#80stoys

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #361: Making a Retrowave Music Video, Night of the Comet, Toys, and Being a Kid Again

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #361: Making a Retrowave Music Video, Night of the Comet, Toys, and Being a Kid Again

https://archive.org/download/podcast-361/Podcast%20361.mp3

This week, I finished the music video I started recently using the two synth – handpan tracks Jeff Finely and I worked on together.  I finally figured out enough of Adobe Premiere to accomplish pretty much what I was going for in the video – i.e. flying through fantasy landscapes with a trail of smoke coming out of Lightning.  Now, in the book, it’s actually three rainbow smoke trails, but sometimes, I will just draw it as one large rainbow that trails afterwards.  I couldn’t quite get the rainbow effect but did get the smoke trail to change to the colors of the rainbow, which is good enough for now.  Here’s a short clip of what I started with (pixelart Logan superimposed over stock fantasy landscape animations I purchased off pond5.com):

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And here is the full video:

 

This was the last collaboration Jeff and I did, by the way, based on some ideas originally conceived by Brent Simon:

You can find out more about Jeff on his previous appearances on the show (episode 101, 102, and 176).

I also recently rewatched the 1984 film Night of the Comet to prep for a conversation with one of the leads from the film, Catherine Mary Stewart about the movie.  This is a little addition to the Lego Friends minifigure package I made of Sam and Reg from NOTC, but if you’re on the Patreon, you will be able to find the interview there.  If you’re a regular podcast listener, you will also be able to unlock the interview to listen to it.  Yes, that’s right, gameification!  Since Regina Belmont was an avid arcade gamer in the movie, it only seems right.  Stay tuned for details.  The Night of the Comet figures will be auctioned off starting in August, most likely, all proceeds to benefit the nonprofit Alliance4girls.org. 

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I also recently went back to my parents’ house and brought back a few things from my childhood for my own children and took pictures of some of the things I wanted to remember:

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A collection of some of my and my brother’s old figures to share now with my kids.

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Remember some of these guys?

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 We saved a bunch of the boxes from the computer games we had as kids.  Little did we know that ot only would most games not comes with big boxes anymore but people would collect these things for exorbitant prices on eBay! 🙂

More on Patreon … but in the meantime, let it be known that 7/8/22 is “Be a kid again day!”

In other words, a great excuse to play with some toys!

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The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #342: February 2022 Question and Answer Session

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #42: February 2022 Question and Answer Session

https://archive.org/download/podcast-342/Podcast%20342.mp3

This week, I’ve got a few quick updates and will be digging into the second set of questions that came in.  I really appreciate all the thoughtful questions!

Before we begin, I have finally finished the Lego Rocketeer including their boxes.  Now just need to list them and get them ready for auction for two charity organizations in Dave Stevens’ name.

My brother, Jeremy, who was just on for episode 337 to discuss The Black Cauldron and who will be on soon to discuss the film Legend, returns this month with these questions:

1) What was it about films like The Neverending Story that resonated with you as a child and served as fuel for the style of ’80s fantasy that The Thirteenth Hour represents? In your mind, what do you think is stylistically different about ’80s fantasy films as opposed to the stuff that came after? (like The Lord of the Rings movies or modern day shows like The Witcher).

2) The Thirteenth Hour straddles a lot of genres and defies classification – you could call it a fantasy/young adult book, but that doesn’t quite hit the mark. What are some of the restrictions and quirks of these genres that bothered you as a kid and still bother you as an adult? (i.e.: the tendency for fantasy series to be long multi-book affairs that get a little drunk on their own worldbuilding and politics; the fact that most YA books have to fit within the mold established by Harry Potter or The Hunger Games to survive)

3) Did you ever envision The Thirteenth Hour as a comic? In a perfect world, what would a comic adaptation of the story look like in your eyes? Would you go for a long running series that expands on the mythology that you wrote, or maybe a big one-shot a la Dave Steven’s Rocketeer work that’s self-contained?

Check out Jeremy‘s work over at Pixel Grotto, CBR.com, and Classic Batman Panels on IG.  You can support his work on Ko-fi and get access to in-depth, exclusive Batman content here.   If you are of the DnD persuasion, his articles on DnD Beyond may be right up your alley.  Thanks, Jeremy, for coming on the show!
 
These first five comes from frequent show guest Adam from @mom_gave_them_away, who was just on the show for episodes 340–341 on Rambo/First Blood.

4.) Favorite Gene Wilder role, not necessarily favorite movie?

