#dave cook

[notonlymice]

Robert Carlyle as DCS Dave Cook in The Hack (2025) [ep. 4]

[avengersnewb]

omg, a new, sad, baby girl, wet cat, blorbo 🥹🥹🥹

[theartofthecover]

Killtopia #2 (variant cover) (2020)

Art by: Frank Quitely

[oldschoolfrp]

In the beginning there was Dungeons and Dragons™ -- Original Dungeons and Dragons, later called the Collector's Edition. Then there were Greyhawk and Blackmoor and Eldritch Wizardry, which were essentially Expanded Original D&D. Then came Advanced D&D (which was advanced Original D&D), and Basic D&D (which was basic Original D&D). And ultimately, we have Expert D&D, which is expert Basic D&D, not expert Original D&D, or expert Advanced D&D; and Expert Basic D&D brings it all to the same approximate scope as Original D&D. One gets the impression that the TSR crew spends its off-hours designing mazes for rats to become lost in.

Aaron Allston summarizes the history of D&D editions through the first 8 years, from the opening paragraph of his review of Cook & Marsh's Expert D&D rules in The Space Gamer 38, April 1981. His review is generally positive, noting that it is much better edited while fixing some but not all problems with the original game:

I wish I had had the Basic D&D series when I began gaming. The rules sets are legible, indexed, punched for 3-hole notebooks, reorganizable, and, best of all, understandable. One actually can learn the game from the rules, something not possible with Original D&D. That is, however, perhaps the most annoying part about this set of rules. With sufficient playtesting, it could have been released seven or eight years ago, instead of the original set. This series is the product of hindsight.

The complete 1981 B/X D&D (Moldvay's Basic and Cook & Marsh's Expert) remains one of the best-loved early versions of D&D, directly inspiring many of the OSR clones like Labyrinth Lord and Old School Essentials.

[bigmonsterdsc]

Elvira shirt I did for Kreepsville666

[erivos]

two times Nick's figeting oozed irritation

[maxsindiecomics]

[PREVIEW] Hello Darkness #1 (July 24, 2024)

writer(s): Garth Ennis, James Tynion IV, Brian Azzarello, Jude Ellison S. Doyle, Steve Orlando, Sarah Andersen, Dave Cook, Robert Hack, R.L. Stine, John Arcudi, Cullen Bunn, Sarah Gailey, Marguerite Bennett, Michael Conrad, Andy Lanning and Genevieve Valentine | artist(s) [penciller & inker]: Becky Cloonan, Werther Dell'Edera, Vanesa R. Del Rey, Letizia Cadonici, A.L. Kaplan, Sarah Andersen, David Cousens, Robert Hack, Francesco Francavilla, Ryan Sook, Sas Milledge, Liana Kangas, Martín Morazzo and Trevor Hairsine | colorist(s): Tamra Bonvillain, Miquel Muerto, Alessandro Santoro, Marissa Louise, Sarah Andersen, Angel De Santiago, Robert Hack and Francesco Francavilla | letterer(s): Pat Brosseau, AndWorld Design, Jodie Troutman, Sarah Andersen and Nathan Kempf | cover artist: Paolo Rivera | publishing company: BOOM! Studios

synopsis: Horror fans rejoice in cadaverous delight, because Hello Darkness is a brand new monthly anthology series featuring what BOOM! Studios is known for - the best in modern Horror, Fantasy, and Mystery, not to mention the darkest stories yet from an all-star cast of creators!

With a spine-tingling lineup of industry legends including Garth Ennis, Becky Cloonan, James Tynion IV, Werther Dell'Edera, Brian Azzarello, Vanesa R. Del Rey, John Arcudi, Ryan Sook, and more, everything from primal fears to modern political horrors will be awakened, in the classic style of Creepy and Eerie and the contemporary chills of Black Mirror.

In addition, a deadly new Something is Killing the Children story unfolds in the first 6 issues, along with a bone-rattling new serialized tale by Garth Ennis and Becky Cloonan for the first 7!

[fght-ff-yr-dmns]

Currently Reading

Go Straight: The Ultimate Guide to Side-Scrolling Beat-’Em-Ups By Dave Cook Printed by Bitmap Books

When I pre-ordered this, I didn’t realise just how big a ‘coffee table’ book would be (see Golden Axe II for scale), this is an absolute mammoth of a title.

This is definitely one for all those retro games enthusiasts, who like me, have a love for the side-scrollers of old like Streets of Rage & Double Dragon.

It was a little costly at £37 (not including P&P) but so far it’s exceeded all my expectations. Not only was it expertly packaged but the content itself is so incredibly detailed, leaving no stone of the genre unturned. Packed with beautiful full colour screenshots and pull outs throughout, it’s a review of every title the genre has to offer, both old and new. 

I’ve also discovered a tonne of games that I'd never even heard of before, one’s that I can’t wait to try out with my brother on his raspberry pi arcade cabinet.

I’m really taking my time with this book, I'm currently only about quarter of a way through it. Yet, for any retro game enthusiasts, I couldn’t recommend it more.