Jonathan Green's Blog, page 169
July 18, 2014
Gamebook Friday: Fighting Fantasy Fest 2014 featuring the official book launch of YOU ARE THE HERO...
... A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks.There are now just 13 days left in which you can purchase your ticket for Fighting Fantasy Fest 2014, which is attracting guests from all over the world (quite literally).
The event will feature the official book launch of YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks , which in turn features the artwork of Jim Burns (amongst many others). Jim provided cover art for Freeway Fighter, not once but twice, and also painted the Legend of Zagor box art.
Jim also has his own art book out. Called Hyperluminal , it's out this September from Titan Books. The softback edition of YOU ARE THE HERO will be out in September too and the first place it will be available is Fighting Fantasy Fest 2014.
Also appearing at Fighting Fantasy Fest 2014 will be Ian Livingstone CBE, author of Freeway Fighter, along with Steve Jackson, co-creator the the Fighting Fantasy series of gamebooks.
July 17, 2014
Fighting Fantasy Fest 2014 - Featuring Chris Achilleos
There are 14 days left to buy your ticket for Fighting Fantasy Fest (so that we have enough time to produce all the fantastic goodies that will be available for attendees on the day) so if you've been holding off from buying your ticket, now would be a good time to do so.
One of our guests at the event is fantasy art legend
Chris Achilleos
. Well known for painting everything from Doctor Who novel covers to beautiful fantasy-themed ladies, a number of pieces of Chris's art appear in
YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks
which is launching at Fighting Fantasy Fest.His work for FF includes the covers Steve Jackson's novel The Trolltooth Wars, Ian Livingstone's gamebooks Temple of Terror and Armies of Death, at the covers of the background books Out of the Pit and Titan - The Fighting Fantasy World.
So head over to the DoubleTree Hilton Hotel in Ealing, West London, on Sunday 7 September, and get your copy of YOU ARE THE HERO signed by Chris himself!
July 16, 2014
Warhammer Wednesday: Mission Games Workshop - Chiswick
After utterly failing to get into the London Film and Comic Con on Saturday, I took a stroll through West London, eventually finding myself at the Chiswick Games Workshop store.
Jake the store manager was there, just as he was the last time I was in the branch, only it turned out he'd been to Bromley and back in the interim! Anyway, Jake had nice things to say about my Black Templar stories and The Relic , so here are some pictures of some of the minis on show this week.
Black Templars and Crimson Fists.
An impressive-looking gun.
A downed Drop Pod.
Jake the store manager was there, just as he was the last time I was in the branch, only it turned out he'd been to Bromley and back in the interim! Anyway, Jake had nice things to say about my Black Templar stories and The Relic , so here are some pictures of some of the minis on show this week.
Black Templars and Crimson Fists.
An impressive-looking gun.
A downed Drop Pod.July 15, 2014
My Annotated Workspace - July 2014
Back in February I posted this, in which I annotated my workspace and explained what all the projects were I was working on at the time. Well I'm going to do it again, five months on, so here we go...
1) I've been proof-reading YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks. Here you can see art by Martin McKenna, Les Edwards and Pete Knifton.
2) The 350th issue of the Judge Dredd Megazine - I've had a couple of short stories in this over the last couple of years and it's time I came up with some more story proposals.
3) Christmas Books - I'm re-vamping What is Myrrh Anyway? Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Christmas in time for Christmas 2014, including additional content. The new edition of the book will go by the name A History of Christmas.
4) My laptop, open at the Eventbrite ticket page for Fighting Fantasy Fest 2014. Buy your ticket today!
5) Sharkpunk is an anthology I'm editing for Snowbooks, that will be published in May 2015. The story you can see here is by David Tallerman.
6) The 250th issue of SFX Magazine and a commissioning form for a piece I'm writing for a future issue about Ted Hughes' The Iron Man.
7) Take Back the Skies by Lucy Saxon - I've recently reviewed this book and there's even a competition to win a copy of the book. Check it out!
1) I've been proof-reading YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks. Here you can see art by Martin McKenna, Les Edwards and Pete Knifton.
2) The 350th issue of the Judge Dredd Megazine - I've had a couple of short stories in this over the last couple of years and it's time I came up with some more story proposals.
3) Christmas Books - I'm re-vamping What is Myrrh Anyway? Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Christmas in time for Christmas 2014, including additional content. The new edition of the book will go by the name A History of Christmas.
4) My laptop, open at the Eventbrite ticket page for Fighting Fantasy Fest 2014. Buy your ticket today!
5) Sharkpunk is an anthology I'm editing for Snowbooks, that will be published in May 2015. The story you can see here is by David Tallerman.
6) The 250th issue of SFX Magazine and a commissioning form for a piece I'm writing for a future issue about Ted Hughes' The Iron Man.
7) Take Back the Skies by Lucy Saxon - I've recently reviewed this book and there's even a competition to win a copy of the book. Check it out!
