Evan Torner
@guyintheblackhat.bsky.social
Associate Professor of German, Niehoff Professor of Film & Media Studies at U of Cincinnati; Scholar of East German cinema, science fiction, and role-playing games. He/Him. Bi. Wears a hat.
Pinned
I'd like to think of "dark academia" as "I, a brooding professor who wears all black, have [these clothes] on while I send many emails and update Canvas assignment due dates"
In the 2010s in particular, our international role-playing communities faced a lot of "Law of Jante" crap that, looking back on it, was this perfect feedback loop between Others' Jealousy and Creator-Inherent Internalized Feelings of Inadequacy.
In the 2020s, I think we all deserve more hugs.
In the 2020s, I think we all deserve more hugs.
y'know, as a kid you say you wanna be a writer or you wanna make video games & your family not only tells you how unrealistic it is but also that "you think you're better than us?!" & "you just want attention" & you quickly learn that having or expressing ambition is dangerous & will be punished
November 11, 2025 at 11:10 AM
In the 2010s in particular, our international role-playing communities faced a lot of "Law of Jante" crap that, looking back on it, was this perfect feedback loop between Others' Jealousy and Creator-Inherent Internalized Feelings of Inadequacy.
In the 2020s, I think we all deserve more hugs.
In the 2020s, I think we all deserve more hugs.
Reposted by Evan Torner
📣📣📣The series Jewish Latin America is celebrating the publication of its 20th volume with the forthcoming "Coming of Age as Syrian Jewish Mexicans" by Evelyn María Dean-Olmsted!!!🎉🎉🎉
Find out more about the volume here: brill.com/display/titl...
Find out more about the volume here: brill.com/display/titl...
November 11, 2025 at 10:37 AM
📣📣📣The series Jewish Latin America is celebrating the publication of its 20th volume with the forthcoming "Coming of Age as Syrian Jewish Mexicans" by Evelyn María Dean-Olmsted!!!🎉🎉🎉
Find out more about the volume here: brill.com/display/titl...
Find out more about the volume here: brill.com/display/titl...
*raises hand as a US-based BBC consumer*
Nowhere in the hysterical pile-on against the BBC in the British press has anyone mentioned that BBC News now has 77 million viewers & listeners in the US and has established itself as the second most trusted news source there.
November 11, 2025 at 10:49 AM
*raises hand as a US-based BBC consumer*
Reposted by Evan Torner
OPINION: "I have noticed a gradual increase in the disconnect between what takes place in the classroom and public perception. This shift has culminated in a wave of legislation aimed at prohibiting college professors from promoting or endorsing so-called 'divisive concepts,'" Barranco writes.
Opinion | The Difference Between Teaching and Endorsing
Raymond Barranco writes that teaching is about exposing new ideas to students and that introducing an idea is not an endorsement of that idea.
buff.ly
November 10, 2025 at 11:45 PM
OPINION: "I have noticed a gradual increase in the disconnect between what takes place in the classroom and public perception. This shift has culminated in a wave of legislation aimed at prohibiting college professors from promoting or endorsing so-called 'divisive concepts,'" Barranco writes.
Reposted by Evan Torner
to my games ppl: devs, journos, students, teachers, investors, and not-for-profit weirdos:
The annual GDC State of the Industry survey just dropped. I consulted on this year's survey and promise the experience will feel both better targeted AND shorter.
gdconf.typeform.com/SOTI26
The annual GDC State of the Industry survey just dropped. I consulted on this year's survey and promise the experience will feel both better targeted AND shorter.
gdconf.typeform.com/SOTI26
2026 State of the Game Industry
The gaming industry's most comprehensive annual survey is back, and we're casting a wider net than ever before. Whether you're a developer, executive, investor, marketer, educator, or any other profes...
gdconf.typeform.com
November 10, 2025 at 8:30 PM
to my games ppl: devs, journos, students, teachers, investors, and not-for-profit weirdos:
The annual GDC State of the Industry survey just dropped. I consulted on this year's survey and promise the experience will feel both better targeted AND shorter.
gdconf.typeform.com/SOTI26
The annual GDC State of the Industry survey just dropped. I consulted on this year's survey and promise the experience will feel both better targeted AND shorter.
gdconf.typeform.com/SOTI26
If you haven't tuned into OGLAF yet, do you have a treat in store for you!!
A rare interview with the creators of the always-funny, always-brilliant, and *usually*-sexy—or occasionally anti-sexy—OGLAF!
Cooper has kept a low profile over the years, but is legitimately one of the very best artists in comics today. Read OGLAF if you're old enough to drive!
