#NO MORE AP CAPSTONE!!!!

[impulsivedecisionsat3am]

either i can be an icon and make a final research project on trump x biden yaoi, or i can be really petty and make it about executive dysfunction and it’s negative effect on musicianship and then discuss it during band class so my teacher will overhear me talking about it

[dartagnantt]

Assassin: Rehired | What if the assassin didn't focus on dress-up?

PDFs of this and more can be found over on at my Patreon here! I release everything for free, so your support makes this possible. I've also started making a new system based off of 5e, 6th Dawn! Become a patron and join the playtest.

This week, as part of a theme most foul, I decided to go upon a foul task and revise our hired killer.

The assassin archetype never really appealed to me as a player, and not as a theme either. First off, just over half of its features are based on disguise. Which is fine, but one of them is literally the charlatan background feature for a price. But also, you may have realised this about me, the guy that keeps making playable monsters, I don't play humans and human-likes very often, so being the only gnoll in this city of mostly humans, there is no disguise in hell that will conceal my identity without magic. So while the disguise kit has its uses, the more exotic a creature you play, the less they are outside of the arts.

Secondly, it's primary feature is very strong, auto crit on any creature that has yet to act in combat. Great vibes, see what they're going for. Because that window is variable (and not always there) and at most a round, you don't actually get that feature most of the time. So, I opted to go for a different approach.

Poisoner

The assassin, in addition to disguise, has poisoner's kit proficiency, why not expand on that instead? In this instance I discard disguise as a proficiency you can go out of your way for. Instead, give the assassin a limited use set of debilitating poisons. Ones that impart vulnerability to weapons (what I intend to get the most use), knock out a target (for sneaky sneaks) and one that inflicts sneak attack damage (for convoluted assassination plots).

Death's Shroud

Bringing more general versatility to the previous poisons, but not quite wanting to ape the cloudkill spell, just gaseous poison. Sneak attacking a whole room at once sounds pretty sweet to me.

Hidden in Plain Sight

Possibly the least exciting option, but kind of how I intend to get around the lack of disguise issue for getting close to a target. Do it the old fashioned way! Not being seen.

Marked for Death

I suspect that this feature name exists somewhere in the D&D's history for something similar, but I didn't really check. This is based on the old capstone feature of the rogue, where you just straight up murder people with a single con save. I mean, you're playing an assassin, of course the capstone was going to be the murder button

And now to plug my stuff. I release homebrews weekly over on my Patreon. Anyone who pledges $1 or more per post don't have to wait a month to see them, and also help fund my being alive habit.

At the moment, they have exclusive access to the following:

Scout Roguish Archetype

Poisons: Reapplied

Finding the Trail

Skill Challenges

I also have four classes, and two splatbooks over on DriveThruRPG to check out:

The Rift Binder. A class specialising in summoning monsters and controlling the battlefield.

The Witch Knight. A class that combines swords and sorcery in the most literal way.

The Werebeast. A class that turns you into a half beast to destroy your foes.

The Beguiler. A spellcaster dedicated to illusions, enchantments, and general fuckery.

d'Artagnan's Adventurer Almanac. A compendium of races, subclasses, feats, spells, monsters and more!

d'Artagnan's Lycanthrope Survival Guide. A book of lore, stats, and werebeast subclasses for lycanthropes.

[ghostkingdiangelo429]

Hi guys :)

So. I'm gonna catch everyone up on this blog rn as I am currently off of my forced hiatus.

First things first, let me start off by thanking everyone who was still interacting with this blog, and if people stopped, I don't blame them lol.

Anyways, I got a new phone so I'll try to upload things more frequently until I can't anymore :p

So, what have I been doing until now?

Well, I broke up permanently with my ex, told someone I liked them then got rejected (even though I didn't ask them out), I started a creative writing book, my english teacher recommended me to do AP Capstone (a college level class based off of how to do proper research and make an essay about it) due to me having grand writer potential. I got AB Honor Roll for the first time since 2nd grade, I get to work with animals in school the next school year, I've been getting better at singing and acting, we started Commedia Dell'Arte in theatre (if you have no clue what it is, I highly suggest to look it up on youtube, because it's literally the best thing you'll ever see, especially Il Capitano). I went to a Renaissance Fair, I'm still part of FFA, and I've gotten to hang out with people at their houses for one of the first times in forever.

