Rifts Fanfic

I've been obsessing over Rifts, an old tabletop RPG I played mostly in middle school. Here's a sketch I did during the Vice Presidential debate. It's part of a practice manuscript so I can get down the writing style before submitting to Rifts publisher.

Lone Star: Archeo-genomics project
Desmond Bradford has been bored with Dogboys for some time. He has moved onto bigger and better things. He gave little thought to approving, lowly but talented, Jean Wendell’s archeo-genomics proposal. He now feels he will come to regret his decision.
The archeo-genomics project revisits past accomplishments of the Lone Star complex and attempts to improve their viability. Primarily the team will be looking on new and better ways to use the Dog Boys and the process of ‘evolving’ various dog breeds. This prospect was very appealing to the bean counters in Chi-Town because it sounds inexpensive- which it is.
The name archeo-genomics is in reference to the part of the project focused on re-discovering lost breeds of domesticated dogs. Wendell discovered that pre-rifts there were many more dogs than anyone in Lone Star had previously. During the Cataclysm many breeds didn't have the survival skills to live on their own without civilization to help their gene’s carry on. While other breeds intermingled into a hardy ‘generic’ breed not too different than the Australian Dingo.
Some of the lost breeds continue to this day by finding niche environments while others continue on through hobbyist breeders.
In most cases Dr. Wendell’s team must search through pre-rifts material to find out specific traits of other breeds of dogs and use genetic engineering and even good old fashioned selective breeding to create an animal as close to breed standard as possible. Often they can check their work with broken chained samples of DNA in their files.
Wendell’s team has thus far been a boon to Bradford who gets credit for most of their accomplishments by those who count. She has redeemed several projects which were previously considered a waste of investment and she has lowered the cost of many types of operations.
What Bradford is concerned with is the fact that there is now someone who has the potential to be groomed into his replacement if any of his unsanctioned projects get discovered. On the other hand Dr. Wendell’s team is highly productive- so much so that they actually make it less obvious that Bradford is pouring most of his resources into projects on the lower floors of the Lone Star complex.

Psi-hounds AKA Psi-Calvary AKA Horsehounds
Prosek’s favorite of archeo-genomics accomplishment is the Psi-Calvary. Not only has it been useful in the ongoing attempts of the Coalition to tame the wilderness but also as a propaganda piece. These animals serve in contrast as evidence that Dog Boys are simply intelligent animals who walk on two legs. Anyone looking at Psi-Calvary can see they could be merely fancy giant dogs. Spending time with them makes it much easier to accept that Dog Boys are more advanced but basically the same.

The Psi-Calvary are actually an intermediate step in genetic engineering between common dogs and Dog Boys. This stage of the process was created before the idea of Dog Boys was fully conceived. The idea of using the natural abilities of dogs to sense the supernatural was there, but the idea was to use large semi-intelligent dogs in the manner of a fox hunt. 
Dr. Wendell came up with the idea of reissuing these creatures to solve the problem of transportation in the New West. Commanders were complaining that there were no practical vehicles for patrols along the western front. They are either too loud, cumbersome, or expensive for the Ops they’ve been running in the region. 
Wendell’s solution was a popular one. Psi-Calvary are popular mounts for lone wilderness scouts and death squads. These soldiers are notoriously anti-social and much prefer the company of these intelligent beast to that of their Dog Boy kin that annoy them in the way that other humans who are needy and seeking their approval annoy them.

(see image)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy7GFS1uVjxs2tybpfbmxorzDwahxHhg4YVq5HgQ-SUKE7DOssSKyfPsIiSrq-_ZpZdhOvIIxH4Nk6EIJkiiWbK80h8EpqIj25MsBoLdYS8fYxfw_Ptda5dcNZb7vZpLg05RtUc5DXsMew/s320/RIFTSpsihound.jpg
Function
Primarily as riding mounts. Occationally a Horsehound is put into a Dog Pack to carry heavy equipment and/or supplies

Natural Abilities
Psi-Calvary have all the natural abilities of Dog Boys.

Attributes
I.Q. 2D6 (High animal intelligence) M.E. 3D6 M.A. 3D6 P.S. 3D6 +12 PP 3D6 P.E. 3D6+20 P.B. 2D6+5 S.P.D. 3D6 +15

Breeds
Psi-Calvary receive the same bonus for breeds as other Psi-hounds. The default size is about that of a horse. Smaller dog breeds being pony sized while larger dog breeds are closer to Clydesdales.

