For the longest time, Dorie Miller represented the lone figure when it came to African Americans in WWII history. Miller became a household name because of his heroic deeds at Pearl Harbor. I happened to watch the 1970 seminal film Tora,Tora,Tora with my father several months ago. With the exception of a non-speaking Miller grabbing a machine gun and spraying the Japanese, this was the extent of depictions of African American soldiers with a weapon. "There goes Dorie Miller," My father announced. If I blinked, I would of missed him. Montford Point Marines participated in amphibious landings throughout the Pacific. While my father was in the Marshall Islands, a battle that was significant to the Montford Point Marines History was The Battle of Peleliu. D-Day on Peleliu Montford Point Marines participating in the landing of 1st Marine Division. Source: npa.gov From Right to Fight: When the 1st Marine Division, on 15 September 1944, attacked the heavily defended island of Peleliu in the Palau group, the 16th Field Depot supported the assault troops. The field depot included two African-American units, the 11th Marine Depot Company and the 7th Marine Ammunition Company. The 11th Marine Depot Company responded beyond the call of duty and paid the price, 17 wounded, the highest casualty rate of any company of African-American Marines during the entire war. Major General William H. Rupertus, who commanded the 1st Marine Division, sent identical letters of commendation to the commanders of both companies, praising the black Marines for their "whole hearted cooperation and untiring efforts" which "demonstrated in every respect" that they "appreciate the privilege of wearing a Marine uniform and serving with Marines in combat."- The Right to Fight Montford Point Marine Lee Douglas, Jr vividly recounted his time there: "The Third day, we went ashore. We went ashore in the barges to beachhead. Because you must go in. You got to go in the barges and go in with your rifles and everything. The ammunition stuff doesn't take place until after you take the islands and settle. But you got go in to do that. Once you go into the Marines Corps, regardless of the assignment, you must learn the rifle, the pistol, the range, your combat, you have to learn all of that.You may be a mechanic, you may be a cook, but the rifle comes first. You must learn that part of combat. So whenever you get overseas, your second job, that's all becomes second, first becomes the rifle. The invasion is first. My company, when we went in, we went in with our rifles blazing. There is no second hand nothing. We had looked forward to taking the airfield in a day or two. And there was no such thing as that you know they were dug in. The enemy was dug in so strong until everybody was held up at the beach." -Men of Montford Point Marines Medical Attendants at Rest, Peleliu, October, 1944 Source: Gutenberg.org Another Montford Pointer Laurence Diggs* climbed caves to eliminate the Japanese defenders. Flamethrowers were used and contained the deadly chemical napalm. Oxygen was then removed from the fortified cave, rendering occupants unable to breathe and dead. Also, the intense, searing heat of napalm sticking to the skin caused its targets unthinkable pain and death. Coincidentally, "Thousand Yard Stare" was featured in Tom Lea's painting of Peleliu. Lea's subject was described poignantly: “He left the States 31 months ago. He was wounded in his first campaign. He has had tropical diseases. He half-sleeps at night and gouges Japs out of holes all day. Two-thirds of his company has been killed or wounded. He will return to attack this morning. How much can a human being endure?” Tom Lea "Thousand Yard Stare" Painting Tom Lea.com From that point on, the term "Thousand Yard Stare" was used to refer to the gaze of someone that had battle fatigue. It is clearly a symptom of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. Tom Lea was a war correspondent and witnessed first hand the carnage. The appearance in the soldiers' eyes prompted Lea to create this work after an assignment in Peleliu. Battle of Peleliu Key Points- One of the most fiercely fought battles of the Pacific War Began on September 15,1944 and originally thought to last only three days, ended in November 5,000 Marines wounded, 1,749 Marines Killed Montford Marines participated in the invasion as members of the 11 Marines Depot Company and 7th Marine Ammunition Company They supported the 1st Marine Division Part of the Palau Islands. Peleliu was important because it was needed to recapture to the Philippines The island had over 500 caves which served as forts for the well- dug Japanese. Some 11,000 Japanese were killed, only 200 survived. The Japanese were taught to die before surrendering. Included the Army 81st Infantry Division (additional facts from about.com) Story after story emphasized the Montford Point Marines gallant actions. They finally earned the "right to fight" during the fiery battle of Peleliu. In fact, this battle would always be listed in the opening lines of Montford Point Marine history. They entered the brotherhood of United States Marine Corps with their amphibious landing in September, 1944. The phrase "Thousand yard stare" was introduced by artist Tom Lea. He painted a war weary Marine who endured unspeakable hell in this lesser known, but important Pacific World War II battle. "Thousand yard stare" marked a crucial intersection of military, art, and psychology and called attention to the effects of war on its combatants. For a Video of the Battle of Peleliu click here. Sources: Battle of Peleliu- History.com Men of Montford Point, Melton McLauren* Right to Fight See Also: Capture of Peleliu Commandposts.com for Marine Dan Bankhead story of the Montford Points in The Battle of Peleliu. Bankhead was a former pitcher for the Marines Baseball Team. His team played against Montford Point Marines.