What do you plan on doing with the blog?

I plan on making more in character posts, post more memes, etc. On Jackson Blackburn's profile ( @jacksoneblackburn ), I'm gonna post my short stories there and ATTEMPT to finish "Demigod with 1000 Names."

Thank you all for being very patient with me over literally a quarter of a year without me. I love you all (platonically) and have an amazing day/night/evening :)

@kindred-spirit-93 @sun13koi

[samueldays]

Mmmyeah Phoenix Point combat is definitely feeling like it's too focused on cheesing the AP system. There's a bunch of abilities like Dash and Quick Aim which discount an action by 1AP, and they're repeatable, so the 4AP character can fire the 3AP sniper rifle twice in one turn. There is no minimum, so 1AP Pistols with Quick Aim can be fired as a free action as long as you have WP to keep casting Quick Aim. (you regain WP from killing enemies)

But the really game-breaking thing is the "Terminator" build from the wiki, which goes something like this: get a dual-class Assault/Berserker character with

background Heavy Weapons proficiency (highest damage, usually takes 3AP to fire),

the Assault class capstone (for one turn, regain 2AP when you kill an enemy),

the Assault class skill to reload for 0AP

the Berserker class capstone (for one turn, all weapon attacks cost 1AP, you are then Dazed and lose your next turn)

the Armored Head mutation (immunity to being Dazed)

the Speed stat maxed for movement

and then move up to nearest enemy for 1AP, enjoy accuracy bonus from proximity, magdump machinegun headshots to kill enemy for 1AP, regain 2AP, repeat. reloading machinegun is free. Very similar things can be done with Assault/Sniper, using the Sniper skill to reduce cost of a shot by 1AP.

If you get bad RNG and lose your killstreak, you can regain it with a support character who knows Onslaught: caster transfers 2AP to target.

I say "caster" because somewhere along the way, this XCOM clone turned into a Fantasy RPG where you assemble a motley party of Fighter, Thief, Ranger, Monk and Magic-User; I mean Heavy, Assault/Berserker, Assault/Sniper, Priest and Technician to slay monsters and ruleslawyer and take quests to build rep with factions so they'll give you magic items, emphasised by the fact weapons don't get better, but characters do. High-level characters get more attacks per turn than low-level characters, even before you do any stupid combo shenanigans. The "willpower" stat is blue, it could be renamed "magic points" and sit fine next to "hit points".

[eliteprepsat]

Completing the AP Capstone Diploma Helps High School Students Stand Out On Their College Applications

The AP Capstone Diploma is an innovative diploma program offered by the College Board, the same organization that administers Advanced Placement (AP) courses and exams. The program is designed to enhance students' critical thinking, research, collaboration, and presentation skills, providing them with a rigorous academic experience that prepares them for college and beyond.

To pursue the AP Capstone Diploma program, students begin by taking the foundational course, AP Seminar, which is typically offered in the 10th or 11th grade. This course focuses on developing students' abilities to explore complex issues from multiple perspectives, evaluate and analyze information, and present persuasive arguments. Students engage in collaborative team projects and deliver individual presentations.

After completing AP Seminar, students can continue their AP Capstone Diploma journey by taking AP Research, the second course in the program. AP Research allows students to delve into an academic research project of their choice, under the guidance of a mentor. Students learn research methodology, gather and analyze data, and ultimately produce a research paper or create a project showcasing their findings.

To earn the AP Capstone Diploma, students must complete 

both AP Seminar and AP Research (with scores of 3 or higher)

four additional AP courses and exams of their choosing (also with scores of 3 or higher). 

Alternatively, students can earn the AP Seminar and Research Certificate by completing only those two courses (with scores of 3 or higher), even if they do not complete the additional four AP courses and exams.

Only 14,108 of the more than 15 million high school students in the United States earned the AP Capstone Diploma in 2022. Thus, completing the AP Capstone Diploma is a mark of distinction achieved by a very small percentage of high school students in the country.

