Official Press Release
VILLAINS AND VIGILANTES™ RETURNS!

THE CLASSIC TABLETOP RPG IS NOW PUBLISHED BY MONKEY HOUSE GAMES™

June 27, 2010 is the release date for "VILLAINS AND VIGILANTES™ 2.1" from MONKEY HOUSE GAMES™. Virtually unavailable for the last two decades, VILLAINS AND VIGILANTES™ is back!

In 1979, JEFF DEE and JACK HERMAN created the original VILLAINS AND VIGILANTES™, the game that brought classic comic book style adventurers into the world of role-playing games. It inspired thousands of crossover fans between comics and gaming, and spawned dozens of imitations.
VILLAINS AND VIGILANTES™ is legendary among role-playing games for its random super-powered character generation system, its accessible, open and fast-paced rules, and the imaginative, far-ranging campaign universe created by Jeff Dee and Jack Herman.

This latest version of the game- dubbed version 2.1- revives the popular 1982 Revised Edition with some rules additions. It also features brand new illustrations from co-creator Jeff Dee, whose RPG game art has developed a longtime following.

"Jeff Dee and I are Monkey House Games." announced Jack Herman, "Effective immediately, V&V is back in the hands of its creators, right where it should be. We’ve both dreamed of this opportunity for a very long time, and we can’t wait for you to see what we’ve done with the old place."
Dee and Herman both credited the "ferociously loyal legion of online fans and players" as a driving force in the revival. "You carried the torch for decades and never faltered. This is a testament to your power and your will. You effectively brought our game back from the dead. We are in awe and we thank you."

According to Herman, there are currently new adventures and campaign material in the pipeline. "This is the perfect time for new players to jump in, but the die-hards that have been following V&V since its earlier incarnation will be right at home. You’ll get to reconnect with the very same game world Jeff and I previously ran, drew and wrote about- only this time it’ll be bigger, better and more. If players have even half as much fun playing it as we’re having working on it, this will be something you won’t want to miss.”

VILLIANS AND VIGILANTES™ 2.1 will be available June 27, 2010 from RPGNow.

Monkey House Games products are available from RPGNow and its affiliates at:
http://www.rpgnow.com/index.php?manufacturers_id=3246

VILLAINS AND VIGILANTES™ is the classic tabletop role-playing game of comic book style costumed crime fighters created by Jeff Dee and Jack Herman.

MONKEY HOUSE GAMES™ is the game company created by Jeff Dee and Jack Herman for the release of all material relating to the VILLAINS AND VIGILANTES™ Universe.

For further information, please visit www.monkeyhousegames.com

Monkey House Jack wrote on Jun 17^th, 2010 at 10:10pm:

Does this mean FGU no longer owns the game?

Mike wrote on Jun 17^th, 2010 at 10:38pm:

Interesting. I'm curious about this too. 

Great news!

Cheers!

Very interested if there will be a dead tree version as well.

Also, this will be compatible with what I already have, V&V wise?

Awesome news!  I'm really hoping the modifications lean toward the hints Jeff gave here.  I'm definitely looking forward to checking it out.

Will you be able to buy a hard copy of the book, or is it only available as a down loadable file?

Which company now owns the legal trademark to V&V?

Hope no one minds that I reposted this to my meetup group.

Of course I gave the post the heading of "Holy Flying Monkeys Batman!!!!!!"

Wow, this is really great news!  I for one am really excited about seeing what Jack and Jeff come out with!   

Monkeyhouse Games has the legal trademark on it now or they couldn't be putting out a 2.1 version.

Duroon wrote on Jun 18^th, 2010 at 2:50pm:

It's not in the press release, though. And FGU still has V&V materials on their site. Very interesting. I'd love to hear more details.

My brother informed me about this last night - I've really got only three words:

TOTAL
HARD
CORE!

Messers Herman and Dee...Thank you.  This is an event I've been dreaming about since the late '80s, and you have every guarantee that I'll be doing my utmost to support Monkey House Games in its efforts to bring V&V back to the gaming tables.

You guys did it first and you did it best.  Hoping that we'll be the recipients of updates regarding the upcoming hardcopy/.pdf releases over the coming weeks.

A fundamental part of my mis-spent youth has returned...

Hello everyone--

I went out for drinks with an old friend from high school yesterday, and heard the 2.1 news.

So what happened?

Did Herman and Dee purchase the rights from FGU?

Did the FGU contract expire?

Does the trademark agreenment allow for FGU and Monkey House to both publish V&V materials?

Or is Monkey House publishing V&V 2.1 in spite of any possible trademark infringements and planning on sorting out the details later?

I've been involved in trademark/copyright negotiations for my firm and am curious about the details. I couldn't garnish much from the press release.

AlabasterKnight wrote on Jun 21^st, 2010 at 12:03pm:

I guess we will see how this plays out on the 27th. As no one here is a copyright lawyer (at least no one I am aware of) I don't think any of us can say who is in the right or wrong at this point. I can say that I will be online as early as possible on the 27th buying the newest version of V&V.

Duroon wrote on Jun 21^st, 2010 at 1:06pm:

Well put.


Duroon wrote on Jun 21^st, 2010 at 1:06pm:

Me too.

Yes, welcome, AlabasterKnight! Hope to get to know you!