Cooper has kept a low profile over the years, but is legitimately one of the very best artists in comics today. Read OGLAF if you're old enough to drive!
Talking Oglaf with Trudy Cooper and Doug Bayne: 'We'd stay up all night drawing stuff to make each other laugh' - The Comics Journal
Other than some time off every year for Christmas, Trudy Cooper and Doug Bayne have delivered a new Oglaf comic, skewering fantasy tropes with absolutely not safe for work humor, every week since 2008...
www.tcj.com
November 10, 2025 at 7:10 PM
If you haven't tuned into OGLAF yet, do you have a treat in store for you!!
Nazis worked for years to brand our important, rigorous academic work as "pseudo-disciplinary." I hope thoughtful ppl now recognize that it was all part of a Nazi project to dismantle political opposition as well as normalize *their own* pseudo-disciplinary race science quackery.
November 10, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Nazis worked for years to brand our important, rigorous academic work as "pseudo-disciplinary." I hope thoughtful ppl now recognize that it was all part of a Nazi project to dismantle political opposition as well as normalize *their own* pseudo-disciplinary race science quackery.
As the tale goes, the Huntsman finds Little Red Riding Hood fighting off the wolf. Furrowing his brow, he pulls them apart as LRRH bleeds profusely. He says "Let's see if we can talk about this." Many days of lost blood later, the Huntsman sighs & exits, leaving the Wolf to feast on LRRH.
November 10, 2025 at 1:22 PM
As the tale goes, the Huntsman finds Little Red Riding Hood fighting off the wolf. Furrowing his brow, he pulls them apart as LRRH bleeds profusely. He says "Let's see if we can talk about this." Many days of lost blood later, the Huntsman sighs & exits, leaving the Wolf to feast on LRRH.
Reposted by Evan Torner
Rare exceptions to the general All Prequels Are Garbage rule:
* Twin Peaks: FWWM
* Star Wars: Andor
* Spartacus: Gods of the Arena
* The Godfather Part II
* Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
* Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
* Twin Peaks: FWWM
* Star Wars: Andor
* Spartacus: Gods of the Arena
* The Godfather Part II
* Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
* Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
November 10, 2025 at 12:08 PM
Rare exceptions to the general All Prequels Are Garbage rule:
* Twin Peaks: FWWM
* Star Wars: Andor
* Spartacus: Gods of the Arena
* The Godfather Part II
* Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
* Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
* Twin Peaks: FWWM
* Star Wars: Andor
* Spartacus: Gods of the Arena
* The Godfather Part II
* Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
* Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
Had a healing trip to western Massachusetts and the #WomenInGerman conference: ate, danced, played, gossiped, and academically presented about TTRPGs.
Armor fortified for a grueling week, folks.
Armor fortified for a grueling week, folks.
November 10, 2025 at 5:10 AM
Had a healing trip to western Massachusetts and the #WomenInGerman conference: ate, danced, played, gossiped, and academically presented about TTRPGs.
Armor fortified for a grueling week, folks.
Armor fortified for a grueling week, folks.
Reposted by Evan Torner
Ran wolves tonight by for the indigenous futurism class at the evergreen state college.
November 5, 2025 at 7:39 AM
Ran wolves tonight by for the indigenous futurism class at the evergreen state college.
Reposted by Evan Torner
look I know being an engaged citizen IS the work of democracy but it is also the work of elected officials not to create situations where everyone has to be mobilized all the time to prevent them from allowing some kind of Dickensian horror on a Sunday night while you're in between loads of laundry
November 9, 2025 at 11:37 PM
look I know being an engaged citizen IS the work of democracy but it is also the work of elected officials not to create situations where everyone has to be mobilized all the time to prevent them from allowing some kind of Dickensian horror on a Sunday night while you're in between loads of laundry
OK OK OK but we're all calling our Senator-lings both now and tomorrow right??
November 10, 2025 at 1:55 AM
OK OK OK but we're all calling our Senator-lings both now and tomorrow right??
Reposted by Evan Torner
From the early days of VHS all the way thru the blu-ray era, HARD-BOILED has always looked like dog shit on home video. What a thrill to finally see one of the greatest action movies ever made in this brand new 4K restoration. 🤩
November 9, 2025 at 9:34 PM
From the early days of VHS all the way thru the blu-ray era, HARD-BOILED has always looked like dog shit on home video. What a thrill to finally see one of the greatest action movies ever made in this brand new 4K restoration. 🤩
Reposted by Evan Torner
How the manufactured narrative of ‘failure’ is distracting us from resolving the systemic problems holding back the study of Modern Languages – Part 2. www.hepi.ac.uk/2025/10/10/h... via @hepi-news.bsky.social
How the manufactured narrative of ‘failure’ is distracting us from resolving the systemic problems holding back the study of Modern Languages – Part 2. - HEPI
This post was kindly written by Vincent Everett, who is head of languages in a comprehensive school and sixth form in Norfolk. He blogs as The Nice Man Who Teaches Languages. In Part 1, I looked at h...
