Ringing in the New Year with a Body Slam

 

Our Christmas Review of All-Star Wrestling!

Well, folks, it’s almost Christmas, and what better way to celebrate the holidays than by stepping into the squared circle? This year, Santa brought us a real contender: All-Star Wrestling, the brand-new role-playing game from Afterthought Images, hitting shelves just in time for some serious holiday grappling action!    

If you’ve ever dreamed of lacing up your boots, cutting a promo, and delivering a devastating finisher, then this game is for you. Designed and illustrated by Paul Schulze, this 96-page softcover book is your ticket to becoming a professional wrestling legend. Afterthought Images, a small press out of Richland, Washington, has truly delivered a knockout with their latest offering.   

Building Your Champion: Character Creation That Hits Hard!

Right out of the gate, All-Star Wrestling impresses with its character creation system. Forget generic archetypes; this game lets you craft your wrestler from the ground up. You’ll be allocating points to key attributes like Power, Agility, Quickness, Technical Ability, and Endurance. These aren't just numbers; they directly influence your secondary stats, like your Damage Bonus, Recovery, Attack Value, and Defense Value, which then determine how many actions your superstar can perform in a single round.  

But it’s not just about raw stats! You can delve into your wrestler’s background, which might even net you more creation points to pump into those core attributes. Feeling brave? Take on a "drawback" like an "Old Injury" for even more points to customize your character. Then comes the fun part: purchasing your wrestling skills! From bone-jarring strikes and intricate holds to submission maneuvers, finishing strikes, and even those sneaky illegal tactics (and the ability to distract the ref!), it’s all here. And get this – the game even includes a "move creation suite," so you can invent your own signature moves! Talk about flexibility.   

The Bell Rings: Combat That Feels Real!

Once your wrestler is ready, it’s time for the main event! The combat system in All-Star Wrestling is where the rubber meets the road, or rather, where the boot meets the canvas. It’s a turn-based system that feels incredibly strategic. You’ll determine who gets the first move, then choose your action – a powerful strike, a debilitating hold, an escape attempt, or even a moment to catch your breath.  

When you attack, you combine your Attack Value with your skill level for the chosen maneuver, then subtract your opponent’s Defense Value. A successful roll on a twenty-sided die (D20) means your move connects, and then you roll a number of six-sided dice (D6s) to determine the damage. Damage first chips away at your Body rating, then your Body points and Endurance. As your wrestler gets worn down, they become more vulnerable to pins and submissions. The genius here is the interplay between endurance and damage: those high-impact, crowd-popping moves drain more of your wrestler’s endurance, forcing you to think strategically. Do you go for the quick, powerful win and risk tiring out, or do you wear your opponent down gradually before unleashing your big guns? It’s a brilliant layer of strategy that truly captures the ebb and flow of a wrestling match.  

The rulebook also hints at a remarkably expansive campaign world, with numerous fictitious wrestling leagues, their titles, and top contenders, giving you plenty of scope for long-term play.   

The Verdict: A Champion Is Crowned!

All-Star Wrestling is a fantastic addition to any role-playing game collection, especially for fans of professional wrestling. The writing is clean, the illustrations are engaging, and the game is packed with flavor pages that read like real insider reports from the wrestling world. It truly puts you in the boots of a professional wrestler.   

Now, if we had one minor quibble, it’s that the game focuses so heavily on the in-ring action that it doesn't really delve into the crowd's reaction, self-promotion, or the role of managers. But honestly, these are minor points for a game that nails the core wrestling experience so well.   

Overall, All-Star Wrestling is an admirable product, and we’re giving it a solid thumb-up! It’s a must-have for anyone looking to bring the high-flying, body-slamming drama of professional wrestling to their tabletop. Go grab a copy and get ready to rumble into 1992!

 

The Panther’s Roar: Graduation, Black Chrome, and the Road to Zimrala

Date: June 3, 1989 Location: Flagstaff, Arizona... and Beyond Mood: Primal, Hungry, V8 Engine Growling in the Dark

Well, we did it. As of an hour ago, I am officially a graduate of Coconino High School.

