#shadowinthemoonlight

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #411: Updates on Making Articulated Action Figures, GI Joe Nostalgia, and A Surprise Gift from AC Toy Design

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #411: Updates on Making Articulated Action Figures, GI Joe Nostalgia, and A Surprise Gift from AC Toy Design

https://archive.org/download/podcast-411/Podcast%20411.mp3

This week, aside from continuing to fiddle with making the cardbacks for the hunter from A Shadow in the Moonlight, I’m discussing one of the concurrent projects I have been working on – making heads and removable helmets for a new wave of articulated Rocketeer action figures that are about as close to GI Joes as I have been able to manage.  Besides lots of articulation at a shirt-pocket sized scale (3.75″), GI Joes were also known for having a lot of accessories – backpacks, helmets, guns, skis, etc that could be attached to the figure in some way.  So with this new Rocketeer figure, I wanted you to be able to see Cliff’s head and then put the Rocketeer helmet on over it … and actually have it fit and stay on securely (this was something GI Joes generally did quite well.  The accessories that were supposed to fit in hands didn’t always, but for the heads, they usually did a pretty good job).  

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Frequent guest and friend of the show, Adam Crohn, recently sent an amazing care package full of action figures and their parts.  There was a whole bag of just GI Joe parts!  I dumped them out on a old cookie tray and the kids and I had fun mixing and matching parts to try to make complete figures.  We had a whole conversation about the GI Joe O-ring – both a source of the figures’ great mobility as well as their fragility (the O-ring would eventually degrade and break, rendering the figure useless unless you found a replacement), and while I’m glad figures today have more or less phased that feature out for the sake of longevity, modern designs have a certain stiffness to them owing, I suspect, to the rigid “spines.”  GI Joes had much flexibility there, making them perfect toys for kids who were going to be rough on their toys (which I was, as were a lot of other kids).  “The bamboo that bends is stronger than the oak that resists,” the saying goes … certainly true of anything intended for kids.

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I recorded a few minutes of us putting these figures together.  Adam threw in a vehicle and a number of figures from other lines as well.  Below that, you can see a close up of some GI Joe heads.  I love the expressions they sculpted.  I forget which figures these heads belonged to but the impish expression on the white guy’s face is hilarious.  It makes him look like he just ate someone’s canary (or maybe was the secret farter in a room full of people now holding their noses). The faint smile on the black guy’s otherwise stern face is perfect for a hero type – it makes him look like a teacher or policeman or maybe a retired ball player making an appearance at a middle school auditorium – “don’t do drugs, kids!”  

img_1435img_1437img_1433img_1421This figure has already been repurposed for another project!

So, now, I should have more than enough parts for just about all the future action figure customs I can think of for the foreseeable future.  Thanks, Adam!    

And thanks for listening!

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The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #410: Making the Cardart for the Hunter Action Figure from A Shadow in the Moonlight

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #410: Making the Cardart for the Hunter Action Figure from A Shadow in the Moonlight

https://archive.org/download/podcast-410/Podcast%20410.mp3

This week, I’m working on the cardback for one of the action figures I have been working on, in this case, the hunter character from The Thirteenth Hour prequel, A Shadow in the Moonlight. 

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Creating the actual art itself was pretty straightforward and all done in Photoshop but the next part, figuring out how to get it printed out in the right size, took a lot of trial and error. 

shadow in the moonlight hunter cardback front

It’s still a work in progress, as I still have to affix the blister case and the actual cardback (comic book inserts) to the art I printed out on regular 8.5″x11″ paper.  I’d like to add some art to the back as well, so that’s the next step.

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Thanks for listening!

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The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #396: A Shadow in the Moonlight Interlude – Different Archery Styles

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #396: A Shadow in the Moonlight Interlude – Different Archery Styles

https://archive.org/download/podcast-396/Podcast%20396.mp3

This week, I’m following up on the last few weeks’ episodes centered on the hunter from The Thirteenth Hour prequel, A Shadow in the Moonlight (read it free in the US!).

