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This week, I'm reading from a draft of The Thirteenth Hour sequel that gets at the life that Logan and Aurora have created for themselves.  This section is told from Aurora's perceptive: Satisfied that I had the gear I needed, I said goodbye to Logan and walked away from our house towards the ocean.  Whereas Logan preferred hunting in the forest, I liked hunting in the grassy plain overlooking the tall cliff leading down to the ocean below.  There was a stream, fed by melting snow from the purple mountains, that flowed through the grassy fields, off the cliff and down to the ocean far below.  I loved walking along it, gazing out at the horizon into the cool blue waters.  I’ll admit, it wasn’t always the prospect of catching dinner that motivated me to hunt there.  It was partly the view and partly the occasional glimpse of the island’s wild horses that would rumble across the plain, kicking up a small cloud of dirt as they galloped through the grasslands. If you think anything like me, you might be wondering if we ever succeeded in riding the horses.  The answer’s yes, though as with so many things, our ability to do so came from knowledge passed to us from the half elves.  After that first encounter with Starlyn, he had returned, as promised, the next morning, just as Logan and I had been cleaning up the remains of breakfast (which was, not surprisingly, more oatmeal).  One minute, we were scrubbing the pot (for a layer of the cereal always inevitably ended up charred to the bottom of the pot), and the next, Starlyn was standing in front of us.  He performed the same bow followed by the flute greeting as yesterday then motioned for us to follow him. More: https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2026/04/20/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-558-thirteenth-hour-sequel-update-7-worldbuilding-the-isle-of-misfits/ More coming soon! ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞ 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.comBook trailer: http://bit.ly/1VhJhXYInterested in reading and reviewing The Thirteenth Hour for a free book?  Just email me at [email protected] for more details!

This week, after some time away (visiting my brother and his wife), I had a couple of reflections.  Not only are our kids getting older and can do things like pull their own bags and navigate subway systems and sit through restaurant meals but they're also old enough to more fully appreciate differences in culture, language, and society much more so than when they were younger.  It's cool to see!  I mention that since in The Thirteenth Hour sequel books that I've been working on, one of the main characters from the first book, Aurora, ends up going to a different part of the world where she can't speak or read the native tongue.  Though there is a common tongue that allows people to communicate, not everyone speaks it, and that presents barriers to Aurora when she first gets to these lands, and eventually for Logan and his party when they arrive in search of her.  So though the things I touch on in this episode are not huge parts of the book, they lay the foundation and background for the worlds I've been trying to create in the story. More coming soon! ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞ 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.comBook trailer: http://bit.ly/1VhJhXYInterested in reading and reviewing The Thirteenth Hour for a free book?  Just email me at [email protected] for more details!https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2026/04/13/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-557-thirteenth-hour-sequel-update-6-worldbuilding-culture-language-and-societies-in-the-thirteenth-hour-sequel-and-travel-reflections/

This week, we are continuing the talk started last time when game developer and musician, Paul Korman, came on the show; this week, my brother Jeremy joins us for further discussion on Paul, his game The Phantom Fellows, oneshorteye's mini documentary, "The Ghost Game That Isn't About Death" about Paul and the game, as well as game development in general.  The last time I talked to Paul, I was not actively making the Rocketeer game I've been working on, so we have a whole discussion (therapy session?) about solo game development and the frustration that sometimes comes with it.   More on The Phantom Fellows  Oneshorteye's Youtube channel 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, the ecology and exploration TTRPG with Three Sail Studios, Mappa Mundi, and their most recent game, Gallows Corner: A Peasants' Revolt RPG.  Thanks, Jeremy and Paul, for coming on the show!  Look for us in a few months. ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞ 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.comBook trailer: http://bit.ly/1VhJhXYInterested in reading and reviewing The Thirteenth Hour for a free book?  Just email me at [email protected] for more details!https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2026/04/06/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-556-welcome-back-paul-korman-and-jeremy-blum-to-discuss-game-development-and-the-ghost-game-that-isnt-about-death-part-2/

This week, we are starting a two part episode with solo game developer and musician, Paul Korman, who was last on the show on episode 493.  Paul and his game The Phantom Fellows are the subject of the oneshorteye's mini documentary, "The Ghost Game That Isn't About Death" about Paul, where he lives, the things that went into the making of the game, and the process of its creation and release.  If you're into game development, classic video games, or adventure games in general, you'll find something to love, so check it out!   Part 2, coming next week, also features my brother, Jeremy, for more game development talk. More on The Phantom Fellows  Oneshorteye's Youtube channel https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2026/03/30/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-555-welcome-back-paul-korman-to-discuss-game-development-and-the-ghost-game-that-isnt-about-death/ ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞ 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.comBook trailer: http://bit.ly/1VhJhXYInterested in reading and reviewing The Thirteenth Hour for a free book?  Just email me at [email protected] for more details!

