Way-Out Wednesday: Toon

Did you spend your childhood watching classic cartoons—Bugs Bunny, Felix the Cat (my favourite), Popeye, Tom & Jerry, or Screwy Squirrel? Ever had the hankering to try to make one of them yourself—say, through the medium of an RPG?

Probably not. It probably hasn't really crossed your mind before. But, if you're like me, and I tell you that Steve Jackson Games publishes an excellent RPG called Toon that will let you do just that—the idea will nestle in the back of your mind, growing stronger and stronger until you finally think to yourself "you know, I really, really want to try this out." Riiiight?

Well, good. Because Toon is quite something—Inquest called it "the funniest RPG ever"—and it is the very definition of "Way-Out." Your character, of course, is a cartoon character, whose four main attributes are "Muscle," "Zip," "Smarts" and "Chutzpah." And of course, you can't die—you just Fall Down for a while, sure to be back on your feet in time for the next scene. Though at first it might be seen as a standard roleplaying game, with PCs and a GM called an "Animator," Toon soon reveals its idiosyncrasies—that, more so than any other RPG that claims so (i.e. basically all of them) fun is tantamount, to the extent that it is encourage to break the rules of the game, much like cartoon characters break the fourth wall for the sake of laughs—"Act first. Think Later." is the only unbreakable rule of Toon. Pure anarchy, pure brilliance.

Unfortunately, it's out of print, so it's a bit difficult to find. If you're vigilant, you can score a copy—maybe order one from ACME?—but, of course, the PDF will always be there, sure as Tweety gets away from Sylvester.

That's all, folks!