Skills
Tracking (+15%)
Prowl (+7%)
Climb (-10%)
Sense of Balance (-20%)
Swimming (+5%)

Crawlers Milestone

Instead of continuing to sandwich sporatic blog posts with Crawlers pages I've decided to just start posting the most recent pages here again (hopefully on time). If you've been exclusively following the comic through this blog you will be surprised to learn that page 200 was just posted http://crawlers.thecomicseries.com/comics/200

You have some catching up to do (since I never even posted 169). Chapter 5 is going to change things up quite a bit.

The watercolor above is a study I did for an Art Challenge but never posted it.

Renew Missouri Survey

Renew Missouri is an organization I found out about back when I was running against Billy Long for US Congress. They are advocates for renewable energy. They had a candidate survey, I filled it out, and they have posted it- true story.

http://www.renewmo.org/2012-candidate-questionnaire.html

ASUM Questionnaire

I haven't recieved much feedback on these questionnaires but the results of ASUM are in and I was graded at a B while Eric Burlison was given a C. I am somewhat surprised because my answer to their first question is potentially contriversial. 

The Associated Students of the University of Missouri (ASUM) is a student lobbying organization funded and operated by students.  ASUM, founded in 1975 represents the interests of the 74,000+ University of Missouri students in the governmental process. The State Legislative Team is currently doing assessments of every legislative candidate running in the November 6th, 2012 Election The goal of the spreadsheet is to aid students in their decision on which candidates to support. The grades are only given based on the candidates’ opinions and actions on higher education related issues. ASUM is a non-partisan organization and no grades are given based on partisanship.

1. University of Missouri Funding: Legislators are asked to pass a budget yearly even with a difficult fiscal climate. Legislators are often forced to make budget cuts, including cuts to higher education. The University of Missouri has been facing enrollment increases at 35% since 2000 with operating budgets below fiscal year 2001. With budget shortfalls the students have to pick up the tab making higher education even more difficult for many to achieve. ASUM supports fully funding the University of Missouri based on the appropriation request from the University of Missouri Budget Office.

I have a degree in Illustration (two actually) but I would support cutting funding for art and literature programs from the state budget and redirect that funding towards things like engineering.
Obviously I don’t hate the arts. But I know if you stop funding the arts, they are not going anywhere. People are always going to create and seek out art. Having an art degree is rarely going to help you find a job (and it only marginally can improve your skills in an era where you can watch videos of your favorite artists teaching their techniques).
Still cutting the arts seems harsh right? (yes I talk that way) Not if you also consider the fact that having more engineers will create more demand for artists. Engineers make things, artists make them pretty. That’s how it works.
Chuck Palahnuik once jokingly said that Journalism Degrees should come with welding certification because when he was a welder they all had Journalism Degrees. Artists should use public funds to get a trade to fall back on the first time instead of getting an Arts Degree and then going back to school again to get something useful.
Art School was a very fulfilling time of my life, which I really enjoyed, but a decade later I am still paying the loans back with little return on my investment (and I paid much more than the minimum until I started having kids).
Our State Assembly has been cutting programs for people who actually need them (like programs for the blind). I’m sure that there are ways to raise enough revenue to keep all these programs but I am a pragmatist and realize that the Republican majority are not going to budge unless we have something to give up as well.
If anyone is to suffer in this economy it should be artist because at least we can turn suffering into something.

2. Student Curator: The University of Missouri Board of Curators consists of 9 curators including an at-large curator. University students do not have a voice because only one student representative communicates their viewpoint in meetings, and that student does not have a vote. ASUM feels that students should be given a true voice on the Board of Curators because they are paying for the majority of the UM system’s budget and students from out of state have no representation. True representation cannot be achieved until a student has full voting rights. The Associated Students of the University of Missouri works to replace the at-large curator with a true student curator voicing the perspective of the student.

Absolutely. I don’t understand why there is really any resistance to students having a say. It sounds like a vote of no confidence in the student body.