High School Students Benefit by Completing the AP Capstone Diploma

College Readiness – The program offers a college-level academic experience that prepares students for the demands of higher education. They develop skills such as critical thinking, research, analysis, and effective communication, which are highly valued in college.

Interdisciplinary Approach – The AP Capstone program encourages students to approach topics from multiple disciplinary perspectives. This fosters a well-rounded understanding of complex issues and helps students develop a broader worldview.

Research Skills – AP Research provides students with invaluable research skills that are essential in college and beyond. Students learn how to formulate research questions, gather and analyze data, draw conclusions, and communicate their findings effectively.

Collaboration and Presentation Skills – Through collaborative projects and presentations, students enhance their teamwork and communication skills. They learn how to work effectively in groups, share responsibilities, and present their ideas in a clear and compelling manner.

Stand out in College Admissions – Pursuing the AP Capstone program demonstrates a commitment to academic rigor and intellectual growth. It can differentiate students in the college admissions process, showing their willingness to take on challenging coursework and go above and beyond the standard curriculum.

College Credit and Placement – Depending on the college or university, successful completion of AP Capstone courses and exams can lead to college credit or advanced placement. This can save students time and money by allowing them to skip introductory-level courses in college. 

The following is a partial list of colleges that offer credit for AP Seminar and/or AP Research: 

Bucknell University

Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo

Davidson College

Haverford College (AP Seminar only)

MIT

Occidental College

Penn State

Purdue University

Rutgers University

State University of New York

Texas A&M University

University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign

University of Nevada-Las Vegas

University of Southern California (USC) (AP Seminar only)

University of Washington

University of Wisconsin

Virginia Commonwealth University

View a complete list of colleges that offer credit for AP Seminar and AP Research.

In the United States, only approximately 2,000 of the more than 20,000 high schools in the country offer the AP Capstone Diploma. 

High school students who attend schools that do not offer AP Seminar and AP Research can take these courses and complete the  AP Capstone Diploma at Elite Open School, a WASC-accredited private school. 

Registration for AP Seminar and AP Research at Elite Open School ends on Friday, September 6. Contact your local Elite Prep branch office for more information.

Contact Elite Prep to discuss how we can help you succeed on the road to college!

[dustedmagazine]

Fontaines D.C. — Romance (XL)

Until now, being a fan of Fontaines D.C. was pretty easy. The exhilarating way in which they burst to life with 2019’s Dogrel helped galvanize a renewed broader cultural interest in post-punk, exacting as it was in its marriage of youthful observation and acrimony alike. Their turn to the significantly moodier A Hero’s Death was timely in both fortunate and unfortunate ways, musical growth as a mile marker for the darkness that was 2020. The powerfully dense Skinty Fia was another signpost indicating they were on a steady but stable path despite the Glastonbury and Fallon and CNN appearances, despite the Grammy nominations, despite the skyrocketing success. You didn’t have to squint to see the band of “Nabokov” was still the band of “Big.”

The “constant process” of songwriting the group lives by has continued apace right from the off; they’ve been doing a career speed run from beautifully wayward Rob Doyle characters on Dogrel to probing the depths of the Irish soul and expatriatism on A Hero’s Death and Skinty Fia (to say nothing of frontman Grian Chatten’s solo full-length as more than just a personal aside). The through-line of their homeland was always there regardless of whether they lived in Dublin or London or on the road or anyplace else — just as James Joyce left only to spend his whole life writing about Ireland, so, too, did his apostles a century removed leave only to end up singing of the very Dublin City their name wouldn’t let them forget.

Romance is a conscious divorce from that, an attempt to think and write from a less Irish perspective. There’s nary an “In ár gCroíthe go deo” to be found; the closest you’ll get is “Horseness Is the Whatness” lifted from (where else) Ulysses. In the run up to Romance’s release, the band made a point of saying they took inspiration this time around from Italian cinema like The Great Beauty and Japanese manga like Akira. There was American nü-metal and English trip-hop afoot. The “Starburster” video offered a visual makeover straight out of a prime-era Prodigy performance. The influences are far-reaching, the ambitions greater (or at least more diverse) than ever.

