Scott Heine

Re: Champs Worldwide: Whaddya want? My own two cents... Personally, I don't mind a few culturally cliche characters in a "worldwide" book. In fact, I'd be terribly disappointed if they were not in there. Then again, it won't be a surprise to anyone because I obviously prefer a more 4-color silver-age kind of Champions game. But as a GM, I'm looking for resources that I can flesh out on my own. Give me the template and I'll add the details -- simply because the NPCs will take on a life of their own when I play them. For example, let's say you included some kind of trio of supernatural-busting heroes employed (very unofficially) by the Vatican. The concept immediately brings to mind a few cliches, and one of them had better be a disgruntled priest who struggles with his faith and wonders if his powers are a blessing or a curse. Oh, sure, you don't have to give him a terribly corny name/concept (i.e., Guardian Angel, wearing a white-colored priest garb, speaking English with a strong Italian accent, with glowing gold force field powers). But if he had a Latin word for his name that tied in with unusual abilities, and maybe if the entire team wore black with white and crimson accents to tie them together and make them immediately recognized as connected with their Vatican origins, I wouldn't mind a bit. That being said... I would LOVE to see Captain Australia included. And, no, it's not an ego thing. I was always intrigued by the references to the character in the old versions, and enjoyed the opportunity to write up the brother/sister concept. (Entropi wasn't as enjoyable; a bit too cliche for my taste, but it had to fit with what had already been published about the character in other books.) I like the Superman-ish powers. I like the flag-wearing government-sponsored motif (hey, the Aussie flag is really cool, and looks great as a wrap-around on a female character). And if my hero team has to team-up with representatives from down under, I'd rather GM a single character than an entire team (because two teams of heroes against some global threat gets really complicated and sluggish to run). Oh, and for what it's worth, I may be an American, but I lived in Australia for a brief while. And my inlaws are Kiwi citizens. I think the concept is still fitting without being insulting. If I could change anything, I think I'd come up with interchangeable costumes for the current (sister) Capt. Aussie -- one with the more formal flag wrap-around, and another with the green and gold (though I'd leave off any kangaroo icons... ). For those of you who didn't like the Captain, I apologize (someone here called her "dumb"). But I'm still a big fan. Besides, the brother, sister, and Entropi have the rare distinction of having been sold as miniatures at one point... Beyond that... If I picked up Champs Worldwide, I'd expect to see representatives from China and Japan for sure. Not all cliches, mind you, but I'd expect to see some kind of ninja or samurai, and I'd probably expect to see a Chinese mythological-based character having to do with wind, or dragons, or fire, or water, or something like that. I would want to see some kind of widespread international terrorist organization that moves around the globe a lot. Yeah, yeah... I know there are a few of those lurking in the Champions Universe already. But if I picked up book with an international flavor, I'd still hope to find something like that in there. We can't assume that the reader has access to all the other resources out there, right? Russia deserves some serious treatment. What kind of heroes/villains would a former super-power produce? Bitter leftovers from the cold war? Morally obscure characters working on desperate schemes to return Russia to prominence? Lots of possibilities... It would be fun to see some kind of international "conspiracy theory" nightmare in place as well -- something that provides lots of plot hooks for heroes to travel the globe and unravel mysteries. Oh, and finally... NAZIS! Yeah, yeah, yeah... that's like the ultimate in cliches. But they're just such a classic villain in so many storylines, we need to see 'em regathering in South America or Antarctica or something like that. (Oh, alright, I'll give up the Nazis in exchange for sneaking Captain Australia into the book... deal? ) -- Scott

