text:
This week we have a little Christmas gift for all gamebook enthusiasts. Mark Lain, a regular contributor to our amateur gamebook pages, has put together this festive adventure to lift the spirits of all those travelling around Titan.
"Baron Sukumvit is a changed man. No longer is he the sadistic trialmaster driven to creating increasingly tougher dungeons in the search for the ultimate hero. He has had an epiphany, following being thrice-visited by mysterious spirits who showed him the error of his ways. He immediately donated the vast majority of his fortune to the local orphaned Halflings' home in Fang. However, Sukumvit is not a man to be trusted, late-night visitations or otherwise.
Whilst driving your flock of Nandisheep home for Christmas, YOU noticed an intense light glowing in the sky and felt a bizarre compulsion to follow it to its source. That source transpired to be the site of Baron Sukumvit's long-sealed Trial of Champions and, on arrival, you were greeted by a wizened old dungeon-keeper. Weary, and needing somewhere to bed down for the night, you asked the dungeon-keeper if he could accommodate you in return for the few pieces of gold you kept in a pouch on your belt in case of emergencies. No sooner had he told you that he had no room and you were set upon by three large Orcs, bundled into a large red sack, and struck over the head with a blunt object."
Can you keep the Christmas Cheer?
Dragonmeet was held last Saturday at the ILEC Conference Centre in Earls Court, London. Ian and Steve signed books for nearly an hour and listened to the stories fans told and heard how the books inspired so many readers. Uber fan and fellow collector, Steve Dean, didn't let the side down and managed to bring his usual haul for signing and joined the queue not once, twice but three times to allow others to get their pride and joys autographed. Tales of lost and found books, favourites and frustrations kept me amused for hours as did selling many, many books old and new. So many that stocks are quite low. For all those that promised to keep in touch please do so through this site and share your stories.
Quick update to say that those going to Dragonmeet this Saturday can get books signed by Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson from 11am on stand 3A in the Author area. The Warlock will be taking a stock of the books, old and new, for sale and signing.
Look out for a new Quiz.
Courtesy of YOU ARE THE HERO, here is another fact. Blood of the Zombies includes the original Fighting Fantasy gamebook, The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, within its pages. It appears in paragraph 347, in the description of a windowless room that could almost be Ian Livingstone's own private gaming archive. But this was not The Warlock of Firetop Mountain's first cameo appearance. The book can also be seen in Appointment with F.E.A.R, where it can be found, appropriately enough, in a bookstore. One of Kev Crossley's illustrations in Blood of the Zombies includes an appearance by the sequel to The Warlock of Firetop Mountain - Return to Firetop Mountain - on a shelf in Goraya Castle's library.
I for one am looking forward to meeting everyone in a few weeks time. Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks will be selling new and old books alike. Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone will be available for signings so bring your own books along to be autographed. No times have been confirmed yet. Jonathan Green will be there as will Arion Games. See you all soon!
Building on YOU ARE THE HERO by Jonathan Green in which fans tell stories of growing up immersed in places and situations one could only conjure in the mind and survive to tell the tale. Not only that but try and try again, experiencing something different every time you took to the page and rolled the dice. Not to mention the mapping and immersive artwork taking you beyond that page sparking imagination beyond reality. If it wasn't real, it was escapism, it was wishing it could be different and somewhere you could be the hero. If I could go into any one of the books for real I would but I am taking the five-fingered bookmark with me and will have invented the Charm of Rewind because I can. Share your experiences with The Warlock by e-mail at firstname.lastname@example.com
First things first. Before I could even get a post up to say that The Warlock of Firetop Mountain Kickstarter has commenced but it has already funded! It only started less than two days ago but it has surpassed its $15,000 target already. There are still 29 days to go and is very affordable. Well done to Tin Man Games for what is going to be an epic rendition of the gamebook.
Are you old school and reading Legend of the Shadow Warriors this Halloween or are you more of a Howl of the Werewolf kind of person? Tweet The Warlock @fightingfantasy to share your adventures. May your stamina never fail!
This weekend Tin Man Games have announced that the much anticipated Kickstarter for The Warlock of Firetop Mountain will start this week (hopefully Friday). This has got to be the most exciting release to date. A year in the making, it will bring a whole new experience to your desktop and you will be able to experience gameplay like never before. They have released these pictures which show an exciting image of the interior of the Mountain and the 'Iron Cyclops' as a miniature.
Hello there Adventurers. The Warlocks Quill letters page has been created especially for fans who are new to Fighting Fantasy, as well as older fans of our adventure game books and system. The goal of the Warlocks Quill is to give YOU the opportunity to write in with all your interesting questions, comments . . . and complaints. Tell us what you'd like to see on this site - because it's your site. We would very much like to read readers views of the site and the books? Have you found the books too hard? What about the art? Do you like the site? Let us know and please send the Great Wizard your letters on any or all of these subjects. Send your entries to email@example.com for a feature.
In the run up to Christmas 1983 one small boy had an unexpected encounter whilst out shopping. "I went with my dad to the Games Workshop in the Arndale Centre in Manchester. I spotted the new Sorcery! box-set - The Shamutanti Hills and the Spell Book - and had enough pocket money saved up to buy it. The person serving us at the till told us that the author was out back and my dad, being my dad, asked if I cold meet him and have him sign my book, which Steve did. Who'd have thought that eighteen years later I'd be contacting Steve and negotiating bringing the series back to print!" That young boy was Simon Flynn, who in 2001 was Publishing Manager at Icon Books, the company responsible for relaunching the Fighting Fantasy series in 2002.
I think it might be appropriate that this is the month of Hiding. A lot of reference lately is being made to Kickstarter projects either running late, getting cancelled or going unfunded. Well Fighting Fantasy related ones are not immune to this. It is equally of concern to some that anything new from Fighting Fantasy is brought to market this way and especially since none of them are new Gamebooks.
You are the Hero by Jonathan Green was late but well worth waiting for (fingers crossed, his Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland is on time). Beyond the Pit was successful and as far as I remember on-time. So far the funded Trolltooth Wars Graphic Novel is running behind and still yet to materialise. There is no sight yet of the miniatures planned for release by Pure Evil Miniatures nor of the Dungeon Crawl Card Game by Greywood Publishing. It also appears that the Legend Quest project is under threat and may get pulled. Can Tin Man Games break this cycle with a really exciting rendition of Warlock of Firetop Mountain? Instead of releasing the app to the market in the usual way they are looking to Kickstarter for funding, mainly for new artwork to enhance the experience. Apparently, it is going to be bigger and better than we have seen before and hopefully we will not be disappointed. The only downside is if they all get released at the same time it might be a bit hard on the pocket, especially if funds are called in around the month of Locking, so get saving those Gold pieces.
In 1982, Ian Livingstone wrote the how-to-guide that The Warlock of Firetop Mountain was meant to be, but for Routledge & Kegan Paul rather than Puffin. "Dicing with Dragons" was the book about the role-playing games hobby that Geraldine Cooke suggested he and Steve Jackson write until they convinced her that a role-playing gamebook which you could actually play would be much better. They were right. The Fighting Fantasy series sold over 17 million copies. It proves that playing games is much more fun than reading about them!
Not really Fighting Fantasy news but as close as. A Kickstarter campaign has been started by Oliver McNeil, owner of Legend Photography. You might have met him at the Fighting Fantasy Fest last year with his costumes and props. The "live" game will be a unique team theatre experience, where any number of dungeon environments will have been created by the actors & crew. Members of the audience will be invited to enter the stage area and take part in encounter scenes, interacting with the actors. As the adventure unfolds, new scenes will be created in the versatile space for audience members to enter and enjoy. The audience are therefore the players in a thrilling, interactive 2 hour adventure.
Tom Baker (of Doctor Who fame) will be the Game Master voice over. Our very own Ian Livingstone is the project adviser. Jamie Thomson and Jonathan Green will be assisting with the scripts and Russ Nicholson and Malcolm Barter will be contributing artwork.
What are you waiting for - Get backing this project now.
Try your hand at this new Beneath Nightmare Castle quiz supplied by Tammy Badowski. Take it now.
I have the pleasure to introduce a new 225 paragraph amateur adventure, Venom of Vortan by Mark Lain.
"This adventure is intended as a gentle tribute to very linear, item-heavy, old school-style dungeon trawls. The style of, and approach to, the design of this short subject is intentional and hopefully familiar to fans of early Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks"
Can you overthrow Vortan, The Snake Lord? What are you waiting for, take the challenge now!
Quick update. I did attend Comic Con on Saturday as planned and what fun I had. Unfortunately Lew was unable to attend due to illness so maybe I will get to meet him another day. To make up for it I met loads of famous people and got to guest assist The 7th Doctor Who - Sylvester McCoy and either side of me was Chris Barrie and Robert Englund none the less.
I need some help. I have had a question from a fan who needs help solving Blood of the Zombies.
"I have been playing blood of the zombies and have come up against zombie Kong I have a shotgun and Amy has the pistol giving us a +7 on our attack score however considering as the highest you can role on the dice is 12 it is impossible to get higher than 20 so it seems impossible to get past zombie Kong. Can you be honest with me and tell me is it possible to get a better weapon or can that part not be completed."
Solutions please to mailto:email@example.com
Not quite news but a few stories to tell. I am attending Comic Con in Bournemouth on Saturday as a member of the Crew. I got the gig through a fellow fan, Fred Knitty and it also turns out that Lew Stringer will be there. Lew is famous for Derek the Troll in the original Warlock magazine. I'm not supposed to but I hope to get a sneaky autograph from him for the collection. This week I had friends around for supper, seeing that there two boys (8 and 12) were bored I asked if they liked reading and had they heard of Fighting Fantasy. Not surprisingly they hadn't but all the same they became very interested in all the books and my wider collection. I ran through the basics and got them hooked. I gave one The Warlock of Firetop Mountain and the other chose Caverns of the Snow Witch. Both sat down with dice, a piece of paper and a pencil and began playing the books. I am pleased to say that both requested to keep the books and of course I agreed. The moral of the story is that it is never too late or you are never too old to enjoy a classic Fighting Fantasy gamebook. I personally think that there is still mileage in visiting Schools to market the books as I am sure some parents would welcome reading over electronic games, however I would not want to cross Ian Livingstone over his digital agenda.
Dragonmeet 2015 is being held on Saturday 5th December at the IBIS HOTEL EARLS COURT & ILEC CONVENTION CENTRE in London.
The guest list is yet to be confirmed but it is hoped that Steve Jackson, Ian Livingstone and Jonathan Green will be in attendance. At the very least The Warlock will be manning a Fighting Fantasy stand with books for sale and hopefully if the Titan Gods work in your favour, there will be book signing sessions as well.
More updates soon or go to the Dragonmeet website to find out more.
This image has been released by Jamie Wallis to keep our interest. It is an image never seen before of a WIGHT by Russ Nicholson. The images to be used are not actually new as they were drawn for the original release of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain but have never saw the light of day until now.
