Customer Reviews

The Dark Menace of the Universe

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

...a writer write about a legacy. In 1984 Tom Filsinger approached Vince McMahon and the WWF with wrestling card game idea. 24 years later, after being turned away, his creation continues to live a strong, healthy, never ending life in the form of Champions of the Galaxy. Some of the greatest televison shows in the history of the world can't make the claim to have lasted over two decades. But Tom's idea has. Less of a background on the game and it's 24 years of editions than the also remarkable 'COTG Files' the book explores more of the creativity, personal life, and mind of it's creator, Tom Filsinger.

With chapters on his early life, including being adopted, raised by a man he considers more of a father than his actual father, to the uneasy meeting one day with his biological father, the author is not shy about discussing the things that got him to where he is today.

My favorite parts of the book are the pages dedicated to the hundreds and hundreds of the Champions of the Galaxy fans and followers. Entire pages are dedicated to game fans who have created their own characters over the years, and to those who have won lottery's to create "official game cards", like Pete Fusco, Sam Luptak, Christian MacLeod, and many others, including one year where Tom allowed a collection of over 50 promoters attending the yearly Galacticon convention to work together and create a characte named Payback. To this day Payback remains a major player Champions of the Galaxy.

From meetings with the WWF, to a meeting with his biological father, to coming up with the idea for Champions of the Galaxy, to his undying love for the college profession and his students, to his family, Tom is open, humble and most of all humorous when writing and thanking all the people who have been there with him over the past forty some years.

The book is a must read for anyone who values family, friends, art, writing, gaming, wrestling and passion for creativity. Over my life, I can honestly say I've never had the pleasure to have met anyone as down to Earth and real as Tom. Reading The Dark Menace of the Universe is like sitting down in a room, talking to the man himself. Any reader will walk away truly insipred, hungry for more, and with a smile on their face.

Since the release of this book in late 2005 (only 2 years ago), Tom has since gone on to collaborate a number of projects with the famous Stan Lee of Marvel Comics. The Dark Menace of the Universe forshadowed the greatness ahead for Tom and it has since proven true. To learn from a guy so humble, so creative, so driven, and so destined for more greatness as the years go by,is nothing short of an opportunity of a lifetime.

I purchased the Dark Menace back when it released in July 2005. I really enjoyed this book. I usually don't read to many books that I just could not put down. Tom Filisinger's past kinda takes you back to when you were a kid playing with your friends and dreaming of creating comics or role playing from your favorite TV shows, wrestling programs or Movies. This book will inspire you not to give up on your creative passions and encourages you to never give up and persue your dreams. I would recommend it to any one.

If you have never heard of Tom Filsinger, Filsinger Games, Legends of Wrestling, or Champions of the Galaxy, this is the book for you! Mr. Filsinger, a college professor, successful entrepreneur, devoted husband, and loving father discusses and dissects the creative and artistic processes that lurk deep down inside all of us. Being a "Dark Menace" is all about expressing yourself creatively, having an independent point of view, not succumbing to groupthink or the opinion of the masses if you disagree with something, striving to be the best you can be at everything you do, and feeling good about it all at the end of the day!

Mr. Filsinger created an entire universe in the science fiction/science fantasy realm and was able to combine several of his passions including pro wrestling, comic books, films like Star Wars and Star Trek, and great literary works from the past to help him make his unique mark on the role playing and gaming industries. His original game, Champions of the Galaxy, focuses on the sport of professional wrestling as it appears centuries from now. Men from Earth compete on a universal stage against strange aliens from other planets, evil creatures from other dimensions, and historical figures from the past. His second game, Legends of Wrestling, focuses on the rich real-world history of professional wrestling and includes such wrestling Legends as the Road Warriors, "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka, and Hacksaw Jim Duggan!!! Filsinger's games have become wildly popular and accumulated an almost cult-status among wrestling, gaming, and sci-fi fans alike. Never before has someone so gracefully crossed genres and boundaries, defying all previous precedents like Mr. Filsinger has! This book describes how he came up with his ideas, the process he used to brainstorm and create such outrageous characters, some skills that came in handy from his life as a teacher and a father, and lists some of his inspirations from certain comic books to authors and films!

