That F'ing Monkey: Podcast

Showing posts with label Podcast. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Lego: Vic and Elsa

Back in February I wrote about the episode of Jeff Stormer’s podcast Party of One where I played the RPG Atomic Highway. My character in that game was a descendant of Frankenstein rebuilt to resemble the famous monster. That episode was actually the second that Jeff and I recorded but the first one is lost to the ether. I think it was something on my end but Jeff is way too polite to say so.

With two games under my belt I think about the character a lot. Randomly one day I was thinking about how Lego had made a greaser style hair piece and how I had a few Frankenstein’s monster head pieces. The idea clicked into place like two Lego. The moment I could dive into my parts bins I quickly threw together Vic. I was super happy with the results but I immediately knew I wanted more. Vic was nothing without his car Elsa (named after Bride of Frankenstein actress Elsa Lanchester). I knew I had to build the car too.

Luckily for me I didn’t have to work completely from scratch. Lego’s Speed Champion line currently has a Camaro two pack. Once of those cars is based on the current model while the other is an older version that looked ready to drag race. It was a perfect base. There were things that needed to be on Elsa through; specifically a ram prow and two linked machine guns. The ram prow was easy enough, Lego has made enough old style trains that getting a cow catcher just meat spending a few minutes on Bricklink.

The machine guns were a little different; Lego doesn’t care for realistic looking weapons. After looking around for a little bit I decided to go the third party route. I placed an order for the Brick Arms machine guns and clips that allow them plug into jumper plates. The ram prow and guns required me to rework the front and hood of the car. I lost a lot of the sleekness that’s in the original set but it looks far more dangerous.

Because of all extra hardware on the hood I raised the passenger area and roof up by one stud. I also replaced headrest with a stickered tile that has a 13 on it. Vic always had a rockabilly vibe to him, so when I found the 13 stickers I knew I had to use them. I originally wanted the back end to be fully of survival type gear. I really, really wanted propane tanks and things like that. The scale eventually got the better of me. Had I made the car 8 studs wide instead of 6 I think my original vision would have worked but by this point I was already fully committed to the smaller vehicle.

I also wanted to only use half the back end. That way I could still have part of the white stripe that goes down Elsa’s hood. This literally was the longest part of the build. I took apart and rebuilt the back end numerous times until I got to a version I was happy with. The tool sled slides into place and is held in the back with the ladder and a chain. It rests on smooth tiles so it’s easy to pull out for use. Under the sled I used another of the 13 stickers. With the scale I was only able to get a hammer, wrench, and socket into the tool area but I feel it gets the point across.

In the end I’m really happy with the results. Both Vic and Else turned out extremely close to how I imagined them. If you want to hear more about the character check out the Party of One Podcast. Make sure you give a listen to more than just the Apocalypse Highway episode though, there are far funnier people playing there that me.

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Party of One: Vic Frankenstein

Last month I wrote about how much I enjoyed Jeff Stormer’s podcast Party of One. The show consists of quick one-shot RPG sessions starring a game master and a single player. Some of these are very funny, others more exciting. With a new player and story every episode the tone can change dramatically. I’m talking about the podcast again because I got to record with Jeff and that episode is now available. That’s right, if you ever wanted to sit around a game table with me run over to Party of One’s Soundcloud page or look it up on Apple’s app store or Google play.

The game I got to play is called Atomic Highway. It’s a perfect system to get that Mad Max style you may be interested in after watching Fury Road. Our game took that formula and mixed in equal parts 50’s style Sci-Fi. The basis of the game is I’m playing a literal Frankenstein’s monster who makes a living as a courier across the wasteland in his armored muscle car. I’m in love with the character and the setting, so if you enjoy the episode you should let Jeff know how much you love Vic Frankenstein.

Here is the background I sent to Jeff when we were coming up with ideas for the game:

To protect itself the human mind is capable of ignoring those truths that would cause it shock and damage. Things that would demoralize the populace were trivialized and transformed into myth and legend. Yet even before the great disaster there were monsters roaming the Earth. The members of the Frankenstein bloodline had guarded Victor’s original work closely. Passed from generation to generation the burden caused most family members to hide themselves in the remote, hard to reach corners of the Earth. When the End Times came, Henry Frankenstein and his wife were already safe deep in a compound hidden in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Time passed and Elizabeth bore Henry a son. But times had changed and even a routine delivery was no longer as easy as it once had been. Elizabeth died not long after Victor was born.