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But this week, instead of figures (which we will come back to in an episode or two), we are going to talk about archery.  At the time when I published this little novel, I was in the process of rediscovering archery.  I had been working on instinctive shooting (no sights) for some time as well as learning to make my own bows out of PVC pipe.  (You can actually find a post from 2016 – episode 33! – about some of the bows I was making around this time of rediscovery of traditional Western archery.) 

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Some years after that, I got interested in the drawing style used in many parts of Asia – using the thumb and a protective ring or piece of leather over it (see picture) – since I was researching it for a Thirteenth Hour sequel and I also genuinely wanted to learn it.  It is my preferred way of shooting now, and I discuss these things on this week’s show while shooting a few arrows.

Thanks for listening!

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The Case of the Almost Assassination 9

lf you’ve been following along here, you might be aware that my brother and I have been involved in a Dungeons and Dragons campaign that he created set in the world of The Thirteenth Hour.  It’s a bit of a steampunk mystery set in a fantasy world, if you can imagine that, and it’s drawing to a climax. We recorded the next chapter in our Roll20 D and D adventure recently, which you can watch below.  In this episode, our heroes infiltrate a party in the fancy part of town, and our protagonist, Lester, goes in drag as an old lady with a touch of the dementia.

Lester as himself (top) and as his geriatric gender-flipped alter-ego, Ms. Nan Leslie.

It’s a bit easier for Lester’s assistant, Claudia, who lets her hair down and doffs her usual duds for formal dress:

The episode was cut short about two hours in due to technical issues, right in the middle of a battle when our heroes get ambushed in the midst of their snooping – we’ll pick up there next time!

And, by the way, if you listen closely at around 1:00 and 7:20 min into the episode, you may catch Nan Leslie going on about her younger years, where she was “showed the ways of the world” by a certain mysterious character she remembered as “The Scissorwulf!” Could it be the same masked hero in the furry loincloth?

Maybe so! There are worlds beyond worlds, and to allude to Stephen King (from The Dark Tower books), sometimes they collide … learn more about the Scissorwulf through his creator, Chad Derdowski, who was last on the show on episode 119.

Click on the image below to watch:

Infiltrating this high class party to find out the murky dealings of the hired help requires forging an invitation …

In the midst of a battle …

And if you enjoy other retro 80s things, one of the first tracks I did for Long Ago, Not So Far Away, “I’ll Fly Away,” recently got a 12″ Remix. Listen here and catch the video below:

 

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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 #150: The Case of the Almost Assassination 10, the Campaign Finale

Episode #150: The Case of the Almost Assassination 10, the Campaign Finale

https://archive.org/download/Podcast150_201806/Podcast%20150.mp3

lf you’ve been following along here, you might be aware that my brother and I have been involved in a Dungeons and Dragons campaign that he created set in the world of The Thirteenth Hour.  It’s a bit of a steampunk mystery set in a fantasy world, if you can imagine that, and it’s drawing to a climax. We recorded the last chapter in our Roll20 D and D adventure recently.  This grand finale clocked in at over three hours and was the culmination of a three month campaign and over 20 hours of footage in the youtube videos of the playthroughs, which you can watch below.  In this episode, our heroes solve the mystery of who nearly assassinated King Darian IV and wrap things up as best they can.  There’s still some unfinished business between our hero, Lester, and the main villain of this campaign, which is sure to haunt him some time in the future.  For now, though, the bad guys are behind bars, and Lester and Claudia get a short respite prior to embarking on their next case in the Aquarian countryside.

Here are links to all the episodes.  Click on the pictures to be taken to the show notes, which has pictures, details about the episode, and a link to the Youtube video:

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And here are the links to the grand finale!  Watch the episode on youtube by clicking on the picture below.  They last 20 minutes or so is also the last 20 minutes of this show, where my brother and I go behind the scenes to discuss the experience.