The book also contains insight from such greats in the field of writing and creativity, like the father of Marvel comics Stan Lee! If you are interested in learning about the great products produced by Filsinger Games, are a fan of wrestling or science fiction/fantasy, aspire to be an author or entrepreneur, or just want a good, interesting read then this is the book for you!

I have had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Filsinger and believe the author is very passionate about his work, loyal to his fans and the followers of his games, and an overall nice and genuine person. His anecdotes are guaranteed to inspire or at the least, bring a smile. Soon after you finish this book, you will be referring to YOURSELF as a "Dark Menace"!

Last month Tom Filsinger, Associate Professor of Psychlogy at Jamestown Community College in Jamestown, New York and creator of the Champions of the Galaxy wrestling game, released his memoir. To commemorate the occasion, he included a limited edition playing card featuring a science fiction version of himself in the game, aptly named "The Dark Menace", and also tied in nicely with the twentieth anniversary of Champions of the Galaxy.

I only know Tom through the Champions of the Galaxy game, which is a card and dice wrestling game set in the far-flung future that has spawned countless spin-off and expansion sets, both officially made by Filsinger Games, and homemade "bootleg" sets. Nevertheless, as a writer Tom has long been an inspiration of mine, so I was eager to receive this book, which is a memoir on his life, creativity and Champions of the Galaxy.

Before I begin this review, you have to understand what a Dark Menace is, and is not. A Dark Menace is not something to aspire to be. No, a Dark Menace is the name given to those creative individuals who aren't afraid to speak their mind and be who they are, and to create.

The Dark Menace begins with an introduction by John Ettore, a longtime friend of Tom's that actually inspired the name of the book, who tells some amusing anecdotes and explains just what Tom means to him. From there, the book is all Tom's, and he begins by talking about the three themes running throughout the book: his life, a psychological study of creativity, and Champions of the Galaxy.

If there's a major flaw to this book, it's the flow, as the chapters seem to have been written independently of one another, and so the discussion of the various topics don't really move from one chapter to the next, so I'm going to discuss his three major themes independently, or as independently as I can.

First is Tom's life, in which creativity and Champions of the Galaxy have played a huge role. The early makings of this science fiction wrestling game are there from the beginning, as Tom found himself drawn to professional wrestling and comic books, which have had a profound influence on his creative works. One of his most notable inspirations was Marvel Comics creator Stan Lee, whose influence is apparent not only in Tom's writing style, but also in his rapport with his game's players. It was Stan Lee who unwittingly inspired the term "Promoters" that Tom uses for his game's fans.

Tom relates much information about his family and how his birth father abandoned them, only to come back into his life years later full of tall tales and empty promises before disappearing again. Also included is a chapter on innovating "basement wrestling" years before backyard wrestling became the trend.

In one of the major areas where the themes crossover is his relationships with the various artists the game has had, filled with stories about each, including the revelation that he's never even seen a picture of one of the most prolific artists the game has had. He also talks about the strain that working with two of his most famous artists had on his friendships with them when he reluctantly decided it was time for a change of pace.

Then, there's Leslie. For those of you who don't know much about the Filsinger family, especially Tom and Leslie, you have to understand something: They have arms that open very wide, and welcome people in. Leslie runs Filsinger Games day-to-day now, while also working hard as a stay-at-home mom and practicing her chosen profession, Clinical Psychology, part time. Despite my having never met her or Tom, she's recognized my name as soon as I've said it in the few times I have spoken to her. That's one of the keys to Filsinger Games' success: They don't treat their customers like customers, but more like long-lost family.

So Tom tells all about meeting Leslie and his marriage proposal to her, which involved Pee-Wee's Playhouse in a story you'll have to read for yourself, because I couldn't begin to do it justice, especially the part about holding television studios hostage. He also discusses his children (all four, one boy and three girls) and their various creative endeavors.

Finally, there's the realization of the dream, in which Tom began producing Legends of Wrestling, which allowed him to meet and work with many of his wrestling idols from his childhood or, in some cases, their next of kin.