5.) Favorite toy line as a kid?
 
6.) Within that favorite toy line, what’s your favorite figure?
 
7.) Can you nail down your favorite year of the 80s?
 
8.) Did you take piano lessons, and if so, do you remember your first lesson?
 
Find more of Adam’s work on the interwebs at ACtoydesign and his shop of original resin toys.  He does a number of podcasts as well – I Have Spoken (a Star Wars podcast), Death by Podcast (a vintage horror podcast), and You like Toys (a Patreon exclusive podcast about toys and nostalgia). 

Two of my favorite GI Joe figures – Lady Jaye and Snake Eyes from the GI Joe 80s cartoon.

I don’t a lot of the toys from my youth currently with me, but have found a few in later years.  The little blue Prius from Japan is there representing Micro Machines and the Japanese import that was my first GoBot.  The blue robot is a GoBot that was my favorite as a kid, and the Air Raider pilot (which was one of the ones I had as kid), represents all the smaller size figures I liked playing with as a child. 

Thanks, everyone, for your contributions!  It was a good time.  We’ll do it again next month (for the episode to be released on 3/28/22).  If you have questions, feel free to email me them at writejoshuablum@gmail.com.

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The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #338: January 2022 Question and Answer Session

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #338: January 2022 Question and Answer Session

https://archive.org/download/podcast-338/Podcast%20338.mp3

This week, I’ve got a few quick updates and will be digging into the questions y’all sent.  I really appreciate all the thoughtful questions!

These first five comes from frequent show guest Adam from @mom_gave_them_away:

1.) What’s your favorite 80s toy line of all time?

2.) What’s your favorite contemporary toy line of all time?

3.) If you could change one thing about The Rocketeer movie, what would it be?

4.) If there was a new Rocketeer movie, who would you like to see in the cast? Excluding the obvious choice of The Rock for the lead role.

5.) How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?

Find more of Adam’s work on the interwebs at ACtoydesign and his shop of original resin toys.  He does a number of podcasts as well – I Have Spoken (a Star Wars podcast), Death by Podcast (a vintage horror podcast), and You like Toys (a Patreon exclusive podcast about toys and nostalgia).   

My brother, Jeremy, who was just on for episode 337 to discuss The Black Cauldron, returns to drop the next question set:

6.) In a perfect world, if you had to pick just one, would you rather see The Thirteenth Hour visualized as a big budget movie akin to the 80s flicks that inspired you, a long-running cartoon series with one of those badass intros with dudes singing, or a retro video game like the one you tried to make way back in the day?

7.) I know that The Thirteenth Hour Book 2 has been on hiatus for a bit; has the general story changed at all due to side projects you’ve been engaged in? On that note, has the trajectory of characters like Logan, Aurora and the Wayfarer changed at all after everything that you’ve experienced the last two years as a dad raising kids in this crazy new Covid world we live in?

8.) Now that you’re a fully fledged custom toymaker, are there any other projects you want to embark upon with the characters from the book? Making Thirteenth Hour dioramas? The World of The Thirteenth Hour Guide Book? A new short story?

Check out Jeremy‘s work over at Pixel Grotto, CBR.com, and Classic Batman Panels on IG.  You can support his work on Ko-fi and get access to in-depth, exclusive Batman content here.   If you are of the DnD persuasion, his articles on DnD Beyond may be right up your alley.  Thanks, Jeremy, for coming on the show!

Wrapping us up for the first Thirteenth Hour podcast Q & A is one of my favorite people in the world, Doug Bernon:

9.) If Howard and Beverly had a child, what do you think their kid would look and be like?

10.) How do you think Logan and Aurora would have handled a pandemic?

11.) Cliff Secord’s helmet is already pretty magnificent. If you were designing one for yourself today, what would it look like?

12.) What role did the movie The Rocketeer play in your life as a kid? Is that the backstory for Logan and Aurora and The Thirteenth Hour?

You can find out more about Doug Bernon in the pages of Cruising World Magazine (he and his wife have sailed all around the world) and through pictures of bread at https://www.instagram.com/wellbredloafing/

Thanks, everyone, for your contributions!  It was a blast.  We’ll do it again next month (for the episode to be released on 2/28/22).  If you have questions, feel free to email me them at writejoshuablum@gmail.com.

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The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #216: Update on Thirteenth Hour Minifigures

Episode #216: Update on Thirteenth Hour Minifigures

https://archive.org/download/podcast216_201909/Podcast%20216.mp3

About a year ago, I started making resin casted figures of some of The Thirteenth Hour characters (more details from a series of previous episodes: here for Logan and here for Aurora).