Re: West Coast Sourcebook Oh, yes. By all means. I'd love that as well. I won't go into the sad story of the ill-fated Champions By the Bay — the manuscript that was about 75% finished but never completed or published due to the struggles with I.C.E. way back when... But suffice to say that I totally agree that a San Francisco sourcebook would be a lot of fun for Champions. Or, if not an explicitly Bay Area write-up, then a fictional west coast city with a distinctively different feel from the new Detroit -- less tech, more quirky, hills and cable cars, a big bridge, piers, etc. And, of course, I'd love to see an updated version of the Protectors in the official universe, if there were ever such a need. Of course, you'd have to have a compelling angle that would inspire most people to actually buy the book. Using the "heroes turned villains" cliche, such as To Serve & Protect, works, though it's admittedly an overused gimmick. Another possibility is to actually expand the team with more members representing the various "niche" superhero roles, allowing the characters to become instant templates for newer players. If you think about it, the existing team was intentionally designed to provide diversity and hooks (much like the Champions team from the BBB and later the 5E). Some of the origins were shifted a bit for publication, but the actual campaign versions worked well. Quasar -- Flying energy projector; moral innocence; alien background Warlock (Dr. Wraithe) -- Magician; diverse powers; spooky/WWII background Huntsman -- Rich archer with gadgets and training; corporate background Brainstorm -- Mentalist; unstable/still learning; urban background Doc Sonic -- Powered armor; pacifist; science background Helios -- Fire based character; hothead (no pun); mythology background Mandroid -- Cyborg; melancholy, reluctant; military background Maelstrom -- Weather powers; older, wiser; educational institution background Ace -- Martial Artist; psychological instability (developed a split personality in the campaign); oriental background Renegade -- Super enhanced everything; lots of angst; patriotic background You could easily add a couple of comic book archtypes that are missing, of course -- a speedster, an Aquaman/Submariner type character, a magnetics-based telekinetic, etc. And then there are the fringe archtypes like ice-based or darkness based, or backgrounds like interdimensional or from the future. Give a GM a plausible reason to select which characters to include on the team, provide both starting and high-end stats for the characters, offer both heroic and villainous options in the background, give lots of examples of tactics, give 'em a good example superhero base and maybe a vehicle or two, throw in write-ups for all their various hunteds, enemies, and related NPCs, and I think you'd have the start of a good resource book. However, the thing to remember is that most Champions GMs really enjoy crafting a world with their own unique style. The danger of NPC hero groups is that they will overshadow the "stars" of the campaign (which is why having the good guys turn into bad guys, and perhaps even keeping them that way so that the "stars" can show how they are really the more heroic centerpieces, actually works). And, frankly, how many settings do we need published for Champions? Banks, bridges, bases, a city park, an amusement park, a haunted house, a library, a courthouse, a prison, a shopping mall, a warehouse, a shipyard,... These all become kind of generic locations; you can use the same template over and over, and just relocate it to whatever city is the focus of your campaign. Once they've been published, you don't need to publish another one (in actual gameplay, how different is San Francisco's Golden Gate Park from New York's Central Park, after all?). In any case, I think a west coast city book would be fun, and I think it would be a kick to see the Protectors hit print again for a new generation. But, of course, I am highly biased in all of this...

Re: The Destroyers Yeah, I've noticed that. Very serious. It's almost as if there was this lawyer behind it all, pulling the strings, setting the stage... BWA HA HA HA HA HA! Mr. Long with a good-natured jab>

Re: The Destroyers Okay, okay, okay... I know that making Deathstroke humorous resulted in a mixed response from folks. Some people enjoyed the twist, while others thought it was sacrilege. (It seems to me that people's response was largely based on their own experience with the characters in their campaigns; those that used them as a serious threat were less likely to enjoy the change from Champions Universe.) I take full responsibility for the change. I was asked to do a re-write of the characters for the book, and I was not a big fan of the original. I'm convinced that humor is a big and necessary part of any good Champions campaign (and, yes, I think I can prove that from both a psychological and experiential perspective), and just having characters with funny backgrounds and costumes doesn't always cut it (i.e., C.L.O.W.N. can be funny, or they can just be funny looking; there's a difference). So, with Hero's blessing at the time, I made Deathstroke a team that can easily slip into the "straight man" role of a humorous game. The comparisons to Rodney Dangerfield really fit, now that I think about it. But if you strip away the publicist and just allow the changes to be a natural progression of the team's character development, they can still be seen as a menacing team of terrorists. Just my thoughts... -- Scott P.S. I just have to say it. You may not agree with me, but you'd be wrong. I think Arrowhead was a really, really, stupid character name and concept. It made absolutely no sense in the original adventure book. Even talking with folks involved in creating the original team offered no insight into the character concept. It needed to be changed. Besides, he wore purple and red. Magneto might get away with that horrible color combination (though various artists have noticed the ugly combo and have tried to tweak it with big blotches of black in various alternative costumes over the years), but nobody else should even try. Oh, and for what it's worth, I was shown a possible character sketch from some artist -- can't remember who right now -- that had a re-design of Arrowhead's outfit to include an arrow design that... hmm... how do I describe it? The triangular part of the arrow was on his chest, pointing up toward his face. The rectangular "tail" of the arrow stretched down from the point, past the belt, and into the crotch of the trunks. (Think about it...) We figured it would be best to come up with a different idea...