The craic here is that the results are Fontaines’ Achtung Baby (or, later, Absolution and Holy Fire) moment, a star turn or a shark jump so divisive and egregious, it couldn’t be ignored by longtime fans. Call it a clean, empty room worthy of mere morbid curiosity and little more; call the “spiritual form” Chatten has espoused a gleaming, gormless, soul-sapped skyscraper that uncouples the quintet from its past; call the songwriting dumb and deprived of the depths The Lotts allowed for; call it a misstep; call it a failure.

… Or call it the band’s capstone on its ascendancy of capital-R Rock. It’s true, you’ll have to squint a lot harder to see the studied studio effort of “Starburster” in the raw live band of “Big,” but if you’re gonna be big, you gotta shoot for the rafters. Say what you will about the emotional reaches of A Hero’s Death and Skinty Fia, but neither possessed the immediacy of Dogrel and its singles, though strong, belied a more texture-forward approach. Less individual tracks were capable of standing out.

No such problems exist with Romance. The Metallica-aping opening riff and punching electronics-assisted kick of the title-track tell of new territory setting you up for something much larger-sounding than any of the previous three records, but that’s aided by a refined, popcentric approach. Some of this is down to Fontaines’ desire to do more in the studio that may not necessarily have translated live, but switching to producer James Ford (originally half of Simian Mobile Disco but now probably best known for his work with Arctic Monkeys, Blur, Florence and the Machine, Haim and others) is more indicative of the expectations — the band is leaning all the way into Wembley-size grandiosity here. It’s called Romance, for God’s sake.

How you feel about that, and about this record, will be directly attributable to your tolerance for bold moves and grand gestures. Whether it’s the short, muscular radio rock of “Here’s the Thing” or the soaring, string-assisted “Desire” or the amniotic Mellotron of “Sundowner,” the album has something for everyone in a relatively tight timespan. There’s something to be said for pacing here, too: What could have been a messy tracklist ends up flowing naturally from crashing to composed and back again, which does much to further the record’s cause despite Chatten’s admittedly more anonymous, universal lyrical efforts.

Perhaps nothing epitomizes this more than the instant classic “Favourite.” Frankly, it struck me as an idiotic decision to release the closer as a second single, especially one like this that's destined to become a setlist staple; who does that, and why the fuck would you spoil the ending before we’ve had a chance to take the full ride? But hearing Romance in full, the decision now comes across as a calculated power move, a nod of supreme confidence as the record spends its duration turning from dark to light: Yes, we know exactly what we’re doing and where we’re headed, and though you may be reluctant, you really should come with us. To drive it home amid a Smithsian strum and the most gorgeously open-hearted love song they’ve yet written, right at the end of the album’s final bridge, an auld turn of phrase slips in worthy of Grian’s best: But if there was lightning in me / you’d know who it was for. Color me a romantic, but I know who he means — and if you’ve ever loved this band, you do, too.

Patrick Masterson

[lunarsilkscreen]

Why do people not know the scale of things?

Many scientists have observed that your laymaa'm doesn't understand the scale of certain things; how much a cup of sugar is in your favorite soda pop for example. Or the size of the galaxy in comparison to the earth, or a country to the size of a state.

They always fall on a very poor explanation; "The human mind *just* can't comprehend it!"

Chemistry is an AP level high school class in many schools. Especially when I went to school, and things may have changed since then--I doubt it.

In my day; Chemistry was a one week stint on a generic "science class".

Why is this important?

Many students aren't taught to visualize measures and balances. That is; one pile of powders or objects against another pile of powders or objects.

This is clearer when you understand why dentists showcase the amount of sugar in a sugary drink in their offices.

Many children, and adults; have a much more clearer understanding of the underlying composition of a glazed beverage after having seeing these comparisons.

This would even be applicable on a class about cooking, which isn't in the standard curriculum for absolutely no reason. Despite it being able to convey science, chemistry, measures, AND life skills.

And it's a way to keep students actively engaged AND *work* for their free subsidized school lunch programs that conservatives want to take away from students.

Imagine it; a world where students become their own lunch ladies. Guaranteed job right of the starting mark.

