My wife sent me a link to this game after a conversation I started when we were planning out landscaping for our yard (I wanted a defensive perimeter capable of holding back the zombie hordes). I’ve been debating on buying this game after playing the free trial. It has "lost time" potential though where you just start playing and hours of your day disappear. Not always the best thing for a writer (but the hour I played of it was fun).
I was reminded of this video when I saw Star Trek last weekend at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin. The Drafthouse doesn’t run your standard movie theater advertising/promos before showings… they run a lot of video clips with some connection to the movie in some way. Star Trek had old sci-fi movie trailers, original Star Trek episodes (edited down for comedic effect), and other stuff like this piece I’d encountered in younger days:
Entertaining and horrifying at the same time… welcome to a frighteningly fun Friday here in the land of Brat-halla.
Recently, Brat-halla was listed as a rolplaying resource at the Game Examiner website. As a gamer, this was probably one of the best things I could find out there–that Brat-halla is considered a source of inspiration for gamers. Some of my knowledge of mythology comes from early research for campaigns I ran… looking for ideas and inspiration.
And even though I rarely play these days (time and my former gaming groups separated by vast distances and conflicting schedules), I still have fond memories of the games I enjoyed in my day… D&D (from Basic to early 3rd Edition), Shadowrun, Robotech, Rifts, Gamma World, Twilight 2000, TMNT, After the Bomb, Marvel Super Heroes, Heroes Unlimited, GURPS, MERPS, Star Wars, Rolemaster, Alternity, The Arcanum, my friend Mike’s modified version of D&D, and a gaming system that I developed (but never published).
I’ve also played my share of computer RPGs, but I’ve always enjoyed gaming in-person. When you have good players and a crafty DM, the scope of your adventures is unlimited and boundaries are nowhere to be found. If the characters want to burn down the inn where all the villain NPCs happen to be staying, you can adapt and move on. If a character wants to make a wish that sends the entire party to an alien world/realm, you can move your dungeon and change up the monsters/encounters/treasure.
The only limit was our creativity and imagination and in the groups I played with, those traits were very much in abundance. And it forced my creativity to grow… some of the comics you’re reading here at Brat-halla are due to my early "training" with my friends and our RPGs (Arazel and Xarenia were actual characters in our games).
So, I’d like to do a shout-out here. Gaming comrades of my past, it was an honor to have gamed with you:
Chris, Sean, Gordon, Earl, Robert, Kyle, Dave, Russell, Travis, Sean, the dayroom gamers at Fairchild AFB, Craig, Brian, Mike, Bob, Terry, Carlos, (another) Chris, Shannon, Mark, Darren, Carla, Chuck, Bop, Larry, Marty, James, Susan, Brock, Donnie, Tim, (another) Carlos, my wife Rayna (yes, I married a gamer), and many others who stopped in for short visits to our games.
Well, we’ve been getting a lot of new readers lately, so we decided to put together a post about our favorites here at Brat-halla… episodes, storylines, and characters. This is mostly a jumping off point for everyone to discuss their faves here because we’d really like to hear about your favorites too (so be sure to let us know what they are in the comments).
Seth:
fav individual episodes:
#5 – I have always loved this one. It just holds a special spot in my heart, the art’s not that good, hell the storytelling is subpar, but there’s just something about this page. Maybe it’s the unintentional creation of our foe.
#75 – When I realized that we were going to have Thor using Baldur as a bat/club I couldn’t stop laughing for a week.
#200 – seen from Thor’s point of view, as he finally gets the power of mjollnir…it made me so proud.
#301 – it’s a chick fight in the shower… ‘nuf said.fav. storylines
Winter break was one of my favorite story lines I think, because artistically I felt like I was finally starting to come into my own. I started expressing more of the kids individual personalities and having a blast doing the work.
The Pantheon Games was good for me too. Again, it’s because of the kids and the way we got to showcase each of them in all their glory and shortcomings. I also ventured into the all digital medium during this story arc, so that was kind of monumental for me as well.fav. characters
Thor. I love Thor because he was the first for me. Thor, then Loki. It was fun taking the Marvel Universe Thor that I grew up with and loved and making him the runt. He’s just too damn cute.
Hel. I have to love Hel the way I do, because she’s so fun to draw. I basically based her likeness on my wife. That and I love the interaction between her and Hod.
Hod. I connected with Hod almost immediately. I think it had a lot to do with his "googley" eyes.
we had to visually show him as blind, and it just seemed like a good idea at the time.
Hermod. I can’t quite put my finger on Hermod, but he sure is fun to draw.
