horror

FF Tattoos

Posted by jam on July 25, 2019
Posted in: atheism, Authors, books, Fantasy, Gamebook, Gamers, Games, horror, tattoo. Tagged: , , .

For about 23 years now I have been toying with the idea of getting tattoo’s based on the amazing illustrations from the Fighting Fantasy game book series. Well this month I finally went beserk. Starting off with the Iain McCaig filler illustration of the villainous Zanbar Bone from the book City Of Thieves.

Fighting fantasy Zanbar Bone City of Thieves

The tattooist did such an amazing job barely three weeks later I nuked some credit and had two more done. The first being Martin McKenna’s unused filler intended for FF40, Dead Of Night. Puffin rejected it though because of the religious iconography. Cowards.

Fighting fantasy dead of night

The next would be John Blanches filler from the Sorcery series which I simply call sun-orc. Sorcery was the epic four book Fighting Fantasy quest which introduced me to the entire series.

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Christmas Krampus

Posted by jam on January 2, 2019
Posted in: adventure, Authors, books, cards, Crowdfunding, Fantasy, game, Gamebook, Gamers, Games, gaming, hobbies, horror, illustrators, Kickstarter, Readers, Reading, RPG, Steampunk, survival. Tagged: , .

Today see’s the launch of a brand new Kickstarter by renowned gamebook author Jonathan Green.

“TWAS – The Krampus Night Before Christmas is a brand new adventure gamebook (a multi-path book, very much in the style of Choose Your Own Adventure or Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks), inspired by the poem A Visit From Saint Nicholas, by Clement Clarke Moore, as well as other winter- or festive-themed classics, such as Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen, and John Masefield’s The Box of Delights. It will be the fifth title in the ongoing ACE Gamebooks series.”

Krampus

There are many reasons to back this exciting new project. From having your name credited in the book, to being an official play tester. To check out all the other rewards, CLICK HERE

Dealing With Death

Posted by jam on December 10, 2018
Posted in: cards, game, Gamers, Games, gaming, grim reaper, hobbies, horror. Tagged: , , , , , .

So what can I tell you about today? Well I have just received a brand new card game from the genius minds of my close personal friends Oliver McNeil and Oliver Brooks named Grim Reaper. (Hence the title of this post, wasted here aren’t I?

My lady and I just had two games of it, the standard deck to begin with and then the extreme pack. It’s a perfectly simple game and the object is to get a higher score than your opponents while using you action cards to hinder their own progress. The cards have multiple depictions of gruesome ways to die…although suffocating in granny’s quilt seems a rather nice way to go. The more gruesome, the more value. But beware, any action cards you still have left over at the end of your 20 minute game gets deducted from any +cards you have. On our second game, my Mrs managed to bat me down from over +200 points by using a crafty action card in the last minute, then win with a score of 390!

I defy anybody to play this game and not be thoroughly annoyed when beat in this way plus many more lurid deaths. I can honestly say it’s thoroughly enjoyable, and would definitely recommend this game for 2-5 players to anybody.

CLICK HERE TO BUY A COPY…and see how many people you can fall out with by becoming the new GRIM REAPER!!!

#FightingFantasy Cover Up

Posted by jam on February 28, 2018
Posted in: adventure, art, Authors, books, comics, Fantasy, Gamebook, Gamers, gaming, hobbies, horror, illustrators, Readers, RPG, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , .

So Scholastic have set the next six #FightingFantasy books into motion. Another five revivals and a brand new title, The Gates Of Death, should be joining us around April. Whilst not many of the die hard fans appreciated the cover art of the first six releases last year, at least they was all done by the same artist and looked generic. Unfortunately we are now met with a change in design. It’s not good.

Though one may argue the artwork is slightly more in line with the classic series (I said slightly) , it has been confined to a tiny circle in the middle of the page with about 80% the rest just a single colour broken by white lines. I’m pretty certain this is a money saving device. When you consider the full cover of art we had in the 80s – 00s this isn’t progress nor very eye catching. With the last six covers Scholastic gave the excuse they was using this type of art to appeal to an era of video gaming children. So why the change? I guess they’re admitting they was wrong and the fans we’re right and now going down the cheapest route tasting sour grapes.

The Gates Of Death will be the first ‘presented’ written FF adventure since Jonathan Green’s wonderful Howl Of The Werewolf, and from the look of it Charlie Higson (of The Fast Show fame) will be the first non series creator to have his name boldly displayed on the front cover. Prestigious that may be, but is this a marketing twist to attract his own fans to buy this new quest? Either way, I am grateful for another new story and hope it goes down well with fans expectations and spurs Scholastic to employ other guest writers too such as the aforementioned Jonathan Green, Dave Morris, Jamie Thomson etc etc

Jam meets Charlie Higson at FFF2

#NEVERLAND – here be monsters

Posted by jam on November 2, 2017
Posted in: adventure, art, Authors, books, Crowdfunding, Fantasy, films, Gamebook, Gamers, gaming, hobbies, horror, illustrators, Kickstarter, Readers, Reading, RPG, Steampunk, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Author Jonathan Green shoots for a hatrick in his third exciting ACE gamebook adventure, Neverland – Here Be Monsters. After the success of funding Alice’s Nightmare In Wonderland and The Wicked Wizard Of Oz, this newly launched Kickstarter project is already 40% funded in just 10 hours. 

The book, part story part game, will see you play a survivor of the doomed Titanic ocean liner. When you come to, you find yourself washed up on the shores of a strange island packed with rampaging monsters a swashbuckling pirates. But what’s this…? Peter Pan?

Once again Jonathan weaves a popular child classic into a steampunk-style yarn, beautifully illustrated once again by the inks of popular artist Kev Crossley.

Why not check out this fantastic third book at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1412864360/neverland-here-be-monsters and see those amazing rewards on offer, including being an official playtester!

Jam out!