If you have not done so already you simply must obtain a copy of YOU ARE THE HERO: A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks by Jonathan Green. It is packed full of facts, pictures and stories to keep you entertained for hours. Here is a quote by Ian Livingstone from the book...
Have you ever tried to write your own gamebook? Give it a try and send your submissions to firstname.lastname@example.com. The template you should use can be found here and if you need help in getting started read our advice here.
This week Fighting Fantasy is pleased to announce another great map by our regular contributor, Jim Fleet. This time he has produced one for City of Thieves. Whilst you are looking at this one why not check out the rest of the Maps available. If you cannot see a map for a book why not have a go yourself and submit it to email@example.com for it to appear on this website.
Did you know that the first ever book, The Warlock of Firetop Mountain written by both Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone was first published in 1982 and the last book, Curse of the Mummy written by Jonathan Green at number 59 ended the original series of green spines in 1995. This book is one of the most sought after Gamebooks in the collection. But that is not all.
In 2005 Eye of the Dragon by Ian Livingstone was published after a 10 year hiatus. Bloodbones by Jonathan Green followed in 2006. Bloodbones was actually destined to be book 60 in the original series but that was never realised and didn't see the light of day for a decade. Jonathan Green then followed up with 3 more books: Howl of the Werewolf (2007), Stormslayer (2009) and Night Necromancer (2010). The last book in the series thus far is Blood of the Zombies by Ian Livingstone and published in 2012, it marks the 30th Anniversary of the series. Have you read all 65 titles yet?
Fingers crossed this is not the last and rumour has it a new book will be released to mark the 40th Anniversary in 2022! If you cannot wait until then, start your adventure now and get reading the best and most famous gamebook series ever.
The world of Titan is an extremely dangerous place. Mankind and its allies huddle in fortified settlements, for beyond castle walls the wild lands stretch across three continents. Out in the wastelands, Orc tribes war with each other for dominance, Savage monsters roam at will in search of food. Evil sorcerers ready their inhuman armies for battle. No one, surely, would venture out into such inhospitable places - unless the rewards were so great a hero couldn't possibly refuse.
Part story, part game, Fighting Fantasy is a book with a difference - one in which YOU become the hero! Armed with two dice, a pencil and an eraser, you can set off on a perilous quest. YOU will need to decide which route to follow, and which monsters to fight using the elaborate combat system. You may not survive your first journey. But with experience, skill and luck, each fresh attempt should bring you nearer to your great goal.
A new map has been submitted by fan Jim Fleet. This one is a little different in that it is in space. Ever wondered what the journey in Starship Traveller looks like, well look no further than this map. If you have Maps of completed Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks then please send them to firstname.lastname@example.com to get featured.
In Titan the month of Fire has started and today, the third day of the Allansian week, is Fireday. This is fitting since it is deemed to be one of the hottest days this year.
By way of an update, Tin Man Games are continuing to work on the Warlock of Firetop Mountain app and Greywood Publishing are planning to launch the Kickstarter campaign for the much anticipated Fighting Fantasy Quest card game, starting with The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, followed by Deathtrap Dungeon, Forest of Doom, House of Hell and City of Thieves. Fingers crossed as well that the Kickstarter backed Trolltooth Wars Graphic Novel is well underway for release later this year.
Whilst we wait for all this to be released it is worth passing the time by downloading the new Inkle app, Sorcery! 3 - The Seven Serpents.
The Warlock struck lucky on Saturday. On one of his adventures hunting down the tomes of Jackson and Livingstone he managed to locate no less than 38 books in his haul. It is rare to achieve such a feat especially since a few rare gems were discovered. In particular, Allansia, that is much sought after amongst fellow adventurers and treasure collectors. Amongst them were books of another world by a fellow teller of stories but it would be remiss of me to mention the author here out of respect and loyalty to this brand. Nonetheless, these books and some of the original Fighting Fantasy books will become available to the marketplace once the inventory has been completed in pursuit of the ultimate collection.
Congratulations to Jonathan Green who won the 'Honorable Mention' award at this years Games Expo for his book You are the Hero: A History of Fighting Fantasy.
News has reached the Warlock that Pure Evil Miniatures are planning to release up to 20 figurines using Kickstarter later this year. The first time they appeared without announcement was last year at the Fighting Fantasy Fest. Only 7 were planned but it seems that greater plans are afoot. Those we know about are Shape Changer, Lizard King and Panther, Bloodbeast (below), Creature of Havoc, Zanbar Bone, Brain Flayer and Zagor the Warlock. The others are unknown at this stage and we will bring news of those when we can.
It's been a while but they are back. The first in a new set available, a brand new quiz to test your skill and knowledge. Try your luck with these 20 questions about The Citadel of Chaos. Why not try the other quizzes already available if you're up for the challenge.
Having read comments on Facebook recently it occurs to us that readers new to Fighting Fantasy do not fully realise the history behind the books and a lot of you do not appreciate the first book, The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, was published over 30 years ago in 1982. Some only know about the two Icon/Wizard series published in recent years and do not know about the classic 'green spine' that many original fans so fondly hold in their memories and collections.
So, to bring everyone up to speed it is time you read the Fighting Fantasy guide no fan should be without. Those old enough to remember will know about these books and die hard collectors will have read the guide already to keep track of their collections. You might be surprised when you read the guide as there is so much more to catch up on. For example, of the 29 titles, only 24 of those were from the original 59 Gamebooks issued. 5 titles were new, making it a grand total of 64. That means if you thought you have read them all, then think again. But be warned as they are out print, they are hard to find and you will have to explore the four corners of the globe to get your hands on them.
To help you on your quest The Warlock has written a guide which not only contains reference to the gamebooks but information on other tie-in books and collectables for your enjoyment. Good Luck.
Last week I posted about the Fighting Fantasy D20 System by Greywood Publishing whom will also bring us Fighting Fantasy Quest later this year. If you are not content with this original format, completed the paperback gamebooks or attempted the apps then try something different and try the new Advanced Fighting Fantasy system as adapted by Arion Games.
Rumour has it that the Deathtrap Dungeon movie is still on, despite getting no where a few years back. Ian Livingstone himself has tweeted the fact and further evidence can be found on the Facebook site of Martin Gooch who will be working with Ian on the movie adaptation, which they have done so for the last 9 years! More news too follow.
On the 3rd December 2014 we announced that Greywood Publishing had secured a license to produce a Fighting Fantasy version of their Dungeon Crawl card game.
As promised they have set up a separate website http://www.fightingfantasyquest.com/ to initially quench our interest in anticipation of the Kickstarter which will hopefully launch soon. Watch this space.
A competition to win a beautiful map designed by Mike Schley and signed by Steve Jackson.
Inkle Studios have generously supplied RpgGamerDad with a map of the Sorcery! location signed by Steve Jackson himself and all you have to do is answer the 2 questions below:
1 - In the RpgGamerDad Podcast Episode 17, what video game does Jamie Fry (a.k.a The Warlock) discuss in the interview with RpgGamerDad?
2 - In RpgGamerDad Podcast Episode 16, what accent does Finnegan the Leprechaun have?
Let us know the answers at email@example.com and they'll put your name in a hat - with the winner to be drawn at random on 4th May 2015.
Seven Serpents. Beacons of Time. Deserts, fissures, forests; invisible cats, ruined cities, mysterious spirits. Gods, witches, curses, plagues, magic and counter-magic. This is the most complex and most responsive adventure yet.Start your adventure now!
In order to get the app right Inkle have delayed the release of Sorcery! 3 until April 23rd.
Inkle have announced that Sorcery! 3 is due out on Thursday 16th April. Sorcery! 3 is the biggest adventure yet, with a massive world to explore any way you want; a new "active rewind" system; new smarter Swindlestones opponents; new weapons, new spells - and of course, new traps, new curses and new Gods...And then there are the time beacons, that let you change the world itself...You really want spoilers? Check out the preview video.
Well done to PJ Montgomery for setting this up and to the 356 backers for making it a reality by pledging £15,472 above the target of £14,500 which ended this morning. But the hard work begins now to bring the project to life. It never nearly happened as only a few days before the project was a several thousand pound short but fans dug deep, whether in response to the social media frenzy, reminder e-mail or pay day they managed to make it happen. Join fan, Lin Liren, in celebrating this by watching his victory video he posted to the Kickstarter page.
FINAL WEEK - 79% funded of the £14,500 target. So many fans want new material and here it is. With only less than 5 days to go, here is your chance to be part of something special. PJ Montgomery still needs £3,500 to make it a reality and it will be a great shame if it didn't. Pay day is upon on us, dig deep and fund this awesome Graphic Novel on Kickstarter now!
Talented artist Mark Robinson has submitted 5 of his drawings to the Fighting Fantasy Gallery he hopes will one day get him noticed for something greater. Check out more from Mark on his website.
What does Zagor do if his belts loose? Titan it
What does the Lizard King have on his roof? Rep-tiles
Whats Zagors favourite car? A lancia.
Did you see Baron Sukumvit in the dancing contest? He did the Fang-dango.
What do Minimites have in common with Sprites? Very little.
You can trust Akharis the Accursed with secrets. He keeps everything under wraps.
What holds Yatztromos magic book together? Spellbinding
What's Zagors favourite detective? Warlock Holmes
If you have Fighting Fantasy related jokes you'd like to share please e-mail mail@fightingfantasy,com and The Warlock will share them on these pages.
The Warlock is looking for more Maps for his collection. The ones he has are great cartography from the adventurers' that have dared to take on the denizen's of Allansia and other lands and space but there are gaps. Take a look in the link above and see where the gaps are, choose one or more books to take on and give it your best shot, black and white, colour, hand-drawn or digital, be creative. Because it can take a long time to complete a whole book and map it through several attempts, the competition will end midnight on the Sunday 5th April 2015. Please send your entries to firstname.lastname@example.com by the above date and the best map and runner-up will win receive FF goodies of the Warlock's choosing. Good Luck and may the Gods of Titan be with you.
The Trolltooth Wars KIckstarter has launched and has already raised £3,577 (at the time of writing this) of the £14,500 required to fund the project. You have until the 2nd April (7:59am) before time runs out. Make it happen and keep Fighting Fantasy alive and kicking with this modern adaptation!
No date has been given yet but activity on the internet indicates something is brewing. They have been working hard in the background to bring us new and rich content to enhance the already immense experience that is the Sorcery! quadrilogy.
Amongst 20 new monsters are the Centaur and the Nighthawk. Find out more on the Inkle website.
This short biography is like gold dust. Malcolm appeared at the Fighting Fantasy Fest after a long while off the scene, little is known about him on the internet but The Warlock managed to track him down again to gather some basic facts for the site.
Ever wondered who some of the artists are and which books they drew for? Have a look at our Biography section and find out more. Since Fighting Fantasy Fest 2014, I managed to also get a profile for Malcolm Barter who illustrated Forest of Doom. I will let you read the others first and will post his up in a few days time.
The first up is a space adventure by Gregory Unger at 150 paragraphs and is great to see a different genre. The second is Return of the Centaurs by Martin Knight at a whopping original 400 paragraphs, artwork and a map! Thanks and keep them coming.