Henry was a warm and caring father and did everything he could to make sure his son was protected. Young Victor grew up with a hunger for learning. He was a teenager when the raiders had found the Frankenstein compound. While he and his father had managed to fend off the attackers, Victor was struck with a bullet through the heart. The boy died almost instantly. Henry’s grief was unbearable; he had lost everything. Except he was a Frankenstein, he didn’t need to let fate dictate who lived and who died. The dead raiders provided more than enough material.

Vick was not Victor, the personality was different. The memories of the past were gone. Vick was less studious and wilder, but Henry loved him anyway. The two lived happily for many years until Henry’s age had finally caught up to him. Vick mourned his father but knew he couldn't hide from the world much longer. Sealing up the compound Vick loaded up his car. It was like him, an amalgam of the cars the raiders had attacked in. He headed out into the wasteland to sate his wanderlust, to finally see the world that was beyond the mountain peaks.

Party of One podcast can be found HERE.

Monday, January 11, 2016

Party of One

There are a lot was ways to watch or listen to people playing table top role playing games. Party of One is a new Podcast that does things a little differently. Instead of a huge cast of players, Party of One focuses on the Game Master Jeff Stormer and a single player. Each podcast is a different game and a different player, so they can vary greatly on tone and subject matter. As of this writing there are four episodes already recorded and they cover things like luchadors and ancient mummy detectives. While some of them are serious, when they get funny they are very funny.

Each podcast is self contained, so it’s a great study in telling one and done stories. The longest adventure is just under an hour and a half. So you aren’t going to get sprawling Tolkien-esque epics. These are tightly structured, quick stories. It’s amazing how much gets done in an RPG session when the table doesn’t spend a half hour talking about how to approach the bad guy’s evil lair.

Knowing that these are solo sessions is one of the things that make it so interesting. In a larger group game, building that special snow flake character can be looked down upon. Not every person in a party of five can be a long lost prince or time displaced WWII soldier. But when you’re the only one playing, you’re free to go wild with the wildest of concepts. You can make that brooding loner character that never would make sense in a team setting. It’s a very cool dynamic that is fun to watch play out.

I really can’t recommend Party of One enough. The Party of One podcast can be found on Soundcloud, Apple’s App Store, and on Google play. So find it however you prefer and put it in your ears.

Monday, January 7, 2013

Nerd Resolutions

It's my first post of the new year, therefor I am going to let you in on this years Nerd Resolutions. What's that I hear you say? Most resolutions don't even last a month? That sounds about right, however Nerd Resolutions are things that are supposed to be fun so one is more likely to stick to it. "How are we to know that they are supposed to be fun? You just made the term Nerd Resolutions up!" Damn you are quite vocal this post, invisible reader. Settle down.

Rambling conversations with my head voices aside I present thee with what I am going to try to do this year.

1) Get my Eldar army fully painted.
If you don't know I play Eldar in Warhammer 40k. I am also very lazy when it comes to painting. So I want to have my entire army painted by the end of the year.

2) Catch up with The Walking Dead.
This includes both the comic (I have only read the first two trades) and the show (first few eps of season one). This almost feels like nerd blasphemy at this point, so I should get with the program.

3) Finish this damn stack of Video Games.
I have a few games that I started and just have not picked up again. Included in this stack are - Space Marine, Crackdown, Assassin's Creed, and Mass Effect.

4) Try to find an I.P.A. that I can at least tolerate.
I don't like Indian Pale Ales. Lots of people do. So I want to find one that does not make me want to throw across the room after the first sip. This may be impossible.

I will update these from time to time so I stay honest and motivated. So you have that to look forward to for the rest of the year. "We don't care!". Why are you so negitive?
So what are some of your Nerd Resolutions for the year? Let us know in the comments, our Facebook page, or the Contact Us button and we will do our best to keep ya motivated.

Also we are looking to drop a Podcast on you ya ever two weeks or so. If you have a topic you want to hear us go on about let us know. Plus the booze Podcast needs rules for the drinking game we will be playing. Put on your thinking cap and shoot us some of those as well.