Walking across that stage in my red and black cap and gown, looking out at the crowd, it felt surreal. The wind was kicking up outside (classic Flagstaff spring weather, even in June), but inside, it was all "Panther Pride." It feels like just yesterday we were freshmen trying to figure out the hallways, and now we’re tossing our caps and getting ready to take over the world.

But let’s be real—the highlight wasn't the diploma. The highlight was walking out to the parking lot under the rising moon, tossing that piece of paper into the passenger seat of my 1965 Mustang Fastback, and turning the key.

It's not just any Mustang. I painted it myself this spring—a deep, midnight black that looks wet even when it's dry. All the chrome is blacked out. It sits low and mean, like a big cat waiting to pounce. When that 289 V8 fires up, it doesn't rumble; it growls.

The Soundtrack of a Full Moon Night

My tape deck is getting a serious workout tonight. It depends on who I'm riding with, but the playlist is split right down the middle between the twang and the electric guitars.

• Country: You can’t live in Flagstaff without a little country. Clint Black is huge right now—everyone is blasting "A Better Man." It’s practically the anthem of the summer already. We’ve also got Shenandoah’s "The Church on Cumberland Road" and, of course, the King himself, George Strait.

• Rock: When we hit the open road near the forest, the volume goes up. Guns N’ Roses is still king with "Patience" playing every hour. Tom Petty just dropped "I Won't Back Down," which feels perfect for graduation. And you can’t escape Bon Jovi’s "I’ll Be There For You."

At the Movies: The Summer of Sequels

We’ve been spending way too much time and money at the theater.

• Indy: We all just saw "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade." It is so much better than Temple of Doom. Seeing Indy ride off into the sunset felt like a sign for us graduates.

• The Bat: The anticipation for the new "Batman" movie is unreal. Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne? We’re all skeptical, but the trailer looks dark and awesome.

• Sci-Fi Fix: I’m a sci-fi junkie, so I’m counting down the days until "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier" hits theaters this Friday. I know the reviews are mixed, but it's Kirk and Spock—I’m there.

Life in the High Country

Living here in Flagstaff in 1989 is a trip. The city just passed those new "Dark Sky" lighting codes recently, so when we’re out late tonight, the Milky Way is going to look insane over the San Francisco Peaks.

My friends and I have big plans. We aren't just going to work jobs; we're going to build things. We’ve been messing around with our own game campaigns—I’ve got this idea for a massive story involving soldiers and a shadow war (I'm calling it the Tiger Force Shadow Saga), and we’re definitely not stopping our Monsters! Monsters! sessions anytime soon.

Actually... speaking of Monsters! Monsters!, I think I know why I feel so different tonight. It's not just graduation. The moon is almost full. I feel my skin itching, my senses sharpening. The beast inside is scratching at the door.

If life were a game, here is what my stats would look like right now:

---

The Character Sheet: Class of '89 Werepanther

A shapeshifting hunter. In human form, a tactical thinker. Under the moon, a sleek, lethal predator of the night.

Kindred: Lycanthrope (Werepanther) Attributes (Rolled on 3d6 & Adjusted for Hybrid Form):

• Strength (STR): 30 (Base 15 x 2 multiplier) – Primal, bone-crushing power.

• Constitution (CON): 24 (Base 16 x 1.5 multiplier) – Incredible stamina and health.

• Dexterity (DEX): 21 (Base 14 x 1.5 multiplier) – Silent, stalking agility.

• Speed (SPD): 18 (Base 15 x 1.2 multiplier) – Explosive speed.

• Intelligence (IQ): 12 – Retains human cunning.

• Luck (LK): 11

• Charisma (CHA): 10

Combat Stats:

• Personal Adds: +42

• Weapons: Claws & Bite (4d6 damage in hybrid form)

• Special Powers:

  • Lycanthropic Regeneration: Heals 1d6 CON at the start of every combat turn (unless hit by silver).