Anthony:
Top 5 episodes:
1: #311 – CASUALTY: I love this episode because it all comes together so fantastically. Everything… the script, the art, even my colors… it all just works. And it’s got some real weight to it, too.
2: #255 – TROUBLED NIGHT: The introduction of Pookah. What else is there to say?
3: #337 – WHILE DAD’S AWAY: Frigg in THAT dress, and a sad ending for Odineye. I really feel for him in the next to last panel.
4: #211 – CHARM’S STILL THERE: Bare nekkid faerie goddesses, and one hell of a pratfall gag from Jeff and Seth. Love it.
5: #219 – FINALLY WISE: Becaushe even when shhhhe’s been on the pishh, Frigg ish shtill the goddess what kicksh the most butt, quiz-wise!
My favourite storyline would have to be MJOLLNIR MADNESS and TWILIGHT OF THE HOD combined, because they’re kind of linked. It’s a great script, and a well conceived story that twists back on itself. How many other comic writers have the guts to wipe out the end of a story that’s only just finished?
Plus, I’d made a couple of small tweaks to my coloring and I felt that it finally did justice to Seth’s artwork, and really popped off the page.
And, of course, I finally got to play with Arazel and Xarenia. Those two are just fun in the extreme. That was the most fun story to work on… so far.
Top 5 characters
1: Odineye – Because, I’m constantly amazed at how Seth gets an eyeball to emote.
2: Frigg – Because she’s feisty, funny and fearsome. And let’s not forget foxy.
3: Pookah – Because he’s just so much darned fun to play with!
4: Arazel and Xarenia – Again, because they’re great fun, and I loved reading all the little swipes they take at each other. Yet they wouldn’t work apart.
5: Odin – Because, for a supposedly all knowing all father, he sure cocks it up a lot!
Jeff:
Favorite Episodes:
Skuul: Not a Spy (#107) – It’s not often you get to parody Monty Python and Emmit Otter’s Jug Band Christmas in the same episode.
Legend of the Goat, Part 4 (#52) - This is the storyline where I decided to have fun with narration and this episode with the fun rhyming was the epitome of that.
Norse Force: My Lovely Hel (#148) – It still makes me sad… Hod was that close to being with his dream girl, but not quite close enough.
Pantheon Games: A Gifted Thor (#200) – Yeah, Thor getting Mjollnir for the first time. Definitely a great moment.
Twilight of the Hod: Cleena’s Wave (#301) – Just piecing together so many different mythos for this one episode was a challenge but also a lot of fun. We had Greek, Chinese, Loa, and Celtic characters working for a common goal here.
Twilight of the Hod: Casualty (#311) – You know it had to happen, but mixing Seth’s artwork with a modified version of the tale from the Eddas turned into something more powerful than I originally imagined.
Favorite Storylines:
Pantheon Games – Just working with all the different myths in this one was fun for a research junky like me. Plus, developing more of Balder’s character made it interesting to see readers start to take more of an interest in him.
Mjollnir Madness – The new outfits, the crazy druid, the "puppies", Arazel & Xarenia, the crazy dungeon crawl, the way they defeated the dragon, and Sif getting some notice from Thor (finally). What’s not to like?
Favorite Characters:
Thor – The mighty munchkin. He’s adorable, impulsive and super strong. What a fun combo there.
Loki – I like Loki because I try to keep him closer to the original Loki’s personality where he’s a prankster (and a bit self-serving) but deep down he has the same heroic attributes as the other Norse gods.
Hod – Who knew a character so little mentioned in the Eddas could become such a strong regular character? But I always found it odd how little is mentioned of him considering how much winter affected the followers of the Norse.
Frigg – Well, her basic personality is patterned after my wife (aside from the heavy drinking).
Rayna (my wife):
Episodes:
#5 The Search for Ultimate Wisdom– Because Jeff added "Odin, Fetchez la vache", just for me.
#14 Godsco Part 2– The introduction of Zeus and Hera, and an indication of how the Norse pantheon was viewed by the other pantheons.
#64 Career Daze Part 8– Jeff listened to my suggestion that the brats dress the part.
#214 Pantheon Games, Mischief’s in the Air– The ping-pong game and the sweat shop were my ideas.
#292 Twiglight of the Hod, Giving Thor the Willies– Arazel was my D&D character, that I lovingly created before Jeff usurped her.
Storyline:
The Pantheon Games. My suggestion.
Characters:
Arazel. See above
On the plus side, she can’t really accuse me of never listening to her. ^_^
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