Pulp of the Week - Indiana Jones and the Peril at Delphi

Indiana Jones and the Peril at Delphi
by Rob MacGregor


There is a great used book store called Movie World in downtown Burbank that stocks a mountain of books including plenty of Science Fiction paperbacks. The SF books cover a wall ten feet high and fifteen feet wide. In some spots they are shelved 3 books deep.

One day last year I decided to pay attention to the novelizations that were stacked horizontally by the door. The Indiana Jones novels caught my eye and took a look at them. They were not novelizations, but original stories. I bought a pile of them that were written by Rob MacGregor.

Indiana Jones and the Peril at Delphi is the first of MacGregor's books. The bulk of the story takes place in 1922, but flashes back two years briefly for some antics at his college graduation.

MacGregor's series follows graduate student Jones on an adventure that takes him from the dawn of the jazz age in Paris, to the ruins of Greece, and into an adventure and romance or two. As the title states, Indy ends up in Delphi where famous oracles in the ancient past would enter the caves, breathe in mystical vapors and emerge having received prophetic visions.

Indy has been hired (possibly just seduced) into following professor Dorian Belecamus to Greece and into a political, ethical, and potentially fatal web of deceit and betrayal.

Author MacGregor writes a great tale that despite Indy being college age, really feels like an Indiana Jones story, not a Young Indy story. He weaves in a few character building bits and by the end of the tale,  Grad Student Henry Jones, Jr is one step closer to being the Indy that we know and love.

I highly recommend Indiana Jones and the Peril at Delphi. It also features a great cover by Drew Struzan, the fantastic movie poster artist, that did the Raiders One-Sheet and so many more. His cover contributes considerably to setting the tone that this is Indiana Jones. I give the book 8.5 out of 10.

Tannhäuser Tuesday - Catch Up Day

Here are some images of recent Tannhäuser developements. I finally got the FFG Daedalus Pack. The tokens are different than the TOY french one and there is a new map on the back.

The Fantasy Flight Tannhäuser Daedalus Pack

New Fantasy Flight Tannhäuser Labyrinth board

A few new Tannhäuser finished adventurers on the forest camp map

Tannhäuser Indiana Jones with the whip crosses a bridge

Tannhäuser Indiana Jones with the machete

Tannhäuser Pat Savage?

Tannhäuser Doc Savage

Tannhäuser Indiana Jones

The Indiana Jones figures are a mash-up of Reaper minis parts, Pat is a Reaper minis Cowgirl, but I am thinking that the figure is a decent fit because that is what Pat Savage would have looked like when we first meet her in Brand of the Werewolf. I am marginally happy with the paint jobs on these figures, but very happy they are done. I have come to realize that I suck at the eyes. I think I am too impatient, but they are not good. The rest of the paint jobs are serviceable. I may try out a painting service for the minis of Doc's men.

I am most pleased with the ripped shirt on Doc Savage. I used the heavy foil from a wine bottle and carefully tore it into tiny strips and superglued it to the figure prior to painting.

Next up will be to make a page for the Tannhäuser BPRD and to get going on the Rising Sun Faction.

Tannhäuser Tuesday - Indiana Jones Complete

Normally, I like to use prepainted minis for my custom characters, but sometimes I make exceptions. Doc Savage, for instance. And today's subject, Indiana Jones. What needs to be said about the most popular pulp and movie serial based character for today's audiences. If adventure has a name, it must be Indiana Jones. Or so the trailer for Temple of Doom said.

Unfortunately, there are no Indiana Jones Heroclix. Thankfully Reaper Miniatures makes a line of figures called, Chronoscope. One of the first figures in that line was Jack Harrison. He comes with multiple arms and heads and fills the bill.

However, Jack/Indy must be painted. This would take a normal minis painter 3 or 4 sessions to finish. Me, over 2 years. There was a long break in there, though. I have made two of them; one with the whip and one with a machete. 

I will probably base one for Tannhäuser and one for Heroscape. These are almost done, they just need a few finishing touches and their bases fixed up.

Indiana Jones Tannhäuser Character Sheet

Indiana Jones Tannhäuser Reference Page

Indiana Jones Tannhäuser Tokens

I think Miah did a great job on the graphics for this set. Visit his blog.

Raiders of the Lost Adventure Movies

I love adventure stories. Doc Savage, Indiana Jones, Professor Challenger and the Lost World, Conan and many others. The early and mid twentieth century were full of adventure tales. The world was not fully explored and full of mystery. The pulp magazines of the time were chock full of adventure.

Where do we find adventure today? Our society seems skeptical about adventure. The world seems fully explored and there are not a mesa full of dinosaurs to be had. No Martian canals or Tars Tarkus to lead us. The moon is a dead rock; no Lunarians lurking about. The Earth is not hollow; no Pellucidar, no Ka-Zar with Zabu his Saber-Tooth Tiger. We seem to find adventure in the past far more than the present. Or maybe that's where I find myself looking...

At the movies this summer there are a few adventure films, I am even looking forward to some of them. All are sequels or remakes.


First off, last weekend saw "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" from Disney. I haven't seen the first, so I won't be seeing this one. Caspian did good money, not great, but solid.


Then comes the behemoth of adventure films, the upcoming "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull". I am really wondering which Indy we will see. The tough as nails, gets through by brains and sheer force of will Indy from "Raiders of the Lost Ark", or the luckiest man on Earth from "Temple of Doom." I'm praying for the Indy with guts. (Friday, May 23 from Paramount)


Next is "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" from the minds of Mike Mignola and Guillermo Del Toro. I am really looking forward to seeing Big Red again. I'm had the good fortune to meet both of those men and in addition to being brilliant, they are wonderful people. This is my most anticipated film of the summer. (Friday, July 11 from Universal)


The same week is also "Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D" starring Brendan Fraser. Word on the street is not good on this one... (Friday, July 11 from Warner Bros)


I am really hoping that "The X-Files: I Want to Believe" doesn't suck. It has been a long time since we last saw Mulder and Skully - OK, not as long as since we've seen Indiana and Marion - and this movie was really off my radar for some reason. I like the X-Files and I hope it's good. (July 25 from Fox)



"The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" is yet another summer sequel and another Brendan Fraser film. There are good people in this - Michelle Yeoh, Jet Li. Here's hoping it's good. Another period adventure film, this one in China. I did enjoy the previous Mummy films, and Rob Cohen has made some good films. Some lesser ones, too...

In the future I'm sure I will write more about adventure fiction and comics. May you find a little adventure in your life.