Monstrous Monday Round-up #2

Well Monday 10/8/2012 was the 2nd Unofficial Monstrous Monday!  This time I am waiting till Tuesday to post these.
Here are some of the great critters.

• Rusalka, http://timbrannan.blogspot.com/2012/10/rusalka.html
• Giant Stickman, http://gothridgemanor.blogspot.com/2012/10/monstrous-mondays-continue.html
• Children of Mukade, http://dreamsinthelichhouse.blogspot.com/2012/10/monstrous-monday-children-of-mukade.html
• Mud Skeletons, http://towerofthearchmage.blogspot.com/2012/10/new-monster-mud-skeletons.html
• Pwnee (love this name!), http://www.savageafterworld.com/2012/10/mutated-monday-savage-menagerie-pwnee.html
• Mr Ward, Zombie Nerdcore Rapper, http://punverse.blogspot.com/2012/10/masterminds-monday-mr-ward-zombie.html
• Naleseyo, http://hereticwerks.blogspot.com/2012/10/naleseyo.html
• Typhoid Mary, http://sorcerersskull.blogspot.com/2012/10/typhoid-mary.html
• A Field Guide to Doomsday is back with Drive-In horrors, http://afieldguidetodoomsday.blogspot.com/2012/10/spawn-of-devastation-drive-in_8.html
• And this classic one from last Halloween, http://afieldguidetodoomsday.blogspot.com/2011/11/devastation-drive-in-robot-monster-1953.html
• Fate SF has a couple for us, The Zhop and The Balanggtik. I wonder if the the Balanggtik is somehow related to the Pwnee above.
• John at The Everwayan also has the Tikbalang, http://everwayan.blogspot.com/2012/10/monstrous-monday-tikbalang.html. They could be related to the Balangtik (natch, same author) and the Pwnee too. 
• The Observer, http://mutantsmagic.blogspot.com/2012/10/new-mutant-future-monster-observer.html
• Soot Drake, http://thedwarvenstronghold.blogspot.com/2012/10/monstrous-monday-soot-drake.html
• Silver Divinity has a Restless Spirit, http://silverdivinityrpg.blogspot.com/2012/10/monstrous-monday.html
• Hit Adjacent Ally has the Vomiting Spirit of Voor, http://hitadjacentally.blogspot.com/2012/10/monstrous-monday-vomiting-spirit-of-voor.html
• Precious Monsters talks about Zombie vs. Vampires, http://www.preciousmonsters.com/2012/10/zombies-or-vampires-which-are-more.html
• Sabrina Fish talks about why this is her favorite writing season, http://sabrinaafish.blogspot.com/2012/10/my-favorite-writing-season-is-here.html

Great monsters all!  So looking forward to the monsters I'll get on the 29th.

October Challenge:Season of the Witch (1972)

Season of the Witch (1972)

I never knew this little gem existed till last month and I knew I needed to add it to my queue of movies.  It features direction by Zombie Master George Romero and the title song sung by Donovan (ok his song Season of the Witch was used in it) and a bunch of pretty much unknowns.

The movie is slow and typical Occult 70s fare, but still fun.

Joan is unsatisfied in her life and marriage and turns to Witchcraft to spice things up.
It's not horror so much as it is occult thriller-ish.

Still though not a bad flick and certainly has a great 70s vibe about it.







Tally: Watched 8, New 6

What are you watching?

Rusalka

This is one of those creatures that has been haunting my hard drive for a number of years, games and editions.  It was the seeing them again in White Dwarf that made me dust them off and put on a fresh coat of paint for Monday.
Enjoy!

Rusalka


Armor Class:  6 [13]  / 2 [17] when incoporeal
Hit Dice: 4d8* (20 hp)
No. of Attacks: 1 (physical)
Damage:  1d6
Special: Charm, drowning
Movement: 30’ (90')
No. Appearing: 1
Saves As: Witch 4
Morale: 9
Treasure: None / See below
Alignment: Chaotic
XP: 360