This week, I recorded outside, the first nice spring day so far,  I wanted to take advantage of the weather so do some shooting outdoors. Unlike the static, more deliberate archery style | learned when I was younger, I have been experimenting with more dynamic ways of moving while shooting - different draw techniques (thumb draw, Slavic release) as well as shooting while walking and after rolling. For the past 15 yrs or so, I have been playing around with purely instinctive ways of shooting (no sights) - just aiming through intention alone, which fits many of the martial arts l’ve done over the years. I’ve used these experiences as background for writing the sequel to The Thirteenth Hour.  Here's a segment from the draft narrated by Aurora, reflecting on the past few years as she and Logan learned by trial and error how to catch their food after having grown up not really having to depend on things like hunting and fishing for protein.    Excerpt at https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2026/03/23/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-554-thirteenth-hour-sequel-update-5-worldbuilding-the-food-2-archery-and-hunting/ More coming soon! ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞ 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.com⁠Book trailer: ⁠http://bit.ly/1VhJhXY⁠Interested 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, I thought I'd explore a little more about how the Thirteenth Hour sequel is going, especially in one small area.  Logan and Aurora, the main characters from the original Thirteenth Hour are last seen on a small island off the coast of the mainland.  (I talked a little about the island in episode 522.)  They learn to be pretty self sufficient there, but I also imagined that they exchanged ideas, customs, clothes, food, and other parts of life with some other groups of people nearby - the half elf community located on the other side of the island and the town of Ravenvale, which has a number of shops, a market where they occasional sell food they have harvested and things they've made as well as pick up supplies, and an inn where they sometimes splurge for a weekend getaway. I have often thought that in their youth, growing up in the Aquarian orphanage, they would have eaten a lot of soup, since that is cheap and can be easily made.  But I also imagined that in the forested region they lived in, which was intended to be temperate in nature, would have been too cold for crops like rice but okay for grains grown on some of the farms nearby.  The main export of Aquaria would have been lumber, paper, fur pelts, and crops like wheat and other grains which were often sold raw or manufactured into dry goods like noodles.  I imagined locals would have found all sorts of ways to consume said noodles, so recently, when I was cooking dinner, I wondered if stir fried noodles (lao mien / chow mien - a staple at most American Chinese restaurants) could have also been something they ate.  I don't see why not.  Stir frying over an open fire or a large fire in the hearth would totally be possible, and it's basically what every Chinese restaurant does.  Frankly, it'd be a lot safer and less messy outside or in a space with good ventilation, like in a fireplace, as it tends to produce a fair amount of smoke sometimes and oil get over everything.   That said, once you have your ingredients cut up, it takes mere minutes to sear everything before you have a meal.  Things do need to be cut up in little pieces so it's possible to cook them quickly but again, totally doable.  The only part that would be challenging would be obtaining the noodles as well as some oil so doesn't all stick to the pan.   These things I figured Logan and Aurora could trade for in Ravenvale.  I also imagined them strolling through the market, sampling some of the street foods there, watching them be prepared right there in the open, and then taking those techniques with them back home to their island to test out. Pictures: https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2026/03/16/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-553-thirteenth-hour-sequel-update-4-worldbuilding-the-food/ ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞ 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