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The big battle at the end.  The grey circles represent a smokescreen that Lester shot out from his crossbow as a distraction.  There is at least one scene where the words, “¿Quien es tu padre?” make a random appearance and a few other where Arnold’s line in Kindergarten Cop also make a cameo (“Who is your Daddy, and what does he do?”).  Yeah, there are some Daddy issues that some of the characters have in this campaign.  Nobody’s perfect!

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You can see a brief preview of the next adventure at the very end.

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The two main characters, Lester and Claudia, gained a lot of experience during this adventure (and found some cool gear).

By the way, this campaign references two short stories in the world of The Thirteenth Hour.  King Darian (as an older, wiser man) reflects on nearly losing his head in this story:

Falling Leaves Don't Weep cover2_edited-1

And the Shadow in the Moonlight spell, referenced many times during this story, has its own self titled novelette which can be read for free on the Kindle (in the US) and on Smashwords (worldwide).

And if you enjoy other retro 80s things like D and D, one of the first tracks I did for Long Ago, Not So Far Away, “I’ll Fly Away,” recently got a 12″ Remix. Listen here and catch the video below:

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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 Case of the Almost Assassination 9

lf you’ve been following along here, you might be aware that my brother and I have been involved in a Dungeons and Dragons campaign that he created set in the world of The Thirteenth Hour.  It’s a bit of a steampunk mystery set in a fantasy world, if you can imagine that, and it’s drawing to a climax. We recorded the next chapter in our Roll20 D and D adventure recently, which you can watch below.  In this episode, our heroes infiltrate a party in the fancy part of town, and our protagonist, Lester, goes in drag as an old lady with a touch of the dementia.

Lester as himself (top) and as his geriatric gender-flipped alter-ego, Ms. Nan Leslie.

It’s a bit easier for Lester’s assistant, Claudia, who lets her hair down and doffs her usual duds for formal dress:

The episode was cut short about two hours in due to technical issues, right in the middle of a battle when our heroes get ambushed in the midst of their snooping – we’ll pick up there next time!

And, by the way, if you listen closely at around 1:00 and 7:20 min into the episode, you may catch Nan Leslie going on about her younger years, where she was “showed the ways of the world” by a certain mysterious character she remembered as “The Scissorwulf!” Could it be the same masked hero in the furry loincloth?

Maybe so! There are worlds beyond worlds, and to allude to Stephen King (from The Dark Tower books), sometimes they collide … learn more about the Scissorwulf through his creator, Chad Derdowski, who was last on the show on episode 119.

Click on the image below to watch:

Infiltrating this high class party to find out the murky dealings of the hired help requires forging an invitation …

In the midst of a battle …

And if you enjoy other retro 80s things, one of the first tracks I did for Long Ago, Not So Far Away, “I’ll Fly Away,” recently got a 12″ Remix. Listen here and catch the video below:

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

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 Case of the Almost Assassination 8

lf you’ve been following along here, you might be aware that my brother and I have been involved in a Dungeons and Dragons campaign that he created set in the world of The Thirteenth Hour.  It’s a bit of a steampunk mystery set in a fantasy world, if you can imagine that.  We recorded the next chapter in our Roll20 D and D adventure recently, which you can watch below.  In this episode, our heroes pick up from the cliffhanger ambush we ended with last time in episode 7 and start off was an epic graveyard battle that nearly kills them…   Find out how it goes by clicking on the picture below:

And if you enjoy other retro 80s things, one of the first tracks I did for Long Ago, Not So Far Away, “I’ll Fly Away,” recently got a 12″ Remix. Listen here and catch the video below:

