MY APPENDIX N

 If such a thing were to exist for me, I'd believe those stated items below would consist of it. On the topic of the original, despite an interest in multiple authors, I have seen just about none of the specific works mentioned there, which is unfortunate, given my interest in what influences guide the hands of designers, but that is so.


FICTION: SCI-FI & FANTASY
Anderson, Poul - The Earth Book of Stormgate, The Broken Sword
Anthony, Piers - A Spell for Chameleon
Asimov, Isaac - Foundation, Robot Series
Bradbury, Ray - Fahrenheit 451, Here There Be Tygers, The Martian Chronicles, The Veldt
Burroughs, Edgar Rice - The Mars Trilogy, Tarzan
Crichton, Michael - Eaters of the Dead, Jurassic Park, The Lost World
Cussler, Clive - Dragon, Sahara
Eddison, E.R. - The Worm Ouroborous
Harrison, Harry - Planet of No Return, Stainless Steel Rat
Heinlein, Robert A. - Job: A Comedy of Justice, Orphans of the Sky, Stranger in a Strange Land
Herbert, Brian & Anderson, Kevin J. - The Butlerian Jihad
Herbert, Frank - Dune, Man of Two Worlds, The Dosadi Experiment, The Dragon in the Sea, The Jesus Incident, The Santaroga Barrier
Howard, Robert E. - Conan
King, Stephen - The Stand
Lewis, C.S. - From Out of the Silent Planet, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Longyear, Barry B. - Manifest Destiny
Lovecraft, Howard Philips - Shadow over Innsmouth, The Mountains of Madness,  The Nameless City
McCaffrey, Anne - Dinosaur Planet
Moorcock, Michael - Gloriana
Nivel, Larry - Ringworld
Norton, Andre - Postmarked the Stars
Stoker, Bram - Dracula
Strugatsky, Arkady & Boris - Roadside Picnic
Tolkien, J.R.R - The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings
Wells, H.G. - The War of the Worlds

TABLETOP GAMES
Arneson, David - First Fantasy Campaign
Barker, M.A.R. - Empire of the Petal Throne
TSR - Alpha Dawn Basic & Expanded
Ward, James M. - Metamorphosis Alpha
Ward, James M. & Jaquet, Gary - Gamma World

VIDEO GAMES
Bioware - Knights of the Old Republic, Mass Effect
Black Isle - Fallout
Interplay - Wasteland
Irvin, Peter & Smith, Jeremy - Exile
Looking Glass Studios - System Shock 1 & 2, Thief 1 & 2
Stone Soup Team - Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup

VISUAL MEDIA
Anderson, Michael - Logan's Run
Bakshi, Ralph - The Lord of the Rings, Wizards
Blomkamp, Neill - District Nine
Cameron, James - Aliens
Carpenter, John - The Thing
Jacobs, Arthur P. - Planet of the Apes Series
Jones, L.Q. - A Boy and His Dog
Miller, George - The Road Warrior
Miyazaki, Gorō - Tales from Earthsea
Miyazaki, Hayao - Howl's Moving Castle, Laputa: Castle in the Sky, Princess Mononoke, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
Scott, Ridley - Alien, Bladerunner, Prometheus, The Duelists
Twohy, David - Pitch Black
Ward, Pendleton - Adventure Time

I believe a few people have compiled their own 'N's over the years. If any of this humble readership has, please send me a link to them. There's most certainly more interesting reads and bits of inspiration out there.

A to Zed - Broadmore, Greg

Greg Broadmore is an illustrator, designer, writer, and concept artist for Weta Workshop. Whether its science fiction, zeerust, Victorian punk, robots or dinosaurs, the man's on top. Some of his most well known work comes from District 9, King Kong, and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. And to say he has an eye for detail and flare for creativity is an understatement. Much of his visual design work is as is seen in the films themselves, almost as if transmuted straight from his drawings.

I first came to know of Broadmore and his work after appropriating a copy of the art book by Weta for the 2005 film, King Kong. Though I had known of Weta Workshop since The Lord of the Rings movies came about, it wasn't until the reimagining of one of my favorite films that I came to know of this fellow. And if you can find a copy of The World of Kong, A Natural History of Skull Island, you will be in for a treat, I guarantee it. There are multiple maps of Skull Island, along with breakdowns of the local ecologies for each section of the island. Our gaming group used it to run a fantasy expedition campaign, though I don't recall it ending well for the party...
Beyond the films he's been apart of, Broadmore has created the wonderful universe of Dr. Grordbort, though with the help of Weta, as I'm told. It's a lovely medley of Victorian science fiction and pulp topped off with eye candy. And the bestiary on the site has some beaut monsters! Other things he's had his hand in include the Riff Raff sculpture, and this funny tripod thing.


He regularly keeps the world up to date on his personal art through his website and web log.

Also, 'weta' are roughly 70 species of insect similar to crickets. And I'm not sure I sympathize with those complaining with the new Blogger layout. It seems to work fine for me.

Yester-year/Super-seer.

Continuing my long chain of posts not pertaining to miniatures in any scale, (I know a number of you're here for that solely; we'll return to it once I get a new camera), here's a concentrated shot of nostalgia to your lobes.

Sappy Tree Stuff

May the spring wind breathe a warm air to us all.

That being said, it sure is something isn't it; the vernal equinox? Soon the rains, the blooms, and the new life that comes with it will be here with us all once again. I know after the rather poor crop our valley suffered last year, we sure could use a jolt. Hong Kong needs its $5 lapins...

At one time, this day was on the twenty-fifth of March. Go figure.