Monday, January 04, 2010

Damsels & Dragons - A Web Series

One of the blog's best friends is America Young. Last year she gave us the web series Groupidity which I still think is great and a second season is coming. This year she had the idea to do a web series based on Live Action role playing. Oh, and everyone look for America in one of the SuperBowl Budweiser commercials. I can't really explain LARP. I have seen the movie Role Models so that is my point of reference. I primarily think of it as a guy thing, but the writer of the series explains that women play it also. Here is what he had to say.

Yes Girls RP
By Eric Campbell writer of Damsels and Dragons.

Yes. Girls RP. It’s a long standing joke in every gaming group I have ever played in. A conversation might start like this:
“We have a new player showing up tonight.”
“Oh sweet, what’s he playing?”
“SHE’S playing a druid.”
“Uh, she?”

Sometimes it’s hard for us fellas to imagine that members of the opposite sex indulge in fantastic adventures like we males do. Another excellent example of disbelief would be when April Wade and America Young approached me to write a web series based on an all girl LARP group (my response sounded less like a verbal double take and more like “stop playing with my emotions”)! They wanted something different, something they hadn’t tried before, something empowering. At first I thought they might just be humoring me.

So much time cloistered away in the ranks of the proud “Nerd” elite, it’s easy to forget that “play” doesn’t differentiate between sexes or species. We’re born with it: an excitement for life, for being alive. The kids out side playing hide and go seek are no different than the cat viciously attacking a deadly roll of toilet paper. Still, was this request for a project for real?

Lo, it was true and thus Damsels and Dragons was born. And being an avid gamer since I was a young kid I had no problems throwing myself into the script. I got to be Joss Whedon “for a day”, writing nerdy stuff for pretty girls (FTW)! And what started out as an experimental concept thingy, has now become a full blown web series project that has a humble yet very supportive fan base that is demanding more. And more they shall get.
So check it out. Come play.

25 comments:

Genesis said...

whats goin on with all these articles from other ppl =/

Linnea said...

i actually like larp... *blushing*

Middle-aged Diva (Carol) said...

I have no idea what this story is talking about and why I should care....

I'm fearing a change in direction for this blog in 2010, which, if true, would be a shame.

I can understand the desire to capture this entertainment-savvy readership for commercial purposes (profit), but Enty, you don't want to kill the goose that laid your golden egg, do you?

Enty built an audience on gossip. When a successful company deviates from what its audience wants, it either has to build a new audience or lose audience.

A worried reader (from day 1).

WBotW said...

I used to be a LARPer; Vampire the MAsquerade to be precise. There were always very few of us girls, but those of us who made it out were treated like royalty, lol.

sunnyside1213 said...

I think Enty just likes to reward his friends.

Anonymous said...

i must be having an off-day (no big surprise here as my mind has about 3 ON days per month) but when reading this post i felt like i was joining a conversation 20 minutes late.

jax said...

did i just get RickRolled by a Fanboy?

Genesis said...

So it's not just me then who's wondering what the hells goin on? kk, good to know.

Mango said...

I just can't get into role playing and druids and vampires and stuff like that. Just about any kind of that fantasy stuff leaves me cold. And sleepy. Flame me if you will, but I openly admit that the Anne Rice books & movie; The Twilight franchise; the LOTD ring trilogy and yes, even the second Star Wars trilogy left me glassy-eyed and bored (although if you want a giggle, check out this 70-minute review of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.

http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/12/17/watch-this-70-minute-video-review-of-star-wars-the-phantom-menace/

It's far more interesting than the movie and very, very funny!

chihuahuense said...

Yeah, people who are into fantasy, well, they creep me out.

We have neighbors that had a yard sale and it was all fantasy clothing and whatnot. I blinked and felt confused and then hightailed it.

Also, I was in a hotel once where Star Trek or Star Wars or whatever people were having a convention. I was hungover as all get out and I pressed the elevator button and there was a lady all in blue with antennae. I mean all blue, face, arms everything. Do not get it. Oh, and my friends were going to get one of those guys with the scary foreheads to wake me up. Scary! My rationale is that I don't care if you are dressing up like a cuddly koala bear--if you actually believe you are one, then that is scary.