  • Night Hunter: Enhanced vision and scent tracking in darkness.

---

The Mount: The Black Panther (1965 Mustang)

A sleek, midnight-black construct of steel and shadow, prowling the asphalt.

• Monster Rating (MR): 150

• Deadliness Rating: 4

• Combat Dice: 16d6 + 75 adds

• Special Abilities:

  • Pounce: Overruns enemies for double damage on a massive win, like a cat taking down prey.

  • Sleek Hide: The blacked-out body grants a bonus to stealth checks at night.

  • Shadow Speed: Rolls 4d6 for Speed/Chase checks in low light.

---

The Chronicle: The Midnight Detour

So, here is how the night actually went.

The graduation party was winding down, but the hunger was just waking up. I was behind the wheel, heading east on Route 66 past the old Museum Club. The cool mountain air ruffled the fur that was starting to sprout on my forearms through the open window.

I was contemplating my future—Conquer a small kingdom? Hunt in the royal forests?—when the road ahead decided to stop being a road. A swirling vortex of violet and sickly green energy erupted from the ground. It looked like a doorway to somewhere else. Somewhere wild.

A lesser creature would have slammed on the brakes. Me? The moon was up, and my blood was singing.

I shifted into hybrid form, my graduation gown tearing at the seams as muscle and fur burst through. With a growl, I slapped the shifter down a gear and stomped the gas pedal. The Black Panther Mustang roared in response, leaping toward the portal like its namesake.

The world turned inside out. Then, with a silent, graceful landing that only a cat could pull off, we touched down on purple dirt. Two moons hung in a sky the color of a bruised plum.

Definitely not Arizona. We were in Zimrala.

Chapter 1: Welcome to the Purple Plains

Standing about fifty feet away was a patrol of five squat, green-skinned goblins. They were staring, terrified, at the sleek black beast that had just appeared from nowhere, its headlights glowing like yellow predatory eyes.

"By Gristlegrim's beard!" one squeaked. "It... it's a shadow demon riding a metal jaguar!"

I leaned out the window, my panther head filling the frame, and flashed a grin filled with very sharp teeth. "Sup, snacks. Which way to the nearest dungeon?"

The goblins scattered, screaming into the night. I laughed a low, guttural laugh and gunned the engine. The terrain was rough—spongy moss and jagged violet rocks—but the Panther Mustang was built for the prowl.

I hadn't gone a quarter-mile when the ground beneath me rumbled. A massive Acid-Spitting Land Anemone (MR 80, Deadliness 3) burst from the ground, blocking my path. Before I could react, it heaved, spraying a massive glob of sizzling green acid directly at me.

It hit me square in the chest. The torn remnants of my graduation gown dissolved instantly.

I looked down at my chest fur, which was steaming but unharmed. "Hey!" I roared, my voice a mix of man and beast. "Regeneration, buddy! You're gonna have to do better than that!"

I slammed the Mustang into first gear. The Anemone wobbled, confused. That was its last mistake.

"Eat Ford, you overgrown weed!"

The dice hit the table. It was a massacre. The Mustang’s black chrome bumper caught the beast mid-wobble. POUNCE EFFECT TRIGGERED.

The creature exploded in a shower of goo. I turned on the windshield wipers, cranked Guns N' Roses back up to max volume, and sped off toward the distant mountains where I could see dragons circling.

The hunt is on.

Class of '89, baby. We’re just getting started.

 Birthday Bash: Level Up to 17 in the Sci-Fi Urland Universe (November 27th, 1987)

Seventeen. The big one-seven. For a sci-fi and gaming fanatic like myself in Flagstaff, Arizona, November 1987 wasn't just about the turning of another year older – it was a full-blown level-up event in my own personal Urland Universe. Especially since it landed right after Thanksgiving, making the whole weekend feel like one extended celebration.

