The upcoming release of the new Robin Hood-themed tabletop roleplaying game, The Hooded Man, provides me the opportunity to indulge in some discussion about ttrpgs, a topic that I've been closely connected to for many years.
Graham Rose, writer of The Hooded Man, joins me to discuss his game, his sources of inspiration, what he wanted to convey about what it would be like to simulate about being a medieval outlaw, and we go through the process of making a character for the game. A process that was both faster and more evocative than most other ttrpgs.

After the interview with Graham Rose, I'm also joined by Ben Curley and Theo Papke to get their thoughts on the Hood: Swashbuckling Adventures in Sherwood campaign that I've been running for them.

For more on The Hooded Man
https://www.ospreypublishing.com/uk/hooded-man-9781472870223/

For Hood: Swashbuckling Adventures in Sherwood
http://www.fearlightgames.com/hood.html

For Sherwood: A Game of Outlaws & Arcana
https://r-rook.itch.io/sherwood

For the games from Wicked-Clever
https://www.wicked-clever.com/

For more on the Rollmaster Robin Hood book
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Hood_the_Role_Playing_Campaign

For the interview from Allen W Wright about the GURPS supplement
https://www.boldoutlaw.com/robspot/gurps-robin-hood.html

For Katherine Kerr's AD&D 1st edition stats for Robin Hood from Dragon Magazine
http://pied.nu/dragon/files/Drmg055.pdf

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Into the Greenwood is produced by Thaddeus Papke
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We're encroaching upon the 1990s with 'Maid Marian and her Merry Men'. This comedic take, created by Tony Robinson and starring Kate Lonergan, is much beloved by those who grew up with the show. Paul Cornish joins us to see if it lives up to his childhood recollections!
This also marks the first screen adaptation in which Marian gets the spotlight!

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Katie and Rob, who embody Maid Marian and Robin Hood with the medieval performance troop known, appropriately enough, as the Sherwood Outlaws, join me in the Greenwood for an energetic discussion about how they embody those legendary characters as they performance with the other Sherwood Outlaws across the UK and abroad.
Stick around until the end for a quick bonus segment from Rob James of the RSPB as we discuss what's happening at the 2025 Robin Hood Festival in Sherwood Forest!

For more on The Sherwood Outlaws:
https://www.thesherwoodoutlaws.com/
https://www.facebook.com/thesherwoodoutlaws

For more on the Robin Hood Festival:
https://visitsherwood.co.uk/home/robin-hood-festival-2025/
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1727735/episodes/15587100

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Into the Greenwood is produced by Thaddeus Papke
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This marks our third and final episode looking at the landmark series from the 1980s. For this episode our discussion was especially focused on the Herne's Son two-parter that introduced Jason Connery into the show and also Adam Bell, the ninth episode of the third series and one that has special personal significance for our guest Jenny Kane (aka Jennifer Ash). 
As a writer for the officially licensed Tales Untold and other stories set in the world of Robin of Sherwood, Jenny has a profound connection with the show and we were thrilled to have her join us in the Greenwood as we wrap up our coverage of this especially impactful adaptation of the legendary outlaw.

Spoiler Warning: Since this is our third episode looking at Robin of Sherwood, we jump right into the discussion, which will include spoilers for the episodes Herne's Son, parts 1 and 2, and Adam Bell.

For more from Jenny Kane: https://jennykane.co.uk/

For Tales Untold and other Robin of Sherwood audio dramas: https://aukstudios.uk/project/robin-of-sherwood-tales-untold/

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Into the Greenwood is produced by Thaddeus Papke
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In the center of Nottingham juts a massive promontory rust-colored stone. In the middle ages this was the site of Nottingham Castle and is thusly known to this day as "The Castle Rock". But it wasn't just the castle that was constructed upon a bedrock of sandstone. This soft stone can be found throughout the area and it's relatively soft composition provides for easy tunneling. For this reason Nottingham has received the moniker Tigguo Cobauc, "The Place of Caves".
To discuss the hundreds of caves that have been found beneath Nottingham, I'm joined by writer and historian Dave Mooney.

For some of Dave's other books about the historical sites around Nottingham: https://www.amberley-books.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=+mooney

For more on the City of Caves attraction: https://www.nationaljusticemuseum.org.uk/cityofcaves

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Into the Greenwood is produced by Thaddeus Papke
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*SPOILER WARNING*
Since this is our second episode looking at Robin of Sherwood, we jump right into spoiler territory as we review the sixth episode of the series, 'The King's Fool'.
Joining us for the discussion is 'Forest Lord' author Steven A. McKay.
Following our review of the episode, Rick and I undertake what might well be the most controversial Robin Hood ranking we've ever undertaken!

For more from Steven, including links to his novels and his podcast Rock, Paper, Swords, go to https://stevenamckay.com/

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Our selected charity: Trees, Water & People

Into the Greenwood is produced by Thaddeus Papke
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In episode 55, author Amy S Kaufman joins me in the Greenwood to discuss her work studying medievalisms, especially how they can be used for nefarious ends, and a brand new medievalism of her own making, the brand new novel 'The Traitor of Sherwood Forest' which will be available from Penguin Books on April 29th 2025.

For more from Amy S Kaufman and her new novel go to: www.amyskaufman.com

To learn more about how medievalisms are often used as tools of propaganda and oppression, check out her earlier works including:

The Devil's Historians: How Modern Extremists Abuse the Medieval Past

Muscular Medievalism

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Dr. Lucy Barnhouse from Arkansas State University joins me in the Greenwood for a fascinating and joyful discussion about using disability studies to examine the middle ages and how it relates to Robin Hood adaptations.

Further readings:
Disability and Medieval (In)Justice in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) and Robin of Sherwood (1984)

Good People, Poor Sick: The social identities of lepers in the late medieval Rhineland

Azeem and the Witch: Race, Disability, and Medievalisms in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves 

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Our selected charity: Trees, Water & People

Into the Greenwood is produced by Thaddeus Papke
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It's a Papke Family roundtable with Richard Hopkins-Lutz (Rick), Maryanne Papke (Momo), Name Redacted Papke (Theo), Roger Papke (Marcus), and Jeff Massie (Uncle Max) as we discuss George Segal's questionable turn as the hero(?) of Sherwood Forest.
Is this a long lost masterpiece of cinema? No. Not really.
Did we enjoy it anyway? We sure did.
Does it weirdly feel like the first draft to 'Robin Hood: Men in Tights'? Listen and find out!

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Into the Greenwood is produced by Thaddeus Papke
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To this day the false notion exists that men can’t be considered manly and heroic and tough if they’re homosexual. This has led to great deal of spilled ink and consternation when evidence has indicated that one of England’s great warrior kings, Richard the Lionheart, may well have enjoyed the company of other men. Was King Richard the first what we might now identify as queer? And perhaps more importantly, why is this something that people of the past or of today might care about.
In this episode historian Hilary Rhodes helps me contextualize the issues surrounding Richard’s sexuality during his lifetime and beyond.

Rhodes, H. M., (2023) “Richard the Lionheart, Contested Queerness, and Crusading Memory”, Open Library of Humanities 9(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.16995/olh.9349

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Our selected charity: Trees, Water & People

Into the Greenwood is produced by Thaddeus Papke
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