These exclusive images have been released to whet the appetite for what is to come. PJ Montgomery has informed Fighting Fantasy that the Kickstarter was due in February, however this will now shift to March in order to get the project and rewards right.
Here it is, Episode #17 has arrived! Hear from the Warlock himself being interviewed by RPG GAMER DAD. The whole podcast is 46:56 long with the build up from roughly 6 minutes in with my part starting from 8 and half minutes but don't worry it lasts until 22:00 followed by some Out of the Pit action and then 30 minutes in you can hear Alexander Ballingall from the Fighting Fantazine. Enjoy.
If you are into podcasts then I can highly recommend RPG GAMER DAD where he involves his family in his roleplaying adventures. Of special interest is the current series of Fighting Fantasy podcasts running at the moment. He has started with a 30 minute run through of Riddling Riddler that is to be continued. Up next is an Interview with none other than the Warlock himself.
The graphic novel is an adaptation of The Trolltooth Wars, scripted by PJ Montgomery, with art by Gavin Mitchell. PJ has taken Steve Jackson's novel as the starting point, and fashioned a script from it. It follows the novel pretty closely, but there are small changes here and there (cuts for pacing, and small additions mostly as little nods for the fans). Gavin is in the process of starting work on the art, which he'll be doing digitally. He will be pencilling, inking, colouring and lettering the book. The script itself is finished, though there will be changes made as art comes in.
There will be a Kickstarter campaign to cover the costs of producing and printing the book. PJ is planning to run this in February, and he will be offering some pretty cool rewards, including the chance to be drawn into the graphic novel as a character, as well as some copies signed by Steve. PJ has been a Fighting Fantasy fan since he was a child, and has always fancied writing something set in Allansia. Adapting the Trolltooth Wars, and getting to write scenes featuring Zagor, has been a real treat. His previous comic book credits are co-writer on the horror comedy book Stiffs, a short story for the LGBT superhero anthology The Pride Adventures, and script and co-plot on Dynamite, a graphic novel based on a music album of the same name coming from Markosia publishing this year. Gavin wasn't an FF fan growing up, but is getting into it thanks to this comic, and the Advanced FF campaign they're both playing in there gaming group. His previous credits include Stiffs, Santa Claus Vs the Nazis for Aces Weekly, and his own upcoming creator owned comic, Out To Sea.
We will keep you updated on the progress of this exciting project and hope to bring you exclusive images soon
Set off on a journey of revenge against the dread pirate Cinnabar! http://fightingfantasyapps.com/
Albeit a little late, another fantastic edition has hit our digital desktops. Highly recommended is the interview with Fighting Fantasy stalwart - Marc Gascoigne. Check out my column where you can catch up with the latest news on how I am getting on in with my collecting. Available now from www,fightingfantazine.co.uk
Inkle, the app makers of the Steve Jackson Sorcery! series have released merchandise on the Cafepress site where you can pick up a mug or poster prints of The Shamutanti Hills map of the game.
Hello there Adventurers. Greetings! Welcome to the mighty Great Wizard's biography area for many of the contributory artists of the Fighting Fantasy Gamebook's. These pages provide profiles to the artists and illustrators who have made brilliant contributions to the Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks genre
May your stamina never fail during 2015. If you want to share any amateur adventures, artwork, questions or quizzes send them to firstname.lastname@example.com and do not forget to participate in the Forum.
We are pleased to announce the book competition winner as William Hewlett, aged 29 whom draw the Bloodsucking Spider, taking inspiration from one in the same by Russ Nicholson featured in Masks of Mayhem. Thank you to Alison of Greatest Gifts for supplying the prize.
Mark Lain has been busy again and supplied us with another amateur adventure to keep you entertained over the holiday. Legacy of the Vampire is a sequel/homage to Keith Martin's Count Heydrich adventures, Vault of the Vampire and Revenge of the Vampire, originally published in the Puffin Fighting Fantasy series as numbers 38 and 58 respectively.
Seasons Greetings from The Warlock - May your Stamina Never Fail!
The much anticipated digital adaptation of Bloodbones is only days away now and will be announced here as soon as it is.
Another much anticipated and well overdue offering is the latest issue of the Fighting Fantazine. A bit harsh since it is put together by volunteers and fans. However, always put together very well and always worth the wait. Again, due any day now.
Great to see fans who dropped by to see Fighting Fantasy at Dragonmeet last weekend. Fighting Fantasy books were on sale at no less than 3 tables. In addition to the main table sponsored by Icon Books. Graham Bottley was selling the Advanced Fighting Fantasy range on the Arion Games stand and Jonathan Green was selling his tome, You are the Hero - A History of Fighting Fantasy. Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson were present and signed books as usual.
The competition has ended and the artwork is in. An announcement will be made very soon and the winners will be revealed.
Fighting Fantasy are proud to announce that Greywood Publishing (publishers of the D20 adaptations) has signed a contract to make a dungeon crawl card game called Fighting Fantasy Quest. Illustrated by Fighting Fantasy stalwart Russ Nicholson, The Warlock of Firetop Mountain will come first followed by other expansions of the classic titles. A dedicated website will be available soon and let's hope we hear from Jamie Wallis with an update on progress soon as well.
Only a few days left until the 8th December to enter our competition to win books.
Fighting Fantasy will also be attending Dragonmeet on Saturday 6th December at the ILEC Covention Centre in London. The Warlock looks forward to meeting those in attendance. Make yourself known and meet Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson as well for a book signing.
If you haven't had a look around the site yet you're missing out. Check out the news archive, the Warlock's Quill, the Forum, amateur adventures or Maps, author and artist biographies and as much as you'll ever need about the people (more like monsters) and places of Allansia.
Come back soon to see a review of YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks by Jonathan Green and an unrelated Competition. Whilst you are waiting why not find out more about The Warlock (the earthly representative on this plain) by the Farsight Blogger, Jonathan Hicks.
Deep within the Crystal Caves of Icefinger Mountains, the dreaded Snow Witch is plotting to bring on a new ice age. A brave trapper dies in your arms and lays the burden of his mission on your shoulders. But time is running out – will YOU take up the challenge?
Caverns of the Snow Witch is available now on the Apple App Store and on Android Google Play. As adapted by Tin Man Games.
This is the first part of a series of adventures where YOU play the part of a lesser demon known to human demon lore as Pesmagroth, although your real name is beyond the wit and pronunciation limits of the average human. You were imprisoned in a sacred stone, the Sircarstone, decades upon decades ago and have now successfully duped a weak-willed sorcerer into performing the complex (and totally forbidden) dark ritual required to release you from your prison.
Tin Man Games have been busy with the Fighting Fantasy apps. It seems other commitments have changed the order once more. Following the release of Appointment with FEAR we expected to see The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, however Bloodbones was announced as next up which was not even on the radar initially.
To mix it up even more and keep you on your toes, neither are being released as yet in favour of Caverns of Snow Witch taking pole position in the race for the next release (watching the Sochi Grand Prix as I type).
View the latest version of the ultimate Fighting Fantasy Checklist and Price Guide 2014 here. If you require a pdf of this guide for personal use then contact the Warlock by e-mail.
Would you buy Fighting Fantasy merchandise such as the t-shirt in the photo below (14th September) with the official logo on the front or other such items of clothing or gifts such as a mug or similar. Cast your vote here on facebook or e-mail email@example.com with your feedback.
Jonathan Green has finally found enough time to blog about his experiences as the host of Fighting Fantasy Fest 2014.
Here is a picture of "the Warlock's envoy of this earthly plane" (in the words of Jonathan Green in YOU ARE THE HERO) at the Fighting Fantasy Fest 2014 last Sunday.
Head over to the facebook page of Jonathan Green where you can see some of the pictures taken for the event. It was a brilliant day for new collectables as well. I not only received my yellow entry backpack which included a convention booklet, 2 dice, a pen, a copy of Forest of Doom, a copy of Blood Royal (Pax Brittania) by Jonathan Green, a badge and a limited edition Zagor miniature by Otherworld Miniatures, I also received my hardback copy of YOU ARE THE HERO (signed!) which is indeed a mighty tome that will take several weeks to read along with a YOU ARE THE HERO eraser, 2 dice and a pencil. I managed to buy a duplicate set of these and a few more different badges made for the event and a Fighting Fantasy Fest poster none the less. Oh and I purchased a limited edition All Rolled Up pouch featuring The Shamutanti Hills artwork by John Blanche.
Due to selling original and new stock of books and collectables all day long I barely got away to see the stands and meet everyone. In addition to Ian Livingstone, Steve Jackson and Jonathan Green I had the pleasure to meet the artists Malcolm Barter, Tony Hough, John Blanche, Steve Luxton, Leo Hartas, Russ Nicholson and Chris Achilleos. Neil Rennison of Tin Man Games and Graham Bottley of Arion Games were also present.
More stories and pictures will follow.
Wow! what a weekend at the Fighting Fantasy Fest. The Warlock was so busy he had no time to blog about it here. It was a fantastic day and well done to Jonathan Green for doing such a grand job. The fans were awesome as well. Come back in the next few days to find out more about what happened in more detail, including links to other material that I will gather for your indulgence. In the meantime follow us on twitter @fightingfantasy and look out for comments on Facebook - Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks. for the latest updates.
This is it. The Warlock has packed his wares onto his wagon and is off to London as soon as this article is published. He will be staying at a local tavern overnight where he will taste the local Orc ale, Guursh or I might even find a Skullbuster at the Fest itself. For those attending tomorrow make sure your purses are full of gold coins to spend at the trading points. Plenty of books will be available to buy. For those who cannot make it, follow us on Twitter and Facebook using #FFF2014 on Sunday. Roll a dice and wish me luck for I am about to embark on a journey that only the brave would dare take on. May my stamina never fail!
With all the various news feeds clogging up your inbox and the decision which one to prioritise, look no further for all Fighting Fantasy news. The Warlock has conjured up a spell and thrown together a newsfeed that will give a daily feed from various popular sources, all (mostly) related to the world of Fighting Fantasy, occasionally you will find other news but it will be related to the gamebooks, gaming, fantasy and science fiction genres in some way or other. Don't miss out and subscribe now at Paper.li to the Fighting Fantasy Digest.
Only 14 days to go now until Fighting Fantasy Fest 2014 and tickets are now nearly sold out. It will be a very busy period for Jonathan Green as he builds up to the day and The Warlock is preparing his wares for sale on the day. If you use twitter please continue to send the message out about the tickets and use #fff2014 when you do. 'You are the Hero' - A History of Fighting Fantasy by Jonathan Green will be ready for its launch at the fest. If are one of Kickstarter backers then it is important you read the latest Kickstarter update from Jon to ensure you get your copy at the right time. Copies of the book will be for sale by Snow Books on the day.
In other news, the digital rendition of Appointment with FEAR by Tin Man Games will be released on 27th August. Find out more here.
It is still not too late to get your tickets for the Fighting Fantasy Fest 2014 as you can still buy them on-line.