Plus; literally everyone in the country would have an actual understanding of food safety. Which is another benefit to the chemistry field and other science fields when it comes to handling dangerous substances...

And yet we don't think about how we teach students in application.

For one cooking class; you could teach students fractions, chemical structure, work ethic, timing, even history!

Think about that in the context we teach students today; completely devoid of application. So much so that teaching a graduate to combine the ideas together is a whole class in itself! We call it a "Capstone Class" or a "Mixed Studies" class, and even then employers are upset about having to teach them simple concepts on the job.

Well; if you're worried about teaching yourself or your children here's a place to start.

[novelprep1]

What is AP Capstone?

AP Capstone is an advanced program designed by the College Board to develop students’ research, analytical, and presentation skills. It extends the Advanced Placement (AP) experience beyond traditional subjects, focusing on inquiry-based learning and real-world applications. The program consists of two courses: AP Seminar and AP Research.

Benefits of AP Capstone

Enhanced Research Skills: Students gain proficiency in designing and conducting research projects, crucial for academic and professional success.

Critical Thinking: The program emphasizes evaluating information from diverse sources, fostering analytical thinking.

College Readiness: AP Capstone provides experience in college-level research and writing, preparing students for higher education challenges.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What are the prerequisites for AP Capstone?

There are no specific prerequisites, but AP Seminar is typically taken in the junior year, and AP Research in the senior year. Strong reading and writing skills are beneficial.

2. Can AP Capstone courses be taken online?

Yes, some schools offer AP Capstone courses online, allowing students to complete the program remotely.

3. How is AP Capstone scored?

Both AP Seminar and AP Research are assessed through a combination of performance tasks and written exams. Scores are reported on a scale of 1 to 5.

4. Does AP Capstone count towards college credit?

While AP Capstone itself does not grant college credit, the skills and knowledge gained are valuable for college success. Some colleges may offer credit or advanced placement for AP Seminar and AP Research scores.

5. How does AP Capstone impact college applications?

AP Capstone is highly regarded by colleges and universities. It demonstrates a student’s ability to engage in rigorous academic work, which can enhance college applications and provide a competitive edge.

For more information on AP Capstone, visit the College Board’s official website or consult with your school’s guidance counselor.

[chaenniz]

IM DONE WITH AP SEMINARRRRR 3 HR SPARE STARTS TMRWWWWW

[o-thello]

MY TEAM GOT A 22.5/22 ON OUR MOCK TMP PROJECT LETS FUCKING GOOO

[pelahnar]

Panic Mode

I remember in high school, I relied on what I now call “Panic Mode.” I had the mindset that “the deadline is far away, I don’t have to work on it” up until “the deadline is basically here, I have to work on it now” which is when Panic Mode would set in. I am now aware that this is a common experience among people with ADHD, but I didn’t know that at the time.

I somehow had the ability to perfectly predict how much time it would take me to finish something while in Panic Mode, so it would kick in at exactly the right time for my to dash out a product just as it was due.

So...I was good at high school. My products were high quality, regardless of how little time I spent on them. So, I never had the threat of a bad grade hanging over me to fix my procrastination issue (well, I had the threat of a bad grade, just never the reality; I graduated high school with an above 4.0 GPA, because - even with my procrastination - I got A’s even in AP classes).

But the thing is: Panic Mode was awful.

I spent the whole time crying and freaking out that I wasn’t going to finish in time, even though I always did. I think I was worried that if I stopped freaking out, if I believed that it would work out just like it always had...that it would stop working out.

I was probably right. It was only the panic that allowed me to finish in time.

In college, the trend definitely continued, even if my ability to predict how long I’d need to spend in Panic Mode now told me I’d need to start panicking sooner. And it happened for more assignments.

In high school, daily homework was fine; the teacher said “finish this by tomorrow” and I said “I will finish this by tomorrow” no panic needed. It was was the assignment was “finish this in a month” and I said “I can actually do this in a single 14 hour session the night before it’s due.” And such projects only happened once or twice a semester.

In college, it was common to have relatively difficult assignments given once every week or two. For every class. Suddenly Panic Mode inducing projects were happening 2 or 3 times a week, every single week, rather than a couple times over the course of several months.

It was very bad.

