I've finally decided to restart my blog after one and a half years with a bit of nostalgia from exactly* one and a half decades ago. But I don't want to dwell on old friends and inside jokes. Instead, I want to tell you, oh faceless reader, about a neat game we invented.
That year, I was the president of one of the nerdiest organizations at one of the nerdiest universities in the country that focused its springtime energies on one of the nerdiest movies ever made.
Spring is celebrated with a campus-wide festival where various groups make "booths" – essentially elaborate carnival games. We had a paltry budget in comparison to many fraternities, etc. and were ridiculed at first by our tiny matte-black one car garage. Fortunately, the org's VP was a great artist and went through a box or two of pastels on an amazing mural (replete with S&M Jabba-slave Leia, of course.)
Alone that might have been enough, but our "game" involved a two-part toss. Most carni-games, as you can imagine, are single toss events: knock over, shoot down, toss ring, etc. Ours was based on first throwing the grappling hook – a magnet at a metal target. Attached with a generous four-five feet of twine were some well-worn action figures from our childhood. Based on the position of your grappling hook – which if you were careful you could slide about on the metal panel (careful not to pull too hard or it'd come off) – you then swung your figures in hopes of getting them through a hole.
1. for A New Hope (the 1st one): this mimicked the escape of Luke and Leia from the stormtroopers.
2. for Empire: this mimicked Luke's takedown of an AT-AT.
3. and for Jedi: a fictitious furry romp of Chewy and an ewok (yes, I know – bit of a stretch).
Each of these increased in complexity. The final one required swinging out around a tree. It was all pretty rickety but oh-so clever. Throwing the magnet grappling hook was easy and inconsequential. But when it came to trusting the hook's position and letting the action figures swing away, player's clutched the pieces with apprehension pondering (often fruitless) strategies. And, when Luke smacked the pegboard legs of the AT-AT, you couldn't help but guffaw. You should make this!
That year, I was the president of one of the nerdiest organizations at one of the nerdiest universities in the country that focused its springtime energies on one of the nerdiest movies ever made.
Spring is celebrated with a campus-wide festival where various groups make "booths" – essentially elaborate carnival games. We had a paltry budget in comparison to many fraternities, etc. and were ridiculed at first by our tiny matte-black one car garage. Fortunately, the org's VP was a great artist and went through a box or two of pastels on an amazing mural (replete with S&M Jabba-slave Leia, of course.)Alone that might have been enough, but our "game" involved a two-part toss. Most carni-games, as you can imagine, are single toss events: knock over, shoot down, toss ring, etc. Ours was based on first throwing the grappling hook – a magnet at a metal target. Attached with a generous four-five feet of twine were some well-worn action figures from our childhood. Based on the position of your grappling hook – which if you were careful you could slide about on the metal panel (careful not to pull too hard or it'd come off) – you then swung your figures in hopes of getting them through a hole.
1. for A New Hope (the 1st one): this mimicked the escape of Luke and Leia from the stormtroopers.
2. for Empire: this mimicked Luke's takedown of an AT-AT.
3. and for Jedi: a fictitious furry romp of Chewy and an ewok (yes, I know – bit of a stretch).
Each of these increased in complexity. The final one required swinging out around a tree. It was all pretty rickety but oh-so clever. Throwing the magnet grappling hook was easy and inconsequential. But when it came to trusting the hook's position and letting the action figures swing away, player's clutched the pieces with apprehension pondering (often fruitless) strategies. And, when Luke smacked the pegboard legs of the AT-AT, you couldn't help but guffaw. You should make this!
* Well, I started this two weeks ago, so by the post date, this is no longer exactly.
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