Jonathan Green has now released the running order of the day as follows:
10.30am – The event opens and Registration begins.11.15am – Welcome to the event you've all been waiting for...11.30am – Tin Man Games presentation - A very special preview of some of Tin Man Games' forthcoming FF apps.12.00pm – The History of Fighting Fantasy - A talk by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone, with Philippa Dickinson, their editor on the original FF gamebook, The Warlock of Firetop Mountain.1.00pm – Lunch - Join us for a flagon of Cloud Ale at the Black Lobster Tavern.2.00pm – The Art of Fighting Fantasy - The Fighting Fantasy artists, in conversation with Jonathan Green.3.00pm – Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks and YOU ARE THE HERO mass signing.4.00pm – Fighting Fantasy Costume Competition, followed by the Fighting Fantasy Auction (with auctioneer Ian Livingstone).5.00pm – Your adventure ends here… The event closes.
During the day you will also be able to enjoy Advanced Fighting Fantasy gaming sessions, courtesy of Arion Games, take part in a Swindlestones tournament, with Inkle Studios, and have your fantasy-themed portrait taken by Legend Photography. Traders who will be there on the day include Otherworld Miniatures, board games specialists Leisure Games, FightingFantasy.com, French AFF publishers Scriptarium, purveyors of gaming accessories All Rolled Up, Pure Evil Miniatures, and Snowbooks, publishers of YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks (which will also be launching on the day).
You know have until Sunday 10th August 2014 to get your tickets for this epic event. This is the last chance to get tickets that will give you access to so many Fighting Fantasy celebrities - ever!
Choose Your Superhero Adventure! KAPOWWW!
Tin Man Games have developed a new interactive comic book engine that allows the player to become the superhero and choose their own path via a stylised comic-like interface.
The interactive graphic novel also allows the player to randomly collect trading cards, which will be swappable with other players via Facebook. By making clever decisions during the adventure, the reader also increases the possibility of getting rare cards.
Appointment with F.E.A.R. will be released at the end of August on the iOS App Store, Google Play and the Amazon Appstore. A desktop edition for PC, Mac and Linux will also be released via the Humble Store, which also comes with an Android version.
Want to share a drink with the creators of Fighting Fantasy at the Black Lobster Tavern, from Port Blacksand, City of Thieves, themed bar! Then look no further. Get your ticket to the Fighting Fantasy Fest now before it is too late as only 14 days remain.
In case you haven't seen the full cover art before for YOU ARE THE HERO and the Fighting Fantasy Fest poster by Martin McKenna it is below in all its glory.
Tickets are still available until 31st July 2014, so get in there before it is too late. Artists John Blanche and Leo Hartas have joined those attending as special guests.
Jonathan Green has been beavering away on getting his new book out - YOU ARE THE HERO. The pictures below are a glimpse of what is to come and Steve Jackson in action checking out his handiwork in the draft.
Adult and Child tickets are now available for the FIGHTING FANTASY FEST 2014.
Jonathan Green has also released more details on what you will get in the collectable Adventurer's Backpack when you attend the fest:
See more at: http://youaretheherokickstarter.blogspot.co.uk/
It is full steam ahead for Jonathan Green. On top of his other writing commitments, not only is he trying to finish the much anticipated Kickstarter funded, You are the Hero - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks, he is also organising the first ever Fighting Fantasy Fest. To be held in Ealing, London, on Sunday 7th September 2014, it is going to be the event of the year for Fighting Fantasy fans of all ages, if not of all time.
All those who attend will get to meet fellow enthusiasts and talk about nothing other than the Gamebooks that they have come to love. Not only that, but they will get to meet the esteemed and legends that are Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson themselves. An array of Fighting Fantasy authors and artists (Russ Nicholson, Tony Hough and Chris Achilleos so far) will also be present. On the day there will be signings, games, talks, trade stands, rare collectables exhibition, auctions and much more. Those who attend will also get a backpack of goodies. The awesome artwork for the poster and the book is by the Fighting Fantasy stalwart, artist Martin McKenna. Watch the artwork evolve here to see some of your favourite (or hated) characters (or nemesis) come to life.
Get your ticket now or live to regret never fulfilling your dream. The Warlock looks forward to meeting you all. May your stamina never fail!
So much news to report. It can go quiet for months and then - bam!, it all comes at once.
Further details of the news above and pictures will be released over the next week.
Find out more on Jonathan Greens blog.
Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson have been inducted into the UK Games Expo hall of fame that honor's those who have had a major influence on our hobby and have led the way. They will receive their award this Saturday after 4pm.
Just a quick reminder that Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson will be at the Games Expo in Birmingham at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole National Exhibition Centre this weekend (Saturday 31st) giving a talk from 2pm followed by book signings at 3pm in the Kings Suite (K32). Do not fear, the Warlock will be there selling books you can get signed on the spot. Tickets are now only available on the door. See you there!
It has now been confirmed and scheduled for Sunday September 7th 2014 in London, this event will be the first ever dedicated Fighting Fantasy convention, featuring special guest appearances by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone, and the official book launch of You Are The Hero - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks, by Jonathan Green.
In a hotel at an undisclosed location at this point somewhere in Ealing, London, England, this event will see all things Fighting Fantasy bought together under one roof. This will be a chargeable event (circa £50) and tickets sales will be announced at a future date. It is has also been announced that in addition to appearances by Ian and Steve, Illustrators Tony Hough and Russ Nicholson have already been confirmed to attend. As the event organiser, Jonathan Green will also be present. Yours truly will also been attending in some capacity or other.
This is the biggest ever opportunity you will ever have to meet some of your favourite gamebook authors and illustrators including fellow fans alike. Stock up on those gold coins as you will need them for the trade stands. Backpacks full of books for signing are also required for your adventure to be successful.
Don't forget Steve and Ian will be at the Expo on Saturday 31st May 2014 at 2pm for a talk followed by book signings. A limited stock of Fighting Fantasy books will be for sale but please bring your own along to get signed. Come along and meet the Warlock as well!
Would you be interested in attending a book launch for YOU ARE THE HERO and a mini FIGHTING FANTASY convention on Sunday 7 September 2014, in Ealing, London, UK at £50 a ticket? - Vote now here to help make this a reality. More soon.
Issue #13 of the unofficial Fighting Fantazine is released today for free. Hard copies can also now be purchased. Check out my column on page 86.
A new 300 paragraph Amateur Adventure, State of Mind by Michael Hartland has been added.
"You are about to undertake a perilous mission that will take you through the bustling city of Anghelm and across the dangerous lands of north-western Khul....."
Lots of good stuff going on in the world of Fighting Fantasy social media. Don't miss out on the latest conversations and updates from around the world - live! Check out pictures of fans collections and see the latest artwork they are sharing. Join like-minded adventurers and follow us on Twitter @fightingfantasy and like us on the official Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks Facebook page. You might also want to check out the unofficial Facebook group for other Fighting Fantasy exchanges.
Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone will be attending the UK Games Expo this year in Birmingham on Saturday 31st May 2014. They will be giving a talk at 2pm on the early years of Games Workshop. Afterwards it has been arranged that they will do book signings. Watch this space for more updates on this.
Tin Man Games' fifth Fighting Fantasy digital gamebook app, Starship Traveller, written by Steve Jackson, and first published in 1983, Starship Traveller makes a digital return with all new artwork, game features and soundtrack. It can be downloaded now from the iOS App Store, Google Play and Amazon Appstore!
Sucked through the appalling nightmare of the Seltsian Void, the Starship Traveller emerges at the other side of the black hole into an unknown universe. YOU are the captain of the Traveller, and her fate lies in your hands. Will you be able to discover the way back to Earth from the alien peoples and planets you encounter, or will you and your crew be doomed to roam uncharted space forever?
The Warlock has very little to report at the moment as he is waiting for quite a few things to come to fruition. Tin Man Games are tweeting vigorously about the imminent release of Starship Traveller but news has not reached these shores and the American market seems to be getting a better look in than us at the Appointment with F.E.A.R app. The Fighting Fantazine is still outstanding as is the long awaited and the much overdue You are the Hero book by Jonathan Green.
You are welcome to contribute your news for me to share, a letter or send me your Fighting Fantasy related amateur adventures, artwork, short stories or Maps. If you are on Twitter do not forget to join us @fightingfantasy for more updates. The Warlock will be posting random tweets over the next few weeks to test your Fighting Fantasy knowledge.
Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone have both been confirmed as guests at UK Game Expo 2014 in Birmingham on Saturday 31st May but the time is yet to be confirmed.
If you agree that Ian Livingstone is a 'Champion of Innovation' then join the Warlock and vote for him now to win that category in the Games Industry Innovation Awards. He is up against tough competition but truly deserves it, show your support now! Voting closes on April 9th.
Steve Jackson should also be proud that his Sorcery! app on Android has made it to Editor's Choice on Google Play. Well done Steve.
Another great map submitted by Jim Fleet, this time of Freeway Fighter.
The Warlock is proud to present his latest acquisition. It is an original preliminary pencil drawing by esteemed Fighting Fantasy artist Les Edwards for the cover of book 50, Return to Firetop Mountain by Ian Livingstone. Zagor is waiting. Dare YOU Return to Firetop Mountain!
A little teaser from Tin Man Games. Starship Traveller is the next planned app release, no actual date yet but imminent. The artwork is certainly not what you'd expect compared to other Fighting Fantasy apps that have featured original pictures.
The Sorcery! app for Android and Kindle is out now.
Further to the last update, Inkle have announced that on Wednesday 12th March 2014 the Sorcery! app will launch on the much awaited Android (Google Play) and Kindle Fire (Amazon Appstore) platforms.
Whilst we are waiting for the release of Fighting Fantazine #13 to read, check out this youtube video from TheRogueDM who narrates a walkthrough of issue #11. The latest news from Inkle is they have announced that Sorcery! 1 - The Shamutanti Hills will be released on Android this month much to the delight of fans. You will have to wait a few months longer though for Sorcery! 3 - The Seven Serpents on iOS, which Inkle themselves say will contain improvements on the previous two.
The Warlock has dusted off this article for you to enjoy from issue 160 of the SFX Magazine from 2007 that contains an interview with Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson.
Latest News - 22nd February 2014
Today we have a new short story, Crosshilt and Stormfire by Alex Hormann, Thanks Alex. Don't forget you can submit your stories to email@example.com for others to enjoy on this site.
Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone have both been confirmed as guests at UK Game Expo 2014 in Birmingham. It will be held in the Birmingham Hilton Metropole at the National Exhibition Centre between May 30th and 1st June 2014. It is not yet clear exactly which day(s) they will appear or what time, so come back on a regular basis to find out more.
In case you missed it, here is the link to the first part of the Sorcery! 1 Yogcast and now the first Sorcery! 2 Yogcast is out as well. Between these alone they have achieved over half a million views between them. There are more episodes in the series to watch on the site that continues each story with 100,000's of views each. You can also follow their journey through The Forest of Doom as well.