The air was getting crisp in Flagstaff, hinting at the winter to come, but inside, my world was heating up with the arrival of some seriously epic loot. Forget just socks and sweaters (though I probably got some of those too, Mom!). This birthday was all about diving deeper into the galaxies far, far away and the final frontier.

The first treasure? The Holy Grail for a budding tabletop adventurer: the Star Wars Roleplaying Game from West End Games! I remember tearing off the wrapping paper, my mind already racing with possibilities. Finally, I could not just watch the Rebel Alliance take on the Empire – I could join them. The d6 system felt like pure potential, a set of dice that held the keys to smuggling runs, Jedi training, and daring escapes from the Death Star (or at least, my own version of it in the growing corners of my Urland Universe).

But the cosmos decided to bestow even more gifts upon this newly minted 17-year-old. Nestled amongst the wrapping paper were the keys to another beloved universe: the Star Trek Role Playing Game from FASA! Suddenly, alongside the Force, I had the Prime Directive to consider. Beaming down to strange new worlds, encountering new life and new civilizations – the possibilities were staggering. And to top it off, the Federation Away Team Manual arrived with it, promising detailed gear and protocols for all those away missions. My GM senses were tingling, especially thinking back to my first Starfleet experience aboard the U.S.S. Lexington, during the original series timeline, where I was a young cadet acting as Ensign Hedges for my midshipman cruise, under the command of Captain Lee Sterling. That early journey definitely helped shape my understanding of the vast Urland Universe.

And as if those weren't enough fuel for countless hours of imaginative adventure, Santa (or my awesome family, who were definitely in tune with my nerdy heart) also delivered a stack of Star Wars comics – issues #1 through #15! The artwork, the expanded stories, the chance to delve even deeper into the lore… it was like unlocking a secret history of the galaxy within my expanding Urland Universe.

That birthday wasn't just a marker of age; it was a launchpad. The Star Wars campaign I started running soon after became legendary in our small group of friends (at least, in my memory!). And the Star Trek universe was just waiting for the USS [You can insert the name of a ship you might have imagined then, or the USS Urland!] to set course on new five-year missions within the ever-branching timelines of the Urland Universe.

The soundtrack to this birthday bash? A glorious mix of the 80s hits battling it out with the classic rock anthems and country storytelling that always filled our Flagstaff home. Maybe even The Highwaymen were playing in the background as we rolled those first d6s, dreaming of adventures across the Urland Universe.

Looking back, that 17th birthday was a pivotal moment, a convergence of my passions that would shape many adventures to come – both on the tabletop and in the vast expanse of my imagination within the Urland Universe. It was a birthday that truly took me across time and space, long before Captain Hedges officially took the helm of the USS Urland Uiniverse.

Yours for now Captain Hedges

The Gridiron Chronicles: Power, Blood, and the Soul of Nocturnis Part 1 Week 1

The GridIron Chronicles: Power, Blood, and the Soul of Nocturnis

---

The story of Nocturnis is etched not just in stone and shadows, but in the brutal turf of its GridIron fields. This is more than just a game; it's the raw, untamed history of a city forged in fire and deception, where power is the ultimate prize, and every play is a battle for control.

Our overarching theme, The GridIron Chronicles: Power, Blood, and the Soul of Nocturnis, ties together every thread of our narrative:

• The Ancient Grudges: It begins with the fierce, winner-take-all tournament of the 1880s, where eight founding families — from the disciplined De la Cruz Templars to the primal Azatar Tribesmen, the resilient Knights of Hedges, and the powerful Thronebrue Maulers — literally duked it out on the field for the right to rule the budding colony.
• The Evolution of Deceit: As time marches on, the nature of the power struggle evolves. The Blackwood family's ruthless pragmatism, epitomized by Raven Blackwood's cunning on the field and the family's resort to raven witches and poison, sets a chilling precedent. Winning, by any means necessary, becomes the unwritten rule.
• The Shifting Stakes: From direct colonial leadership, the GridIron transitions to a symbol of raw family prestige and influence. This era sees the rise of gambling empires, with the Goldman, Sterling, and Blackwood families carving out their fortunes on the Boardwalk, proving that the pursuit of power extends far beyond the field.
• The Modern Beast: This brutal legacy culminates in the 1970s with Silas Blackwood Senior's audacious GridIron League. It's a league where the old rivalries of the founding families meet a new, even more savage rulebook, and the line between man and monster blurs. Here, players like the terrifying Abominations join the fray, making every game a visceral spectacle where "No Quarter. No Mercy. Only Glory" is the creed.
• The Unseen Hand: Throughout it all, the undercurrent of the supernatural, the shadowy influence of entities like the Jade Dragon Crime Boss and his Tongs, and the relentless ambition of each family weave a tapestry of alliances, betrayals, and battles fought not just for yardage, but for the very soul of Nocturnis.

It's a chronicle of how an extreme sport became the beating, bloody heart of a city's destiny, reflecting the dark, powerful forces that truly govern it.

Here's the description of the 1980s-style broadcast set, designed with a control center look and the football field background, featuring "The GridIron League":

http://googleusercontent.com/image_generation_content/58

Are we finally ready to dive into the explosive first season of the GridIron League?

The Gridiron Chronicles: Power, Blood, and the Soul of Nocturnis

Week 1 (1880s Retrospective)

"SLICK" STERLING THORNE: Welcome back, GridIron fanatics, to "This Week in GridIron History"! I'm Slick Sterling Thorne, here with the legendary, the indomitable, "Grizzled" Grant Ironhide! Grant, we're taking a trip way, way back tonight, aren't we? To the very first shots fired in the Nocturnis GridIron Fantasy Football League, back in the wild and woolly 1880s!

"GRIZZLED" GRANT IRONHIDE: That's right, Slick. Before the bright lights, before the big contracts, this was the real deal. Eight families, one colony to rule. And let me tell ya, the hits were harder, the stakes were higher, and some folks, well, some folks played a little less by the book than they do now.

STERLING: You can say that again, Grant! Let's kick things off with Round 1, Match 1. We had the strategic Templar Knights of the De la Cruz Family squaring off against the elusive Divine Wind of the Jade Dragon Crime Boss and the Sterling Family. A clash of old-world discipline versus new-world cunning, right out of the gate!

GRANT: Yeah, "cunning." More like outright cheating, if you ask me! The Divine Wind, they barely broke a sweat. Rumor had it, their coaches, led by the Jade Dragon himself, were using every dirty trick in the book. Distracting officials, phantom fouls... the Templars never stood a chance. The Divine Wind took that one. Templars, they got their first loss. Tough break for them, seeing as it was the first game of the whole shebang.

STERLING: Indeed, a controversial start! Moving on to Match 2, we had your boys, Grant, the mighty Stone Goliaths up against the raw power of the Thronebrue Maulers! Two heavy-hitting teams in what promised to be a pure slugfest!

GRANT: Oh, that was a game, Slick! A real grind. Two titans just banging heads in the trenches. No fancy stuff, just pure, unadulterated football. We Goliaths, we just hit harder, that's all there was to it. We wore 'em down, play by play. Maulers took a loss there, but they fought like, well, like maulers.

STERLING: A classic display of brute force meeting immovable object! Match 3 saw the primal energy of the Azatar Tribesmen facing off against the sophisticated, artistic approach of the Silverbacks from the Stirling family.

GRANT: The Azatar, they played with a fire, a spirit you don't see anymore. Like a force of nature. The Silverbacks, for all their fancy plays, just couldn't keep up with that raw power. The Azatar ran right over 'em. Silverbacks, they're sitting with a loss now.

STERLING: And finally, Round 1, Match 4, featured my own family's team, the Knights of Hedges, known for their impenetrable defense and intricate strategies, against the shadowy tactics of the Blackwood Ravens.