I did okay in master’s classes, up until I started trying to teach in classroom and suddenly deadlines were burying me alive - lessons that needed to be planned by the time that class started, but really should be planned a couple days before that, assignments that, out of respect for the students, should be graded immediately, but didn’t need to be graded by any specific time.

The sheer amount of little things I needed to be doing, but none were enough to induce Panic Mode eventually overwhelmed me and I dropped out of student teaching.

So now I’m trying to finish my degree. I have all the classes done, I just have a final capstone project to do. And I’m putting everything into finishing this with plenty of time to spare and no need for panicking.

[blackangusandy]

Andy’s Read Pile: Weird World, Secret Wars Mini Series

What's up, my young, fresh fellows? It's your old pal, Andy, with yet another weekly look back at another comic that I recently pulled from my ever expanding read pile.

Unlike some of the other entries though, this is one I've actually read several times previously, and in fact have gushed about on both the podcast and in previous articles. It comes from a truly magical summer for comic books back in the year of 2015. Marvel's second "Secret Wars" event (or third if you count the dismal Secret Wars II) saw not only a capstone to a tremendous multi year run writer Jonathan Hickman had at the House of Ideas in both his Fantastic Four & Avengers runs, but a temporary reshaping of the entire universe on the whole.

You see, in the issues leading up to Secret Wars, the Marvel Multiverse came crashing down as the results of a bunch of no-goodnicks called the Beyonders. However, Dr. Doom managed to seize enough power in the ensuing chaos to save pieces of each of these realities from oblivion and reorder them into a hodge podge of different previous conflicting continuities. From a creative standpoint, it was a gold mine for writers and artists to play around with all different aspects of the Marvel universe without any real long term repercussions or worries about the previously established canon.

And no series in my opinion, encapsulated that free thinking mismash of wonderful forgotten nuggets from Marvel's past than the Weird World Mini Series written by Jason Aaron with art by Mike Del Mundo.

That's why despite having it in single issues already, I couldn't help but pick the series up again in trade paperback when I recently found it at a discount store for 3 bucks. 3 BUCKS!?! That's criminal given just based on how awesome this book is! It should be going for 3 times as much! Anyways, to show my support I thought I'd highlight this otherworldly fave from just a few summers ago on today's read pile in hopes if you haven't picked it up yet, I can enlighten you on why it's worth at least 3 bucks if not considerably more!

10 Cent Synopsis:

Arkon, the great and powerful barbarian warlord of extra-dimensional world known as Polemachus, is adrift in a sea of madness. Forced to fight for his life since being unceremoniously dumped into the Weird World, the lightning bolt wielding warrior has been attempting to find his lost kingdom among the ever shifting landscape while battling machine gun totting orcs and slaver apes dressed in scuba suits.

After a chance encounter with what will eventually be his dragon mount, Arkon raises the ire of the eternally evil sorceress, Morgan Le Fay, who has been attempting to conquer Weird World with her armies of Magma Men. Thus he finds himself unwillingly drafted into an army of the resistance of sorts led by an alternate version of Jennifer Kale and her army of Man-Things as well as Crystar and his soldiers of Crystalium.

A natural born fighter of considerable skill, Arkon not only rises to the challenge as champion of Weird World's oppressed, but seems to have found a new life among the bizarre landscape he once hated.

Initial Thoughts:

I will say that this is one of the first comic books I ever really adored in which the main character is completely unnecessary.

Well, maybe that's a tad bit harsh. What I mean to say is you have to have a character like Arkon for this story to work, but it doesn't actually have to be Arkon. Arkon is just a stand in for any number of countless "fight first, ask questions later" utterly bad ass barbarian warriors that have been a part of our collective fictional unconsciousness for years now. In fact, honestly had the rights not been still tied up with Dark Horse when this series was released, Arkon should have really been Conan the Barbarian as everything he says and does is straight up Conan type stuff.

Rescuing a dragon because he needs a fire breathing mount to reign some havoc? Conan.

Stabbing to death orcs with a massive sword? Conan.

Reluctantly joining forces with more noble warriors because they offer temporary strength in numbers? Conan.