The Warlock likes to occasionally remind Fighting Fantasy fans young and old of the all the related books and collectables you can find out there in the big wide world. His alter ego has an established good old-fashioned website that is www.fightingfantasycollector.co.uk full of goodies to make even the hardiest treasure hunter envious. Although not updated in while, it is timeless and is still considered the place to go as a key reference. So, if you have ever wondered what all the different book covers look like, or curious as to what else Fighting Fantasy produced then look no further.
To compliment this, The Warlock, as the self-confessed curator of all such things also maintains a Collector's Price Guide he publishes annually to help you in your quest of collecting and cataloguing all your Fighting Fantasy finds. You can also use it to value your collection. If you should have something in your collection that the Warlock hasn't yet discovered please contact him at email@example.com with the details.
May your stamina never fail!
More artwork (skulls and zombies) added in the gallery by Alex Forknell and two more maps by Jim Fleet, namely Island of the Lizard King and Armies of Death. Want to see your adventure, map, story or art published on this site? If yes, e-mail the Warlock email@example.com and have your talent shared.
The latest edition to the Advanced Fighting Fantasy series published by Arion Games landed on my doorstep over the weekend following the successful Kickstarter campaign last year. Beyond the Pit is the follow up to the original Out of the Pit published in 1985 (28 years ago!).
It contains another 250 monsters, quoted as "dangerous and intriguing denizens of Titan" on the back page. Thanks to Andrew Wright for all his efforts in putting this together.
Good luck with your adventures and here's to number 3 as there are still many more to catalogue.
This week we have a new Armies of Death map from Jim Fleet and an amazing amateur adventure from 7 year old Sophie Frost (with a little help from her Dad) entitled 'The Roar of the Dragon'.
If you have 16 minutes to spare and have an interest in the Steve Jackson Sorcery! app released by Inkle, then head over to Yogcast where the staff share their playthrough on Youtube.
Not been able to complete a Fighting Fantasy adventure and your dice rolls unfavourable? Well, look no further as your worries are over. A fan has posted Solutions on the Fighting Fantazine blog for all those looking for a way out.
I hope all of you survived the festivities and fuelled enough to cope with another year of Fighting Fantasy goodness? Don't forget to send the Warlock your amateur adventures, Maps, artwork and stories to share on this site for other fans to enjoy. Please send all entries to email@example.com for publication.
I for one am patiently waiting to receive two Kickstarter projects that funded last year. In fact YOU ARE THE HERO funded just over a year ago. Jonathan Green has eluded to the fact it has grown from an original word count of 30,000 to over 90,000 words and counting. It is currently with Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone for editing and fingers crossed will be with us soon (!). I am also reliably informed that BEYOND THE PIT is immanent and is only a week or so away from publication.
Happy New Year. According to Titan lore, Orcs and other non-humans occasionally celebrate the New Year, usually by sacrificing and eating a lot of other non-humans in a debauched feast of monumental proportions! In Khul however, humans only stop celebrating on the fifth night, whereas in Port Blacksand you might get executed by Lord Azzur! The Warlock is staying in to brew plans for next year.
Two new Fan drawn Maps have been added to the site. Eric Steele has sent in Freeway Fighter and Forest of Doom.
'tis the season to be be jolly, fa la la. Enough of that, with the season of Locking coming to an end, it will be time to celebrate Year's End in the Titan calendar and at which time I hope you will support your local Tavern, mine is a Skullbuster if you are buying. In the meantime head over to the Tin Man Games blog to discover what we can expect in the year. I feel great things are in store with the new game engine, take a look, you won't be disappointed!
Following hot on the heels of the Android release, Tin Man Games are proud to present the release of Island of the Lizard King by Ian Livingstone on iTunes.
Catch up with what Ian Livingstone gets up to and read his latest interview in Starburst magazine and watch his presentation, 'The power of play' at TEDx recently in Zurich.
Congratulations to Davey Lambert who answered correctly to the quiz on 28th September 2013 with;
1. One Against Many; Warlock Issue 122. Wolfman; Warlock Issue 83. Dragonman; Warlock Issue 64. Orc Hero; The Trolltooth Wars – A Fighting Fantasy Novel
He wins a signed copy of Stormslayer. Well done Davey!
The world famous Fighting Fantasy interactive gamebook series continues! Ian Livingstone and Tin Man Games present Island of the Lizard King!
Out now for Android on Google Play.
Coming soon for iOS on iTunes.
The 7th Fighting Fantasy gamebook in the original Puffin series and the 4th electronic Fighting Fantasy title to be released byTin Man Games, Island of the Lizard King uses the same gamebook engine as The Forest of Doom and will be available on Android (Google Play/Amazon) in the next two weeks, shortly followed on iOS, hopefully before the Apple shutdown. Come back soon and find out more!
Ian and Steve will be attending Dragonmeet at Kensington Town Hall, London again this year on Saturday 7th December 2013.
They will be giving a talk in the Council Chamber at 11:00 followed by a signing at the Arion Games stand at 12:15 with Graham Bottley. Fighting Fantasy books will be for sale.
Tickets available from Cubicle 7.
Win a signed Fighting Fantasy book!
The Warlock has only recently just discovered that the Fighting Fantasy artist Chris Achilleos issued his own series of Trading Cards based on his artwork. This discovery has led him to several of the cards that have familiar covers from the series on them. Above are four images of the cards he has recently acquired.
To win a signed Fighting Fantasy Book, e-mail the Warlock with the original name of the artwork and exactly what the title of each Fighting Fantasy publication it adorns, including its number (if applicable). Closing Date is Saturday 7th December 2013.
Latest Update - 18th November 2013
Fighting Fantasy fan, Jim Fleet has sent in a new map for Forest of Doom. If you have one you have made yourself or have other material you would like to share with the Warlock for posting up on this site please email@example.com
The sequel to the first part of the critically acclaimed Sorcery! Saga by Inkle is available on the App Store now!
The Cityport of Kharé is a town of thieves, traps, monsters and secrets, standing on the brink of revolution. Can you make it across the city – and will you save it from destruction?
Sorcery! Part 2 can be played on its own, or as part of the ongoing saga.
Bit late to the party but Ian Livingstone was at the On! Fest in Bulgaria on 21st September 2013 where he was giving a talk on gaming in general. However, it turns out that Bulgaria has a Fighting Fantasy fan contingent and they got the opportunity to meet Ian and get books signed at short notice according to this site, Legacy of Kreya. He also came away with this poster, although it has Fighting Fantasy books on the cover and personalized for Ian, I am not sure if this is a one-off or even what the words say otherwise. So if any Bulgarian fans are reading this please get in touch with the Warlock email@example.com and help identify the words. Thanks!
Part 1 Updated!
To celebrate the launch of Part 2, Part 1 (The Shamutanti Hills) has been updated with new features from the sequel:
Enter the Cityport of Traps! (Due November)
Sorcery! Part 2 continues the story, inside the walled Cityport of Kharé. New features include:
Find out more here
Latest News - 12th October 2013
"Built by a mad baron to bring notoriety to his town, only the brave or foolish would dare to enter Deathtrap Dungeon. Fabulous riches await the victor. Many adventurers have tried - none have come out alive… As Red Lotus, the alluring assassin, or Chaindog, the savage warrior, you must battle your way to the heart of the dungeon and slay..."
Despite the clunky graphics, this hard to beat PC game from 1998, also released on Playstation One, is not to be missed if you didn't play it first time around.
Fighting Fantazine 12 is out now!
The latest issue features:
* an interview with Fighting Fantasy writer Robin Waterfield
* an interview with Nathan Penlington about his interactive performance
* a new 206 reference adventure Starhunt: Void Slavers by Ian Brocklehurst and illustrated by Angela Salamaliki
* "The Fact of Fiction" looking at Vault of the Vampire
* a look at the geography of Kharé
* Librogame - a brief look into the history of Italian gamebooks
* the regulars such as Fighting Fantasy Collector (yah me), Chronicle of Heroes, Fighting Dantasy, Omens & Auguries, and The Arcane Archive.
Whilst we wait for issue twelve of the Fighting Fantazine I think you'll agree we are all waiting patiently for the Inkle version of Sorcery! - Kháre: Cityport of Traps to arrive on our digital devices sometime soon. Equally, I am sure you are also eager to see a new release from Tin Man Games. I had reported earlier that Appointment with F.E.A.R will be re-imagined to compete with the Inkle offering but not it seems until next year now. However, to keep things flowing they are still planning to release Island of the Lizard King and Starship Traveller in the more traditional style whilst you wait. It is also reported that Starship Traveller will contain all new artwork.
When I say in print, I really mean in print. Alexander Ballingall, Editor of the Fantazine has pulled it out of the bag this time. He rounded up some keen troops who were willing to club in and get issue #11 printed and that's just what he did. It has a glossy cover, weighs in at just over 100 pages and even has its own ISBN number!
I believe a limited number were commissioned and the cost for a one-off is justifiable but if it is to be repeated for a future edition then the cost may need to be reviewed (NZD $16.99) but it will need more supporters.
This fanzine, now covers much wider content than Fighting Fantasy, certainly is a worthy contender for wider circulation. If viable I could see this in a newsagent near you? News on issue 12 out soon. Find out more.
The Forest of Doom Quiz
Test your knowledge and try this 25 question quiz on the subject of The Forest of Doom as supplied by Fighting Fantasy fan and regular quiz contributor Tammy Badowski.
The good or bad news is that only those that invested in Jonathan Greens Kickstarter project 'YOU ARE THE HERO' book will get to see the new strip by Lew Stringer later this year. Way back in 1984 Derek first appeared as a feature strip in Warlock magazine and was often seen giving Reviews of books and the like throughout as well. He was well loved by all the fans and I am sure you cannot wait to see more after all this time. Head of over to Lew Stringers blog and find out more.
Tin Man Games have announced some big news about the future of Fighting Fantasy digital titles.
Frequent readers will know that Tin Man secured the rights to and released Blood of the Zombies, House of Hell, followed by the recently released Forest of Doom. Appointment with F.E.A.R will be next (due in October), with an interesting twist that unlike the original it will not require dice.
In order to respond to the competition (Inkle) and make the best use of technology available, Tin Man have great plans for classic titles such as The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, Citadel of Chaos, Deathtrap Dungeon, City of Thieves and Creature of Havoc.
However, in the meantime whilst these changes take place two new titles have been announced, Starship Traveller and Island of the Lizard King. Where Forest of Doom was kept true to the original, these two will follow suit later this year after Appointment with F.E.A.R.
How are you all getting on with the new Sorcery! app? According to fans on Twitter, most that have played it say they can't wait for the next installment and the team at Inkle are working hard to make that happen. This is a favourite quote supplied by Jon Ingold, Creative Director at Inkle,
"Sometimes I feel like I'm wasting my time writing a review when I should really just be pointing at a game and demanding that people play it. This is one of those times. Steve Jackson's Sorcery! is an absolutely marvelous fantasy storybook adventure. Lushly illustrated and expertly told, it should not be missed by anyone even remotely interested in the genre."