After over a year (mostly due to delays of one kind or another), they’re nearing completion. All the packaging is done for about 40 of the figures. (The last 20, not sure yet). Today, I’m painting and wrapping up a few details on the Logan figure so it can stand unassisted.

Laying down the colors on the painted figures in broad strokes before tackling touch ups and details of the eyes and mouth.

One of the guests who’s been on the show numerous times, Adam, now has his own podcast on Spotify all about toy design and creation. Check it out!

https://open.spotify.com/show/3W1GcWGS74a8K3ssbL3ECM?si=v-8EyAkFTMG1OkNckRwnNg

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If you haven’t checked out “Arcade Days,” the song and video Jeff Finley, Brent Simon, and I have been working on the past year, click on the link below to do so!

 

You can find more pictures and preview clips of “Arcade Days” on IG as well as this podcast’s FB page.

Empty Hands, the synth EP soundtrack to the novella, Empty Hands, is now out for streaming on Bandcamp.  

empty hands ep cover_edited-2.jpg

Follow along on Spotify!  There is also a growing extended Thirteenth Hour playlist on Spotify with a growing number of retro 80s songs.

Check it out!

As always, thanks for listening!

Stay tuned.  Follow along on Spotify!  There is also a growing extended Thirteenth Hour playlist on Spotify with a growing number of retro 80s songs.

Check it out!

As always, thanks for listening!

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The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #155: Making Thirteenth Hour Figures Redux – Molding and Casting Aurora

Episode #155: Making Thirteenth Hour Figures Redux – Molding and Casting Aurora

https://archive.org/download/Podcast155_201807/Podcast%20155.mp3

Over the past few months, I’ve been working on making a figure for Aurora from The Thirteenth Hour like the figures I made for Logan and his hoverboard (you can see the step by step making of these figures here in parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8).   For a number of reasons, this process was more labor intensive that the first time.  I suppose in some ways it was more challenging as well.  I was using the drawing below as the model for this figure of Aurora:

The two clay figures side by side.

Making the first mold. The tootpicks are there as vents to allow air in to help the resin to flow through the mold better.

Pouring one half of the mold.

There’s usually some cleanup to be done around the seams.

Experimenting with making a second mold to see if I can improve results.

Usually, it’s necessary to trim areas inside the mold to make sure they aren’t getting in the way or obscuring the sprues (air vents).

Three completed figures.

Glow in the dark Logan and Aurora.  Pretty soon, you should be able to find these for purchase here, on the ebay store, and via social media links, like on Instagram.

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Between Two Worlds, the synth EP follow up to Long Ago Not So Far Away is now out for streaming on Bandcamp.  

The bonus track, called “Flight of the Cloudrider” has a 80s movie mashup music video (see if you can identify all the movies!) which is available on youtube.   This app was largely created with the iphone app Auxy.

between 2 worlds EP cover 2

Stay tuned.  Follow along on Spotify!  There is also a growing extended Thirteenth Hour playlist on Spotify with a growing number of retro 80s songs.

Check it out!

As always, thanks for listening!

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The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #145: A Conversation with Adam from Mom_Gave_Them_Away on Instagram Part 2, Take 2

Episode #145: A Conversation with Adam from Mom_Gave_Them_Away – 80s Toys and Cartoons Extravaganza Part 2 – Take 2

https://archive.org/download/Podcast145_201805/Podcast%20145.mp3

Due to some difficulties I had getting podcast feeds to pick up this episode, I’m trying an experiment.  Show notes are available here

 

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The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #145: A Conversation with Adam from Mom_Gave_Them_Away on Instagram Part 2

Episode #145: A Conversation with Adam from Mom_Gave_Them_Away – 80s Toys and Cartoons Extravaganza Part 2

https://archive.org/download/Podcast145_201805/Podcast%20145.mp3

Adam from the Instagram account that he runs, mom_gave_them_away (dedicated to 80s toys, mostly action figures, and other 80s memorabilia), rejoins us this week for the second part of our conversation on 1980s childhood nostalgia.   If you grew up during that era or just have an interest in some of the things kids were playing with back then, do yourself a favor and check out his site – it’s a virtual encyclopedia of information on toys and other memorabilia from the 80s!  This episode, we again cover a diverse array of topics – starting with molding and casting, to Adam’s custom action figure business (see below), and many more 80s toys and their obscure associated cartoons. Like last week, here are some 80s cartoon intros and commercials to get you in the mood:

Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors – the intro to Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors is quite typical of the era – lasers, explosions, rings that shoot fire, and men singing the name of the series over and over in the intro 🙂

Silverhawks – “partly metal, partly real”

This unbelievably epic commercial was for Air Raiders.  Despite the animation in this commercial, there was no cartoon I’m aware of, though there was a comic.  This page, which details a number of toy lines from the 80s (such as Air Raiders) that didn’t quite take off for whatever reason, is fascinating if you’re into this sort of thing.  