Fighting a sexy female wizard that would just as soon bed him than murder him? Conan.

And the list goes on and on...and I think it's all on purpose. Jason Aaron does have a knack for writing high fantasy style tales as he's shown with his Mighty Thor, but all of those protagonists boil down to the same Conan like standard of a brutally tough warrior who pits his/her strength against the forces of fate time and time again. Notice I didn't say "evil" but I said "fate" as that's an important facet to these characters.

Although most do serve justice in the purely heroic sense, it comes from a indelible moral code, not because they are "nice". They actually don't see the world as good or evil, but instead one were those which would stand against their freedom to live as they choose are made short work of. It just happens that most bad guys are often times into things like enslavement so it puts them at odds with  our fiercely independent nomadic fighters. Plus, I also say fate because often times in these stories, the barbarian hero is somewhat reactive versus proactive. Things are happening around them, whether it's being caught in the middle of a skirmish between two warring tribes or being dumped into the middle of an ever shifting world filled with savages with giant eyeballs for heads.

Of course, they soon find themselves taking a lead role in the unfolding drama as their immense strength and unwillingness to die makes them a formidable foe or ally, but still it's ultimately not their fight. Arkon here has no interest in the battle between Morgan Le Fay and Jennifer Kale for the soul of this brand new world, but Morgan Le Fay keeps on trying to kill him, so of course he's going to start taking that a little personally.

It's a pretty classic story so you can basically use Conan, Thundarr the Barbarian, Hercules, Blackstar, Kull, Red Sonja, John Carter, Tarzan, etc. and you get the same effect as using Arkon here. There is even a second barbarian style fella  in this book that could have used just as easily in Skull the Slayer. Hell, you could even have used Green Scar version of the Hulk, albeit he would have been way too powerful. I would honestly argue the only one you couldn't use is He-man, unless you were talking Pre-Filmation classic mini comics He-man, as that guy didn't have the unwavering moral compass to always do the right thing.

He'd just embed his axe in your face before you had a chance to move. But yeah, I won't lie. I substituted Arkon for Thundarr the Barbarian most of the time in my mind, just because they seemed so similar. In fact,  I was waiting for him to yell out "Lords of Light" when he got captured by those aquatic ape folks. That was straight out of Saturday morning cartoon land!

Fun Facts:

As some of you might have guessed, this read pile is actually a long time coming given I must have mentioned it at some point in a dozen or more past articles. However, just in case you might have missed any of them, here are a couple choice tidbits that might curb your appetite if this Weird World review left you hungry for more.

The Original Weird World by Doug Moench & Mike Ploog

For those of you interested in reading more about the original series of which this 2015 mini series is loosely based, I did a whole read pile on it last fall. I won't lie that I feel like this Arkon series is a vast improvement on the original idea. Still though, Marvel hasn't put out a ton of fantasy related comic books in its history so this is still a decent enough example of what happens with this company puts on it's old wizard cap and tries to play J.R.R. Tolkin.

Squadron Supreme

Odd that a book about Marvel's equivalents to popular DC comics characters would have a link to Weird World, but in some ways this series is a true sequel to the events in this 2015 mini series, even more so than the actual Weird World volume 2, which had none of the same characters. This series shows Arkon being possessed by the often ridiculed former member of the Avengers, Doctor Druid, who is attempting to take over Weird World to make up for his past failures.

Top 5 Marvel Villains

In this past top 5 list I created a little while ago, I mentioned that Morgan Le Fay, who plays the part of nefarious "big boss" to Arkon's RPG style quest, is one of the best villains Marvel has to offer. Why she isn't used more often is beyond me as every time she takes center stage as Marvel's preeminent evil witch, the story ends up being terrific. She's much more of a credible threat than other similar characters like The Enchantress has ever been. She almost has a main stream equivalent in the form of Cate Blanchett interpretation of Hela from Thor: Ragnarok. It's too bad the real Hela was never as bad ass as that in the real comics, but Morgan Le Fay comes close...