Lian said...

I thought it was hilarious, but then, I play World of Warcraft (and whenever I mention "my husband" or someone points out that I'm a girl, I get a lot of "OMG, a girl is here?" - and I usually reply with that I'm a girl or a gay guy, their call), and I love all the fantasy stuff (LotR, Star Wars). Their costumes are GORGEOUS!

mooshki said...

I would like to take this opportunity to say that we women kicked the men's asses in the "Guys vs. Girls Hydra Kill Contest" last month in Castle Age. SUCK IT, XYs!!!

Enty, don't you dare stop posting America's videos. Some of us LOVE them, and the rest of you need to learn to use your scroll bar! (Sorry if I offended anyone, but I feel very strongly about this one. :) )

America, I think I like this even better than Groupidity. Nerds Unite!!!

Lian said...

Yeah, I promptly watched all of the webisodes, linked to it on my facebook, sent it to all my D&D friends, and then made my husband watch it with me as soon as he got home. *LOVE*

amh.producer said...

I concur about the scroll button. I'll be the first to admit that I just passed this one by, but still read the comments, what's up with that?!? :-) Regardless, I choose to come here and, for the most part, like most of it. What I have no interest in, I just move past.

Pookie said...

enty, listen to your readers before your pr peeps give you a titanic royal smackdown.

that said, i love america young! i don't know jack crap about gaming or anything related to that world, so i don't know that i could get into the series, but i thoroughly enjoyed 'groupidity'. she's super-talented and i know there are great things to come. go her!

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AY said...

I love Enty. I love this site. I love the comments and I love the snark. But most of all I love Mooshki, Lian, WbotW and Linnea! The more I learn about larping the more I learn how brave you have to be to be a woman larper! My hats off to you guys.

And Pookie more Groupidity to come!

I am so glad you liked the show. I am such a fan of you guys.

And just just leave the gossip fends with a little something, I worked with both Britney and Chris (scream mv) within this last year and it doesn't surprise me that they'd be friends. Both are really cool genuine people. I know it's not really juicy gossip but considering what Enty just posted I thought you'd like to know.

Also for you sci-fi (or I gues SyFy now) geeks, David Blue from Stargate Universe (also Moonlight) is a DREAM! Totally geek crush worthy.

mooshki said...

I was lucky to grow up in Minneapolis and the Open School system. There were so many nerds, we were one of the largest social groups. Graphic novels, D&D, SCA, the Rennaisance Faire, all were cool things to do. It was still male-dominated, but there were plenty of girls involved. I have lots of friends now who were complete social outcasts growing up in smaller towns, so I know how lucky I was.

Don't even get me started on 'SyFy.' (a.k.a. The Syphilis Channel.) :)

Thanks again, America, you are awesome!

mooshki said...

p.s. It always confuses me why the FreeCreditReport.com commercials seem to be implying that traveling with a Rennaisance Faire is a bad thing.

Genesis said...

I'm a who-vian so I get my fair share of wtf weirdo looks and comments, I apologize if I offended anyone. I love all youse guys, really. =)

The appearance of this article just caught me off guard

Linnea said...

aw Ay (that sounded weird) thanks! How sweet of you to say!


When I was seventeen i went with my then-boyfriend to a mediaval-week on an island in Sweden, and we spent the whole week drinking mead and having a a great time.

Except for our friend Samuel who made the mistake of picking up his cell phone in the bar and was carried out and put in the pillary. No kidding, he really was.

Jerry said...

America Young and April Wade look enough alike to be sisters.

Altho I've only just seen episode one, I found it encouraging that there was a credit for a stunt coordinator. Hot girls doing action scenes with dangerous weapons? I'm SO there.

For youse guys who want to see the whole thing, here's their website.

Mango said...

@ LARP fans - I really don't understand it (but would defend to the death your right to play to the death - I'm all about freedom of choice)

Anyhoo, I'm not sure if Star Wars comes into it, but if you want to see another funny vid:

http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/video/nerds

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