Re: What Gold/Silver/Iron Age story or series do you love? Golden Age: As many folks have mentioned, the Marvel Family books were great. I also get a kick out of some of the early Batman stories. Silver Age: The Green Lantern books were probably my favorites overall, though I really enjoyed the transition from the JSA characters to the JLA versions overall. In fact, I've got a particular affinitity for those old annual JSA/JLA crossover storylines (the ones that ultimately necessitated Crisis on Infinite Earths to clean things up). More Recent: Nothing (and I mean nothing!) beats the run from Steve Engleheart and Marshall Rogers in Detective Comics — the highlight being the retooling of the Joker in the legendary "Joker Fish" two-issue story. Great stuff. I liked The Watchmen tremendously. Loved Giffen's goofy Justice League International stuff. Byrne's retooling of Superman was fun for a while (though I got weary of the artistic approach eventually). The Killing Joke was a great book. I enjoyed Perez' efforts to revamp Wonder Woman, though the cool Greek mythos tie-ins faded far too quickly and I lost interest. I enjoyed the storyline when Captain America became The Nomad for a while.

I just have to say it: Storn, you've outdone yourself. The cover for Dark Champions is incredible. Awesome work. The subdued colors, the clean lines, the dramatic pose... it's just great. There is enough detail in the central character to invite further study (just what are all those things hanging from his belt, for instance), and yet the composition is clean and striking. Perhaps one of the best pieces we've ever seen from Hero Games. Wonderful! -- Scott

I'm sorry...

Whoohoo! Happy Anniversary, Mark! Couldn't have happened to a better guy or a better company! Here's looking forward to the next 10 year! Cheers! -- Scott

Well, if and when you DO get back down here to the southwest, give me a buzz and I'll buy ya a beer... -- Scott

Wow. That's really creative! Obviously I had a lot of fun with the Dreamzone, and the Bogeyman was a pretty creepy villain to play with. The thought of the Bogeyman seeking help from the heroes because Dr. D. had sent the whole dimension to hell is really scary... Neat stuff! -- Scott

You're missing the most obvious one: Doctor Destroyer. Aw, c'mon. He's just misunderstood. He needs a little lovin'. He needs a mommy... It's amazing what warm milk and cookies will do to soften the grumpiness out of even the toughest despot.

Well, for all I know, Marvel has resurrected him, but... Captain Marvel died of cancer in a Graphic Novel. He would be one scary dude to have resurrected for the heroes to face. Best... superhero... death... ever...

Oooo... Beautiful...

Re: Re: Oh My... Ooo, you did? Wow! You did! WAY cool!!! A duchy, you say? Heh... I've never had my own kingdom before... Nifty! Hey, how about a planet in some Star Hero book? No, wait! An entire galaxy! -- Scott P.S. Bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha! You guys are the greatest!

Oh My... Heh... I just noticed that my name is spelled wrong in the art credits. Let's see... I was left out of the credits for Champions. I was left out of the credits for Conquerors, Killers & Crooks. My name is mispelled in Champs Battlegrounds... Think someone is trying to tell me something...? -- Scott P.S. Nah... I'm just teasing. It's truly an honor to have work included in the new Hero line. I am so proud of the great work DOJ is doing!

Just got my copy today. Very impressive book, with useful scenarios & maps, but also lots of catalysts for creative GMs who are looking for some "jump starts" for their own adventures. And that has to be my all-time favorite Hero product cover, finally topping the original Fantasy Hero. Outstanding!