The anime opening theme for Combat Mecha Xabungle (above) requires some explanation.  Recently, Adam posted a nameless red robot torso on his page (below).  Thanks to the magic of the internets and the contributors visiting his account, he was able to quickly find the name and full version of the figure. When I saw it, I was reminded of a similar blue robot that also had a penchant for falling apart!   Turns out they were from this Japanese anime series, originally airing in 1982.

View this post on Instagram

⬅️SWIPE: I HAD THAT! But what is it? Thanks to the @mom_gave_them_away community I now know. A few weeks ago I posted a junked torso of a transforming robot I remembered having as a kid, but couldn't remember what it was in order to find one. Thanks to many of you guys I now know it was most likely the Yrobot Ironcar knock off of the Xabungle Irongear from 1983. This thing is iconic to me as I was always drawn to generic and simple toys. I remember getting this for Christmas at my grandparent's house in Wheaton, IL when I was a kid. After that post a few weeks ago I was fortunate enough to track down one of each mint and complete in the box. I will say if you get one they are very brittle and fragile. Aside from the stickers you can spot the Yrobot Ironcar from the head; I've never seen it with a properly painted face. So that KO is easy to spot. But they have the exact same mold and are equally rad! #momgavethemaway #mgta #80smovies #80sculture #80stv #80smusic #toysfromthe80s #80stoys #80scartoons #nostalgia #toycollection #toyphotography #toys #kenner #fisherprice #remco #toysrus #kbtoys #hasbro #toypics #toyphotos #80sstuff #1980s #toysruskid #yrobot #xabungle #ironcar #irongear #transformers #gobots

A post shared by Mom Gave Them Away (@mom_gave_them_away) on

 

 

Having never seen the show before, I must admit, my curiosity is peaked!  I’ll have to try to track some of the episodes down.  

Remember these toy guns?  The one on the left shot rubber BBs (it was basically a low powered airsoft gun with a gravity fed magazine), and the one of the right fired little discs.  Both were high capacity (the BB gun could hold about 40-50 BBs; the disc shooter I think held around 20 discs in an internal, nonremovable, spring fed magazine) and offered the possibility of semiauto fire (one shot for each pull of the trigger, assuming the gun didn’t break in between – always a risk – which, despite the durability issues, was pretty cool for a toy).  This page lovingly pays homage to these bits of toy gun history – click to read more: BB gun / disc shooter.

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Check out more of Adam’s work here: https://accustomfigures.com/ and on Instagram.  He put together a number of tutorials so you can also get started on making your own figures.  And of course, here is the page that inspired this episode and last: https://www.instagram.com/mom_gave_them_away/

I’ll finish with a little retro 80s visual that you can hear at the end of the show – a remixed version of “I’ll Fly Away” from The Thirteenth Hour soundtrack – this video being a nod to all those flying scenes in 80s movies through dreamy cloudscapes.

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Between Two Worlds, the synth EP follow up to Long Ago Not So Far Away is now out for streaming on Bandcamp.  

The bonus track, called “Flight of the Cloudrider” has a 80s movie mashup music video (see if you can identify all the movies!) which is available on youtube.   This app was largely created with the iphone app Auxy.

between 2 worlds EP cover 2

Stay tuned.  Follow along on Spotify!  There is also a growing extended Thirteenth Hour playlist on Spotify with a growing number of retro 80s songs.

Check it out!

As always, thanks for listening!

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The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #144: A Conversation with Adam from Mom_Gave_Them_Away on Instagram

Episode #144: A Conversation with Adam from Mom_Gave_Them_Away – 80s Toys and Cartoons Extravaganza

https://archive.org/download/Podcast144_201805/Podcast%20144.mp3

This week and next, I’m joined by Adam from the Instagram account that he runs, mom_gave_them_away, which is dedicated to 80s toys, mostly action figures.  If you grew up during that era or just have an interest in some of the things kids were playing with back then, do yourself a favor and check out his site – it’s a virtual encyclopedia of information on toys and other memorabilia from the 80s!  This episode, we cover a diverse array of topics – from 80s toys, to the lure of cassette tapes and VHS, to many obscure 80s cartoons!  The fact that these toys were made to be be played with made them educational, in a way (I’d argue).  Good for the imagination!

