The Thirteenth Hour Podcast

Today's episode is a follow up on last week's episode on the geography of Logan and Aurora's island; today I wanted to share some of the resources I used that helped both inspire and inform how I wrote about the house they constructed for themselves.

While I had a number of ideas of how they might make their house (i.e. partially underground) from fiction (books like My Side of the Mountain, The Sign of the Beaver, The Hobbit, and On Walden Pond had provided inspiration), the first time I stumbled upon someone actually doing something like this was Dan Price, who wrote a little book appropriately called My Tiny House.  I think he'd written an article in a magazine I used to sometimes write for called The Backwoodsman describing how he created an 80 sq ft circular home underground.  Fascinated, I bought the hand drawn book, read it, and filed it away as evidence that a human actually could probably make something like I'd envisioned in my mind.  If you go to this page, you can find a link to a ~30 min documentary made about Dan Price and his tiny house.  As you can see in the film, he actually made numerous structures that all blend in his surroundings allowing him a bit more space and from the looks of it, a pretty good quality of life.

I next stumbled on a Sami structure called a goahti, which is kind of like a teepee found in parts of Scandanavia.  It has a wooden skeleton that is then covered with fabric or earth/grass.  I thought they were perfect examples of a real life Logan and Aurora house since I'd imagined at least part of their home (the roof especially) being covered in grass/plants so it blended in with their forested surroundings.

Probably around 12-13 years ago, I found a book on tiny houses in a bookstore called Tiny Homes: Simple Shelter.  I'd never heard of this architectural movement before but was delighted to find that it had a lot of the ideas that I described above.  Here are a few examples of structures that looked like the sorts of things two people could reasonably do with hand tools and a lot of persistence (and good weather):

https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2025/08/18/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-523-thirteenth-hour-sequel-writing-update-2-research-on-logan-and-auroras-house/

In the same book, there are some pictures of tree houses that are similar to the structures I imagined the half elves described last week might live in.

This next book, called Tree Houses, has more pictures of similar structures.

All in all, these resources have been very helpful in figuring out how I wanted to write about little day to day aspects of Logan and Aurora's living situation.  Though not the central portion of the story, it is a beloved place that they made with their own hands and thus occupies a special place in their hearts.  There would be no story if that were not threatened, so of course they have to leave this place that they have come to feel safe and comfortable in.  If it had been just any old home, the stakes would not be so high.  But because it it special to them, it's all the more difficult.  But that is part of the tale!

Thanks for listening!

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Once Upon a Dream, the second Thirteenth Hour soundtrack, is now out in digital form, on CD, and on tape!  

It is out on most major streaming services such as Bandcamp, Spotify, and YouTube Music.  (If you have no preference, I recommend Bandcamp since there is a bonus track there and you will eventually be able to find tapes and special editions of the album there as well.)  The CDs and tapes are out now! 

-Check out the pixelart music videos that are out so far from the album:

-->Logan's Sunrise Workout: www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7SM1RgsLiM

-->Forward: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9VgILr1TDc

-->Nightsky Stargazing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S0p3jKRTBo

-->Aurora's Rainy Day Mix: https://youtu.be/zwqPmypBysk

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Today's episode is on geography of the island that Logan and Aurora from The Thirteenth Hour make their eventual home on.  While they initially think it's uninhabited, it turns out to be the home of half elves who take refuge there.  Logan and Aurora eventually become ingrained in their community, learning their way of life, and because they are more mobile, take to trading and selling things on the mainland, things they and the half elves can't so easily make.

I made a top down map of the island which you can see below:

⁠https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2025/08/11/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-522-thirteenth-hour-sequel-writing-update-geography-of-logan-and-auroras-island/⁠Thanks for listening!

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Once Upon a Dream, the second Thirteenth Hour soundtrack, is now out in digital form and on CD!  

It is out on most major streaming services such as Bandcamp, Spotify, and YouTube Music.  (If you have no preference, I recommend Bandcamp since there is a bonus track there and you will eventually be able to find tapes and special editions of the album there as well.)  The CDs are out now!

