Psychologist by day, supervillain by night
91¾«¼ņ°ę professor Hassan LĆ³pez leads a diabolical, āManiacalā double life.
After he grades his exams, makes sure the lab rats are fed, and hangs up his lab coat, LĆ³pez 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.
LĆ³pez, an associate professor in 91¾«¼ņ°ęās Neuroscience Program, is also a successful game developer. His second board game ā āManiacal,ā a strategy game for aspiring supervillains ā is set for release this spring.
At 91¾«¼ņ°ę, LĆ³pez, 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 ā 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 ā also have little to do with game design.
āThatās kind of the point. I need something else to stimulate me and grow,ā he said, adding that 91¾«¼ņ°ę offers an environment where creativity can flourish. āLiberal arts colleges like 91¾«¼ņ°ę, in contrast to pure research institutions, are unique in that they afford professors the time and space to delve into personal interests.
āHaving a hobby makes us better people and better professors. We model what it means to be well-rounded.ā
However, the 91¾«¼ņ°ę 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, āManiacalā 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.
LĆ³pezās 2015 fantasy steampunk war game, āClockwork Wars,ā sold out. LĆ³pez, describes that game as āRisk on steroids.ā It features hybrid creatures fighting for territory with the help of armies, currency, espionage, sorcery and even science.
LĆ³pez says he designed āManiacalā to be more family-friendly than āClockwork Wars.ā The new board game is ātongue-in-cheek with the villains being bumblers to a degree. Players will see humor in it.ā
LĆ³pezās daughter, Inara, 7, helped her father come up with some of the character names. LĆ³pez loves the idea that āboard games can replace screen timeā for kids.
LĆ³pez 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 heās continuing a family tradition.
In the short term, LĆ³pez is looking forward to selling āManiacalā and playing against Inara, who also is a character in the game. LĆ³pez acknowledges, however, that she may be a few years away from world domination.