Here are some cartoon intros (GoBots, Visionaries, Inhumanoids, Dungeons and Dragons) and toy commercials (Sky Commanders, G.I. Joe, Battle Beasts) to whet your appetite:

And though this wasn’t something we talked about, the G.I. Joe clips reminded me of this clip from a Reading Rainbow episode I turned on for my daughter the other day.

Teamwork!  Talk about a blast from the past.  The high-water socks, the headbands, the electric guitar in the background, the dry ice in the glass the waitress hands to Levar around 1:00 – classic!

Stay tuned next week as we continue the conversation with Adam.  In the meantime, check out some of the most excellent custom action figure work he also does (like this Macgyver custom below).  We’ll start with figure making next week!

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Check out more of Adam’s work here: https://accustomfigures.com/ and on Instagram.

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Between Two Worlds, the synth EP follow up to Long Ago Not So Far Away is now out for streaming on Bandcamp.  

The bonus track, called “Flight of the Cloudrider” has a 80s movie mashup music video (see if you can identify all the movies!) which is available on youtube.   This app was largely created with the iphone app Auxy.

between 2 worlds EP cover 2

Stay tuned.  Follow along on Spotify!  There is also a growing extended Thirteenth Hour playlist on Spotify with a growing number of retro 80s songs.

Check it out!

As always, thanks for listening!

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The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #139: Making Thirteenth Hour Figures Part 8 – Painting the Figurine

Episode #139: Making Thirteenth Hour Figures Part 8 – Painting the Figurine

https://archive.org/download/Podcast139_201804/Podcast%20139.mp3

Eight weeks ago, I discussed a project to start making little figurines for characters from The Thirteenth Hour books (Listen to parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7).  Today, we’ll be painting one of the figures to look like the pictures below:

File Feb 11, 3 16 05 PM

Starting the painting process …

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I have a bunch of these little hoverboards which I’;m painting separately:

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The more or less finished product:

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I’ll just do a little touching up on the shadowing and I think it will be done.

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The front console glows in the dark.

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Between Two Worlds, the synth EP follow up to Long Ago Not So Far Away is now out for streaming on Bandcamp.  

The bonus track, called “Flight of the Cloudrider” has a 80s movie mashup music video (see if you can identify all the movies!) which is available on youtube.   This app was largely created with the iphone app Auxy.

between 2 worlds EP cover 2

Stay tuned.  Follow along on Spotify!  There is also a growing extended Thirteenth Hour playlist on Spotify with a growing number of retro 80s songs.

Check it out!

As always, thanks for listening!

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The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #137: Making Thirteenth Hour Figures Part 7 – Molding and Casting Resin Duplicates and the Case of the Almost Assassination 3

Episode #137: Making Thirteenth Hour Figures Part 7 – Molding and Casting Resin Duplicates and the Case of the Almost Assassination 3

https://archive.org/download/Podcast137_201803/Podcast%20137.mp3

Seven weeks ago, I discussed a project to start making little figurines for characters from The Thirteenth Hour books (Listen to parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6).   The model for this figure is Logan riding his hoverboard, Lightning:

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Last week, we made a 2 part mold.  I’ve since made another one and have cranked out a little army of resin Logans and Lightnings.  I’ve been adding bits of glow in the dark powder so, when exposed to sunlight, they glow in the dark.

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I’m still experimenting with the right glow in the dark: resin ratio for the best effect.  Here are some pictures of making a second mold.

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Each figure requires a little cleanup around the edges once its been pulled from the mold.  Some of these, especially the ones where there wasn’t enough glow in the dark powder, will probably be painted in color.  Look for those in the near future!

 

 

Until then, check out this little adventure my brother and I have started – an online D and D adventure (done through the site Roll20) set in the world of The Thirteenth Hour, set a few years after the book of the same name. My brother wrote the story, is serving as the game master, and is playing one of the main characters. We did the first episode last week. This week, the game is afoot as the Sherlock Holmes style detective work continues around the Capital City of Tartec – poisons, potential scandal, mysterious secret societies, and old conflicts all brew together with a cliffhanger ending – catch the next episode here by clicking on the picture below:

628ab340-18ed-4655-9b24-8825b013802510ade532-c681-408f-874d-0cddd035ca5714412910-88f5-44d9-81e1-03822b6f8208878a09c7-90a3-45db-bc45-f17e94559a39cde6e70c-d295-455f-9000-1d762cfa228f

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Between Two Worlds, the synth EP follow up to Long Ago Not So Far Away is now out for streaming on Bandcamp.  

