d r a g o n b o n e s     » books http://dragonbones.net         fantasy gaming, art, and tutorials... Fri, 16 Mar 2012 19:00:28 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Open Game Table Vol. 2 – Now Available! http://dragonbones.net/2010/09/08/open-game-table-vol-2-now-available/ http://dragonbones.net/2010/09/08/open-game-table-vol-2-now-available/#comments Wed, 08 Sep 2010 18:16:43 +0000 mrlich http://dragonbones.net/?p=556 #leftcontainerBox { float:left; position: fixed; top: 60%; left: 70px; } #leftcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; clear:both; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; padding-bottom:2px; } #bottomcontainerBox { height: 30px; width:50%; padding-top:1px; } #bottomcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; height: 30px; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; } Yes, the book has been available for a while now. What can I say? I’m playing catch up. Truth is, I couldn’t be more proud of this book if I had written it myself. Like its predecessor, the OGT v2 is a collection of the best articles to come out of role playing blogs over [...]]]> #leftcontainerBox { float:left; position: fixed; top: 60%; left: 70px; } #leftcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; clear:both; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; padding-bottom:2px; } #bottomcontainerBox { height: 30px; width:50%; padding-top:1px; } #bottomcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; height: 30px; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; }

OGT2 ContributorYes, the book has been available for a while now. What can I say? I’m playing catch up.

Truth is, I couldn’t be more proud of this book if I had written it myself. Like its predecessor, the OGT v2 is a collection of the best articles to come out of role playing blogs over the past year.

Through an extremely impressive efforton behalf of Dr. Jonathan Jacobs, a collection of tremendously dedicated reviewers, writers, editors, and my fellow artists, we have managed to refine, tweak, add to, and re-tweak a collection of entries that could keep any group of gamers in new ideas for quite a while.

Inspiration? No problem. Rules / crunch? No sweat. Philosophy? You betcha.

Go. Check it out. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

]]> http://dragonbones.net/2010/09/08/open-game-table-vol-2-now-available/feed/ 0 Open Game Table – LIVE! http://dragonbones.net/2009/03/24/open-game-table-live/ http://dragonbones.net/2009/03/24/open-game-table-live/#comments Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:33:41 +0000 mrlich http://dragonbones.net/?p=327 #leftcontainerBox { float:left; position: fixed; top: 60%; left: 70px; } #leftcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; clear:both; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; padding-bottom:2px; } #bottomcontainerBox { height: 30px; width:50%; padding-top:1px; } #bottomcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; height: 30px; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; }

Well kids – yesterday was the day – The Open Game Table Anthology of Roleplaying Game Blogs Volume 1 went live. Jonathan (editor / project lead for the book) posted about the release over at the Core Mechanic.

There’s even a review of the book over at WIRED Magazine’s GeekDad blog!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – I’m very proud to call myself part of such a quality compilation of information and fun. Check out those reviews or go straight here to purchase a copy for yourself!

]]> http://dragonbones.net/2009/03/24/open-game-table-live/feed/ 2 Dragonbones.Net on WIRED! http://dragonbones.net/2009/03/17/dragonbonesnet-on-wired/ http://dragonbones.net/2009/03/17/dragonbonesnet-on-wired/#comments Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:30:04 +0000 mrlich http://dragonbones.net/?p=325 #leftcontainerBox { float:left; position: fixed; top: 60%; left: 70px; } #leftcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; clear:both; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; padding-bottom:2px; } #bottomcontainerBox { height: 30px; width:50%; padding-top:1px; } #bottomcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; height: 30px; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; }

…sorta. 

The Open Game Table Anthology is getting a little pre-release love from Geekdad. Check out the gamer love.

]]> http://dragonbones.net/2009/03/17/dragonbonesnet-on-wired/feed/ 0 Open Game Table: The Anthology of Roleplaying Game Blogs – Volume 1 http://dragonbones.net/2009/03/11/open-game-table-the-anthology-of-roleplaying-game-blogs-volume-1/ http://dragonbones.net/2009/03/11/open-game-table-the-anthology-of-roleplaying-game-blogs-volume-1/#comments Thu, 12 Mar 2009 03:35:21 +0000 mrlich http://dragonbones.net/?p=304 #leftcontainerBox { float:left; position: fixed; top: 60%; left: 70px; } #leftcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; clear:both; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; padding-bottom:2px; } #bottomcontainerBox { height: 30px; width:50%; padding-top:1px; } #bottomcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; height: 30px; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; }

Ladies and Gentlemen, I introduce to you Open Game Table – The Anthology of Roleplaying Game Blogs, Volume 1. It’s a compilation of the best blog/journal entries relating to RPGs, providing insight and advice to DMs and players alike. I like to think of it as the New England Journal of Medicine for gamers; it collects knowledge and experience from the people on the ground and presents them in book format for peers to learn from and refer to later.

I’ve held off making this anthology public knowledge because we didn’t have an ‘available to the public’ date. I didn’t want to taunt you nice folks with something so delightful only to say “I’ll tell you later when you can actually get it.” Seemed kinda cruel.

We have a date – March 23rd, 2009.

…a date that will live in infam… wha? Too much? Over the top?

Ok – ok, I just get a little excited when I talk about this project.