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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 Case of the Almost Assassination 7

lf you’ve been following along here, you might be aware that my brother and I have been involved in a Dungeons and Dragons campaign that he created set in the world of The Thirteenth Hour.  It’s a bit of a steampunk mystery set in a fantasy world, if you can imagine that.  We recorded the next chapter in our Roll20 D and D adventure yesterday, which you can watch below.  In this episode, our heroes continue investigating leads in a fancy part of town and leave with the suspicious impression that all is not as rosy and gilded as one might guess, come up with disguises (Lester decides to explore his feminine side), and the defecation hits ventilation when our heroes get ambushed in a graveyard, where the episode ends on a cliffhanger. Catch the next episode here by clicking on the picture below:

Sketches of the disguises our heroes plan as they cook up alter egos to help them sneak into a fancy dress ball they’re not invited to – in the name of solving the case, of course.

The scene of the mansion where the ball will take place (by day) – what will it look like at night?

And if you enjoy other retro 80s things, check out this past Monday’s podcast episode with Adam from @mom_gave_them_away – all about 80s toys and cartoons!  Part 2 coming this Monday.

In addition, one of the first tracks I did for Long Ago, Not So Far Away, “I’ll Fly Away,” recently got a 12″ Remix. Listen here and catch the video below:

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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 Case of the Almost Assassination 6

lf you’ve been following along here, you might be aware that my brother and I have been involved in a Dungeons and Dragons campaign that he created set in the world of The Thirteenth Hour.  It’s a bit of a steampunk mystery set in a fantasy world, if you can imagine that.  We recorded the next chapter in our Roll20 D and D adventure recently, which you can watch below.  In this episode, our heroes (below) get back to more traditional detective work by following up on some leads they generated in the underground (literally and figuratively) of the city.  Some episode highlights – happy time for an old man, a parental reunion in the dreamworld interrupted by the chiming of the Thirteenth Hour, and the reappearance of The Shadow in the Moonlight spell.  Catch the next episode here by clicking on the picture below:

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Our heroes confer with William the Wizard, one of the three elderly mages from The Thirteenth Hour.

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A midnight reunion in a dream …

And if you enjoy other retro 80s things, check out this past Monday’s podcast episode with Adam from @mom_gave_them_away – all about 80s toys and cartoons!  Part 2 coming this Monday.

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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 #21: Special Edition

Episode #21: Special Edition for the Third Edition Launch

https://archive.org/download/13thHrEps16On/13th%20hr%2021.mp3

Today is another special edition of this podcast, discussing the upcoming launch of the 3rd edition of The Thirteenth Hour (special editions are longer – this one is 30 minutes – and less frequent; the other special edition is the episode on A Shadow in the Moonlight for subscribers of the mailing list – see link below for free access).

The following links are referenced in the episode.  i.e.:

-Talking about how the book came to be in print (unofficially) as early as 1998:

https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2015/07/01/the-evolution-of-the-thirteenth-hour-in-print/

-Illustration updates to this newest edition: 

https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2015/10/11/the-evolution-of-a-thirteenth-hour-illustration/

Like the above link, here are a similar progression of images showing the creation of an image (this time of King Darian) from sketch to computer edited image:

darian 1darian 2darian 3darian meme

-The saga of cover creation:

https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2015/09/27/work-in-progress-new-thirteenth-hour-drawing/

https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2015/11/21/whats-in-a-cover/

-And what you can do to personally support the launch:

https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2015/11/21/help-support-the-thirteenth-hour/

-Other ways to get a sample of the book and see if the writing style is to your taste:

->download a sample on amazon

->download a free copy of the prequel, A Shadow in the Moonlight, on Smashwords or Amazon

->download a free copy of the standalone short story, “Falling Leaves Don’t Weep” (may contain vague, obtuse spoilers) on Smashwords

->email me for a sample chapter @ writejoshuablum@gmail.com

->email me @ writejoshuablum@gmail.com if you’d like to review the book – you get a gift copy for free.

->download the first 15 episodes of this podcast on itunes (granted, an earlier draft of the book, but it’s all there, start to finish).

So, lots of ways!  Best wishes for the new year!

As always, thanks for listening!

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