In today's episode, I'm making two little riffs that I think will be background music for the pixelart Rocketeer game I've been working on.  One is a little somber piece to accompany the "RIP" scene when Cliff kicks the bucket.  I've made a serious one here, but I thought I might vary what is written on the gravestone to reflect what you did, if I can figure out how to do that.  Like, for example, if you blew yourself up with a grenade, the gravestone might read, "Cliff Secord, 1911 - 1936, chowderhead." https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2026/03/09/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-552-and-like-a-hood-ornament-94-updates-on-the-rocketeer-vs-the-third-reich-video-game-7/ The second riff is probably the verse to some kind of ending song, while the credits play.  I was undecided on whether to do any music with words in it, but this one came to me one day (while driving, naturally), and I thought it might fit.  If not, then for a future Thirteenth Hour soundtrack.  But since the game is really about Cliff going to rescue Peevy, I thought it could be a song about friendship, mentorship, or maybe the love fathers have for their sons (since Peevy is a kind of father figure to Cliff).     More to come next week! ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞ 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.comBook trailer: http://bit.ly/1VhJhXYInterested 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 discussing a RPG system he created based on the world of The Thirteenth Hour.   This is a work in progress based on a number of RPGs set in that world that we have already done but also with an eye toward creating your own world.  In other words, it's meant to be light on rules and structure, heavy on customizability and individuality.  So although you could create games based on the fantasy world in the Thirteenth Hour books, you could also use the engine to create games for your own books and worlds.   Jeremy and I do the first of likely several of these over the next year as we do play testing with some new Thirteenth Hour RPGs.  I have set up a page I will be adding to on itch.io that has the draft of the document we're discussing and will be the site of future updates. 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, the ecology and exploration TTRPG with Three Sail Studios, Mappa Mundi, and their most recent game, Gallows Corner: A Peasants' Revolt RPG.  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.comBook trailer: http://bit.ly/1VhJhXYInterested in reading and reviewing The Thirteenth Hour for a free book?  Just email me at [email protected] for more details!https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2026/03/02/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-551-welcome-my-brother-jeremy-as-we-talk-the-infinite-games-system-a-thirteenth-hour-ttrpg-system/

In today's episode, I'm wrapping up the music that I started in episode 536, what I'm calling the "outdoor" Rocketeer theme for the parts of the Rocketeer vs the Third Reich pixelart game I've been making that takes place outdoors.  Since those are sections where Cliff will have his rocketpack and can fly, I wanted to give the music a kind of WW1 flying ace kind of feel.  Most of the track was done from last fall, but I ended up adding a few other instruments to round it out. Pictures: https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2026/02/23/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-550-and-like-a-hood-ornament-93-updates-on-the-rocketeer-vs-the-third-reich-video-game-6/ I also reflect on the nature of making music in this day and age as opposed to before, touching on what previous generations of homebrew music producers had to work with.  I've been reading out the early days of hiphop (before it was really called that), and it's fascinating to think what those guys came up with - e.g. DJ Kool Herc (the father of hip hop) made extended breakbeat compilations of his own for the neighborhood parties in the Bronx in the summer of 1973.  It's easy to lose sight of how good we have it with the tools we have (many of which are not only widely available but free), which make it all the more impressive to think what previous generations did with the tools they had.   More to come next week! ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞ 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.comBook trailer: http://bit.ly/1VhJhXYInterested 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 wrapping up the music for the indoors castle sections of the Rocketeer vs the Third Reich pixelart game I've been making.  Last week, I based the melody on the Jenny Theme from the Rocketeer soundtrack by James Horner and made a short segment (about 30 sec long), trying to make it sound both regal and ominous.  I think the theme in the film plays when Jenny is captured by Neville Sinclair, who is both Hollywood royalty and a secret Nazi spy, so that seems appropriate.  I think in that segment, she is taken to his Frank Llyod Wright style house after being drugged and wakes on his bed (I think after real life events mirroring such events have hit a little too close to home in recent years, Hollywood probably would not go there today, but this was 1991).  Nonetheless, I wanted to give the theme an ominous theme to play up the tension in the castle so besides the melody itself, also added some ambient castle noises to try to give you an idea you are in a large stone building.   More to come next week! ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞ 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.comBook trailer: http://bit.ly/1VhJhXYInterested in reading and reviewing The Thirteenth Hour for a free book?  Just email me at [email protected] for more details!https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2026/02/16/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-549-and-like-a-hood-ornament-92-updates-on-the-rocketeer-vs-the-third-reich-video-game-5/