Saturday, December 22, 2012

That F’ing Monkey Podcast 2

Just in time for Christmas we are releasing Episode 2 of the That F’ing Monkey Podcast! Why only let a fat yuletide elf into your home? Download our podcast and you can let three verbose malcontents right into your ear holes!

In all seriousness Episode 2 is game centric. We talk board games, video games, and a little Warhammer 40K. The podcast can be found HERE. You can also find us on iTunes. You can find all of our podcasts by clicking on the podcast right under the F’ing Monkey banner on this page.

Saturday, December 8, 2012

That F’ing Monkey Podcast 1

released one episode, but I’m still calling that one Episode 0. On this recording we are joined by the great Michael May. Listen as we talk about Kill All Monsters, the state of sci-fi, and all sorts of other randomness.

You can download the podcast by clicking HERE or by going to iTunes and searching for That F’ing Monkey. I do want to say we had quite a few technical issues on this one. All of the editing and behind the scenes work is done by Brandon. So a big thank you to Michael May for joining us and a big thank you to Brandon for gluing everything together after we finished.

Saturday, November 24, 2012

That F’ing Monkey Podcast 0

I figure we’ve threatened you with it enough, now we’ve finally gone and done it. That F’ing Monkey now has its own Podcast. It’s just like the website only it’s for your ears instead of your eyes!! And you can download it HERE. We’re also adding a Podcast button at the top of the webpage, so as we release more shows they’ll be easy to find.

This recording was made as a test, to make sure we had everything to record, edit, host, and post podcasts. After all that work we figured we might as well put it out on the internet. Look at it as a beta test, a precursor to the great things that are coming. Again, you can download it by clicking HERE or by visiting http://fingmonkey.libsyn.com/webpage.

Monday, January 30, 2012

That F'ing Podcast

We here at That F'ing Monkey have been throwing the word podcast around for a little while now. What we need is some input from you, the Reader.

The show would be split into 3 main parts that fall along the Comics, Games, and Booze tracks. Those being pretty self explanatory as well as integrating things like beer recommendations from you. The show would most likely be about once a month and an hour long. So would you listen to Ken and I ramble on? Do you have any suggestions? As always Let Your F'ing Voice Be Heard in the comments, on our Facebook page, or click on the F'ing Email button.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Random Thought Download

Today is just going to be some random thoughts from the week past. Enjoy my random nonsense...

First you may see that the "Guest Blog by the Cake Fucker" picture is not here today. I have decided not to use it because Monday's are not really a guest blog anymore. It will still be around if I post any other time during the week, just to let you know that it is me. Of course you can also tell that it is me by the distinctive green text.

Ever since I got an IPod I have been getting more and more addicted to podcasts. If you like the humor of Kevin Smith check out the Smodcast Network, some of my favorites are original flavor Smodcast with Kevin and his long time producer Scott Mosier, Tell 'Em Steve Dave which is just random crap from Walt Flanagan and Bryan Johnson, Bagged and Boarded a comic podcast, and Puck Nuts a hockey (mostly the Devils) cast with Walt and Bryan. For a less comedic take on Hockey I am loving the Puck Podcast. For a monthly dose of good comic book chat check out Around Comic s. For random nerd talk with a sexy bent listen to our friends at DeviantCast . I have yet to find a good booze cast, so if you know one let me know in the comments.

Last week in Lightning Hockey was a very painful one. It was crazy painful to watch the Bolts fall to the Penguins 8-1 in a sad, sad game that saw Tampa down 5-0 in the first ten minutes of the first. After a pretty weak win in Ottawa, they fell again to the Devils 6-3. The fucking Devils! They are the worst team in the league right now. After that shitty week the Bolts still hold a tenuous hold on the Southwest division with 2 points over the Capitals.

Also they released the first of the NHL Guardians -the Pittsburgh Penguin and the LA King. They are interesting to say the least. For some reason the Penguin has "Super Maneuverability" which seems like a strange power. The King however fits with LA by having a "Seismic Sword" so that is kinda cool. Of course as I was looking for the pics of those guys I found that they have a bunch of the other teams released as well so check those blogs on those links...

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