Author Archives: AFDStudios

How to Use HeroMachine 2 Locally

[Note: As of April, 2026 you can use HeroMachine 3 natively in your browser, no extra setup needed. If you prefer to use the Flash version, though, this article still applies.]

Hi all, with big thanks to HeroMachiner Eric Bowling, here’s how you can use HeroMachine outside of your browser. Adobe has said they’re going to be force uninstalling the Flash Player (the standalone player basically) but I don’t know that applies to this particular version.

Basically you download a local Flash Player application, then put in the URL for a .swf file (a compiled Flash object, which is what HeroMachine uses) and it plays. I’ve tried it on my Mac with HM3 and HM2 and it seems to work like a champ. You’ll still need an Internet connection but if this goes well I may bundle up the files and make them available online so you could truly run it all locally. We’ll just have to see, I don’t want to sell people something and then BAM Adobe force uninstalls the Flash Players and it no longer works.

Continue reading

Flash End of Life and maybe HeroMachine as well

Update: Check this post for instructions on how to keep using HeroMachine in a local Flash Player Debugger.

Flash has reached its End of Life and HeroMachine no longer works. Thank you for your support over the years and for your interest.

I have paid thousands of dollars and worked for 2+ years for a replacement but alas, it is not yet done. I’ve investigated replacements for Flash that would allow it to remain operational, but they haven’t worked out.

We’ll continue to work behind the scenes to see if we can complete the work that’s been done so far but clearly, my promises are worth very little right now. I’m devastated and so sorry that we weren’t able to bring this thing in for a landing in time.

I’m proud that for 20+ years, this site has enabled people to bring their inner creativity to life. I feel like I’ve lost a bit of my soul today and I am so, so sorry to have let you all down.

Check back occasionally and / or join the Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/HeroMachine/) for any future updates.

All the best, and please keep on creating.

Jeff

Nerdmudgeon: Wonder Woman 84 Up now!

Nerdmudgeon: Earth's Mightiest Podcast!

Hi all, I have a new episode of the Nerdmudgeon podcast up at https://nerdmudgeon.com/bonus-wonder-woman-84 featuring my sisters, Diane and Denise! I had a ton of fun going over the release of the new movie today and I hope you’ll give us a listen. Thank you and Merry Christmas!

Site Outage planned for Thursday at Midnight PST to about 2am.

We’re doing some maintenance on the site to prepare for the non-Flash version of HeroMachine, so the site will be down this Thursday, November 19, from midnight to about 2am Pacific Time.

Thanks for your patience!

Nerdmudgeon: LEGO Batman!

LEGO Batman Movie poster
Snap on your hat and get ready for the utter insanity of “LEGO Batman” as we finish up asking “Can an animated super-hero movie be as good – or better than! – their live-action counterpart?”! I hope you’ll give us a listen!

A really cool game

Hey y’all, HeroMachine user Daysean Driscoll reached out to show me this awesome game he’s put together. “Hero’s Mantle”. It uses HeroMachine-based art! I haven’t had a chance to play it myself but it looks fantastic. Check it out and see what you think on the game’s Facebook page!

Heroe's Mantle characters standing

Toonmudgeon: Iron Giant!

Nerdmudgeon: Earth's Mightiest Podcast!

We continue the discussion of “Can animated super-hero movies be as good as (or even BETTER THAN!) the MCU?” with a review of the cult classic “Iron Giant”. Is this even a super-hero movie?! Tune in & find out! https://nerdmudgeon.com/the-iron-giant

Toonmudgeon: The Incredibles

Nerdmudgeon: Earth's Mightiest Podcast!

The guys continue their Toonmudgeon journey – asking “Can animated super-hero movies be as good as (or even BETTER THAN!) the MCU?” – with their review of “The Incredibles”. Check it out at https://nerdmudgeon.com/the-incredibles.

Nerdmudgeon: Spider-Man, Into the Spider-Verse

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse poster showing Gwen, Peter, and Miles in front of a city

With the conclusion of the #MCU reviews, we now tackle the question “Can animated super-hero movies be as good – or even better than – the MCU?” in what we call TOONMUDGEON! Join us as we kick things off with “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse”! Please give a listen if you’re so inclined at https://nerdmudgeon.com/spider-man-into-the-spider-verse and if you haven’t seen “Into the Spider-Verse” yet, you definitely should! It’s honestly one of the best super-hero movies of all time in my opinion.

Nerdmudgeon: Far From Home & MCU Wrap-Up

Stan Lee POW!

We close out the MCU review with “Spider-Man: Far From Home” and follow it up with our big “MCU Wrap-Up Show”! Come on by Nerdmudgeon and give us a listen if you have a moment, I think you’ll really enjoy these!