3. Landlord/Tenant: Many University of Missouri students are tenants, and ASUM seeks to encourage respectful relationships between the landlord and tenant. ASUM has taken a stand on students being taken advantage of by landlords who wrongfully withhold their security deposits. The last couple of years, ASUM has supported legislation that requires landlords with 20 units of more to put security deposits in a separate account from their own, co-mingling of personal funds and security deposits would be avoided.
I support that. Landlords are taking that money with the pretense of using it to cover damages from the tenant, not an extra couple hundred bucks for the they-why-not of it. A separate account makes it less tempting to spend that money and makes them more accountable.


4. STEM: STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics initiatives. STEM goals include increasing enrollment in STEM related education programs and increasing the quality of that education. ASUM supports legislation that aids these students in gaining internships and a separate STEM fund that is available for after school programs, scholarships, and teacher education. STEM requires special attention because taxpayer investment technology and STEM education has indirectly produced more than half of the nation’s economic growth, 91% of U.S. STEM jobs will require some college or better by 2018.

Because of our high standard of living America needs to be an innovator society because manufacturing is going to be cheaper overseas. Mass production cannot be done here the way it once was. Most products made in America will be custom, digital, or high end products.
Missouri has to get ahead of the curve because we are competing with every other state that also comes to this realization and legislates towards the reality of global markets.

Confronted with God

I thought this was worthy of repost here...



Q: If God were standing in front of you, what would you say or do?

A: rethink the atheism thing... then start hoping for some biblical superpowers. I'd even take walking on water as long as I can turn it off. It would suck not to be able to take a bath anymore.

That may be slightly snarky but that is about the extent of it. I put a lot of effort into doing as little harm to my fellow human beings as possible. If there sudden was a god I wouldn't be sweating it too much.

PR webcartoonist wins primary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Springfield MO- In last Tuesday's Democratic primary for the 133rd seat of the Missouri House of Representatives webcartoonist Nicholas Ivan Ladendorf defeated Richard Buchli, a teacher political science at a local college. Southwest Missouri is notoriously a conservative area but Ladendorf has been counting on his chosen media to bring in some of the 75% of the voters who normally don't bother with the polls."I've been going door to door during the drought talking to people and handing out my fliers." Ladendorf said referring to the post card sized comic of the candidate calling on the people to take responsibility for their government.

On the reverse side of the card is a series of policy statements accompanied by illustrations and asks voters to support the campaign if they agree. "Scott McCloud has said it's easier to read a comic than it is not to." Ladendorf Explains "The trick is to pull them in before they throw it away and forget about it."

Presentation alone isn't what makes Ladendorf pull in potential voters. Ladendorf puts gay rights, legalizing marijuana, and pit bull bans at the center of his campaign. Taking on these issues is a bold statement in such a historically Republican district, especially considering he willing to stand on these policies at the voters front porch (often spending 45 minutes or more discussing his views with a single voter).

More information about Ladendorf's policies can be found at http://www.electladendorf.us

This is the second time Ladendorf has run for political office, though he now describes his campaign for US House as 'mostly performance art' and 'an excuse to make comics about policy'. Those comics are still available to read at http://www.nilvsdcbs.com

He is also currently still updating is table top roleplaying game inspired series Crawlers http://crawlers.thecomicseries.com.

Primary Victory

It's time to dust off the blog again. I need to take it a lot less seriously. Use it more like a journal. And stop half writing articles then putting them to the side unfinished.

This'll mean more gaffes and such but I just need to start putting words on the page. Maybe I'll even implement a word limit. because part of the problem before was that every essay would grow and grow on me and halfway through would feel like something I wrote before. Then I'd spend twenty minutes seeing if that's the case and then I'd check my facebook- eventually I'd just loose interest.

The reason for all of this of course is that I won my primary victory against Richard Buchli. This means a lot of things but primarily that I have a lot of work to do. My new opponent had three times as many votes as Mr. Buchli and I combined.

This is in part because so many Democrats voted on the other ticket to influence the Senatorial race. One Dem told me he had to wash his hands afterward, but I guess he really didn't want Steelman in there.

But even if there were a couple thousand Dems out there that will be voting for me in November it is a slight blow to my ego because I was really hoping to get out the 75% of the voters who were not expected to vote . 

I suppose it is possible that majority of the regular Dem voters showed up for Buchli but pulling in a couple hundred new voters swayed things into my favor- but that is an unlikely scenario.

Even if that is the case I will need to get all the Dem voters and pull in an unusual amount of independents and non voters.

The plan hasn't really changed but now I can see how steep the challenge will be.

Still processing. More to come...