July 14, 2014
July 11, 2014
Gamebook Friday: Steam Golems, Stormslayers and Sunday the Seventh of September
As a result of being tagged in a recent post on the British Steampunk Community Facebook page, I discovered Micro Art Studio's Steampunk miniatures, amongst which I found this Security Golem...
After reminding me that I need to write a piece for SFX magazine about Ted Hughes' The Iron Man, the miniature made me think of my own Steam Golem from Stormslayer ...
Stephen Player, the artist who illustrated Stormslayer, teaches an illustration class and has used the art brief for the book with his students. As a result, every once in a while new interpretations of his original illustrations appear online, usually over on DeviantArt, such as these...
The last of these images is by the artist Emerson Tung. Emerson also created an alternative image of the Eye of the Storm (the giant fish-shaped brass flying machine) from the book, which appears in YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks .
And of course YOU ARE THE HERO is going to have its official launch at FIGHTING FANTASY FEST 2014 on Sunday 7 September. Buy your ticket now and become a part of Fighting Fantasy history yourself.
After reminding me that I need to write a piece for SFX magazine about Ted Hughes' The Iron Man, the miniature made me think of my own Steam Golem from Stormslayer ...
Stephen Player, the artist who illustrated Stormslayer, teaches an illustration class and has used the art brief for the book with his students. As a result, every once in a while new interpretations of his original illustrations appear online, usually over on DeviantArt, such as these...
The last of these images is by the artist Emerson Tung. Emerson also created an alternative image of the Eye of the Storm (the giant fish-shaped brass flying machine) from the book, which appears in YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks .
And of course YOU ARE THE HERO is going to have its official launch at FIGHTING FANTASY FEST 2014 on Sunday 7 September. Buy your ticket now and become a part of Fighting Fantasy history yourself.
July 10, 2014
Tin Man Games Sale - Temple of the Spider God at 66% off!
Tin Man Games are having a sale of their Gamebook Adventures apps at the moment, which means you can pick up (or should that be download) my very own
Temple of the Spider God
. Click here to find out more.
Tin Man Games will also be attending FIGHTING FANTASY FEST 2014, and talking about how they are going about converting classic Fighting Fantasy gamebooks for a new generation in the 21st century.
If you've yet to buy your ticket, you have just 21 days left to do so. So don't delay, buy yours today.
Tin Man Games' next FF release is Steve Jackson's Appointment with FEAR
Tin Man Games will also be attending FIGHTING FANTASY FEST 2014, and talking about how they are going about converting classic Fighting Fantasy gamebooks for a new generation in the 21st century.
If you've yet to buy your ticket, you have just 21 days left to do so. So don't delay, buy yours today.
Tin Man Games' next FF release is Steve Jackson's Appointment with FEAR
July 9, 2014
Warhammer Wednesday: Greenskins, greenskins everywhere!
It's all about the galaxy-bothering greenskins over on the Black Library website at the moment. Well, if you like Ork stories then you'll love
The Armageddon Omnibus
, my short story The Relic, and
Herald of Oblivion
. There's even an Ork in one of my Nathan Creed stories in the Necromunda Omnibus 2.
July 7, 2014
Fighting Fantasy Fest 2014 - Only 2 months to go!
It's hard to believe, I know (and just a little bit scary), but two months today the DoubleTree Hilton in Ealing, West London, will be opening its doors to attendees from across the world visiting
FIGHTING FANTASY FEST 2014
. And you could be there too.For those attending we have all of the following on offer:
6 Fighting Fantasy artists - including Russ Nicholson, John Blanche, Chris Achilleos, Malcolm Barter, Tony Hough and Leo Hartas.
3 Fighting Fantasy authors - Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone, co-creators of the Fighting Fantasy series, and Jonathan Green, author of seven FF gamebooks.An extremely collectible goodie bag, including a Fighting Fantasy gamebook, a poster, a novel, a Tin Man Games download app code, and a ZAGOR THE WARLOCK miniature, only available to those FF fans attending FIGHTING FANTASY FEST and based on this piece of artwork by Russ Nicholson!
A talk on the early days of Fighting Fantasy by Steve and Ian, with special guest Philippa Dickinson, the editor who first worked on The Warlock of Firetop Mountain.
Arion Games running Advanced Fighting Fantasy sessions throughout the day.
Tin Man Games talking about and demonstrating their latest FF apps.
Inkle Studios talking about their Sorcery! apps.
Various others traders, offering books for sale, wargaming miniatures, dice and gaming equipment, and more!
The official book launch of YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks, written by Jonathan Green and supported by hundreds of FF fans through the Kickstarter crowd-funding website.An exhibition of never-before-seen and highly-collectible items from FF's history.
An auction of rare Fighting Fantasy memorabilia from the vaults of the Warlocks of Firetop Mountain themselves.
And if all that wasn't enough you'll be able to have a drink with the creators of Fighting Fantasy at the Black Lobster Tavern, from Port Blacksand, City of Thieves, themed bar!
If you've not bought your ticket yet you can do so here. Please tell all your friends via social media and any other means at your disposal (such as telephone, email, carrier pigeon, smoke signals, sorcery...) and we'll look forward to seeing you in September!