GRANT: That was a chess match, Slick, but with a lot more broken bones. Your Hedges boys, they were always sharp. Outmaneuvered those Ravens. Ravens lost that one, but knowing the Blackwoods, that just put a chip on their shoulder. They don't take a loss lightly.

STERLING: And that wraps up Week 1 of the 1880s Nocturnis GridIron Fantasy Football League, Grant! The Knights of Hedges, the Stone Goliaths, the Divine Wind, and the Azatar Tribesmen all move on in the Winners' Bracket. Meanwhile, the Templar Knights, Thronebrue Maulers, Silverbacks, and Blackwood Ravens are all nursing their first loss, facing down the prospect of elimination in the weeks to come.

GRANT: It was just getting started, Slick. These families, they don't give up easy. Especially when the keys to the city are on the line.

STERLING: Indeed! Join us next week on "This Week in GridIron History" as we delve into Round 2, where the undefeated clash and the one-loss teams fight for their tournament lives! Don't touch that dial!

A Very Wild Christmas Memory from 1977

 A Very Wild (and Practical) Christmas Morning in Our One-Level House

December Christmas, 25th, 1977.

Wow! Christmas morning was... well, it was definitely different this year. I ran to the living room in our little three-bedroom, one-level house to see what Santa brought, and there was a race car track! And a Captain America comic book! Those were awesome.

But then I saw a letter. It was addressed to me, and it was from SANTA! But it wasn't a happy, "Ho ho ho!" letter. This one was a little... serious. He said he'd noticed that I was really good at losing my gloves, hats, and even my coat. So, he said, until I got better at keeping track of my things, he wasn't going to leave me any more toys.

Instead, my stocking was stuffed FULL of gloves! And hats! And even some warm, fuzzy socks. It was kind of a lot of gloves and hats.

But then I saw a big box in the living room. It was heavy! Inside, there was a really nice, thick, winter coat. Mom said Santa knew how cold it gets in Flagstaff during the winter, and this would help keep me warm on those chilly days and freezing nights. It was a really good coat, even if it wasn't a toy.

And you know what else was really neat? My cousins, [mention their names if you like], gave our whole family a "record." It's this big, flat, square thing, and they said their band, called Wild Country, made it themselves! They only made, like, a hundred of them, just for people they knew. That's even rarer than my Captain America!

Mom put the record on this big, spinning thing called a "turntable" that was part of our stereo in the living room. It made this little scratchy sound when the needle went down, and then... MUSIC! It was different than the Elvis records Dad always plays, or the twangy country songs Mom likes. This was... well, it was Wild Country!

I remember sitting right in front of the big speakers with my brother/sister [mention their names if applicable], trying to figure out all the sounds. There was a guitar that went twang-a-lang, and someone singing with a voice that sounded kinda like Dad when he's happy. Some of the songs were fast and made you want to bounce around, and others were slower, like when we're driving home late at night.

My cousins were on the cover of the record! They looked a little bit like cowboys, but with longer hair. It was so cool to think that people we actually KNEW were making real music that we could listen to whenever we wanted. Dad said this was a "vinyl" record and that it was special because it was one of their very first ones, from before they got really famous and changed their name to something about a state. But this Wild Country record? This was ours. A Christmas gift made with love, just for us. I bet it's going to be played a LOT in our house! Maybe one day I'll even learn all the words.

So, yeah, Christmas was... interesting. Santa was a little bit grumpy about my lost things, but I got a super warm coat and a really cool record from my cousins. Maybe if I'm extra careful with my gloves and hats this year, next Christmas will have more toys AND music in our one-level Flagstaff house!

September 10th, 1977: The Morning Is MONUMENTAL! With SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS LINE UP!

 September 10th, 1977: The Morning Is MONUMENTAL! The New Saturday Morning Lineup Has Exploded!

Wake up, everyone! WAKE UP! This is it! It’s September 10th, 1977, and if you thought last year was big, you haven't seen anything yet. I’ve been staring at the TV Guide all week, and my friends and I have been buzzing about it on the school bus—this is a historic day for Saturday mornings!