-Check out the pixelart music videos that are out so far from the album:

-->Logan's Sunrise Workout: www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7SM1RgsLiM

-->Forward: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9VgILr1TDc

-->Nightsky Stargazing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S0p3jKRTBo

-->Aurora's Rainy Day Mix: https://youtu.be/zwqPmypBysk

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

•  Signup for the mailing list for a free special edition podcast, a demo copy of The Thirteenth Hour, and access to retro 80s soundtrack!
• Like what you see or hear? Consider supporting the show over at Thirteenth Hour Arts on Patreon or adding to my virtual tip jar over at Ko-fi.
• Join the Thirteenth Hour Arts Group over on Facebook, a growing community of creative people.
• Have this podcast conveniently delivered to you each week on Spotify,  iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM, Tunein, and Googleplay Music.
• Follow The Thirteenth Hour’s Instagram pages: @the13thhr for your random postings on ninjas, martial arts, archery, flips, breakdancing, fantasy art and and @the13thhr.ost for more 80s music, movies, and songs from The Thirteenth Hour books and soundtrack.
• Listen to Long Ago Not So Far Away, the Thirteenth Hour soundtrack online at: https://joshuablum.bandcamp.com/ or Spotify.  Join the mailing list for a digital free copy.  You can also get it on CD or tape.
• Website: https://13thhr.wordpress.com
• Book trailer: http://bit.ly/1VhJhXY
• Interested in reading and reviewing The Thirteenth Hour for a free book?  Just email me at [email protected] for more details!

In today's episode, I wanted to make a rendition of the James Horner Rocketeer theme in time for what would have been Dave Steven's 70th birthday (7/29).  At this the time of this podcast release, that is a few days in the past, so we are going back in time a bit.  

I can't imagine trying to improve upon the score as it is, so I decided I'd alter it a bit to fit the mood or state of mind I envisioned when I pictured this whole project - Cliff soaring towards the horizon on a cloudless, moonlight night, totally at peace with his surroundings (as odd as that might seem to an outsider).  I imagined that if one could erase the G-forces, the woosh of the wind, and the chill of the night air, things might feel almost slow, balletic, a real Peter Pan moment.  So that's why I made this version more meditative in nature and called it "...the closest I'll ever get to heaven, Mr. Hughes."

The fully mixed track plays in full at the end of the episode.  Besides the youtube video above, I have also put it up for streaming / download on my bandcamp page.  This track is meant to be free and is done as a homage to a great comic book artist and a great composer, both of which are sadly no longer with us. Any donations made there will be given in full to the Hairy Cell Leukemia Foundation (HCL is the type of cancer Dave Stevens died from and the HCL Foundation is where Dave Stevens' family sends their donations.)  More at www.hairycellleukemia.org and 13thhr.wordpress.com/charitable-giving/

Happy birthday in heaven, Dave.  Would you have guessed your creation is still flying high after all these years?  Thank you for what you gave us.

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Once Upon a Dream, the second Thirteenth Hour soundtrack, is now out in digital form and on CD!  

It is out on most major streaming services such as Bandcamp, Spotify, and YouTube Music.  (If you have no preference, I recommend Bandcamp since there is a bonus track there and you will eventually be able to find tapes and special editions of the album there as well.)  The CDs are out now!

-Check out the pixelart music videos that are out so far from the album:

-->Logan's Sunrise Workout: www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7SM1RgsLiM

-->Forward: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9VgILr1TDc

-->Nightsky Stargazing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S0p3jKRTBo

-->Aurora's Rainy Day Mix: https://youtu.be/zwqPmypBysk

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

•  Signup for the mailing list for a free special edition podcast, a demo copy of The Thirteenth Hour, and access to retro 80s soundtrack!
• Like what you see or hear? Consider supporting the show over at Thirteenth Hour Arts on Patreon or adding to my virtual tip jar over at Ko-fi.
• Join the Thirteenth Hour Arts Group over on Facebook, a growing community of creative people.
• Have this podcast conveniently delivered to you each week on Spotify,  iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM, Tunein, and Googleplay Music.
• Follow The Thirteenth Hour’s Instagram pages: @the13thhr for your random postings on ninjas, martial arts, archery, flips, breakdancing, fantasy art and and @the13thhr.ost for more 80s music, movies, and songs from The Thirteenth Hour books and soundtrack.
• Listen to Long Ago Not So Far Away, the Thirteenth Hour soundtrack online at: https://joshuablum.bandcamp.com/ or Spotify.  Join the mailing list for a digital free copy.  You can also get it on CD or tape.
• Website: https://13thhr.wordpress.com
• Book trailer: http://bit.ly/1VhJhXY
• Interested in reading and reviewing The Thirteenth Hour for a free book?  Just email me at [email protected] for more details.

In today's episode, I'm playing a song from the early 90s adventure game, King's Quest 6 - the instrumental version of "Girl in the Tower," which played at the end of the game if you had the CD-ROM version of the game, a feat that was pretty cool at the time.  Although the song, composed by Mark Siebert, fit in perfectly with the top 40 adult contemporary hits of the early 90s and the themes of later JRPGs like those found in the Final Fantasy games, for me, it always stood out since it had all the parts I loved in 80s ballads - a catchy, hummable melody, an electric guitar instrumental break, and a piano instrumental.  I've always loved the contrast between all those parts.  Plus, it was the only CD we had for quite awhile.  I'd be lying if I didn't admit that a fair amount of the sound that makes its way into The Thirteenth Hour soundtracks comes from songs like this.

Girl in the Tower (CD version)

Girl in the tower instrumental

Cassima's Theme

And that's why I wanted to dedicate today's episode and the rendition on piano that I attempted to Roberta Vaughn, who passed away recently, suddenly and way too young.  She was instrumental in forming the Classic Gamer's Guild in Facebook, a welcoming, positive group dedicated to celebrating classic games, especially adventure games of the 80s and 90s.  Truth be told, when I was playing with the idea of trying to figure this song out, I initially wasn't sure if I should.  What if she hated the game?  I wasn't sure and thought about asking folks who knew her better.  But I figured, given the kind of person I understood her to be, even if she wasn't the biggest fan of the game or the song, she'd appreciate the inherent 90s cheese of the lyrics and the nostalgia of it all and get a kick out of it.  At least I hope so.    May there be the hint books be infinite and the copy protection miniscule wherever you are, Roberta.  Thank you for all you did.  This one is for you.

Thanks for listening!

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Once Upon a Dream, the second Thirteenth Hour soundtrack, is now out in digital form and on CD!  

It is out on most major streaming services such as Bandcamp, Spotify, and YouTube Music.  (If you have no preference, I recommend Bandcamp since there is a bonus track there and you will eventually be able to find tapes and special editions of the album there as well.)  The CDs are out now!

-Check out the pixelart music videos that are out so far from the album:

-->Logan's Sunrise Workout: www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7SM1RgsLiM

-->Forward: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9VgILr1TDc

-->Nightsky Stargazing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S0p3jKRTBo

-->Aurora's Rainy Day Mix: https://youtu.be/zwqPmypBysk

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

•  Signup for the mailing list for a free special edition podcast, a demo copy of The Thirteenth Hour, and access to retro 80s soundtrack!
• Like what you see or hear? Consider supporting the show over at Thirteenth Hour Arts on Patreon or adding to my virtual tip jar over at Ko-fi.
• Join the Thirteenth Hour Arts Group over on Facebook, a growing community of creative people.
• Have this podcast conveniently delivered to you each week on Spotify,  iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM, Tunein, and Googleplay Music.
• Follow The Thirteenth Hour’s Instagram pages: @the13thhr for your random postings on ninjas, martial arts, archery, flips, breakdancing, fantasy art and and @the13thhr.ost for more 80s music, movies, and songs from The Thirteenth Hour books and soundtrack.
• Listen to Long Ago Not So Far Away, the Thirteenth Hour soundtrack online at: https://joshuablum.bandcamp.com/ or Spotify.  Join the mailing list for a digital free copy.  You can also get it on CD or tape.
• Website: https://13thhr.wordpress.com
• Book trailer: http://bit.ly/1VhJhXY
• Interested in reading and reviewing The Thirteenth Hour for a free book?  Just email me at [email protected] for more details!

Today's episode is an update on the work I've been doing on writing the sequel to The Thirteenth Hour.  In reality, I have been working on the sequel's story for decades in small ways and started actually writing it a number of years ago but then took a hiatus to work on other things.  In the past 3 weeks, I've made a point to get back to it, so far writing about 8K words in little bursts, often in between other things.  Not a ton but, it's been fun to revisit this world again!

There are a few DnD adventures my brother and I did added to the backstory:

-The Wayfarer's Escape - episodes 125, 126, and 127

-The Wayfarer's Dungeon Crawl - episodes 418 and 419

My brother put together a Youtube playlist with the other DnD adventures we recorded that also have some backstory that I have wanted to reference in things I have written since the publishing of The Thirteenth Hour.  Empty Hands had some, and the sequel will have more.

Thanks for listening!

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Once Upon a Dream, the second Thirteenth Hour soundtrack, is now out in digital form and on CD!  

It is out on most major streaming services such as Bandcamp, Spotify, and YouTube Music.  (If you have no preference, I recommend Bandcamp since there is a bonus track there and you will eventually be able to find tapes and special editions of the album there as well.)  The CDs are out now!

-Check out the pixelart music videos that are out so far from the album:

-->Logan's Sunrise Workout: www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7SM1RgsLiM

-->Forward: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9VgILr1TDc

-->Nightsky Stargazing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S0p3jKRTBo

-->Aurora's Rainy Day Mix: https://youtu.be/zwqPmypBysk

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

•  Signup for the mailing list for a free special edition podcast, a demo copy of The Thirteenth Hour, and access to retro 80s soundtrack!
• Like what you see or hear? Consider supporting the show over at Thirteenth Hour Arts on Patreon or adding to my virtual tip jar over at Ko-fi.
• Join the Thirteenth Hour Arts Group over on Facebook, a growing community of creative people.
• Have this podcast conveniently delivered to you each week on Spotify,  iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM, Tunein, and Googleplay Music.
• Follow The Thirteenth Hour’s Instagram pages: @the13thhr for your random postings on ninjas, martial arts, archery, flips, breakdancing, fantasy art and and @the13thhr.ost for more 80s music, movies, and songs from The Thirteenth Hour books and soundtrack.
• Listen to Long Ago Not So Far Away, the Thirteenth Hour soundtrack online at: https://joshuablum.bandcamp.com/ or Spotify.  Join the mailing list for a digital free copy.  You can also get it on CD or tape.
• Website: https://13thhr.wordpress.com
• Book trailer: http://bit.ly/1VhJhXY
• Interested in reading and reviewing The Thirteenth Hour for a free book?  Just email me at [email protected] for more details!

This week, on the show, my brother and I are watching Men at Work, from 1990, a funny, lighthearted, somewhat absurdist ensemble film.  You can watch film for free if you have access to Tubi.  

Check out Jeremy's work over at Pixel Grotto, CBR.com, and Classic Batman Panels on IG. If you are of the DnD persuasion, his articles on DnD Beyond may be right up your alley, and you can view his entire portfolio here.  You can also check out his latest book, where he is a co-author: Pathfinder Adventure Path: No Breath to Cry as well as the ecology and exploration TTRPG with Three Sail Studios, Mappa Mundi, which is now out.  Thanks, Jeremy, for coming on the show!  

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Once Upon a Dream, the second Thirteenth Hour soundtrack, is now out in digital form!  

It is out on most major streaming services such as Bandcamp, Spotify, and YouTube Music.  (If you have no preference, I recommend Bandcamp since there is a bonus track there and you will eventually be able to find tapes, CDs, and special editions of the album there as well.)

-Check out the pixelart music videos that are out so far from the album:

-->Logan's Sunrise Workout: www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7SM1RgsLiM

-->Forward: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9VgILr1TDc

-->Nightsky Stargazing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S0p3jKRTBo

-->Aurora's Rainy Day Mix: https://youtu.be/zwqPmypBysk

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

•  Signup for the mailing list for a free special edition podcast, a demo copy of The Thirteenth Hour, and access to retro 80s soundtrack!
• Like what you see or hear? Consider supporting the show over at Thirteenth Hour Arts on Patreon or adding to my virtual tip jar over at Ko-fi.
• Join the Thirteenth Hour Arts Group over on Facebook, a growing community of creative people.
• Have this podcast conveniently delivered to you each week on Spotify,  iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM, Tunein, and Googleplay Music.
• Follow The Thirteenth Hour’s Instagram pages: @the13thhr for your random postings on ninjas, martial arts, archery, flips, breakdancing, fantasy art and and @the13thhr.ost for more 80s music, movies, and songs from The Thirteenth Hour books and soundtrack.
• Listen to Long Ago Not So Far Away, the Thirteenth Hour soundtrack online at: https://joshuablum.bandcamp.com/ or Spotify.  Join the mailing list for a digital free copy.  You can also get it on CD or tape.
• Website: https://13thhr.wordpress.com
• Book trailer: http://bit.ly/1VhJhXY
• Interested in reading and reviewing The Thirteenth Hour for a free book?  Just email me at [email protected] for more details!

This week, I'm reading Chapter 23, the final chapter of the Peter David penned movie novelization of the 1991 Rocketeer film.  Ironically, this episode will come out right after the United States' birthday (7/4/1776), at a time when there is a lot of turmoil in the country.  It's not the first time, nor will it be the last, I suspect. 

I won't get into the wasteland of politics, but since this episode is on the Rocketeer, I thought it would be an interesting time to reflect on how the character fits some American ideals. Speaking of which - ideals ... the country was founded on the idea that all men are created equal and all deserve some basic rights. 

Was this true in 1776?  Let's be frank (it's an American ideal).  No.  Not even close. 

It might have been true if you were a free white man but was probably not anywhere close to being true if you were a woman, child, slave, indentured servant, or a race other Caucasian.  It took a long time for other groups to finally catch up.  US women finally achieved the right to vote in national elections in 1920 (19th amendment to the US Constitution).  Though slavery was officially abolished after the US Civil War in 1865, black men were were not granted the right to vote in federal elections until 1870 (the 15th amendment to the US Constitution), and it was not until the 1950s and 60s and beyond that segregation practices were ended (Jim Crow laws ended on a national level in 1964, but in many cases, still exist in other, less overt forms depending on the location).  It was not until 1967 that interracial marriage was allowed on a federal level (see the 1967 US Supreme Court case of Loving v. Virginia).  Although the United States was founded by immigrants, the Chinese exclusion act, passed in 1882, was the first significant law that restricted the flow of immigrants into the US, targeting Chinese laborers.  While there were amendments to the law in 1943, there were still quotas and other restrictions to abide by.  It was not until 2012 (!) that the Chinese exclusion act was official condemned by Congress.  Although Native Americans were the first people on this land, they were not granted access to US citizenship until 1924 (Indian Citizenship Act), and it was not until 1965 that they were granted the federal right to vote (Voting Rights Act of 1965), though US Native Americans still are often unable to vote for various reasons to this day.  Same sex marriage was not legally allowed on federal level until 2015 (see the US Supreme Court decision of Obergefell v. Hodges). These are just a few examples of inequality in the face of a federal Constitution claiming basic rights for all.  I write all this not to condemn all the ways in which we as a country fail to live up to our ideals but rather to show that as any society, especially one made up by immigrants from all over the world, is going to have its problems and will require a lot of work and constant maintenance to work in any somewhat functional way.  The US is basically a nearly 250 year old hotel with guests constantly coming and going, clogging the sinks and toilets, running down the hot water, making messes, and yelling in the hallway.  Even in low season times, there is still plenty of maintenance to do since things break.  Nothing lasts forever.   

How does all this relate to the Rocketeer?  Read more at https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2025/07/07/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-517-and-like-a-hood-ornament-81-reading-the-conclusion-of-the-rocketeer-movie-novelization-chapter-23/

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Once Upon a Dream, the second Thirteenth Hour soundtrack, is now out in digital form on services such as Bandcamp, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

-Check out the pixelart music videos that are out so far from the album:

-->Logan's Sunrise Workout: www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7SM1RgsLiM

-->Forward: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9VgILr1TDc

-->Nightsky Stargazing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S0p3jKRTBo

-->Aurora's Rainy Day Mix: https://youtu.be/zwqPmypBysk

This week, on the show, my brother and I are watching Manhunter, from 1986, a prequel of sorts to The Silence of the Lambs films.   Not having seen any of those films or read any of the books they were based on before, I went in with no expectations, but I will say, this is quite an entertaining, very stylish 80s movie.  The synth soundtrack alone is worth a listen if you can find it (see this link).  You can find the film online on various sites to view for free (for example, here).

Check out Jeremy's work over at Pixel Grotto, CBR.com, and Classic Batman Panels on IG. If you are of the DnD persuasion, his articles on DnD Beyond may be right up your alley, and you can view his entire portfolio here.  You can also check out his latest book, where he is a co-author: Pathfinder Adventure Path: No Breath to Cry as well as the ecology and exploration TTRPG with Three Sail Studios, Mappa Mundi, which is now out.  Thanks, Jeremy, for coming on the show!  

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Once Upon a Dream, the second Thirteenth Hour soundtrack, is now out in digital form!  

It is out on most major streaming services such as Bandcamp, Spotify, and YouTube Music.  (If you have no preference, I recommend Bandcamp since there is a bonus track there and you will eventually be able to find tapes, CDs, and special editions of the album there as well.)

-Check out the pixelart music videos that are out so far from the album:

-->Logan's Sunrise Workout: www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7SM1RgsLiM

-->Forward: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9VgILr1TDc

-->Nightsky Stargazing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S0p3jKRTBo

-->Aurora's Rainy Day Mix: https://youtu.be/zwqPmypBysk

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

•  Signup for the mailing list for a free special edition podcast, a demo copy of The Thirteenth Hour, and access to retro 80s soundtrack!
• Like what you see or hear? Consider supporting the show over at Thirteenth Hour Arts on Patreon or adding to my virtual tip jar over at Ko-fi.
• Join the Thirteenth Hour Arts Group over on Facebook, a growing community of creative people.
• Have this podcast conveniently delivered to you each week on Spotify,  iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM, Tunein, and Googleplay Music.
• Follow The Thirteenth Hour’s Instagram pages: @the13thhr for your random postings on ninjas, martial arts, archery, flips, breakdancing, fantasy art and and @the13thhr.ost for more 80s music, movies, and songs from The Thirteenth Hour books and soundtrack.
• Listen to Long Ago Not So Far Away, the Thirteenth Hour soundtrack online at: https://joshuablum.bandcamp.com/ or Spotify.  Join the mailing list for a digital free copy.  You can also get it on CD or tape.
• Website: https://13thhr.wordpress.com
• Book trailer: http://bit.ly/1VhJhXY
• Interested in reading and reviewing The Thirteenth Hour for a free book?  Just email me at [email protected] for more details!

This week, I'm reading Chapter 22 of the Peter David penned movie novelization of the 1991 Rocketeer film.  This part of the film picks up on top of the zeppelin, with a daring autogyro rescue by Peevy and Howard Hughes.   

A few other things:  

1.) Once Upon a Dream is out!  Listen on most major streaming platforms, though if you have no preference, I suggest Bandcamp, which has a bonus track.  This is the music project I've been working on the past seven years or so, trying to translate the world of The Thirteenth Hour into this second soundtrack to accompany the novel.  Since I made the album over the course of years, I wasn't sure how it would turn out as a whole initially, but in the many hours I spent mixing it, I found it actually does live up to its title. Ethereal, dreamlike, and meditative were words that early listeners used in describing the tracks, and though this wasn't quite my initial intention, I hope listening to this album provides a measure of peace for you.   

2.) Modern Dads of Martial Arts, published by Whistlekick, is now out as well.   This is a collection of thirteen essays written by martial artist dads.  I have an essay in it.  I loved reading the whole thing (read it in pre-production).  I honestly think aspects of martial arts can help make us better versions of ourselves, and in the case of us guys, better husbands, fathers, and human beings.   

3.) Much of this week has been occupied by wrapping up these Spacecamp figures, being made for a fundraiser for the US Space and Rocket Foundation to make it easier for kids to afford camp tuition.   

Thanks for listening!

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Once Upon a Dream, the second Thirteenth Hour soundtrack, is now out in digital form!  

It is out on most major streaming services such as Bandcamp, Spotify, and YouTube Music.  (If you have no preference, I recommend Bandcamp since there is a bonus track there and you will eventually be able to find tapes, CDs, and special editions of the album there as well.)