The bonus track, called “Flight of the Cloudrider” has a 80s movie mashup music video (see if you can identify all the movies!) which is available on youtube.   This app was largely created with the iphone app Auxy.

between 2 worlds EP cover 2

Stay tuned.  Follow along on Spotify!  There is also a growing extended Thirteenth Hour playlist on Spotify with a growing number of retro 80s songs.

Check it out!

As always, thanks for listening!

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The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #136: Making Thirteenth Hour Figures Part 6 – Molding Attempt 2 and the Case of the Almost Assassination 2

Episode #136: Making Thirteenth Hour Figures Part 6 – Molding Attempt 2 and the Case of the Almost Assassination 2

https://archive.org/download/Podcast136_201803/Podcast%20136.mp3

Six weeks ago, I discussed a project to start making little figurines for characters from The Thirteenth Hour books (Listen to parts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.)  Here’s where we are so far with the figure:

 

Today, I made a 2 part mold of the above figure after finding that the molds I made last week were a bit too simple to work correctly (at least for me).  I found these videos very helpful in making a 2 part mold and basically just followed along:

Here’s where we started, putting Logan in a bed of clay to form one side of the mold.  The holes are to form guide posts to line up the two halves.

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He got buried here under a layer of rubber …

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Here’s the half that was made:

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Adding a pouring spout and some air vents:

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Here it is

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The resin will go in the big hole and the little ones will hopefully help it flow more easily.  Hopefully it works!  We’ll see this upcoming week.

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Until then, check out this little adventure my brother and I have started – an online D and D adventure (done through the site Roll20) set in the world of The Thirteenth Hour, set a few years after the book of the same name. My brother wrote the story, is serving as the game master, and is playing one of the main characters. We did the first episode last week. This week, the plot thickens as potential scandal and intrigue bubble to the surface! This episode plays like a rerun of Law and Order SVU. Catch the next episode here:

Some screenshots above … the first, the scene of a grisly murder. In the second, King Darian IV has had his morning cup of joe and now feels extremely stimulated!

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Between Two Worlds, the synth EP follow up to Long Ago Not So Far Away is now out for streaming on Bandcamp.  

The bonus track, called “Flight of the Cloudrider” has a 80s movie mashup music video (see if you can identify all the movies!) which is available on youtube.   This app was largely created with the iphone app Auxy.

between 2 worlds EP cover 2

Stay tuned.  Follow along on Spotify!  There is also a growing extended Thirteenth Hour playlist on Spotify with a growing number of retro 80s songs.

Check it out!

As always, thanks for listening!

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The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #135: Making Thirteenth Hour Figures Part 5 – Molding/Casting Attempt 1 and the Case of the Almost Assassination 1

Episode #135: Making Thirteenth Hour Figures Part 5 – Molding/Casting Attempt 1 and the Case of the Almost Assassination 1

https://archive.org/download/Podcast135_201803/Podcast%20135.mp3

Five weeks ago, I discussed a project to start making little figurines for characters from The Thirteenth Hour books (Listen to parts 1, 2, 3, and 4.)  Here’s where we are so far with the figure:

Here is what I hope it will all look like:

file-feb-11-3-16-05-pm.jpeg

Today, I was making a mold of Logan’s hoverboard (since seemed like a simple shape) as well as a practice figure (which was an approximation of the Logan figurine itself).

I was using this mold making starter kit:

Here were the objects, hot glued to the bottom of some paper cups, ready and prepped for pouring on the liquid rubber.  Instead of the Logan figure, I’m using a stand in for a practice run.

The mold after curing seen from below:

Believe it or not, all this rubber peeled right off.

Getting ready to mix and pour the resin …

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As you can see, the result were mixed.  Lightning turned out better than expected, and the little figure of the Flash lost some limbs.

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Over the next week, I’ll continue to practice.  Probably will need a different type of mold for Logan.  Stay tuned!