Don't forget that the first Sorcery! app by Inkle is now out on iTunes. Send your Reviews to firstname.lastname@example.com and let us know what you think.
Issue #11 of the Fighting Fantazine is out and available for download here. Alexander Ballingall has excelled himself as ever and pulled a mighty edition together worthy of any high street newstand near you. The on-line magazine now caters for other gamebooks in the genre for a wider audience to enjoy. Stuart Lloyd has joined him as Editor.
Exclusive News - 22nd April 2013
Inkle have exclusively announced to fightingfantasy.com that the much anticipated Steve Jackson Sorcery! app will reach us on Thursday 2nd May. The first installment, The Shamutanti Hills, will be available on the iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad. Books 2-4 will follow and it is anticipated that it will be developed for Android as well some time in the future.
Latest News - 21st April 2013
The Warlock (a.k.a Jamie Fry) has released the 2013 Fighting Fantasy Collector Checklist and Price Guide. It is available for viewing or download here. Or if you prefer a copy direct from the Warlock himself or give him feedback, please e-mail email@example.com
Latest News - 29th March 2013
Another update from Inkle. Due for release in May, the first installment of the Sorcery! quartet, The Shamutanti Hills will entrall all those who grace its paths. I am for one looking forward to it due to the fact it is going to be very different from previous apps of the same genre. You will be circumnavigating the world by means of a 3D map and partake in unique dynamic fight scenes. To find out more read here and if you haven't seen the trailer for it yet then go here for a 7-minute YouTube spectacular.
Inkle have been busy with the new Sorcery! app, The Shamutanti Hills, by releasing new screenshots before its release in the spring. See more here.
Just under a year later, since winning 'The Something Unreal' event at 'The Gadget Show Live', Commando Kiwi have finally released "The Warlock of Firetop Mountain: Lost Chapters on the iOS platform. Head over to their Facebook page for more information.
Fellow competitors, Indigo Jam, have also released Deathtrap Dungeon. However, the intention to release on iOS didn't work out and they have released it onto PC instead. The download is available from their website.
These are not be confused with any original gamebook adaptions being released by Tin Man Games. Look out for a Blood of the Zombies quiz coming soon.
Remember the Hill Giant and the Sightmaster Sergeant of Analand? The last time I posted anything substantial regarding the forthcoming Steve Jackson Sorcery! app by Inkle was back in September last year. Jon Ingold, the Creative Director at Inklehas provided us with these exclusive new images for The Shamutanti Hills app by illustrator Eddie Sharam (the moving gif images) to compliment the original artwork by John Blanche as a teaser of what is to come in April.
Will this app beat Forest of Doom by Tin Man Games to our tablets and phones or will you get this first instead? Either way both are worth the wait and I am sure new and old fans alike will enjoy both. In the meantime enjoy House of Hell.
Number 10 in the original series of Fighting Fantasy books, House of Hell is a classic and a favourite for many but many a time has the book met criticism as well for its darker side. Equally, it stands out as one of the few in the series in the horror genre and not set in the original setting of Allansia. Play it as it was intended and stay true to the original system or use the many features within the app to enhance your experience. Once again Tin Man Games have worked their magic, following the success of the new release that is Blood of the Zombies and bought this original classic back to life in the different formats a new generation can enjoy alike, Download now.
"Taking refuge in the infamous House of Hell has to be the worst mistake of your life! The dangers of the torrential storm outside are nothing compared to the blood-curdling adventures that await you inside. Who knows how many hapless wanderers like yourself have perished within its gruesome walls? Be warned! Tonight is going to be a night to remember…"
Following hot on the trail of the Android release, House of Hell by Tin Man Games will be released on the iOS (Apple) platform tomorrow. The digital wizards at Tin Man Games have placed a trailer on their blog as a teaser. Also to become available on Nook.
The good news is that YOU ARE THE HERO funded at £21,421 which is well over the originally planned £15,000 target. It didn't quite reach the £23,000 stretch target Jonathan Green set to get it into hardback format. Well done everyone for contributing. Now just the wait until the end of the year!
In the meantime we have apps to look forward too. First up is not far away. Tin Man Games report that House of Hell has been submitted to Apple and it's just a short waiting game before it gets released. To keep you going these screenshots should make up for the wait and give you a taste of what to expect..
Happy New Year to new and returning Fighting Fantasy fans. Here is to another fantastic year of gamebooks.
No new paperbook releases are planned at this time, however expect to see plenty of the gamebooks released into electronic formats by Tin Man Games (see previous posts) and don't forget the Sorcery! series being released by Inkle as well. I think the best ever news ever is that whilst I said no new books are coming out, we do still have YOU ARE THE HERO to look forward too by Jonathan Green at the end of this year. As I type it has less than 5 hours to go and will end at 3pm GMT (10am EST) today, Sunday 6th January 2013. The book has funded at £15,000 but it is now past £19,000 and the ever ambitious Jon has set a late stretch target of £23,000 to turn the book into a hardback release. This is certainly something I would like to see happen - Good Luck Jon. (Follow his blog to find out the latest). Tin Man have also contributed, so if you add £10 to your pledge you can get the first 7 Gamebook Adventures as well!
Just a heads up as well, the magazine SCIFI NOW #75 (out now) has another full page on Fighting Fantasy.
Issue 10 of the Fighting Fantazine has been released this week. Its content over 104 pages includes all the latest news, an inteview with Paul Mason, a 235 paragraph adventure - Hand of Fate, 30 years of Fighting Fantasy by Ian Livingstone, 30 reasons why we love Fighting Fantasy, A History of the Development of Gamebooks and much, much more from the regulars of the gamebook world to keep you busy reading for hours.
Those of you that didn't attend Dragonmeet 2012 this year or missed Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson give an hour long presentation (like me as I was still selling Fighting Fantasy Books) can see the full footage on the GMS Magazine website. As reported before it is here that they announced the Kickstarter project by Jonathan Green (see below). The project, to bring us a 'Coffee Table' book called YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy gamebooks, has 12 days to go and has nearly reached £10,000 of the £15,000 goal. I have funded, have you? I for one certainly want to see this happen, so go on and make myself and many more happy, buy yourself a gift now.
Whilst you are sitting around this holiday watching the video, you should also read the interview GMS Magazine has conducted with Jonathan Green about this project and his career. On top of all this goodness is the announcement made by Tin Man Games, 'On the Twelth Day of Christmas, The Warlock gave to me..... The Warlock of Firetop Mountain'. Tin people will be very busy releasing this and 6 other Fighting Fantasy titles in 2013, not to mention House of Hell as well is just around the corner.
It has been a very busy 30th Anniversary year for Fighting Fantasy and long may it continue.
Merry Christmas from The Warlock!
Jonathan Green has launched his new project on Kickstarter. The name of his project is YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy gamebooks. Only 3 days in and Jonathan has already secured over £4,000 of his £15,000 target.Some of you will already know that he is a huge fan of Fighting Fantasy gamebooks (the series that began with Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone's The Warlock of Firetop Mountain in 1982) and has written seven titles in the series to date. 2012 marks the 30th anniversary of the publication of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, and he wanted to mark the occasion by writing the definitive history of Fighting Fantasy.He has already interviewed Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone (as well as various authors, artists, editors and some well known fans of the series) and has some cool rewards lined up for backers.Please check out the Kickstarter page and pledge your support if you can (even £1 could make all the difference between the project being funded or not) and pass it on to your friends.
A very successful day for Fighting Fantasy was had at Dragonmeet 2012 yesterday at Kensington Town Hall in London. Over 90 books were sold on the day, 36 of which were Blood of the Zombies. My son, Charlie, can been in the first picture just after we set-up and the next picture is Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson in full signing mode, with a long line of fans waiting to see them in the background. I am the bald one stood up behind them. My Warlock t-shirt I ordered for the event never did arrive.
Fighting Fantasy author Jonathan Green came to see us, as did artist Tony Hough. Thanks to Neil Rennison of Tin Man Games who attended as well and lent me his Blood of the Zombies banner and iPad stand that was very popular with passers by. Lots of postcards (again donated by Tin Man) and posters were given away as collector's items. We also had the pleasure of Gamebook blogger, Stuart Lloydpop by for a chat.
Sadly, the Fighting Fantasy documentary Kickstarter project 'Turn to 400' did not get funded despite all the efforts of Sean Riley and those who supported it. Just over £15,000 of the original target of £40,000 was funded and we are awaiting news as to what the next move is regarding this. Meanwhile at Dragonmeet it was announced that Jonathan Green will be starting his own Kickstarter project. He is to launch a campaign to fund a book he is writing called 'The History of Fighting Fantasy'. This is an exciting project and I am sure we are all looking forward to supporting this and seeing the fruits of his labour sometime next year.
Join me and over 60,000 others in watching 'Numberphile' on YouTube. James Clewett shows mathematically how the power of 400 applies to Fighting Fantasy.
It has been confirmed that at Dragonmeet 2012, Ian Livingstone will be giving a talk at 12pm to discuss Fighting Fantasy and Blood of the Zombies.
Not only is Ian Livingstone attending again this year but he will be joined by Steve Jackson this time as well. Both will be joining The Warlock at their very own Fighting Fantasy table where they will be signing books. Blood of the Zombies will be for sale, signed of course, among other original titles. Come along and join us.
"Turn to 400" is a documentary film which tells the story of Fighting Fantasy. MmBroadcast is using Kickstarter to raise the funding. The campaign began on Halloween, 31st October 2012 (and only lasts a month!) - please get involved and contribute. They need to raise a whopping £40,000 to get started, so dig deep and help keep Fighting Fantasy live on.
Bit of a mixed bag to report on today. Tin Man Games can be congratulated on obtaining the Gold Award from Pocket Gamer with a 9 out of 10 rating and reaching no.1 in the iPad RPG chart with the new Blood of Zombies App. A free iOS app has been released by Mark Stoneham called the Gamebook Companion that acts as a virtual adventure sheet, ideal when playing your Fighting Fantasy books or similar. Don't despair if you don't have any dice or a pencil, or no longer fret about ruining your book by writing in it as this tool enables you store all your stats and more in one place.
Most exciting news of all is that MmBroadcast, the company responsible for bringing us the Fighting Fantasy documentary taster will shortly be releasing a UK Kickstarter project to fund the documentary. They have created a Facebook page - Turn to 400 in the build up to the 30-day project which starts on Halloween. Dig deep into those pockets and fund a film about your favourite subject, use it or lose it!
Blood of the Zombies is now available for download from the Apple app store (iOS) and Google Play (Android), both at £3.99. No doubt it will become available on other platforms as have other Adventure Gamebooks released by Tin Man Games.
It doesn't stop here, Tin Man are releasing House of Hell (hopefully this year), Forest of Doom and Appointment with F.E.A.R in 2013. They also plan to release other titles such as Warlock of Firetop Mountain, Citadel of Chaos and Deathtap Dungeon as in the future. Tin Man has also set up fightingfantasyapps.com for all related apps.