For months, all we’ve had are reruns of our favorite shows. But today, the new season kicks off, bringing fresh adventures, wild new characters, and some of the biggest cartoon events we’ve ever seen. Forget primetime TV; today is our Super Bowl, our World Series, our whole Christmas rolled into one glorious morning of television. The networks—ABC, CBS, and NBC—are going to war for our attention, and we are the happy winners!

Let's get right into the new shows and the incredible returning favorites for 1977!

ABC: The Laff-A-Lympics and an ALL-NEW Super Friends!

ABC is dropping a bombshell this year with a lineup that’s beyond anything we could have imagined. The biggest, most jaw-dropping news is Scooby’s All-Star Laff-A-Lympics! It's not just one show; it’s a massive two-hour block! We get new Scooby-Doo mysteries, but the best part is the main event: a cartoon Olympics! Three teams—the Scooby Doobies (with Scooby, Dynomutt, and Captain Caveman!), the Yogi Yahooeys (with Yogi Bear and Huckleberry Hound!), and the dastardly Really Rottens (led by Mumbly and Dread Baron!)—all competing in wild, hilarious contests around the world. This is pure genius, and it's going to be a riot!

But wait, there’s more! The All-New Super Friends Hour is here! They've expanded the show with new adventures and new heroes, including Zan and Jayna, the Wonder Twins, who can turn into anything! Plus, they’ve added villains and more stories. I can’t wait to see what new powers and threats they face. Our weekly dose of heroes just got a major upgrade!

CBS: Godzilla, Space Adventures, and a Star-Powered Boxer!

CBS is bringing the heat this year with some monster-sized debuts! The one I'm absolutely losing my mind over is The Godzilla Power Hour! The actual Godzilla from the movies is now a cartoon, protecting the world from giant monsters, and he has a sidekick, Godzooky, who can fly! It's going to be massive, literally.

They're also introducing a brand new live-action show called Space Academy, a space school for kids with cool effects and futuristic gadgets. It looks like something straight out of a science-fiction movie! The hilarious Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids are back with more episodes, bringing us more laughs and good lessons from the junkyard. And they’ve got a cool new cartoon package called The Skatebirds, featuring segments about a dog detective and a mysterious island. Plus, Shazam! and Isis are still fighting crime in their own superhero hour!

NBC: The Greatest Animated Boxer and a Whole New Space Team!

NBC is getting in on the action with some amazing new shows! I can't believe this is a cartoon, but it's true: I Am the Greatest: The Adventures of Muhammad Ali is here! It's about the real-life boxing champion having adventures and using his brains and brawn to solve problems. This is a show with a real-life superstar!

They're also debuting Space Sentinels, a new superhero team who protects the Earth from space, and it looks really exciting. Of course, the ever-cool Land of the Lost is back for another thrilling season with dinosaurs and Sleestaks—I get a little scared every time those guys show up! And the classic silent comedy of The Pink Panther Show is always a welcome sight to start the morning.

The Best Morning of the Year, Every Year!

The house is filled with that special Saturday morning energy. The sounds of theme songs, the clatter of cereal spoons, and the promise of hours of pure fun. The commercials are already blasting—Star Wars action figures are everywhere now! And I saw an ad for a new Stretch Monster! The jingles for cereals like Cookie Crisp are already stuck in my head.

This isn’t just watching TV; it’s our weekly ritual, our shared adventure with millions of other kids across the country. It’s about being part of something bigger, laughing, gasping, and sharing in the pure, unadulterated escapism. 1977 is going to be an absolutely unforgettable year for Saturday mornings. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think Captain Caveman is yelling his name!

What new show are you racing to watch first this morning? Let me know your top picks!