Until then, check out this little adventure my brother and I have started – an online D and D adventure (done through the site Roll20) set in the world of The Thirteenth Hour, set a few years after the book of the same name. My brother wrote the story, is serving as the game master, and is playing one of the main characters. Click on the picture below to watch the first session on YouTube:

The two main characters, Lester and Claudia, in Hero Forge miniature style, also done by Jeremy:

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Between Two Worlds, the synth EP follow up to Long Ago Not So Far Away is now out for streaming on Bandcamp.  

The bonus track, called “Flight of the Cloudrider” has a 80s movie mashup music video (see if you can identify all the movies!) which is available on youtube.   This app was largely created with the iphone app Auxy.

between 2 worlds EP cover 2

Stay tuned.  Follow along on Spotify!  There is also a growing extended Thirteenth Hour playlist on Spotify with a growing number of retro 80s songs.

Check it out!

As always, thanks for listening!

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The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #134: Making Thirteenth Hour Figures Part 4 – Adding the Hair

Episode #134: Making Thirteenth Hour Figures Part 4 – Adding the Hair

https://archive.org/download/Podcast134_201803/Podcast%20134.mp3

Four weeks ago, I discussed a project to start making little figurines for characters from TheThirteenth Hour books.  So today, it’s all about the hair!  (Listen to parts 1, 2, and 3)

Here is what I hope it will all look like:

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And here are a few people and characters from which I received inspiration – for Logan’s hair, that is (as well as some aspects of his personality):

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Rick Hunter from Robotech

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Sean Patrick Flannery’s take on Young Indiana Jones

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I think they based his haircut on River Phoenix’s mop of hair from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

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Bill Campbell as The Rocketeer

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… which, of course, was based on the comic Dave Stevens drew (pictured below, since he used himself for a lot of the modeling for his hero, Cliff Secord – probably part wish fulfillment and part frugality/convenience).

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All these guys had similar unruly mops of hair that inspired Logan the illustration, so Logan the figurine obviously needed to follow suit:

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Here’s where I started

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Starting the hair transplant!

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Still a few minor details to go, but Logan’s almost done!

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Between Two Worlds, the synth EP follow up to Long Ago Not So Far Away is now out for streaming on Bandcamp.  

The bonus track, called “Flight of the Cloudrider” has a 80s movie mashup music video (see if you can identify all the movies!) which is available on youtube.   This app was largely created with the iphone app Auxy.

between 2 worlds EP cover 2

Stay tuned.  Follow along on Spotify!  There is also a growing extended Thirteenth Hour playlist on Spotify with a growing number of retro 80s songs.

Check it out!

As always, thanks for listening!

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #133: Making Thirteenth Hour Figures Part 3 – Adding the Head

Episode #133: Making Thirteenth Hour Figures Part 3 – Adding the Head

https://archive.org/download/Podcast133_201802/Podcast%20133.mp3

Three weeks ago, I discussed a project to start making little figurines for characters from TheThirteenth Hour books.  It continues this week as I add a skull – I say that since I didn’t get far enough to add eye balls, ears, and hair.  (Listen to parts 1 and 2)  I was thinking of this clip from Voltron this week (i.e. the part where it goes “… and I’ll form the head!”

Anyway.

Here is what I hope it will all look like:

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Here’s where I started this week – a more or less completed but still headless body:

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Here is one of the practice heads I made:

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Starting a head for Logan:

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Looking like a guy wearing a ski mask here

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Next week – adding the hair!

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Between Two Worlds, the synth EP follow up to Long Ago Not So Far Away is now out for streaming on Bandcamp.  

The bonus track, called “Flight of the Cloudrider” has a 80s movie mashup music video (see if you can identify all the movies!) which is available on youtube.   This app was largely created with the iphone app Auxy.

between 2 worlds EP cover 2

Stay tuned.  Follow along on Spotify!  There is also a growing extended Thirteenth Hour playlist on Spotify with a growing number of retro 80s songs.

Check it out!

As always, thanks for listening!

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #132: Making Thirteenth Hour Figures Part 2 – Adding the Clay

Episode #132: Making Thirteenth Hour Figures Part 2 – Adding the Clay

https://archive.org/download/Podcast132_201802/Podcast%20132.mp3

Two weeks ago, I discussed a project to start making little figurines for characters from TheThirteenth Hour books.  It continues this week as I add the polymer clay mixture to the wire and foil armature made last week.

Here is what I hope it will all look like:

file-feb-11-3-16-05-pm.jpeg

Here’s where I started this week – mixing this stuff to make self drying clay.