Final Thoughts:

I feel like I might have sent some mixed messages with my opening comments about how wonderful this series is and then following that up with statements the main character of the book is completely superfluous. However I don't think those two comments are at odds with each other. Long story short, the reason why the series works so well is because Jason Aaron doesn't really give us a massively complex character to follow in Arkon as so he doesn't get in the way of the real purpose of the series which is an immensely satisfying trek through the often forgotten portions of Marvel's extremely diverse continuity.

Weirdworld is just as some have suggested within it's pages as a place where the lost find home. Whether that's the overlooked Steve Gerber run on Man-Thing, or Marv Wolfman's run on Skull the Slayer, or Mary Jo Duffy's fascinating albeit short lived run on Saga of Crystar, these books from the late 70s and 80s are probably well below the radar of most modern comic fans. But with this series and the rather straight forward plot of a battle between "good and evil", we are treated to thoroughly digestible version of these characters so that if we want to read more afterwards we can.

In fact, there's no question that after I read Weirdworld personally, I spent the next year tracking down issues of the original Crystar series at comic shop dollar boxes everywhere just to see what the original run was like. That's the kind of interest a high concept but low investment series like Weirdworld can generate, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

This coupled with the absolutely gorgeous art by Mike Del Mundo with his fluid lines and highly stylish palette choices, and you have a very unique series that dares the reader not to get fully invested in the goings on of this very strange world. In fact, I'll say this that I feel as if this book in the hands of any other single artist would have probably fallen flat, but in Mike's capable fingers, that spark of wonder shines through. Like art that would grace the covers of some of the finest issues of Heavy Metal or some other high fantasy magazine of the 70s or 80s, it's instantaneous approachable and yet also fantastical so that the drama comes from the tension between those two feelings.

Honestly, this Weirdworld series is the perfect mix of so many great little pieces that it's no wonder that the follow up series to this with the lack of Jason Aaron at the helm didn't last more than 6 issues. Sure that series still had Mike Del Mundo art, and Sam Humphries is a perfectly fine writer, but it's like trying to recreate a soup without one of the previously key ingredients. It just doesn't taste right. But that being said, what does taste right are these 5 beautiful issues of a brief glimpse into a world of pure imagination. Here's hoping you track down a 3 dollar copy of the series yourself someday, but I'll say it's well worth paying more if the book crosses your path!

Andy’s Read Pile Rating: 4 out 4

[markets]

I LOVEEE MY APWH CLASS SO MUCH🌟🌟🌟🌟like we did a practice leq today And i wrote like 3 pages i realized like damn i truly love this stuff. my world teacher is the best also sshe teaches a studies in social activism class that a bunch of my friends r in they say its really interesting BUT I COULDNT TAKE IT CUZ IM FORCED TO TAKE CAPSTONE...Like i wanted to take that or maybe compsci or gov and i fucking couldnt. Fuck capstone bro ive learend like 1000 times more about ap writing from world than that lame class

[sizablelad]

2022 goals:

write my research paper and graduate AP capstone

finally get my license

finish college apps/get into college

find a new creative hobby i can stick with long term

develop a stronger sense of style

progress with top surgery (there’s been a lot of unforeseen delays :/—first appt was supposed to be a month ago, but alas)

switch to a PCP i’m more comfortable with

find a program or something to do this summer

rediscover my love of reading (already happening :D)

go to cons!!!!

[lunari162]

This is also on Twitter, but Tumblr is better for archiving this sort of stuff.

If you watched the PV and didn’t understand any of it, here’s the plot I was working with! I’m expecting people to be confused, but not because of anything you missed. I’m just bad at creating stories. “took philosophy and AP Capstone to avoid English” gang, where you at

And I’m serious about the last sentence. I’d love to geek out about the parts I put more thought into, but I don’t want to be annoying :/

[education-and-sadness]

March 22, 2021

Back to the grind! I did really good today, but TBH, it could’ve been a little bit better.

AP Capstone presentation for sophomores

Read through Chapter 15 of The Awakening

Finished second 1/2 of APES packet

Submitted 3 scholarships (2 essays, 1 was just an application)

Copied Drops Breakfast Foods vocab

Duolingo Spanish

Drops Spanish

I’m pretty proud of this amount of work, especially after a lazy weekend. The rest of the week is gonna be crazy busy, so I HAVE TO DO MORE THIS WEEK!