I must admit that I have only just obtained an appreciation for illustrations and artwork. In my younger years, I was too much of a 'power gamer' too focused on numbers and probabilities to fully appreciate the flavour and artwork. In some combats, I did not even care about the name of the beast I was fighting, I just wanted to see its stats. Art was always there, and I always acknowledged it; I just didn't really care for it. However, as I have started to include public domain artwork in my gamebooks and I have started reading about the creative process that artists go through, I have started to discover that the role of the illustrator is crucial to the atmosphere in a gamebook. Someone who has known this for far longer than I is Russ Nicholson excellent illustrator of many gamebooks and RPGs including (but not limited to) The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, the Fabled Lands series, the Robin of Sherwood gamebooks and the Kingdom of Wyrd (Bloodsword). Biographies of Russ can be found here and here. You can visit his blog here. Today, it is my privilege to introduce an interview with Russ Nicholson. What was the first gamebook you read? That would be 'The Warlock of Firetop Mountain', but I only read it after it was published as I was not given the full manuscript when I created the illustrations. What is your favourite gamebook? Tough one. In terms of intricacy it wouldn't be one but the interconnected series 'The Fabled Lands' which attempted to offer more than 'find yourself in the typical maze or dilemma scenario' that tended to permute the early gamebook format. Where I worked in the 80's some of my students found out about my involvement with 'Warlock' and wanted to start a game club after school based round 'Runequest'. I was roped in, but it quickly fell by the wayside as too few, then virtually none [lol], turned up. I often read the 'White Dwarf' scenarios but it was not till I went to France that I met any true gamers who wanted to involve me, and Frankly after being 'killed' so many times playing 'Warlock' I became rather disillusioned. lol. What gamebooks/interactive fiction would you recommend to a newcomer to the genre? That depends a lot, I think, on what you like as a general thematic choice, and whether you wish to play alone or with with others. In general terms I would say 'The Fighting Fantasy' series, 'The Lone Wolf' series, and of course, 'The Fabled Lands' series. But I am no expert. Summarise what a gamebook is to a newcomer in 100 characters or fewer. Duh! The gamebook has been superseded by Game consoles, and downloadable apps that have moved far beyond the tiny game boxes that came out in the 1980's. The gamebook in its original state is more to do with nostalgia, especially in the UK , but is alive and vigorously kicking on the continent and the US. Its 'vinyl to the downloadable album from the web'. What is the process for creating illustrations for gamebooks? depends what you mean by 'process'. But effectively my usual working pattern goes as follows: being given a brief which involves a page of text or character/scene description, thinking about visual possibilities, trying out sketch ideas, pencilling, inking, cleaning, spotting & checking, sending sample for acceptance, making changes if required, sending artwork and invoice. What's the most important thing when coming up with gamebook illustrations? That the job is suitable and ideas are forthcoming. Is there anything that you enjoy illustrating more than anything else? Any particular creatures or scenes? No, I love any visual opportunities to create all elements relating to the world of Fantasy. But if you look at my work you'll always see a love of pattern and intricacy. What is your favourite piece of art? My interest in art is universal and encompasses every aspect ... my favourite piece of art is legion and ranges from fine through commercial to craft. How do you practice your drawing to make it the best it can be? As any artist, that is: I look, I synthesise, I imagine, I practice. What have you got coming up in terms of your gamebook projects? At present I am working on a couple of projects in America and France where gaming, including Germany and Belgium and other parts of the continent, remains very active. Do you have any other sites besides your blogs/Twitter feeds? Blog, Facebook, Google+, etc. But have real need to organise a better website. What do you think the future of gamebooks is? The market has shrunk but remains very active in Europe, America and Canada particularly. I think as long as their are dedicate fans willing to make the time and effort they will live on, and at present the world of apps, and their possibilities, present a still developing field. For more examples of Russ's excellent work, visit his blog, his google+ and his Facebook.

