Today I relocate to Scotland, to live with my fiancee and beautiful baby girl Cassia. I can’t wait for our new life to begin. However without a job to go into this is a step into the unknown, but so worth it when it’s to be with the woman of your dreams and dream come true.
Jennifer Rush put it best, nailed it even.
We’re heading for something
Somewhere I’ve never been
Sometimes I am frightened
But I’m ready to learn
Of the power of love
Fighting Fantasy seems secure for another year after the announcement at FFF2 last weekend. With five releases of some classics and a brand new quest by Charlie Higson, mentored by Jonathan Green. Intriguingly titled Gates Of Death, this sounds like a nice juicy horror which is my favourite genre. There are of course many more fan written amateur adventures on sites such as fightingfantasy.net including my own attempt Lair Of The Lunatic.
With a strong fanbase the series continues to thrive and the last new official story Port Of Peril by Ian Livingstone managed to hit the top 20 kids bestsellers list. Scholastic must be proud, although I’d love to know how many sales were to middle aged men fans from the 1980s like us 😉
It’s September 2017. For the second time, brave adventurers and traders from all over the world were summoned to Ealing, London to take part a new Fighting Fantasy Fest organised by FF author Jonathan Green. The promise this time was ‘bigger and better than before’. And was it? In a word, yes! The Demonic Three aka Steven Leicester, Mark Lain and myself met up in Chinatown the night before for a catch up, meal and to take part in an Escape Room game by Hinthunt which we had organised many months before.
The Demonic Three assemble.
The following morning with our heads still buzzing from the night before, we catch the tube train to Ealing and coincidentally rendezvous with FF illustrator Malcolm Barter whereby we journey together the rest of the way to The University Of West London where the event takes place.
Jam and Mark with MalcyB
Jonathan Green is at the first display, signing away madly at You Are The Hero Part 2 copies that had only arrived hours before and he hurriedly dished them out to backers as they turned up. After he hands my copy and asks how fatherhood is treating me in reference to my baby, Cassia, a familiar face approaches. The former comissioner of Fighting Fantasy books charming Geraldine Cooke approaches and we greet each other going into conversation about how wonderfully strong the series has remained in the hearts of fans, old and new alike. She particularly liked my t-shirt emblazoned with red dice. Casually strolling towards us the co creator of Fighting Fantasy, Ian Livingstone joins in our chat clearly equally pleased Geraldine had shown up. I seized the opportunity to grab this picture.
Jam, Ian Livingstone & Geraldine Cooke at FFF2
As the next hour or so continued I would visit the traders tables of Jamie Fry, James Schannep and Fox Yason Productions LTD, the latter of whom have produced an audio adventure set in Firetop Mountain. CLICK HERE for info. Nomad Games was also there promoting their new app Fighting Fantasy Legends.
Jam at Nomad Games stall
Also browsing was my hero Mr Liren Lin who had flown in all the way from the other side of the globe, and he took our photo after a nice catch up.
Old friends, Liren Lin and Jam
Slowly more and more friends from the Facebook FF group gathered as the morning went by.
Jam, Victor Cheng, Paul Scanlan and Colin Oaten
James (The Archmage) Aukett, Jam and Rob Learner
And of course, more Fighting Fantasy production heroes! Steve Jackson, who’s Sorcery epic was what hooked me into Fighting Fantasy back in the 80s
Co FF creator Steve Jackson and Jam
Illustrator, Tony Hough and Jam
Jam with fellow fan Paul Berry and illustrator Alan Langford
FF cartographer Leo Hartas, with illustrators Malcolm Barter and Pete Knifton
Writers Jonathan Green and Marc Gascoigne
Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson
Jam and author/ actor Charlie Higson
Scholastic promoting the new Fighting Fantasy range under their label
One of the biggest privileges this day was to have the illustrator Iain McCaig. He was one of the earlier artists of the series and of the recent limited edition Port Of Peril covers. Since Fighting Fantasy he has gone on to become an artist for Hollywood, and is widely famous for designing how Darth Maul and other characters would look in the Star Wars franchise. Here he is in a photo by Liren, I hope you don’t mind Liren but your photo was better than mine lol.
Liren Lin with Steve Jackson, Iain McCaig and Ian Livingstone
Of course the proceedings are not just about meeting stars but also interacting. So the Demonic Three and two extra all gathered round for some Advanced Fighting Fantasy fun held by Arion games.
AFF session with Arion Games
Graham Bottley of Arion Games
All too soon it was time to leave. But once again Fighting Fantasy Fest was a triumph for all fans of the series. The Demonic Three set off for their afterfest meal in Uxbridge. A fitting end to a magnificent day. Many thanks to everyone who signed my Yath2, and to all those who couldn’t make it this time I hope you will next time.
Simply titled so as it was one of the last films Vic and I watched and thats how many days are left before my new life starts properly in Scotland with she and baby girl. It’s been an excruciating wait to get this far. I can’t wait to hold them both in my arms. My final day at work is tomorrow. Becoming unemployed is such a daunting thing. A step into the unknown with ailing financial security. Luckily I may have been thrown a lifeline.
Then of course, Friday Mr Lain and I travel down to London to meet up with Mr Leicester for the Escape Room, and Saturday… the Fighting Fantasy Fest 2. Going to be very travelled over the next week that’s for sure, but it’s all good.
A big thanks to Mr Kevin Abbotts for creating this polished imitation zigzag cover for my first up and coming amateur Fighting Fantasy fan adventure. Downloadable as pdf from jamsplace.co and fightingfantasy.net SOON!
The past two days I have turned my hand to writing my own little amateur Fighting Fantasy adventure. Was always gonna be an indoor weekend cos I’ve had a horrible cought for a few days. It seems to be trying to clear out now. I digress. When I was 19, I wrote a 400 reference adventure. Though this is stuck in a folder somewhere and hasn’t seen the light of day for years, I finally found motivation to write a 100 reference mini story based on an the larger story. This will be available to read on my blog soon after I have it proof read to make sure there are no holes and mistakes.
I’ve also updated my coverpic. The.other was 4 years old so rather outdated. I don’t even really look like I did back then due to stubble and thinning hair lol. As gamebooks appear to be clawing back as a main hobbie I think it’s best it was themed as such, and the new picture sports the legendary FF dragon banner which I believe is credited to Chris Achilleos. Of course I’ve Jammed it up a bit to make it fit and less likely to get me done for copyright infringement but it’ll do for now.
Speak soon, Jam
