Greg Holkan

Greg Holkan

@inkbrush.bsky.social

Graphic Designer and illustrator living and working in DFW. Designer for Heroes & Villains. Lover of RPGs, comics, Star Trek, fantasy, science fiction, my wife, and cats.

1.2K followers5.3K following642 posts

A lich whose phylactery is a massive multinational conglomerate. He feeds souls to it by employing people and just chipping away at them till there’s nothing left of their souls. #f20 #ttrpg #dungeonsanddragons

What were my first 5 TTRPGs? 1. Basic D&D (BECMI) 2. AD&D 2nd Edition 3. Champions/HERO System 4th Edition 4. Vampire the Masquerade 2nd Edition 5. GURPS 2nd Edition

Charlie Stross@cstross.bsky.social

1. Basic D&D, supplemented by White Box supplementary kipple 2. AD&D (original, as it came out) 3. Metamorphosis Alpha 4. Traveller (original) 5. There is no 5.

I keep hearing people talk about how AI slop happens because of a need for more content. I think we don’t talk enough about how AI slop scratches the itch for *cheap* content. The second it gets to be as costly as a human most people stop paying for or using AI.

I feel like we would all be better off if personal fortunes were capped at like $100 million. That’s still an obscene amount of wealth, but it’s less likely to make it possible for one person to alter the course of human history just by buying politicians.

Watched Masters of the Universe now that it’s streaming on Amazon and I don’t have to pay for it. Let me start by saying it was fine. Not amazing, fine. Special shout outs for Idris Elba and James Purefoy for taking what they were given and doing something amazing with it. /1

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Lots and lots of fan service. Not the most egregious examples, but still noticeable. Which, fine. The tone can swing quite a bit, with some people understanding what movie they’re in and others doing something else entirely. Overall, a fairly pleasant mess. Not mind blowing, not awful. /4

To wrap up, Masters of the Universe may be someone’s favorite movie, somewhere. No shame in that. It was fine. If this represents the decline in quality as Mattel continues to adapt its toys into movies though, the next project is in trouble. Barbie was transcendent, and this was fine. /5

Watched Masters of the Universe now that it’s streaming on Amazon and I don’t have to pay for it. Let me start by saying it was fine. Not amazing, fine. Special shout outs for Idris Elba and James Purefoy for taking what they were given and doing something amazing with it. /1

Galitzine was fine as Adam. Given weird material to work with, but fine. Camila Mendes was fine as Teela, but I have to say that the blue contacts were distracting. Morena Baccarin sure was on screen as the Sorceress. Yep. Alison Brie wasn’t given much to do, but she seemed to be having fun. /2

Jared Leto was fine as Skeletor. I thought some of the choices were weird. Like why the weird Transatlantic accent? I get that they didn’t want to do the nasal, whiny voice from the cartoon, but the choice kept striking me as odd. /3

Man. Idea for a Bat-book: “Dynamic Duos”. Each month it’s a different one issue story about someone in the batfam teaming up with another DC character.

It’s been said that because of GOP lies, Dems will have to beat them this fall so badly it can’t be ignored. Gotta say, if you think that will slow the liars down, you’re nuts. By all means, beat the pants off them, but don’t think it will slow them down at all. Make em work for it at least. /1

Greg Holkan reposted

We are proud to announce Time Without Tide, a whole new setting and system. Time Without Tide is a TTRPG of exploration and adventure within a fog shrouded, faux-Victorian, post-apocalyptic world. Follow the project now and get the quickstart adventure for free: www.backerkit.com/call_to_acti...

Greg Holkan reposted

Big Tech is organized crime. Most people won’t engage with that statement. They don’t want to confront what it means — how huge the problem is and how hard it will be to fix. But that doesn’t change the fact that it’s true. Big Tech is organized crime.

One of our biggest problems at the moment, by no means the only problem or the most serious problem, is that the GOP has organized itself around a political base made up of lunatics who cannot be persuaded of the truth no matter how patently obvious it is if it something they choose to disregard.

DW: “I’m the Doctor.” BT: “Who?” DW: “it’s actually just the Doctor.” BT: “What?” DW: “No, the Doctor.” BT: “Huh?” DW: <squints>

Happy to say The Mandalorian and Grogu is fun. First thing I’ve seen in theaters in a while, and I don’t regret it. I have no complaints. It’s self contained and doesn’t set up a sequel, which has become so rare it’s worth mentioning. Recommended.

Thinking about DC characters this morning and… I think one of the core ideas animating DC is that power ***can*** be wielded for the good of everyone, and ***should*** be. Marvel is more that power ***should*** be used to help, but doing that is ***hard***. Similar, but not the same. /1

DC is set up to show the difference between the two views of power. The biggest difference between Lex Luthor and Superman isn’t super strength or heat vision, it’s their view of the purpose of and uses for power. /2

In Marvel, it’s never easy. It’s always complicated. Even the best intentions can go sideways. Again, these are similar themes, but not the same. (And one’s not better than the other, either) You see strains of each sometimes appearing in the other. /3