Tin Man Games have released this promotional video to help you make up your mind.
Every fan should own this app, so what are you waiting for, go slay those Zombies. And whilst you are, don't forget to tweet your achievements and death endings, let the Warlock know how you are getting on.
Fighting Fantasy: Blood of the Zombies is almost here for iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android smart phones and tablets!! It will be available onWednesday October 17th, first appearing in New Zealand and then making its way to the various Apple iTunes and Google Play App Stores around the globe!
A review of Blood of the Zombies by fan Ed Reilly,
"A new Fighting Fantasy adventure by Ian Livingstone is always a cause for celebration and this one is no exception. In many ways, Blood of the Zombies is Ian's own version of House of Hell in that you must navigate your way through a castle full of adversaries (in this case, zombies).
At times, I found myself missing the sheer variety of monster encounters in the standard Fighting Fantasy books. However I did appreciate Ian's inclusion of a pretty female companion who helps you. (I'm sure the male readership will agree with me!) I couldn't understand why Gingrich Yurr would turn himself into a zombie. There are several coded references to Fighting Fantasy history and Ian makes his customary cameo in the art. The cover and interior art are striking, a particular favourite being the chainsaw zombie (which I sincerely hope wasn't Amy!)
The return of the green spine is the icing on the cake. So, all in all. a most enjoyable adventure. Let us hope that both Ian and Steve return for one last great adventure in Allansia to enrich the Fighting Fantasy mythos."
A few tantalising details about the new version of Steve Jackson's Sorcery! have surfaced.
The developers at inkle say: "We've almost finished our first pass at adapting Book One: The Shamutanti Hills. (Just the final descent into the caves of the dread MANTICORE still to do.) The new version contains every word of the original, alongside about three times as many new words to go with!"
Have they cut anything? "Absolutely not. We're going deeper; making things more detailed."
So dedicated players of the original book will be at an advantage? "Perhaps. But we've talked about adding a couple of traps just for people who can remember the originals. Will we do that? Well. That would be telling, wouldn't it?"
Sorcery! is due out on iPhone and iPad next year. Sign up to the mailing list here www.inklestudios.com/sorcery
Hot of the press are these Blood of the Zombies iPad images courtesy of Tin Man Games Gamebook Adventures. They signal the final submission to iTunes and therefore it will not be long before you can all download the gamebook to your devices for some interactive Zombie slashing.
Steve Jackson has teamed up with software company inkle, developers of the rave-reviewed Frankenstein app, to bring all four Sorcery! books into the twenty-first century in a series of four cutting-edge iPhone and iPad apps. Find out more in this press release. More news on this too follow.
Love Fighting Fantasy art? Well, issue #88 of ImagineFX magazine is out now. It contains 10 glorious pages of pictures from generations of some of the best Fighting Fantasy artists, in particular that of Iain McCaig nonetheless. Blood of the Zombies artists, Greg Staples (cover) and Kev Crossley (internal), command over 3 pages between them to show off how the cover and illustrations made it to the page including the trials and tribulations of the commission. A sneak preview of the iOS version artwork by Tin Man Games is also shown.
Congratulations to three lucky winners. In August we ran a quiz based on The Warlock of Firetop Mountain to celebrate the 30th Anniversay of Fighting Fantasy to win a signed copy of Blood of the Zombies. The winners were, Matt Gilson, Jaldar Vyas and Charlie Mortenson. Welll done!
Ian Livingstone will be joining fellow author Charlie Hisgson at the Cheltenham Literature Festival on Sunday 6th October at 4pm to talk Zombies. Expect to see the iOS and Android versions of Blood of the Zombies to be released at the end of this month.
How is everyone getting on with Blood of the Zombies? Too hard? Well today might be your lucky day as Ian has announced on Twitter that the first print run of the book has sold out already and the first re-print is already in circulation. Why is that important you ask, well Ian recognised your initial stats were a little low to start the game with and therefore has changed it from 2d6+12 to 2d6+20 instead. Those of you playing what is now the collector's edition can apply the new stat if you play the game again. Ian also confirmed your stamina can also go over its initial level. Anyone worked out the magic number yet? If you would like share your thoughts on the book or have drawn a map of your journey, e-mail The Warlock on mail.fightingfantasy.com with your stories.
In case you missed the Radio 2 interview earlier this week, listen now to Steve Wright chat with Ian Livingstone. For the record the app will not be released on Monday.
Tin Man Games have announced today is the day that they become the official iOS and Android app developers for Fighting Fantasy following the end of the licence held by Big Blue Bubble. Blood of the Zombies will be the first to be released in September followed by House of Hell. Read more here.
Yesterday I went to London to visit the Queen, nope wait, see the Olympics, nope Ian Livingstone nonetheless for the book signing launch event of Blood of the Zombies at the Forbidden Planet megastore. I felt he was more important and that took priority over all that the city offered.
I went up with Neil Rennison of Tin Man Games, who gave me a sneak preview of the new app on his iPad and it is developing nicely, you should all be very excited and will not be disappointed, no pressure Neil. He is the tall one in the picture on the bottom left, incidentally stood right next to him is none other than Fighting Fantasy artist - Tony Hough (and Daughter).
In the centre is the first book signed by Ian. Every book he signed he gave it a number, I managed to secure Zombie No.50! In the short hour Ian had to meet the fans he managed to meet 74, not to mention all the extra books they brought with them for him to sign as well. Most of the Icon Books entourage were there too. Finally, in the bottom right-hand picture is uber fan - Stuart Lloyd (Lloyd of Gamebooks) enjoying his day out. The book is tough, can you slay them all?
BLOOD OF THE ZOMBIES has been published today! Get your copy now, available from Amazon (click the banner to your lower right) or Waterstones. Don't forget the launch on Saturday 4th August.
Icon Books present Ian Livingstone's brand new Fighting Fantasy book, published on the series' 30th anniversary in August 2012, Blood of the Zombies. Ian will be signing copies of the book at the Forbidden Planet store in London on Saturday 4th August between 3-4pm.
Illustrator of Blood of the Zombies internal artwork, Key Crossley has released another picture for you to enjoy from paragraph 189.
Icon books have released a video on Youtube of Ian Livingstone talking about his latest gamebook, Blood of the Zombies and Eurogamer.net talks to Ian about the long journey he has been on to get it finished.
Issue 9 of the Fighting Fantazine is now ready for download.
"I've really enjoyed writing Blood of the Zombies having been inspired by Fighting Fantasy fans everywhere. It is very gratifying to meet so many people who grew up reading The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, remembering it so fondly. I hope that today's 10 year old, or the 10 year old of the 1980s, will consider my new book a worthy addition to the series - assuming they survive the zombies!" said Ian Livingstone.
Ian will be signing exclusive copies of his new zombie-slaying adventure at Forbidden Planet London Megastore, Shaftesbury Avenue on 4 August 2012, 3-4pm. "We're delighted to be hosting the launch for Blood of the Zombies and welcoming Ian back to Forbidden Planet," says Danie Ware, who runs social media and marketing at the iconic store.
Blood of the Zombies will be published by Wizard Books on 9 August 2012. ISBN 9781848314054. RRP £7.99
Blood of the Zombies is now less than a month away from publication. Ian has been travelling a fair bit, including a trip to Sydney, Australia promoting the new gamebook, especially to give a sneak preview of the Tin Man Games iOS app version of the new book. On 26th May he went to the UK Games Expo in Birmingham with Jonathan Green, Steve Jackson and Neil Rennison (pictured left). On the 19th June he was in Sydney, Australia at the Gamestech Conference. He was also at the Games Horizon Conference in Newcastle on the 27th June.
Last week he opened the very successful Games Britannia Video Festival event in Rotheram where he also hosted an interactive Fighting Fantasy session using Inklewriter, an on-line tool that allows you to write interactive stories. On the 11th July Ian will be in Brighton at the Develop Conference and he is confirmed to attend the Edinburgh Interactive Festival on 11th August. I am sure he has many more sessions booked so keep coming back to find out more. In the meantime follow us on Twitter @fightingfantasy, or Ian @ian_livingstone, and if you are on Facebook 'Like' Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks
On the left of the top menu you will now see we have added a Forum. Be part of the Fighting Fantasy community and interact with other fans, share stories, share your collections and give us feedback. Also registration has been opened again so that those wanting to receive e-mail from the site can now do so. Please see log-in area at the bottom of the grey column to the right.
Blood of the Zombies will be published in the first week of August.
James Milne, a trainee English teacher at Bishop Challoner School in Birminghm, UK has kindly let us have access to new teaching aids he has developed to encourage reading and Tammy M. Badowski has come up trumps again with another amateur adventure - Grekgun.
I thought it also prevalent to acknowledge a few blogs that pay homage to Fighting Fantasy, so first up is the Fighting Fantasy blog that contains playthroughs of the gamebooks and Gamebook Geek. If you want to be featured in this news feature next time, e-mail your details to email@example.com
Coming soon will be issue 9 of the Fighting Fantazine and much awaited details about the forthcoming gamebook - Blood of the Zombies.
Come back soon and may your stamina never fail!
This much awaited news has been hard to keep quiet and has taken all my resolve to do so. Tin Man Games, who are already responsible for 9 digital Gamebook Adventures, including the forthcoming Judge Dredd app, are proud to announce that they have secured the licence to bring Fighting Fantasy to IOS and Android, yes you heard it right, Android as well. Tin Man Games will bring out Blood of the Zombies first to coincide with the launch of the book for the 30th Anniversary in August this year. This will followed up by House of Hell and I am sure they will bring us many more titles. Neil Rennison, the Creative Director of Tin Man Games will be joining Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson this weekend at the UK Games Expo 2012 to make this announcement.
The Warlock
Ian Livingstone has written a new Fighting Fantasy gamebook in which YOU decided the title of the book!
As we announced in January, Fighting Fantasy is going to be thirty years old this year and Ian Livingstone has written a new gamebook to celebrate this historic event.
In this adventure YOU are kidnapped and sold to a deranged megalomaniac who wants to build an army of undead to exact terrible revenge on those once mocked him. He hates everybody except for his scientists and servants. The scientists were instructed to develop a mutated gene in human blood which would be injected into innocent victims, turning them into Zombies. The madman's henchmen kidnapped hundreds of people who were locked up to await their fate. YOU are about to be injected with Zombie blood. The Zombie army is almost complete, ready to be unleashed upon the world in a frenzy of killing and wanton destruction. YOU have to avoid being transformed into a Zombie. YOU have to kill all the Zombies, dispose of the madman and escape from the castle. To do this you will need a lot of firepower to take down the hordes of Zombies. But don't kill everybody as there is one person who needs to be rescued...
The book was nearly written but Ian couldn't decide between two titles he had thought up for it. So he decided to use the wisdom of the crowd and hold a vote on the Fighting Fantasy website. Fans were asked to vote for either Blood of the Zombies or Escape from Zombie Castle.