r/photoshopbattles is a place on Reddit where people can go to test out their photo manipulation skills against the best, and for the rest of us, it is a veritable goldmine of hilariously creative images. The page has become like a giant incubator of memes - many of our favorites were born and raised here!

I score before I eva throw tha ball Battle of Grunwald (detail) (1878), Jan Matejko / Flawless (Remix), Beyoncé ft. Nicki Minaj

spare matchcil anyone

Browse around! I’ve got so many toys. Don’t be bashful. Step up, boys. Come! I’ll show you things you cannot get elsewhere Come! Make with the offers and you’ll get your share. You like my first edition? It’s yours, that’s how I am. A simple definition: You take art, I take spam. - Frederick Hollander

All images © John Liberto or their respective copyright holder.

The Star Wars on Vacation Art Prints show what iconic heroes and villains did whey they went on vacation a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Artist Kyle Hagey offers a different look for Darth Vader, Boba Fett, C-3PO, Stormtroopers, a Battle Droid, and Jedi Master Yoda, who appears to be g

reginasworld:Svetlana Karel

These People Did Not Think The Designs Through And The Results Are Laughable

For the longest time, Dorie Miller represented the lone figure when it came to African Americans in WWII history. Miller became a household name because of his heroic deeds at Pearl Harbor. I happened to watch the 1970 seminal film Tora,Tora,Tora with my father several months ago. With the exception of a non-speaking Miller grabbing a machine gun and spraying the Japanese, this was the extent of depictions of African American soldiers with a weapon. "There goes Dorie Miller," My father announced. If I blinked, I would of missed him. Montford Point Marines participated in amphibious landings throughout the Pacific. While my father was in the Marshall Islands, a battle that was significant to the Montford Point Marines History was The Battle of Peleliu. D-Day on Peleliu Montford Point Marines participating in the landing of 1st Marine Division. Source: npa.gov From Right to Fight: When the 1st Marine Division, on 15 September 1944, attacked the heavily defended island of Peleliu in the Palau group, the 16th Field Depot supported the assault troops. The field depot included two African-American units, the 11th Marine Depot Company and the 7th Marine Ammunition Company. The 11th Marine Depot Company responded beyond the call of duty and paid the price, 17 wounded, the highest casualty rate of any company of African-American Marines during the entire war. Major General William H. Rupertus, who commanded the 1st Marine Division, sent identical letters of commendation to the commanders of both companies, praising the black Marines for their "whole hearted cooperation and untiring efforts" which "demonstrated in every respect" that they "appreciate the privilege of wearing a Marine uniform and serving with Marines in combat."- The Right to Fight Montford Point Marine Lee Douglas, Jr vividly recounted his time there: "The Third day, we went ashore. We went ashore in the barges to beachhead. Because you must go in. You got to go in the barges and go in with your rifles and everything. The ammunition stuff doesn't take place until after you take the islands and settle. But you got go in to do that. Once you go into the Marines Corps, regardless of the assignment, you must learn the rifle, the pistol, the range, your combat, you have to learn all of that.You may be a mechanic, you may be a cook, but the rifle comes first. You must learn that part of combat. So whenever you get overseas, your second job, that's all becomes second, first becomes the rifle. The invasion is first. My company, when we went in, we went in with