In today's episode, I'm discussing some updates I've made in this past week on the pixelart Rocketeer game that I started a number of years ago.  I took a break from the programming part to do some work on the art and music for the game.  The game starts with a short intro cut scene told in 1-2 pictures + text, like old NES games, so I made a intro montage picture showing Cliff's life after the events of the movie, implying he's still a pilot, the rocketpack was rebuilt, and his friends - Jenny and Peevy - are still his main motivators.  Here is a short video showing some footage from last week discussed in last episode.  I successfully got the throwing physics to work, so now Cliff can toss grenades he finds.  He can also blow himself up that way, though, so you have to be careful.  I was thinking that if you do that, maybe the death scene will be Peevy calling Cliff a chowderhead or something. See the picture at https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2026/02/09/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-548-and-like-a-hood-ornament-91-updates-on-the-rocketeer-vs-the-third-reich-video-game-4/ I also started working on the music for these intro levels.  Since they are inside a castle, I wanted there to be a different theme than the outdoor flying levels, like Super Mario Brothers.  I'm using a variation of the Jenny Theme from the Rocketeer soundtrack by James Horner for these levels so started working out the notes, the drums, and the tempo.  It's very rough at this point, but my hope it I can make a loopable bit that can play over and over during these levels.   More to come next week! ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞ 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.comBook trailer: http://bit.ly/1VhJhXYInterested 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 discussing some progress I've made on the Rocketeer game that I started a number of years ago.  This week, I've been working on starting and ending screens, higher contrast backgrounds, as well as more on powerups, including the ability to throw the grenades you pick up - that took a lot of fiddling!   https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2026/02/02/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-547-and-like-a-hood-ornament-90-updates-on-the-rocketeer-vs-the-third-reich-video-game-3/ More to come next week! ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞ 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.comBook trailer: http://bit.ly/1VhJhXYInterested 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 discussing some progress I've made on the Rocketeer game that I started a number of years ago.  This week, I've been working on the background, powerups, being able to search enemies, and tutorial elements needed to orient players to the game.  More details can be found in this youtube video:  https://youtu.be/LSaEPHvzkJ8 More to come next week! ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞ 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.comBook trailer: http://bit.ly/1VhJhXYInterested 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 discussing some progress I've made on the Rocketeer game that I started a number of years ago.  I was learning to use the program before by making a one level demo game which ended up being the precursor to the story and card game of The Rocketeer vs the Third Reich.  But I'd always meant to get back to the actual video game.  In the past two weeks, I had to reacquaint myself to the program, Gdevelop5, and pickup where I left off a few years ago.  I discuss some of the design challenges and decisions I've been working through recently.  More details can be found in this youtube video:  https://youtu.be/0wvP29BKk-k One thing I did in preparation was play replay the NES version of The Rocketeer - a very frustrating game made much better by using emulation, save states, cheat codes, and the developer's code, which gives you essentially infinite weapons and health as well as ready access to rocketfuel, which I always found in very short supply in the game.    Playing the game on God mode (which made it tolerable) essentially drive home two points - 1.) sometimes difficulty does not make a great game in that it may simply discourage play rather than motivate it, and 2.) you shouldn't overly limit something's best feature (in this case, flying - that should have been easier and more prominent in the game).  The cut scenes, however, were very well done, some of which you can see below: https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2026/01/19/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-545-and-like-a-hood-ornament-88-updates-on-the-rocketeer-vs-the-third-reich-video-game-1/ More to come next week! ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞ 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.comBook trailer: http://bit.ly/1VhJhXYInterested in reading and reviewing The Thirteenth Hour for a free book?  Just email me at [email protected] for more details![caption id="attachment_15202" align="aligncenter" width="473"] Screenshot[/caption]

This week's episode was recorded prior to the holidays with two gentlemen who have both been on he show multiple times, Joseph Esch (with a few guest appearances from family members) and Adam Crohn.  There was no particular agenda other than catching up with each other and talking about Joe's first experience being a vendor at a toy convention.  We ended up commiserating on having tables at similar such conventions and fairs, the pitfalls of generative AI and digital living, especially with children, and the quiet revolution against such things happening in some parts of the country / with some families.    In 2026, I'm planning to do more like this, previously something I saved for centennial episodes.  On a smaller scale, though, I think they are nice ways of building and maintaining a sense of community, with is something we need now more than ever.    If you enjoyed this outing, you can find Adam, Joe, and I all together on podcasts about The Lost Boys (parts 1 and 2) as well as on Rambo: First Blood (Parts 1 and 2 ) as well as their epic collaboration on Steakuums: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3X1SL5qKqAE Wishing you the best in the new year! ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞ 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.comBook trailer: http://bit.ly/1VhJhXYInterested in reading and reviewing The Thirteenth Hour for a free book?  Just email me at [email protected] for more details!https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2026/01/12/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-544-creative-corner-1-with-adam-and-joe/