The response from the fans was fantastic, thank you, with nearly 1,000 votes cast in two days. We can now reveal that Ian's new book will be called:
Blood of the Zombies
Wizard Books will be publishing a special edition of the book in August, and Ian is hoping to have iOS, Android and perhaps a Kindle version out at the same time too. We will be announcing more news in the coming months ahead of publication.
Find out how the weekend went at the UK Games Expo 2012 by catching up with Jonathan Greens write-up of his visit with Ian Livingstone, Steve Jackson, Advanced FF author Graham Bottley, FF artist Tony Hough and Mr Tin Man himself Neil Rennison who had the pleasure of hearing Blood of the Zombies being announced as the latest Gamebook Adventures title to be released on iOS and Android. Welcome on board Neil and the rest of the team at Tin Man Games!
Fancy your chances, then test your luck with another quiz and try the Stormslayer one now.
Ian Livingstone attended the 2102 KAPOW! Comic Convention last weekend where he met up with Fighting Fantasy artist, Kevin Crossley, whom is shown here proudly showing off another one of his incredible illustrations for the forthcoming new title Blood of the Zombies. Read about what Jonathan Green got up to at the show on his blog.
The illustrious Fighting Fantasy author, Jonathan Green, has written for SFX magazine again. He has written an article for the SFX Book Club around The Warlock of Firetop Mountain and all will be revealed in issue 225 of the magazine due out in July. Laughting Jackal have announced that The Warlock of Firetop Mountain has been released in North America as a download for the new PS VITA. A new review of Creature of Havoc by Ed Reilly has also been added to the site.
"This book has legendary status and fully deserves it". This is a quote from a review by fan Darren Saunders of Deathtrap Dungeon. Have you got one you want to share or why not try your hand and write one. Send all your submissions to mail@fightingfantasy,com and you could see your review published.
On Twitter? Want to see your name in print? Ian Livingstone is giving one lucky winner the chance to have their name feature in the forthcoming gamebook Blood of the Zombies. Tweet #bloodofthezombies to @ian_livingstone and he will pick one of you at random.
Video footage of the Something Unreal event at Gadget Show Live is now available to view on the Train2Game Blog that also contains an interview with Ian Livingstone.
Out this month is Issue 102 of the essential guide to Classic Games Retro Gamer . It contains an 8-page interview with Ian Livingstone where he talks about the history of Fighting Fantasy, his new gamebook Blood of the Zombies and get's nostalgic talking about his time in the games industry and in particular the electronic Fighting Fantasy titles released. In case you missed it, SFX magazine have released a Fantasy special that contains a 12-page Fighting Fantasy article written by Jonathan Green for the 30th Anniversary entitled The Legacy of Firetop Mountain.
Attack Dogs by Kevin Crossley. Another superb teaser illustration from the forthcoming Blood of the Zombies.
Welcome to the month of 'Winds' in the Titan calender. I think it should be more like 'Rains' in this modern age.
A great time was had at the Gadget Show Live, Something Unreal event in April that saw four Train2Game indie developer teams compete for a licence to release a Fighting Fantasy title on iOS. The lucky winner was Commando Kiwi who will now go onto develop and release The Warlock of Firetop Mountain: Lost Chapters. Lots of other new events are coming up that Ian and Steve will be attending over the coming months to launch the new gamebook, Blood of the Zombies.
The Advanced Fighting Fantasy RPG The Crown of Kings (Sorcery!) Campaign as adpated by Graham Bottley is now avaliable from Arion Games via the Cubicle 7 store. Big Blue Bubble have put the five Fighting Fantasy iOS titles on sale due to the licence running out and are not being renewed. No news on any replacements as yet. Worldweaver have announced that House of Hell is the latest title to be released on the Kindle.
The infamous Fighting Fantasy artist Russ Nicholson, responsible for the internal art of the original The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, is selling his artwork on-line. Russ is also responsible for the poster art promoting the movie, DEATH, in which Ian Livingstone has a debut cameo role as a Postman.
Finally, I bring you the trailer for the forthcoming documentary by MmBroadast celebrating the 30th Anniversary of Fighting Fantasy.
I am pleased to announce the exclusive release of the first piece of Blood of the Zombies internal artwork by Kevin Crossley.
To celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Fighting Fantasy our very own Jonathan Green has written an interactive Fighting Fantasy article "Legacy of Firetop Mountain", over 12 pages with pictures in the latest Fantasy special edition of SFX magazine (scans too follow). If you enjoyed that, why not head over to the SciFiNow magazine blog by Editor James Hoare where he gives his take on the top ten gamebooks in the series.
On April 11-15 The Gadget Show live appears at Birmingham NEC, UK. Ian and Steve will be there on Sunday 15 April. Steve will also be there on Wednesday 11 April. They are judging iOS projects developed by students of Train2Game, a Game Design correspondence course online college. The projects use the Unreal Engine to create games based on Fighting Fantasy titles. More news on this later.
Ian and Steve will travel to Birmingham again in May (26th) to the UK Games Expo where they will be giving a talk on "Our favourite games of all-time".
Ian Livingstone has given the Games Britannia festival organisers the go-ahead to run a Fighting Fantasy themed workshop. The session, which Ian will help facilitate, will show children how interactive fiction can bring the art of story-telling to videogames. Games Britannia runs between 2-6 July. Find out more.
I am pleased to announce a new quiz. How well do you remember your SORCERY! spells? Here is your chance to prove your knowledge. Click here to get started. Good Luck.
Thanks to Alfred Drake for providing more maps. Jon Fryer has submitted a new amateur adventure entitled Bandit Sorcerer. In the Gallery (last 3) we have new pictures drawn by Istvan Lakatos and a Crytsal Taylor has submitted a solution for City of Thieves. Well done and I look forward to more, keep them coming.
Epic Games has secured the rights to Fighting Fantasy iOS games. They have announced that the Make Something Unreal Live contest will task four iOS developers with making games based on 4 of the books. The new games will be revealed and refined in a spectacular real-time conclusion at the Gadget Show Live 2012.
Find out more in this press release.
Due to a technical fault I have been unabe to send a festive e-mail to all registered users. It appears once again that instead of genuine e-mail addresses we have been blessed with time wasters and one has corrupted our account.
Anyway, hope you all have a great holiday and may you all have some great adventures. Make sure you keep your stamina stoked for the 2012 30th Anniversary and leave enough for the new adventure!
Chris Sterling at Worldweaver has confirmed that City of Thieves is now released on Kindle (US only). He also announced the next title in the series will be House of Hell. More on this soon.
Ian Livingstone OBE will be attending DRAGONMEET 2011 on Saturday 26th November 2011 at Kensington Town Hall. He will be interviewed between 11am and 12pm in an open question and answer session by James Wallis. Afterwards he will be signing Fighting Fantasy books at the Arion Games stand. The prolific and esteemed Fighting Fantasy author Jonathan Green will also be present on the day.
I can finally announce the winner of the October Competition. Find our more here. Well done Brandon Young!
One new Amateur Adventure by Craig Dutton has been added and one new Temple of Terror Map by Alfred Drake.
Keep those submissions coming!
Welcome Adventurers to the November 2011 news update on the world's greatest Fighting Fantasy website.
Hopefully you all enjoyed and survived Halloween and to all you Twitter followers who followed my House of Hell build up. I will be announcing the winner of the October Competition this weekend. The result of this will see a new Facebook and Twitter profile picture and one lucky reader will receive signed books.
This month we also see the release of The Warlock of Firetop Mountian on Playstation Mini by Laughing Jackal. I will post a new amateur adventure this month for you as well. Watch this space for a quiz soon as well.
The biggest news I have to share with you is that Ian Livingstone is writing a new Fighting Fantasy gamebook for the 30th Anniversary next year. More news on that as I receive any.
Welcome Adventurers to the October 2011 Editorial update on the world's greatest Fighting Fantasy website.
This month we are delighted to present 5 more great amateur adventures and 22 new drawings have been added to our Fighting Fantasy Gallery. A new House of Hell map has been added as well. Keep it coming in!
Well worth waiting for is the launch this month of Fighting Fantazine No.7 where you will find dedicated fans waxing lyrical about Fighting Fantasy including an amateur adventure, news, Reviews, interviews and numerous informative and fun articles.
I promised I would run a competition this month for you and that I will do, but you will need to wait a few days longer. Come back soon and click on the Competitions tab above to find out more and keep your eye out on Twitter @fightingfantasy or the Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks Facebook page for an update.
May your Stamina never fail!
The (new) Warlock!
Welcome Adventurers to the September 2011 news update on the world's greatest Fighting Fantasy website. Read the Editorial in more detail where I talk about the Talisman of Death release on PSN mini and the plans to release The Warlock of Firetop Mountain and one other planned title on the same platform, new fan art, new amateur adventures, planned Kindle releases and original artwork by artist Gary Mayes that will soon be available for sale.
Welcome Adventurers to the August 2011 news update on the world's greatest Fighting Fantasy website. The Official Website is under new management and will continue to build on providing quality news on Fighting Fantasy and the many projects currently in development, such as the House of Hell Movie, Sorcery! and Fighting Fantasy iApp's, Kindle e-book and Talisman of Death on PSP minis, however we are also keen to provide fans with more new content, new amateur adventures, short stories, amateur art and more.
Welcome Adventurers, this coming week we will be presenting exciting news and images on the new release of Advanced Fighting Fantasy by Graham Bottley. Enjoy the teasers...
Send us your Fighting Fantasy drawings and illustrations using the preferred format of email at email@example.com or the usual address:
Fighting Fantasy Galleryc/o Jamie Fry,Postal Address redacted please e-mail us email@example.com and we will let you have the address should you need to use that method instead.
Have you created a Fighting Fantasy Adventure? Let us know and then send it in. We want to present and post all your adventure creations online and are now actively encouraging all our fans to email or mail us any adventures they have created for the Fighting Fantasy community to read. Whether your a veteran or novice Fighting Fantasy fan, share your writing skills.
Have you created a Fighting Fantasy illustration? Let us know and then send it in. We want to present and post all your artwork creations online.
Have you illustrated a Fighting Fantasy Map or created a solution? Let us know and then send it in as our Maps & Solutions areas. We want to present and post all the best maps and Solutions (good and bad) online and are now actively encouraging all our fans to email or mail us. Whether your a veteran or novice Fighting Fantasy fan, share your drawing skills and solution skills here:
Check out the April News Archive here.Check out the March News Archive here.Check out the February News Archive here.Check out the January News Archive here.
Check out the December News Archive here.Check out the November News Archive here.Check out the October News Archive here.Check out the September News Archive here.Check out the August News Archive here.Check out the July News Archive here.Check out the June News Archive here.Check out the May News Archive here.Check out the April News Archive here.Check out the March News Archive here.Check out the February News Archive here.Check out the January News Archive here.
Check out the December News Archive here.Check out the November News Archive here.Check out the October News Archive here.Check out the September News Archive here.
As well as following FF on Twitter, you can now become a fan on Facebook! Visit the fan page and start writing on the FF wall now!
Follow Fighting Fantasy on Facebook
Follow Fighting Fantasy on Twitter