inspired horror series, together with OGL Modern d20 game adaptations of the magic items in them.

The Unholy 3 and OGL Trickery is another display of the variety of genres Golden age comics covered. It contains both episodes of Bill Madden's screwball comedy series The Unholy3, and a weird superhero adveture with Black Cobra fighting cross-dressing gangsters at the ballet. The book also features all-new OGL Modern d20 roleplaying gane rules for making con artist characters.

Introducing the Golden Age Oddballs!

Complete Golden Age Oddballs brings together every appearance of obscure, off-center characters from the earl years of the comic book medium. Most of these stories will never have been collected in one spot before.

The first installment of this new series from NUELOW Games, Complete Golden Age Oddballs: Prankster & Purple Tigress is now available for your enjoyment. Aside from the classic comics, it contains brief publication backgrounds for each character, as well as the roleplaying game content you've come to expect from a NUELOW Games comics project. Additionally, we place the Prankster and the Purple Tigress in our emerging "universe," which will be featured in Lester Smith's CORE Roleplaying Game.

Click here to see previews of the book, or to get your very own copy. And be sure to let us know what you think of it. Without your feedback, we can't make our releases better!

Riyadh Roullete: All-New from a Prestigious European Game Designer

This game was designed in the course of a 25-minute trip back and forth between the grocery store, with minor revisions taking place as it was being typed up and posted to the blog, such as the requirement the hands be played face up.

Is it a good game? Play it, and let me know... but just remember that it's the product of a Prestigious European Game Designer. That means it has to be good, right? (Full context: This was created in response to a challenge to make a game where the winning condition meant you lost.)

 RIYADH ROULETTE: A GAME FOR 3-5 PLAYERS
*NO GIRLS ALLOWED*! 

By Steve Miller

(Copyright 2014 by NUELOW Games and Steve Miller. All Rights Reserved. Duplication Allowed for Personal Use, or for Inclusions in Fatwas and Magazines Published for the Enlightenment and Entertainment of the Lions of Islam)

 Designer Introduction 
There has been no proofing or play-testing of this game.

Objective 
Be the first to blow yourself up for the glory of the Prophet and go to Paradise, in this fast-playing, fun-filled simulation of what it's like to be a Lion of Islam and a Martyr for Mohammed!

Play Requires
One six-sided die, one deck of cards (including Jokers), one bowl (the bigger the better), and 72 Raisins (can be substituted with Jelly Beans).

 Set Up 
Put the Raisins or Jelly Beans in the bowl at the center of the table. Remove all 2s but the 2 of Spades, 7s, the Jack of Hearts, and all Queens from the deck and play.

 Game Play
Each player is dealt five cards, from the bottom of the deck, one at a time, clockwise around the table. The cards are placed face up in front of the player. The moment a Joker is revealed, the player who received that card must roll the die. If he rolls a one, he has blown himself and a bunch of Enemies of the Prophet to bits with bomb that was cleverly hidden up his ass. Any other result, the Joker is discarded, and he is immediately dealt another card.
   Once everyone has five cards in front of them, the youngest player discards the lowest possible card.Other players, going counter-clockwise around the table, must discard a lower card. If a player is unable, he must roll the die. If he roll a one, he has blown himself and oodles of Enemies of the Prophet to itty-bitty pieces with a bomb. cleverly hidden in the bra he was wearing. Any other result, and he draws cards from the top of the deck until he has a full five cards on the table in front of him.
   If a player runs out of cards in front of him, every player discards their remaining cards, and is dealt five new cards (from the bottom of the deck).
    When no player can refresh his hand up to five cards, all remaining cards are discarded. Players roll the die, starting with the player who couldn't get a full hand and going counter-clockwise around the table, until one of them rolls a 1. That player has blown himself and a bunch of Enemies of the Prophet into gory chunks with a bomb cleverly hidden in his Crocs.

 Ending the Game
The player who goes to Paradise with a large boom and a blaze of glory is the winner. He gets to watch the remaining players eat the 72 raisins or jelly beans.

The Reward