Paiting a Target On My Forehead, But... Hmm. I'm not familiar with the case beyond what is stated in the article. And I'm probably painting a big target on my forehead, but here goes with my initial impression... (I'm thinking off the top of my head hear, and I'll admit to having a bit of a "devil's advocate" response to that article.) What is the difference between an "adult comic" and pornography? Certainly there's a difference, but where do you draw the line? Hey, I'm the first one to say that comics aren't just an artistic storytelling medium for children. In fact, I hardly see any kids in comic stores these days. And if comics were limited to children, how in the world would Hollywood justify movies like X-Men, Spiderman, Daredevil, the Hulk, LXG, etc.? On the otherhand, there is a big difference between a comic book with themes targeted at a mature audience and a comic book targeted specifically at a customer of pornography. I'm a bit unclear at exactly what kind of book Mr. Castillo was selling. Let me push the discussin a bit further. Like it or not, comic books have a history of being a kid-targeted medium. I don't think it's unreasonable to assume that comics attract the interest of children, or even that some comics are specifically geared for kids. Hey, I grew up on Batman, Green Lantern, and the rest, and my own kids get a kick out of watching Justice League on T.V. But there are some comics that are certainly not appropriate for children. (Don't get me started on post-modern ideas that morality is entirely relative here; standards of tolerance and moral complacency are certainly slippery in our culture today, but I think it's possible to intelligently argue for definitions of cultural decency.) What's more, the blur between kid-targeted comics and "mature themed" comics is pretty blurry. As a parent of 3 kids, I look at a comic shop differently than I did 20 years ago. That female superhero isn't just an intriguing character anymore; she's often a piece of pin-up art. Heck, what comics fan hasn't had a discussion about how some of those women keep from falling over from being top heavy? And we're not talking about simply drawing characters in physically idealistic (or even unrealistic) ways; we're talking about poses on posters and covers that are clearly conceived to be seductive. So where does the comic book cross over from being "kid-friendly" to being "mature themed" to being "pornographic?" It can't simply be a matter of nudity, because so much heroic art is practically painted skin as it is. It's also a bit naive to lump it all together as protecting First Amendment rights here. I'm not saying that someone's right to produce a certain type of comic should be limited in the least. But our culture undeniably has a long history of curbing distribution of products to appropriate ages, and I'm all in favor for putting guidelines for how different material can be presented to the public. If my neighbor decided to post an 8-foot tall photgraphic cardboard cutout of a nude couple engaging in intercourse in his front yard as a lawn ornament, I'd say he has crossed the line of decency in the public presentation of his art. I don't doubt his legal freedom to produce such a product, nor do I want to take away the rights of someone who wants to view such a product. But I don't want to extend to him the right to display his product in a manner that I have to see as I drive down the street, and certainly not in a manner that my kids can see at all. Of course, this raises the issue of where we draw the line. At one point does something become inappropriate for certain approaches to public display? That's a tough issue, and I can't think of a better approach than leaving it up to the decency laws of local communities. That being said, the state prosecutor in this case takes the matter too far for my own comfort; to say that the content of all comics should be acceptable for all ages just doesn't sync with reality. The logic of his argument is faulty, because the medium can be used to communicate stories to different audiences. Frankly, I don't know enough details about this particular incident to know if Mr. Castillo was acting in a proper manner with distributing the material in question, or whether he was crossing the line (and perhaps the local laws) of decency in the way he presented the merchandise available in his shop. The CBLDF perspective throughout the article merely offers us one angle on what happened here. Personally, I'm a bit weary with the plethora of artistic cries against this whole idea of "censorship." I don't want to censor anyone. But I do want to retain some control over what my own children can be exposed to, especially in a setting that is targeted at their interest (i.e., a comic book shop).