Why am I so stoked? Let’s see….

1. First and foremost, let’s be honest: I’m excited because three of my black and white drawings will be included in the anthology, part the wide spectrum of styles of art represented. I love knowing that I will soon be able to walk into my local gaming/hobby shop, pull a book off of the shelf, and flip through it to find my artwork. That’s a real thrill for Yours Truly.

2. This anthology is a book by gamers for gamers (forgive the cliché). It’s filled with tried and true gaming stuff that just. plain. works. That means far more to me than some faceless corporation spewing stuff out just to fill pages and their coffers.

3. I’ve just received news that the previews are already coming in and making us all blush with their enthusiasm. According to their editor, WIRED Magazine’s Geek Dad blog is planning to preview the book next week and then run a full review of the book on release day (which, in case you weren’t paying attention earlier is March 23rd). This is the kind of buzz that’s just what people hope for when they start a project, and it’s going to coincide with opening day.

4. Over the years, I’ve seen many project offers hit my plate, but none of them has ever come to fruition. I’m not claiming I’m perfect, but I often found the people requesting my participation in these projects lack the tenacity to see them to fruition. Their half-baked ideas dropped off as their everyday work world or life dramas got in the way. It’s frustrating to get motivated on a project just to watch it fizzle. The good news is that this just wasn’t the case here. This Open Game Table anthology is a quality product created by people who didn’t let time, frustration, or personal drama get in the way of the end game. Jonathan Jacobs, PhD (the man who created the project and compiled the book) is the sort of guy who gets the job done – calmly, methodically, and in a way that just oozes quality. He was a pleasure to work with, and I will gladly do so again if given the opportunity.

Ok – I’ll stop gushing, but in the end, I guess it’s simply a case of “Here’s this great product that is actually going to hit store shelves, and oh – did I mention? I’m in there.”

Makes a guy feel pretty damn cool.

If you’d like to learn more, check out Jonathan’s posts involving the Open Game Table .

]]> http://dragonbones.net/2009/03/11/open-game-table-the-anthology-of-roleplaying-game-blogs-volume-1/feed/ 0 Book Review – Simplified Anatomy for the Comic Book Artist http://dragonbones.net/2008/10/21/book-review-simplified-anatomy-for-the-comic-book-artist/ http://dragonbones.net/2008/10/21/book-review-simplified-anatomy-for-the-comic-book-artist/#comments Tue, 21 Oct 2008 17:20:20 +0000 mrlich http://dragonbones.net/?p=116 #leftcontainerBox { float:left; position: fixed; top: 60%; left: 70px; } #leftcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; clear:both; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; padding-bottom:2px; } #bottomcontainerBox { height: 30px; width:50%; padding-top:1px; } #bottomcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; height: 30px; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; } Overall Score: Ease of Use: Clarity: Usefulness: Overall Review (in brief) Simplified Anatomy for the Comic Book Artist is good, solid book for artists even if it is a bit… simplified. That is the point, after all, and Christopher Hart Seems to accomplish it well. This is a simple ‘breakdown’ of anatomy. Rather than get [...]]]> #leftcontainerBox { float:left; position: fixed; top: 60%; left: 70px; } #leftcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; clear:both; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; padding-bottom:2px; } #bottomcontainerBox { height: 30px; width:50%; padding-top:1px; } #bottomcontainerBox .buttons { float:left; height: 30px; margin:4px 4px 4px 4px; }
Overall Score: 2/5
Ease of Use: 3/5
Clarity: 4/5
Usefulness: 5/5

Overall Review (in brief)

Simplified Anatomy for the Comic Book Artist is good, solid book for artists even if it is a bit… simplified. That is the point, after all, and Christopher Hart Seems to accomplish it well. This is a simple ‘breakdown’ of anatomy. Rather than get too terribly specific about the details of each sinew of a muscle, he teaches the basic shape. In a world of deadlines and concept art sketch work, this seems a nearly mandatory book to have in your collection – even if you’ll only use it ‘once in a while’.

Book’s Best Feature(s)

Muscle Maps by Character Role – I think that this is brilliant. I plan to do a bunch of my own for my personal reference.

Muscle Groups – One at a Time – Here too, the book shines, though I think slightly less than with the muscle maps. This region feels a little more ‘common’ to the broad spectrum of other how to books out there, but Chris does do what this book intends – he simplifies things for us.

I usually worry a bit when I see Chris Hart‘s name associated with a book. I mean no offense to Chris – he simply seems to be aiming for a different audience than what I consider myself to be. Since I’m looking to get a feel for the full range of books out there, I thought that I would give this one a try anyway. I’m very glad that I did.

I’m really not trying to bust stones here, but the first sixty or so pages just struck me as filler. Maybe I’m too cocky for my own good and I think that I have a better grasp on the head/neck than I do, but it seemed like there were an awful lot of ‘blow up’ shots and they paid more attention to these than was really needed.

Where I really started feeling the value of the book was at page sixty-five where Chris begins looking at Body Types by Character Roles. The ‘muscle maps’ (as he calls them) of ‘standardized characters seemed very insightful to me. It seems a great way to start zeroing in on what you want your viewers to see or think about your characters without hanging a neon sign on your characters’ chests.

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