Masterminds And The Art Of Misbehaving

A year-long thesis exploration into the world of crime and design. By Eden Lew as part of The School of Visual Arts MFA Products of Design program.

A MFA Products of Design thesis on crime + design.

An exciting philosophical romp about a wicked headmaster being taken on by a group of kids who have learned the power of critical thinking. Milo is thrilled to be starting at the country's most prestigious school. But it soon becomes clear that something sinister is going on. The headmaster, Dr Pummelcrush, is bent on brainwashing the students and turning them into mindless, unthinking human robots. When Milo stumbles across a bright and colourful secret garden and meets its joyous gardener, he and his friends begin to open their minds to a whole new way of thinking: philosophy. Can the Philosophy Resistance Squad use their new questioning skills to resist Pummelcrush's evil project and save their classmates from being zombified?

This “amusing and elegantly written” romp takes readers on a wild ride through the life of Robert Parkin Peters (The New York Times Book Review)—a liar, bigamist, and fraudulent priest who tricked some of the brightest minds of his generation. One day in November 1958, the celebrated historian Hugh Trevor–Roper received a curious letter. It was an appeal for help, written on behalf of a student at Magdalen College, with the unlikely claim that he was being persecuted by the Bishop of Oxford. Curiosity piqued, Trevor–Roper agreed to a meeting. It was to be his first encounter with Robert Parkin Peters: plagiarist, bigamist, fraudulent priest, and imposter extraordinaire. The Professor and the Parson is a witty and charming portrait of eccentricity, extraordinary narcissism, and a life as wild and unlikely as any in fiction. Motivated not by money but by a desire for prestige, Peters lied, stole, and cheated his way to academic positions and religious posts from Cambridge to New York. Frequently deported, and even more frequently discovered, he left a trail of destruction including seven marriages (three of which were bigamous) and an investigation by the FBI. "I was captivated from start to finish by this utterly mad, and wholly delightful story of chicanery and fantasy, and which involves a man who relentlessly duped our most cherished institutions of godly pursuit and higher learning. Plus I learned how to defrock a priest, always good to have on hand in these troubling times." —Simon Winchester, author of The Perfectionists

Sophie, a twenty-something Jim Morrison groupie gliding through a golden existence in L.A., and Lola, a German immigrant who has settled in Hollywood, know that while Los Angeles is constantly changing, it is essentially eternal. The two women dazzle - one with the promises of youth, the other with the fulfilment of nostalgia - as they wend their way through the pink sunsets and the palm trees of Los Angeles. Living out their addictively decadent lives, Sophie and Lola are cult writer Babitz's literary embodiment of the iconic L.A. Woman - more than in part inspired by her own wild and hedonistic youth.

While Mutants & Masterminds players create heroes, the Gamemaster creates the villains, the adventures, and the entire world where the series takes place. That can be a lot of work, but the Mutants & Masterminds: Gamemaster's Guide is here to help. This book has everything a M&M Gamemaster needs, from guidelines on creating challenges and adventures to advice on designing your own setting and series. The Gamemaster's Guide includes guidance on how to set up and run your game and to help your players create the best heroes, archetypes that make building villains easy, world-building tips, and options for modifying the game to suit your group's play style.

Since 2002, Mutants & Masterminds has earned its title as the World's Greatest Superhero RPG, inspiring countless game sessions and winning many awards for excellence. The Mutants & Masterminds Hero's Handbook is the core rulebook of the game's third edition, giving you everything you need to have your own superheroic adventures. The detailed character creation system lets you create the hero you want to play, choosing from a wide range of skills, advantages, and power effects. Customize your hero's powers with modifiers to create an almost endless range of superhuman abilities. Choose the complications your hero must overcome, earning you the hero points to achieve victory. You can also choose from one of more than a dozen heroic archetypes, customize as you like, and be ready to play in just minutes! The streamlined system of game play requires only a single die roll and features easy-to-use rules. Play out an entire heroic adventure in a few short hours without long, drawn-out encounters. Plus, the hero point system allows players to influence the flow of the story and pull off superheroic stunts in the best comic book tradition! Become a hero of legend with the Mutants & Masterminds Hero's Handbook!