Rusalka is often used, and confused, for a lot of different water creatures.  But the true Rusalka is a fearful undead creature.  In all cases the Rusalka is the undead spirit of a young woman that had drown.  The circumstances of her death vary; some say she drowned with out being baptized first, others again say she died while drowning her own children (which will sometime result in a Navky or Utburd).  But most say the surest way to become a Rusalka is to be a witch.
The Rusalka is most often found near the area where she died.  Often hiding near a tree close to the water where she died.   She can wander away during night, but she must return before sunrise or face complete destruction.  She can move about during the day, but she can't attack.  Also during the light of day she can be seen for what she is; an undead creature.
They may become incorporeal at will, but are forced into it at sunrise. In anycase she can only be hit with weapons of +1 or better.
The Rusalka will attempt to charm her victim into an embrace. She will then attempt lure the victim into her watery grave to drown them as they had been drowned.  The victim she chooses is often tied to her reason for dying. If she comited suicide over love or was spurned by a lover she will go after victims that remind her of her former love.  If she curse for drowning a child, then she preys on children or mothers with small children.  Rusalkas that were drowned for witchcraft will seek out victims that remind her of her captors; men of religion, war or other magic-using characters.
The Rusalka may be turned as a Wraith, but the only way to truly destroy one is to find her corpse and give it a proper funereal. A pyre is usually the preferred choice.
The Rusalka has no need for treasure so she never keeps any. There will be treasure left over from her victims.  Typically this will be a few gems, 2-20 (2d10) of 5 to 20 (1d4 x5) gp each.

OGL Section 15 Rusalka Copyright 2012 Timothy S. Brannan.
All text is Open under the terms of the OGL. Art is in the Public Domain.
Links are not considered part of this entry and are not under the OGL.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rusalka

Don't Forget! MONSTROUS MONDAY

Don't forget, MONSTROUS MONDAY is coming up.

The LinkyList is now fixed and working, so sign-ups may resume!

Please link back to http://timbrannan.blogspot.com/

You can sign up here now.

October Challenge: Blade (1998)

Blade (1998)

So my son wanted to watch a horror movie, but he is not a fan of horror films.  But he does like action and Marvel.  So we decided on Blade.

I have seen this one before and it is stupid fun.  Vampires killing each other. Ancient vampire gods. Good times.
Blade is one of the few Marvel characters I still like.  Maybe because he created by Marv Wolfman who would also be responsible for the New Teen Titans.

A couple of points of interest.
This is one of the very first "Cinematic Marvel Universe" movies, though I am not sure if it fits into it proper.

Udo Kier is in this as the head of the vampire council. I think you can do a horror movie fest just on movies he was in.   I might have to do that sometime.




Tally: Watched 7, New 5

What are you watching?

October Challenge: The Omen (2006)

The Omen (2006)

Generally speaking remakes of horror movies are not very good.  Every so often you get one that is better than the original.  The Omen (2006) is not really any better, but it looks better and it is certainly better acted.
The original Omen I watched as a kid and it was goofy fun with the Anti-Christ.  But a lot of the movie was very stiff.  The new Omen is a better movie, even if the story is exactly the same (give or take).

Famously released on 06-06-06, I remember the ads for this one well.  Fitting for my 6th movie.
The best I can say about this is that I like Julia Stiles a lot better in this one.  Pete Postlethwaite did a good job as Brennan and did (I'll admit) a better job than Patrick Troughton who I have said before was the best actor in the Original Omen.

If you know the original story you know this one.  Thankfully we were spared the sequels that followed.

Tally: Watched 6, New 5

What are you watching?

Zatannurday: Deviant Art

I was out looking for artists that might be interested in submitted art to my new books. No luck in that department, but a lot in the looking for awesome pics of Zatanna one.

Here are some artists.  Make sure you go to their DA page as well and tell them how good they are.



Commission: Zatanna by *Offworldtrooper on deviantART


Zatanna Con Commission by *olivernome on deviantART


Zatanna by *shoot-o on deviantART


Zatanna by *SeanE on deviantART


Zatanna and Constantine commission detail by *MarcLaming on deviantART


July 20 - Top hat by *CallMePo on deviantART


Zatanna Motor City Con 2012 by *ComfortLove on deviantART


Zatanna - Comic Con Paris 2012 by *MahmudAsrar on deviantART


Zatanna bust by *MichaelDooney on deviantART


Zatanna by ~Klatte on deviantART


zatanna by *crisdelarastudio on deviantART


Zatanna by =ExoroDesigns on deviantART