our rifles blazing. There is no second hand nothing. We had looked forward to taking the airfield in a day or two. And there was no such thing as that you know they were dug in. The enemy was dug in so strong until everybody was held up at the beach." -Men of Montford Point Marines Medical Attendants at Rest, Peleliu, October, 1944 Source: Gutenberg.org Another Montford Pointer Laurence Diggs* climbed caves to eliminate the Japanese defenders. Flamethrowers were used and contained the deadly chemical napalm. Oxygen was then removed from the fortified cave, rendering occupants unable to breathe and dead. Also, the intense, searing heat of napalm sticking to the skin caused its targets unthinkable pain and death. Coincidentally, "Thousand Yard Stare" was featured in Tom Lea's painting of Peleliu. Lea's subject was described poignantly: “He left the States 31 months ago. He was wounded in his first campaign. He has had tropical diseases. He half-sleeps at night and gouges Japs out of holes all day. Two-thirds of his company has been killed or wounded. He will return to attack this morning. How much can a human being endure?” Tom Lea "Thousand Yard Stare" Painting Tom Lea.com From that point on, the term "Thousand Yard Stare" was used to refer to the gaze of someone that had battle fatigue. It is clearly a symptom of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. Tom Lea was a war correspondent and witnessed first hand the carnage. The appearance in the soldiers' eyes prompted Lea to create this work after an assignment in Peleliu. Battle of Peleliu Key Points- One of the most fiercely fought battles of the Pacific War Began on September 15,1944 and originally thought to last only three days, ended in November 5,000 Marines wounded, 1,749 Marines Killed Montford Marines participated in the invasion as members of the 11 Marines Depot Company and 7th Marine Ammunition Company They supported the 1st Marine Division Part of the Palau Islands. Peleliu was important because it was needed to recapture to the Philippines The island had over 500 caves which served as forts for the well- dug Japanese. Some 11,000 Japanese were killed, only 200 survived. The Japanese were taught to die before surrendering. Included the Army 81st Infantry Division (additional facts from about.com) Story after story emphasized the Montford Point Marines gallant actions. They finally earned the "right to fight" during the fiery battle of Peleliu. In fact, this battle would always be listed in the opening lines of Montford Point Marine history. They entered the brotherhood of United States Marine Corps with their amphibious landing in September, 1944. The phrase "Thousand yard stare" was introduced by artist Tom Lea. He painted a war weary Marine who endured unspeakable hell in this lesser known, but important Pacific World War II battle. "Thousand yard stare" marked a crucial intersection of military, art, and psychology and called attention to the effects of war on its combatants. For a Video of the Battle of Peleliu click here. Sources: Battle of Peleliu- History.com Men of Montford Point, Melton McLauren* Right to Fight See Also: Capture of Peleliu Commandposts.com for Marine Dan Bankhead story of the Montford Points in The Battle of Peleliu. Bankhead was a former pitcher for the Marines Baseball Team. His team played against Montford Point Marines.

This showcase includes three different aspects of a battle: the preparation before, the actual battle and the following aftermath.

Robert Lesser / Pulp Art Original Cover Paintings for the Great American Pulp Magazines Published by Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. / New York Copyright: Robert Lesser 1997 Bild: Frederick Blakeslee: "Battle of Midway" (Battle Birds, October 1942) ex libris MTP