91传媒

91传媒 professor Hassan L贸pez leads a diabolical, 淢aniacal� double life.

After he grades his exams, makes sure the lab rats are fed, and hangs up his lab coat, L贸pez sends his henchmen to build a floating fortress of doom in South America, plots the theft of a nuclear warhead in Europe, and devises sinister schemes to become a warlord in Asia.

L贸pez, an associate professor in 91传媒 Neuroscience Program, is also a successful game developer. His second board game � 淢aniacal,� a strategy game for aspiring supervillains � is set for release this spring.

At 91传媒, L贸pez, who teaches Introduction to Neuroscience, Hormones and Behavior, Physiological Psychology, and Psychopharmacology, bears little resemblance to Dr. Hominoid, the supervillain scientist, featured on the game cover.

He acknowledges that his research interests � the role of the endocannabinoid system in regulation of social behavior, the neurochemical basis of sexual motivation and the use of cannabidiol in treatment of seizure disorders � also have little to do with game design.

淭hat kind of the point. I need something else to stimulate me and grow,� he said, adding that 91传媒 offers an environment where creativity can flourish. 淟iberal arts colleges like 91传媒, in contrast to pure research institutions, are unique in that they afford professors the time and space to delve into personal interests.

淗aving a hobby makes us better people and better professors. We model what it means to be well-rounded.�

However, the 91传媒 professor, who completed his undergraduate studies at Harvard and his doctorate at the University of California Santa Barbara, has lectured on game design and one day hopes to teach a course on the topic.

Featured on Kickstarter, 淢aniacal� achieved its funding goal of $25,000 in just two days with support from more than 500 backers.

Adding to the appeal, Rob Guillory, an Eissner Award winner, known for his art on Image Comics' long-running series CHEW, illustrated the game, which features beasts, criminals, mercenaries and, of course, scientists as henchmen.

L贸pez 2015 fantasy steampunk war game, 淐lockwork Wars,� sold out. L贸pez, describes that game as 淩isk on steroids.� It features hybrid creatures fighting for territory with the help of armies, currency, espionage, sorcery and even science.

L贸pez says he designed 淢aniacal� to be more family-friendly than 淐lockwork Wars.� The new board game is 渢ongue-in-cheek with the villains being bumblers to a degree. Players will see humor in it.�

L贸pez daughter, Inara, 7, helped her father come up with some of the character names. L贸pez loves the idea that 渂oard games can replace screen time� for kids. 

L贸pez grew up playing historically themed war games with his brother in Binghamton, N.Y., where his father also was a professor.  He likes the idea that he continuing a family tradition.

In the short term, L贸pez is looking forward to selling 淢aniacal� and playing against Inara, who also is a character in the game. L贸pez acknowledges, however, that she may be a few years away from world domination.