Dave Arneson's Love Affair With Japanese Monster Movies

From My Gathering Memoirs.  ©2010. Robert J. Kuntz

My friend David L. Arneson moved to Lake Geneva to work for TSR in 1976. He originally roomed at the same complex as my brother, Terry Kuntz (who also worked for TSR as the first manager of the DUNGEON Hobby Shop).  David soon relocated to an apartment on Wisconsin Street .

As I lived on Madison & Wisconsin and EGG still lived on Center & Wisconsin, I would often stop into David's on my way to Gary's house (note map, below).

This was often on weekends, and invariably if I didn't find Dave reading or writing, I'd find him watching his favorite Japanese monster movies.  He usually had a big bowl of popcorn and was just laughing like a kid at these things; and in retrospect they were so  bad they were funny.  Here are some photos and links to the movies that made the designer of so many historical and fantastic games chuckle.

ONE OF DAVE"S FAVORITES, GAMERA THE "ATOMIC TURTLE"

Links @ Wikipedia/Other:

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"The Necromancer" aka "The Tale of the Black Forest"

 By Ludwig Flammenberg (pesudonym of Carl Friedrich Kahlert)

Here's a mixed genre fantasy tale way ahead of its time as published in 1794.  There was some confusion about the author, his pseudonym and the translator, all explained in the Wiki article.

From the Amazon.com description:  "'The hurricane was howling, the hailstones beating against windows, the hoarse croaking of the raven bidding adieu to autumn, and the weather-cock's dismal creaking joined with the mournful dirge of the solitary owl...'"

"The Necromancer consists of a series of interconnected stories, all centering on the enigmatic figure of Volkert the Necromancer. Filled with murder, ghosts, and dark magic, and featuring a delirious and dizzying plot that almost defies comprehension, The Necromancer is one of the strangest horror novels ever written.

"One of the earliest Gothic bestsellers, The Necromancer was first published in 1794, and after more than two centuries still retains the power to thrill and fascinate readers. This edition includes a new preface which reveals for the first time ever the true identity of The Necromancer's author, as well as an original critical essay by Jeffrey Cass, analysing the novel from a modern queer theory standpoint. The complete text of three contemporary reviews and helpful annotations are also included to further enhance this edition."

Amazon Link

Wiki Article Link

"Have Your Cake and Be It Too"

LINK

Robert McKee Interview: On Storytelling

Robert McKee is well known as a screenwriting guru, but his emphasis is on storytelling techniques that are applicable to all forms of writing including those used in the RPG industry.

"Robert McKee, born 1941, is a creative writing instructor who is widely known for his popular "Story Seminar", which he developed when he was a professor at the University of Southern California. McKee is the author of a "screenwriters' bible" called Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting. Many of Hollywood's active screenwriters claim him as an inspiration. Rather than simply handling "mechanical" aspects of fiction technique such as plot or dialogue taken individually, McKee examines the narrative structure of a work and what makes the story compelling or not. This could work equally as well as an analysis of any other genre or form of narrative, whether in screenplay or any other form, and could also encompass nonfiction works as long as they attempt to "tell a story"."

Source:  Wiki Article LINK.

The following interview is 61 minutes in length.

Clark Ashton Smith Part 1: Art & Cover Art Inspired By His Stories

THE EMPEROR OF DREAMS

"Clark Ashton Smith (13 January 1893 – 14 August 1961) was an American poet, sculptor, painter and author of fantasy, horror and science fiction short stories. It is for these stories, and his literary friendship with H. P. Lovecraft from 1922 until Lovecraft's death in 1937, that he is mostly remembered today. With Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard, also a friend and correspondent, Smith remains one of the most famous contributors to the pulp magazine Weird Tales."

Source:  Wiki Article LINK.

Further Reading, Links 1-4:

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Updated From Question in Discussion: