Kickstarter - Girls' Heist Out

I've been a part of several Kickstarters over the past few years. It is a roller coaster ride to be part of one as a stretch goal or as a team member. But, ultimately, if things don't work out, it's okay because you weren't the maniac who thought it was a good idea to ask the internet for money. Now it's my turn to be the maniac. Girls' Heist Out is a comic project featuring my words and Manuela Soriani's art. It's a crime caper comic inspired by a lot of the research and work I did for this game. Girls' Heist Out features witty banter, exotic locales and four kickass leads looking to get their revenge the best way they know how - by stealing it.

I've gotten great feedback on my script and Manuela's art. I've got coverage lined up from other websites. I have some awesome stretch goal artists lined up. But this is completely out of my comfort zone. I've built my career as a writer carefully picking out handholds and footholds as I climb. Girls' Heist Out is me taking a running jump to land on an entirely different mountain.

If you enjoy reading this blog, please check out Girls' Heist Out, You already know how much I enjoy telling stories. I hope you will help me take the first step into telling them in a different medium.

Mark - Minerva

"What price can you put on enlightenment of a weary soul?"

Cult Following -d4- Minerva can count on her followers to buy her albums and DVDs. But lately she can't get much traction outside her devoted fans.  Her artistic nature struggles with the thought of Harmonious Humanity as the most devious gilded cage ever.

Dominant Diva -d12- Minerva rose to fame thirty years ago as a huge force in entertainment. Her pop music career fed into her acting career which fed into her fashion career and so on. Her artistic endeavors camouflage a ruthless businesswoman who knows how to pry every last cent from her adoring public.

Harmonious Humanity Hears Everything -d12- Minerva turned Harmonious Humanity from a collection of upper middle class hippies going through their mid-life crisis collectively into a billion dollar organization. Harmonious Humanity encourages its members to clean their chakras by revealing secrets to higher ranking members. The organization carefully documents these confessions for blackmail and use against external enemies.

Roman Appetites -d4- One of the allures of Harmonious Humanity is its open policy on relationships. Minerva is notorious for taking advantage of anyone she finds desirable. Those who express jealousy or who rebuff her advances often find themselves kicked out of the sect...after their bank account has been drained.

Wigged Out -d8- It seems like she never wears the same hairstyle or hair color twice.

Mark - Governor Julian Newton

"America is progress. Why should I cry about the bumps in the road that get paved over?"

Ambition -d4- Newton moved quickly up the political chain. He is expected to announce a bid for the presidency after his term is complete. Every move he makes in public is calculated to put him one step closer to Washington.

Barbarians at the Gate -d4- Newton is well protected by his political contacts. But he's made plenty of enemies in his climb in every newspaper and amongst the power players in DC. He's safe in the nest he's built for himself through a combination of obligation and fear. The forces outside his control, however, would love to see him fall.

Dot Governor -d12- Newton embraced technology in his home state. While government turns slowly, he's quickly adapted to new technologies ranging from free wireless in every city park to an app that displays how much time left on the parking meter. This mastery of tech also gives him plenty of ways to monitor enemies, hack political rival's emails and blackmail anyone who messes with him.

Patron of the Arts -d8- The Governor always has his press conferences at a gallery or museum. His personal collection is also extensive.
  
You Scratch My Back, I'll Stab Yours -d12- Newton comes from an old money family. Money means connections, and old money means many connections. He's got old friends in every office and stacks of favors ready to get him out of any scandal. Anyone that crosses him  finds themselves under extreme pressure to leave the state.

Shameless Blog Promotion - Legacy of Marvels

I have a new game starting up using MWP's Marvel Heroic Roleplaying. The world is one where the events of the Marvel Universe happen in real time. So Spider-Man is retirement age, Jubilee is in her early 30's, and so on.

The address is:
legacyofmarvels.blogspot.com

Hope to see you there!

Interview - John Rogers

For fans of the show, John Rogers needs no introduction. In addition to creating LEVERAGE, he has written for DC Comics and Dungeons & Dragons. John is also an avid gamer and exposed our blog to fans of the show on his Twitter feed.

He graciously agreed to answer a few questions for the blog.

1.8 The Kickoff Job

The catwalk above the shark tank collapses
Mac disarms the bomb with an ice sculpture
Nash slides across the roof of the building into the stolen bus and blows a kiss
Maddie slow motion walking into the Paris club
Mac in a bikini on a beach
Nash drops the Sisi Star from his hand on the roof of the Sydney Opera House
Maddie drops the sandbag onto Dawn Montana
Mac hands out a ton of of fake Sisi Stars
Luke kissing Danya
Danya directing Nash with her hands on proper tough guy etiquette
Nash and Ninotchka going through the bus window
Mac hands off the dossier out of nowhere to Raphael
Maddie shoves Cormac in the portable fridge
Nash and Maddie zip up the elevator shaft
Danya and Luke face off in the hotel room
Maddie crawling through the air-ducts
Danya and Luke teaming up on some suckers
Luke picks up the Scotch as it arrives in the VIP room
Nash getting hit on by Katherine Hanratty while wearing a priest outfit
Maddie gets Raphael's necklace
Luke brutally taking out his competition
Mac clones the cell phone on the tray
Luke having a drink with Julia
Danya dances a jig with the archbishop
Nash handcuffed to the bed
Maddie holding a gun in a swimsuit
Luke punching out the DJ
Nash surrounded by K-Rome's crew
Mac offering a cutting sideways glance
Danya leaning against the doorway before dealing with K-Rome's crew
Maddie admiring K-Rome's obnoxiously overblinged Desert Eagle
Luke on stage with Loretta
Nash ziplines into the thugs
Maddie giving her leadership speech
The door shuts on Danya and Sterling
Luke takes out the SWAT guy
Nash making his exit with the girls
Maddie's Quick Change
Danya drops Poston
Mac and Nash kiss to dodge the guards
Langley badass walk

Mark - Laura Poston

"Who am I? I'll tell you if you tell me why you were in the vault of the Venice Antiquities Ministry last year."

Body of Work -d8- Laura has hidden in plain sight when it comes to searching for her background on the Internet. She either had or created a career as a fitness model. A search for her name turns up several swimsuit, lingerie and tasteful-yet-nude photos from about ten years ago.

Double Agent -d4- Nobody's really sure where her loyalty lies. Is she a government operative trying to bring down the competition from the inside? Is she the reason no heat comes down on the contestants? There are plenty of powerful people who would be quite happy to know her operations are not what they seem.

Highest Bidder -d4- Laura plays the game for one person - herself. If she can get away with a triple cross to come out on top, she'll do it. Even if she gets cornered she'll do whatever it takes to make sure she lives to run away again another day. She feels there is always a place for people of dubious loyalty like her.

The Green Initiative -d12- When a crew proves to be too dangerous to be let go but too useful to be eliminated, Laura is sent to recruit them into a program called "The Green Initiative". All is forgiven - if you steal for the government. Some of the best criminals in existence trading in a new life for their unique skill sets. This also means she has their expertise to draw upon when you try to run a con on her.

No Such Agency -d12- Is she CIA? FBI? NSA? GSA? Some agency so top secret they haven't even invented the letters for it yet? Nobody knows. She has powerful friends inside the US government that are willing to clean her operational history with a toothbrush. She has access to records and resources people can't even imagine and carries herself with the demeanor of someone who knows that they can have you on a flight to an undisclosed location before you finish ordering your coffee.