-Check out the pixelart music videos that are out so far from the album:

-->Logan's Sunrise Workout: www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7SM1RgsLiM

-->Forward: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9VgILr1TDc

-->Nightsky Stargazing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S0p3jKRTBo

-->Aurora's Rainy Day Mix: https://youtu.be/zwqPmypBysk

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

•  Signup for the mailing list for a free special edition podcast, a demo copy of The Thirteenth Hour, and access to retro 80s soundtrack!
• Like what you see or hear? Consider supporting the show over at Thirteenth Hour Arts on Patreon or adding to my virtual tip jar over at Ko-fi.
• Join the Thirteenth Hour Arts Group over on Facebook, a growing community of creative people.
• Have this podcast conveniently delivered to you each week on Spotify,  iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM, Tunein, and Googleplay Music.
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• Listen to Long Ago Not So Far Away, the Thirteenth Hour soundtrack online at: https://joshuablum.bandcamp.com/ or Spotify.  Join the mailing list for a digital free copy.  You can also get it on CD or tape.
• Website: https://13thhr.wordpress.com
• Book trailer: http://bit.ly/1VhJhXY
• Interested in reading and reviewing The Thirteenth Hour for a free book?  Just email me at [email protected] for more details!

This week, my brother and I are watching the 1991 animated movie, Wizardry, a Japanese rendition of the computer RPG series from a decade before.  Sometimes the term OVA (original video animation) is used for these often standalone films that were produced for direct VHS/laserdisc/VCD/DVD release.  Sometimes, I think there were earlier series that came prior, and the OVAs had higher budgets and could summarize an entire series in a 1-2 hour movie.  This was a fun conversation about these early animes, which I'd gotten only a bit of exposure to as a kid, playing early role playing games, and more.  Interestingly enough, the Wizardry franchise (originally created by Cornell University students Andrew C. Greenberg and Robert Woodhead) has lived on in Japan, where it is still popular.  Oddly enough, the Ultima series, which is still popular in the US, never became quite as big, though there are some teasers that suggest it could have been in a parallel universe.

This is a fun, compact film that follows the plot of the first game, from what I understand (having not played the game myself).  But if you have, when you watch the film (you can watch the whole movie for free on youtube here), you will see a number of odes to the original game (and the person who did the work annotating the video has footnotes explaining the references).  

You can find the coffee table books Jeremy referenced in the episode about games history, including the computer role playing game book at Bitmap Books.  A digital copy of The CRPG Book edited by Felipe Pepe is available here.

Lastly, if you happen to get this in time, until /16, you can take advantage of the Father's Day sale on my Bandcamp page:

25% off anything at joshuablum.bandcamp.com
Use the code whoisurdaddy&whatdoeshedo at checkout!

Check out Jeremy's work over at Pixel Grotto, CBR.com, and Classic Batman Panels on IG. If you are of the DnD persuasion, his articles on DnD Beyond may be right up your alley, and you can view his entire portfolio here.  You can also check out his latest book, where he is a co-author: Pathfinder Adventure Path: No Breath to Cry as well as the ecology and exploration TTRPG with Three Sail Studios, Mappa Mundi, which is now out.  Thanks, Jeremy, for coming on the show!  

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Once Upon a Dream, the second Thirteenth Hour soundtrack, is now out in digital form!  

It is out on most major streaming services such as Bandcamp, Spotify, and YouTube Music.  (If you have no preference, I recommend Bandcamp since there is a bonus track there and you will eventually be able to find tapes, CDs, and special editions of the album there as well.)

-Check out the pixelart music videos that are out so far from the album:

-->Logan's Sunrise Workout: www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7SM1RgsLiM

-->Forward: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9VgILr1TDc

-->Nightsky Stargazing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S0p3jKRTBo

-->Aurora's Rainy Day Mix: https://youtu.be/zwqPmypBysk

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•  Signup for the mailing list for a free special edition podcast, a demo copy of The Thirteenth Hour, and access to retro 80s soundtrack!
• Like what you see or hear? Consider supporting the show over at Thirteenth Hour Arts on Patreon or adding to my virtual tip jar over at Ko-fi.
• Join the Thirteenth Hour Arts Group over on Facebook, a growing community of creative people.
• Have this podcast conveniently delivered to you each week on Spotify,  iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM, Tunein, and Googleplay Music.

• Website: https://13thhr.wordpress.com
• Book trailer: http://bit.ly/1VhJhXY
• Interested in reading and reviewing The Thirteenth Hour for a free book?  Just email me at [email protected] for more details!