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Aren’t you Vlad to See Delgado’s Stake with Dracula?

Whether you’re in love with Bela Lugosi or Vlad Tepes, each personality–including artists visions–contributed to the legend all have a place.

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

CLOVER PRESS
To back this project, please visit the Kickstarter page.

No matter which publication and or interpretation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula readers love, to have the vision of Ricardo Delgado adding to the lore will no doubt add to the appeal! This storyboard artist and character designer is well known for his work in films like Apollo 13, The Incredibles, and Men in Black. His Age of Reptiles graphic novels are acclaimed for their stunning depiction of dinosaurs and prehistory. But Delgado’s latest creative endeavour may well be his most ambitious to date: a fresh and unsettling take that reimagines Bram Stoker’s classic ghost story.

“Dracula of Transylvania supports and builds upon Stoker’s classic, haunting original story, but this is not your parents’ Dracula or your grandparents’ Dracula,” says Delgado. “This personification of the Nosferatu king is dark and powerful, a malevolent antagonist who suffers no fools, accepts no failure and crushes anyone in his path. This Dracula is not a romantic. He’s a complete horror. Just the way I always wanted him to be.”

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You Can’t Break The Haunted Swordsman at LAAPFF 2020

McTurk’s masterpiece brings a touch of the European Gothic to tapestry where many a Japanese folktale lie–from a watercolours to washes of grey, they convey a sense of despair going on in the soul of the titular hero.

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Available to viewers in Southern California (excluding San Diego County) from October 1, 2020 at 12pm PT to October 31, 2020 at 11:59pm PT. Click here to watch the film on Eventive.

If Studio Laika ever feels they’re stuck on what to make next, they should talk to Kevin McTurk and give him the chance to realize The Haunted Swordsman as a full length film. His work may not be mainstream, but the Japanese folklore about the spirit world he’s borrowing from certainly is! His Kickstarter page reveals how the spooky narrative would develop, and his use of Bunraku Puppet Theater must be seen to be believed. It’s nearly photo-realistic, and the puppeteers are hidden from view to move scale figures in alluring detail. The spook factor is something even The Addams Family would approve of.

Laika made a name for themselves with their equally haunting works, Coraline and Kubo & the Two Strings. Their ability to generate box office hits is very hit or miss. Certain groups will love puppet theatre, but for the masses, CGI has sadly tainted the spectrum. McTurk’s previous short won him accolades. The Mill at Calder’s End earned 14 awards and Guillermo del Toro purchased Grimshaw for his traveling museum exhibition At Home With Monsters.

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Which Witchy ‘wich is Best with this Kickstarter?

This game is best with five or more players. There’s enough ingredients per category–meats, buns, condiments and veggies (to name a few)–but if you’re playing with three players, to sort out the cards and scale it down is an enormous task especially before an impromptu game.

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Card game creators Janelle Jones and Sanji Moore ‘wich you can help by contributing to the Kickstarter here. Okay, now that bad pun is out of my system, I can say this sandwich making card game is on its last week to sailing to success. It’s always fun to unlock the stretch goals in these crowdfunding campaigns, and what’s offered are thank you’s to everyone who contributed to this party card game. The idea is certainly perfect for moms and creative types looking for new ideas to craft up for their kids next meal (or themselves). I’m sure they’ve heard enough whines of not peanut butter and jelly again. The question I have is if jellyfish is a valid condiment? As an Asian, some of us do love this treat!

In addition to the staple ingredients, there’s impossible to eat stuff like glass (unless it’s made of candy) that you have to include in your final product which you have to convince players is the best. Gordon Ramsey, look out!

There’s no magical djinni to transform the weird to the fantastic, and nor is there Wesley, the farm hand from Princess Bride to take on every request from the lovely Buttercup. I can’t help but wonder if Fezzik the giant would eat anything presented to him, but this game isn’t about a certain Life brand cereal. Mikey wouldn’t eat the ideas made up here.

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The Umbrella Academy’s Under Review! KickStarter to End Soon…

Fans of this franchise will enjoy this game a lot more than the casual. You meet your opponent, take hits, heal and keep on fighting until one is down. The mechanics are different from Champions the RPG but the flow is very familiar.

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By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Kickstarter ends in 7 days.

The Umbrella Academy has become quite the sensation! Not only has it transitioned from comic book (by Dark Horse Comics) to a successful Netflix show, it’s a card game too! A lot of it owes a debt to writer/creator Gerard Way‘s story of a dysfunctional family of superheroes and Gabriel Bá‘s artistic style.

The game exceeded crowdfunding expectations, and if you want in on an early release, now is the time to visit the Kickstarter page..

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Who’s the Boss in Sugar Heist?

The game plays like Ocean’s 11 for toddlers. The comic strip style artwork is gumdrop cute, and the colourful packaging design for the retail release makes this game hard not to notice!

Dracula By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Expected Release Date:
December 2020

Preordering is now available!

Had YouTube comedian/animator Alex Clark and Marvel Entertainment’s writer Zach Craley (Spider-Man) been able to license DreamWorks’ Boss Baby–more so the television series than the film–I’m sure their game Sugar Heist can get dressed for an even higher success. Their card game easily hit its Kickstarter goal within hours of its launch and now it’s in full production for a Winter release. Their sense of humour defines this game, and Clark’s art style is very appropriate for the theme.

The game plays like Ocean’s 11 for toddlers. Clark’s comic strip style artwork is gumdrop cute, and the colourful packaging design for the retail release makes this game hard not to resist!

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Revisiting the Gate, Stargate the RPG Quick Takeaways

The designers assume gamers know the finer points of the Stargate franchise. New content will be in the core book, detailing the launch point of where this new canon material begins.

Stargate RPG Core Rulebook Kickstarter expected Q4
Retail edition Q1 2021

MGM is not letting go of the Stargate property anytime soon. Wyvern Gaming’s SDCC2020@Home panel had Brad Ellis, Wes Walker, Mack Martin and Lee Alley with Jenny Stiven hosting talk about their passion for SG-1, and their upcoming game set in this universe–especially as a living campaign–to Kickstarter later this year.

The rules are based on Wizards of the Coast’s D&D 5th Edition Open Gaming License, and part of the reason is that more role playing gamers are familiar with this set of rules than any other. It makes sense to develop from the television series since there’s a lot to draw from (four series) and the Goa’uld threat will never fully disappear.

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