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A few views of where I got to this week – first adding the clay …

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Then adding some details and smoothing it out …

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As you can see, still quite a bit more polish and finishing to do in terms of detail work.  Below is one of the heads I made for practice.  That’s going to be the really challenging part!

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Next week – making the head!

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Between Two Worlds, the synth EP follow up to Long Ago Not So Far Away is now out for streaming on Bandcamp.  

The bonus track, called “Flight of the Cloudrider” has a 80s movie mashup music video (see if you can identify all the movies!) which is available on youtube.   This app was largely created with the iphone app Auxy.

between 2 worlds EP cover 2

Stay tuned.  Follow along on Spotify!  There is also a growing extended Thirteenth Hour playlist on Spotify with a growing number of retro 80s songs.

Check it out!

As always, thanks for listening!

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #131: Making Thirteenth Hour Figures Part 1 – the Wire Skeleton

Episode #131: Making Thirteenth Hour Figures Part 1 – the Wire Skeleton

https://archive.org/download/Podcast131_201802/Podcast%20131.mp3

Last week, I shared a little on a project to start making little figurines for characters from The Thirteenth Hour books. It gets underway this week as I start making a wire armature to support the clay figure.

Here is what I hope it will all look like:

file-feb-11-3-16-05-pm.jpeg

Here’s where I started this week – a wireframe skeleton of Logan on Lightning.

Securing the frame:

Wrapping foil around Lightning:

Adding the aluminum foil:

End result. Next week – adding the clay!

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Between Two Worlds, the synth EP follow up to Long Ago Not So Far Away is now out for streaming on Bandcamp.  

The bonus track, called “Flight of the Cloudrider” has a 80s movie mashup music video (see if you can identify all the movies!) which is available on youtube.   This app was largely created with the iphone app Auxy.

between 2 worlds EP cover 2

Stay tuned.  Follow along on Spotify!  There is also a growing extended Thirteenth Hour playlist on Spotify with a growing number of retro 80s songs.

Check it out!

As always, thanks for listening!

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #130: Electrifying The Thirteenth Hour Theme

Episode #130: Electrifying The Thirteenth Hour Theme

https://archive.org/download/Podcast130_201802/Podcast%20130.mp3

This week, we’re making an electric guitar fill for future soundtracks to the Thirteenth Hour books using a part of the theme music.  It runs about 30 seconds long and is intended to accentuate parts of the story where a little theme music is appropriate (future Kindle editions of the sequels will hopefully have external links to the soundtrack on Bandcamp or Youtube.  Here’s some of the gear used this episode:

Coming soon, I’ll be posting about a little side work-in-progress.  Remember when I talked in the past about Hero Forge, the site that allows you to create 3d printed miniatures of characters of your own creation for tabletop games?  I’ve had an inkling to try casting little resin miniatures along the lines of those little pink M.U.S.C.L.E. (keshi) toys from the 80s.  The first step is creating a sculpt, so here’s a wireframe skeleton of Logan on Lightning.  Stay tuned!

Speaking of toys, check out the Instagram page https://www.instagram.com/mom_gave_them_away/ for some great 1980s movie and toy nostalgia.  Haven’t seen some of those toys in years.  I mostly never knew what many of them were called or had just vague memories of them from commercials or just bits and pieces from various yard sales.  So it’s been cool finding out more about these artifacts from a few decades past.

Speaking of which, if you’re into new music that sounds like it could have been from an 80s movie soundtrack, check out the Spotify link in the bio of  https://www.instagram.com/ironskullet_synthwave/ – there are thousands of songs there, and the list keeps growing.

Lastly, speaking of synths and pixels, this podcast now has a new logo for 2018.  I figured that since fantasy, scifi, and electronic music collide so frequently here, why not showcase these things with background art for Long Ago Not So Far Away, and the pixelart dragon I made for that vaporware Thirteenth Hour game I worked on decades ago when I probably should have been studying for math tests or something 🙂

podcast new logo_edited

Title image courtesy of http://www.orangecoast.com/life-style/better-together-best-group-activities-saturday/

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Between Two Worlds, the synth EP follow up to Long Ago Not So Far Away is now out for streaming on Bandcamp.  

The bonus track, called “Flight of the Cloudrider” has a 80s movie mashup music video (see if you can identify all the movies!) which is available on youtube.   This app was largely created with the iphone app Auxy.

between 2 worlds EP cover 2

Stay tuned.  Follow along on Spotify!  There is also a growing extended Thirteenth Hour playlist on Spotify with a growing number of retro 80s songs.

Check it out!

As always, thanks for listening!

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