www.hepi.ac.uk
November 9, 2025 at 8:20 PM
How the manufactured narrative of ‘failure’ is distracting us from resolving the systemic problems holding back the study of Modern Languages – Part 2. www.hepi.ac.uk/2025/10/10/h... via @hepi-news.bsky.social
Reposted by Evan Torner
No one criticizes postcolonial studies like the people seen as its main proponents. (cf. also Spivak)
November 9, 2025 at 12:33 PM
No one criticizes postcolonial studies like the people seen as its main proponents. (cf. also Spivak)
Doing a gig, slightly different hat
November 9, 2025 at 3:06 AM
Doing a gig, slightly different hat
I will be unable to unsee these.
Finished up my Necron conversion army! Been a long time in the making!
November 8, 2025 at 4:50 PM
I will be unable to unsee these.
"[Game] design is pretty simple. But the devil is in details that are not very far below the surface. It’s fairly easy to explain why something is fun for an given audience. It is much harder to build something new that is fun for an arbitrary person."
Lovely introduction to game design, distilling decades of thinking by Raph and many others.
I can't wait to discuss it in my classes.
I can't wait to discuss it in my classes.
Game design is simple, actually. Except when it isn't. Here are the 12 things you need to know.
November 8, 2025 at 3:38 PM
"[Game] design is pretty simple. But the devil is in details that are not very far below the surface. It’s fairly easy to explain why something is fun for an given audience. It is much harder to build something new that is fun for an arbitrary person."
Reposted by Evan Torner
One analytical model shows that, as of November 5th, the dismantling of U.S.A.I.D. has already caused the deaths of 600,000 people, two-thirds of them children. https://newyorkermag.visitlink.me/jUzNSc
The Shutdown of U.S.A.I.D. Has Already Killed Hundreds of Thousands
The short documentary “Rovina’s Choice” tells the story of what goes when aid goes.
newyorkermag.visitlink.me
November 6, 2025 at 9:00 PM
One analytical model shows that, as of November 5th, the dismantling of U.S.A.I.D. has already caused the deaths of 600,000 people, two-thirds of them children. https://newyorkermag.visitlink.me/jUzNSc
AP is a beautiful, fully networked mess, and that means it'll be part of the hobby and media ecosystem for decades to come.
To be clear: if we are talking about audiences for AP being outstripped by the number of participants, that was a convo half a decade ago.
It remains true that AP has always been made for many reasons, & for that reason cannot be understood as a single scene, industry, or community of practice.
It remains true that AP has always been made for many reasons, & for that reason cannot be understood as a single scene, industry, or community of practice.
November 8, 2025 at 1:35 AM
AP is a beautiful, fully networked mess, and that means it'll be part of the hobby and media ecosystem for decades to come.
Reposted by Evan Torner
Road to Empress is simply a delight so far. It’s basically Dragons Lair but with a fully filmed story with live actors just like a historical cdrama. Super fun that’s it’s based on Empress Wu Zetian. Very clever in that it uses typical plot tropes but the right choices aren’t the typical ones!
November 7, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Road to Empress is simply a delight so far. It’s basically Dragons Lair but with a fully filmed story with live actors just like a historical cdrama. Super fun that’s it’s based on Empress Wu Zetian. Very clever in that it uses typical plot tropes but the right choices aren’t the typical ones!
Reposted by Evan Torner
First game I played at this year's SPIEL: Bohemians!
This stroll down the Seine has you oscillate between artistic breakthroughs and the hardships of your precarious lifestyle.
Read more: cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2025/11/02/e...
This stroll down the Seine has you oscillate between artistic breakthroughs and the hardships of your precarious lifestyle.
Read more: cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2025/11/02/e...
November 7, 2025 at 10:40 PM
First game I played at this year's SPIEL: Bohemians!
This stroll down the Seine has you oscillate between artistic breakthroughs and the hardships of your precarious lifestyle.
Read more: cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2025/11/02/e...
This stroll down the Seine has you oscillate between artistic breakthroughs and the hardships of your precarious lifestyle.
Read more: cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2025/11/02/e...
Reposted by Evan Torner
sssssss tesssting tesssting sssss *mic tap*
November 7, 2025 at 10:40 PM
sssssss tesssting tesssting sssss *mic tap*