The Librarian’s Commission: My Log Entry 1976: The Librarian, the D6, and the Discovery of the Leo Sector

The Librarian’s Gift: My Journey to the Leo Galaxy

I always wanted to be the Captain of the ship and get all the girls like Captain James T. Kirk, and Ken St. Andre’s Starfaring did that job. The journey didn't start in a vacuum; it started in September 1976, the week after Labor Day. The school year was just beginning, but my real education happened when Ken St. Andre, our school librarian, reached across that counter and handed me a copy of Starfaring. It was brand new—it had just been released that August. He didn't just give me a book; he handed me a starship commission. I was six years old, and suddenly, I had the keys to the universe.

The Captain’s Study: September 1976

My desk at home became the bridge of an experimental vessel. While other kids were doing homework, I was deep in a "used future" that felt more real than anything outside my window. My command center was set up with precision:

• The Command Manual: The 80-page Starfaring softcover, with that iconic Ernest Hogan cover art, propped up where I could see every rule.

• The Leo Star Charts: I wasn't just looking at drawings; I had real astronomical books and star charts of the Leo Galaxy spread out across the desk.

• The Sickle Nebula: I spent hours tracing the "Lion’s Mane," mapping out Regulus, Algieba, and Adhafera, turning real stars into tactical waypoints for my ship.

• Tactile Technology: My "gear" consisted of a boxy, handheld comlink and a chunky datapad—utilitarian, mechanical, and built for the grit of deep space.

• The D6 Law: On the corner of the desk sat my dice. Ken taught me that a handful of six-sided dice decided everything. To this day, in my world, all dice—for players and the biggest monsters—are always D6s.

Captain EARL (Age 6): The Starfaring Stats

I HAD A HUGE IMANTION THEN AND HERE'S HOW I WOULD VIEW MY ADVNTURES

 

Using the rules Ken gave me in that library, I rolled up my first version of the Captain. I was built for the "Early Series" era—pioneering, brave, and ready to lead:

Attribute	Value (3D6)	1976 Pioneer Description
STRENGTH (STR)	14	The "Mount of Steel" tenacity to haul heavy gear.
INTELLIGENCE (INT)	17	The brainpower to translate real star charts into FTL paths.
DEXTERITY (DEX)	15	Quick enough to operate the clunky, tactile buttons of a prototype console.
CHARISMA (CHA)	18	The "Kirk Factor"—a natural-born leader of the bridge.
LUCK (LCK)	18	High fortune for a captain navigating the black without a map.

Personal Gear (1976 Pioneer Issue)

The Captain’s Comlink:

The Vessel: The Manticore (NX-Prototype)

As the Captain of this beast, Arthur manages:

• Bite Cannons: Frontal energy batteries.

• The Stinger: A rear-mounted plasma harpoon for boarding actions.

• Manual FTL Jump-Drives: Requiring precise coordination and a successful INT save to traverse the Leo Sector.

The Legacy of D6 Continues 

Ken taught me the most important lesson in that library: the dice are the law. He showed me that a handful of six-sided dice could decide the fate of the Galaxy, a crew, a ship, or an entire civilization. In my universe, from the smallest scout ship to the largest planetary monster, we always roll D6s.

That six-year-old Captain never really left that desk. Every time I write about the Manticore-Class Heavy Assault Cruiser or the Tiger Force Shadow Saga, I’m channeling that September in 1976. The library was just the first hangar bay; the rest of the Leo Sector is still out there, waiting for a Captain who isn't afraid to roll the dice and head into the unknown.

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Product Identity & Legal

The following items are designated Product Identity of Arthur Earl C. Hedges Jr. / The Adventures of Captain Hedges: The world of Zimrala, the Zimrala Six Players Guide, the Leo Galaxy, the Zosma System, the Arial, the characters Tiger Booze, Angel Booze, Wookgnarf, Kor, and Hawk, the Manticore-Class Heavy Assault Cruiser, and the Tiger Force Shadow Saga. Monsters! Monsters!, Humans, Humans (1st Edition), and Starfaring are trademarks of Ken St. Andre and Troll Godfather Press and are used with permission. All dice used are D6s. Artistry by Angela Head. © 2026 Arthur Earl C. Hedges Jr. All rights reserved.