In his psychological study of creativity, he touches upon the frustration that creative people face day to day, whether it be from person after person wanting to know the "secrets" of creativity, to dealing with those authoritarian types who not only do not appreciate a creative person, but feel threatened by them and try to "stomp out" their flame of individuality, a phenomenon that Tom dubs, appropriately, "Stomp Psychology".

With Champions of the Galaxy, Tom has endured some attempts at this "Stomp Psychology", as he's faced people who cannot believe that a college professor, of Psychology no less, could possibly be not only entertained by professional wrestling, but could be responsible for this game about it! Champions of the Galaxy has become more than just a game designed to save people from boredom. After trying to sell it to the World Wrestling Federation and being rejected, Tom got the idea while watching a cartoon to make a game about wrestling in the future! So he populated this group of wrestlers with larger than life heroes and villains, like Star Warrior and Thantos, filled it out with archetypes like the patriot Commander Sam and the wise old man, Omega, and finished it off with inhuman creatures like the reptilian Comrade Terror.

He also sparked a firestorm that has grown out of his control and encompassed the creative lives of thousands of people. That is, perhaps, the greatest fruit of Tom's labor of love: Champions of the Galaxy has inspired thousands of people to dig down and create their own fantastic wrestlers of the future, or their own insane science fiction wrestling matches. It has also given all these people a common ground, and spawned lasting friendships between individuals who likely would never have even otherwise met.

This intricate juggling act of father, husband, creator, professor and Fearless Leader to masses of Promoters did finally reach a breaking point in 1999, in which Tom considered, for a moment, that it might be time to put an end to the GWF (the fictional federation at the heart of Champions of the Galaxy). This opened up a whole new creative well for Tom that has spawned years worth of new twists, turns and storyline ideas that reinvigorated the game.

While Tom does discuss Champions of the Galaxy frequently throughout the book, he mostly talks about the creation of the game and the people involved in it, saving the detailed thoughts on the characters and storylines for the two appendices.

One theme that really stuck with me that Tom never mentioned as one he planned to discuss was individuality, but if there was one thing I took from the book, that would be it. Know who you are, and be yourself. Don't try to fit in just because it's the easier thing to do, and don't try to be "different" and "edgy" just because its "cool to be different". If you be yourself, realize that people you meet in life will feel threatened by that, and try to stomp it out, but as long as you stand firm in who you are, you'll be just fine. It's a good message. And if you follow it, you will become a Dark Menace in the eyes of some.

In conclusion, The Dark Menace of the Universe was a gripping read for me, that really rang true. If the world had more "Dark Menaces", creative thought may not be frowned upon so harshly. And if this book's legacy were to be that it fanned the flames of fearlessness and individuality in a whole new generation of people, well, we should count ourselves lucky.

Tom Filsinger has written an excellent book here. It boils down to three basic parts: his views on creativity, his wrestling game, and biographical information. Each time I read his book, I learn something new about the man who created the game I love. I think nonwrestling fans will enjoy learning his ideas on creativity. Fans of the game will enjoy his thoughts on the game, wrestling fans will probably enjoy his memories (and might have similar ones). I highly recommend this book.

This is an Excellent book from the Dark Menace Tom Filsinger. He is the creator of the greatest game ever in Champions of the Galaxy and this books allows us to get inisde the head of the Dark Menace himself.

This book is about Tom and his creative life. This book is an easy and interesting read. Good book on how the creative side of life can come out. Very much recommended.

In his book, the Dark Menace of the Universe, Tom Filsinger takes us on a journey through both his life and his creative processes, while giving us hints at enabling our own inner creativity. Sometimes sad, often funny, this book will make you think, and if you're not careful, it may change the WAY you think.

From the creator of the Champions of the Galaxy card game. If you ever wanted more insight into what went into creating the game this is a good book for you.

Even if you've never heard of Champions of the Galaxy this is still an excellent book. The author is a professor of psycology and provides his look into the creative process.

A quick and easy read for anyone curious about what goes into creating a game or wants to read about being creative.

Tom's life experiences has led him to where he is today. His zest and passion from life is shown in this "autobiography" and journal of how his passion has led him to a complete and full life.