Ack! Wow. You guys are great. Thanks for the encouragement. And, yes, I'm really looking forward to continuing to supply some illos for Hero. The folks at DOJ are top notch and a real joy to work for. Hero is in GREAT hands, and I think the quality of the products really shows the consistency and professionalism we're all enjoying! Neato! For those of you looking for more recent stuff, you should know that DOJ is secretly trying to hide my illos in a couple of books. Unless I've missed something, I don't think I've appeared in any book credits yet (except for inspirational credit in MC). It's a conspiracy, I tell ya! Heck, I didn't even get a street or NPC named after me in new Detroit. So, the way I figure it, it's time to start lobbying for a "Heine" landmark in the Champions Universe. Hmmm... The Heine Nebula? Naw, that doesn't sound right... *smirk* As for getting the rest of the Protectors colored... I am SO sorry for those of you who have patiently been waiting for me to fulfill my promise since December. Thanks for the occasional e-mail and PM reminders... Truthfully, I was going to do it in March, but life took a very different turn and I was pretty consumed with work for a while. It's starting to slow down just a bit this month... and then we went and sold our house and bought a new one over the weekend (Yeah! A pool! Pretty big deal for those of us in Phoenix. Pool party at Scott's! Woot!). So in between packing boxes, I'll finish Andy's requests, move, try to stabilize, and at SOME point I'll get back to the Protectors. Thanks for your endless patience... -- Scott

You rang...? Done. Check your e-mail...

No, I don't have a site up with artwork. Illustration was always more of a hobby than a career for me. Most of what I do now is in-house stuff for education, branding, etc. Though it's been fun doing a few pieces for the new Hero, and I look forward to doing more as my schedule allows... Yeah, I was, too. I did NOT care for those illustrations. What was really odd is that I was originally asked to illustrate the piece, and actually submitted pics with the article. I never was told why my pics were not used. Oh well... Those were the days of ICE, which is probably 'nuff said.

No, that would be me, not Mr. Bennie. Does that mean I don't get a kiss? -- Scott P.S. Personally, I think Deathstroke needed to be "goofied up." I never liked the original characters' names or costumes. And they needed... something... to round them out and make them interesting. Yeah, the revision was written in a hurry, but I thought the concept of a villain team with a publicist was kinda fun...

Re: Silverfist vs. Mandroid *shrug* I don't know; it was a long time ago. I was a DC guy myself, but that sounds right. I know he mentioned a Marvel copyright. We also changed Tempest to Maelstrom (I like both names, so no big deal), and Warlock to Dr. Wraithe (which I never liked as much, mostly because we already had a "Doc" on the team). But we never talked about Quasar, either because (a) Quasar wasn't in use much at the time (I have no idea), or ( he knew I'd never change it. Hey, it's one thing for me to tamper with the characters of other players for publication, but Quasar was my character!

Silverfist vs. Mandroid Well, yeah, it was in the published book. It was always Mandroid in the campaign (well, until he became a giant robot named "Rampage," but that's a long story). Rob Bell made us change it to "Silverfist" for publication because of a copyright issue. -- S --

Um... Um... Nope. He's got silky smooth legs. Don't ask me what I was thinking when I first drew him. Heck, that was DECADES ago now. I think I was influenced by Cyborg of the new Teen Titans; at least, that's who he reminds me of now. I think if I had it to do all over again, there'd be less flesh showing, more of a "Borg-like" feel, and the skin that could be seen would be scarred and disfigured. To be honest, I don't really remember the issue ever coming up until I reposted the pic on the old boards a couple of months ago. Then again, I seem to remember that Mandroid went around with street clothes covering his armor most of the time -- probably baggy jeans, a dark T-Shirt, maybe a worn leather jacket. The character I had in mind for TS&P had kind of a "The Thing" complex, in that he felt ugly and visually repulsive. But that only came up in the campaign a couple of times, usually when the character had to remove his faceplate for some reason (which he never did in front of his teammates, as I recall...) For what it's worth, someone (who shall remain nameless) sent me an e-mail today after looking at the pictures, thanking me for including a gay hero in a Champions product. Hmm. I never thought of Mandroid as gay...

Coming... Up... For... Air... Hi, guys. Yeah, I started to post updated images for the ol' team a bit before New Year's. I was hoping to have them all up and available by now. Unfortunately, I've been absolutely buried at work -- it's all a good thing, but it's leaving me very little free time. I'm hoping things will settle down a bit by the middle of March, and then I can get the rest of the team available. In the meantime, I've posted the pics that were already done at a freebie web host. Here's the link... The first batch of Protector pics... Doctor Wraithe, aka "The Warlock," will be the next one up. The line art is done and inked; just need to scan and color. But don't hold your breath. I'm serious when I say mid-March is the earliest I hope for... Now pardon me while I bury myself under my "in" box once again...