Yep it’s official, Fighting Fantasy Fest 3 is happening next year. Why Ian Livingstone himself just confirmed it on Twitter
Saturday 31st of August 2019 will see the third dedicated Fighting Fantasy Fest held in Ealing. Will I see you there? For updates visit fightingfantasy.com !
Well today (7th, its just passed midnight) …Mr Lain, Mr Leicester and myself made it to the Fighting Fantasy Fest. It was a bizarre experience, turning around a corner in a hotel and seeing your childhood heroes. Star struck…I pigeon stepped over to the first two familiar faces I recognised was Ian Livingstone and Russ Nicholson. They briefly, looked up from what they was talking about and said hello. Well all the questions I could have asked had flown out my head but we all shook hands and Russ showed me through his artwork folder.
I would then continue around the rooms gathering signatures for my copy of You Are The Hero from the likes of Chris Achilleos and Leo Hartas. Then, for me at least came the daddy of them all. Steve Jackson who’s work first introduced me to the series with his Sorcery epic. We had a really good chat about how he found it easiest to write his books and how I got into collecting. Thinking things couldn’t get any better, the most surreal thing happened. Malcolm Barter, one of the earlier illustrators asked, “Hello, you’re Jam arnt you?” He had recognised me from my Facebook profile pic which had made him laugh several days before. A really nice gentleman, I hope if more books make it to market he will have another outing as interior artist.
Then came along the guy who organised all this. The one who has been working like a nutter over the past two years to bring this and his You Are The Hero book to light. Jonathan Green…once again recognised me before I even spun around and said hello, and thanked me for doing a few graphics for his Facebook group. The day would go one with mass signings, fancy dress contests and an auction held by Ian with some rare related artefacts. I did put in a bit of 25 pounds on a promotional item from the Deathtrap Dungeon release. Ian misheard and thought id said 75! Luckily I corrected him and maybe even luckier someone outbid me. I did mention I’d have liked the one that was wielded by a then unknown Kelly Brook which raised a giggle. All in all the event was very pleasing and the atmosphere very good. A special thanks goes to Mr Lain for getting me there and back, Mr Leicester for making the night before a good evening, and Mr Aukett for the books he’s sold me to patch up some of the ones missing from my collection.
Words cannot express the ineffable pride I am feeling right now even though still recovering from a bout of sciatica. Special thanks to Jonathan Green who has immortalised my name in a recent project very dear to me. See you Sunday! More gloating and showing off about that soon.
I returned to work today and managed to do a little catching up so I am certainly on the mend. Tomorrows the big day when Mr Lain and I hit the road for Sundays event. As much as anything else I am looking forward to going to that posh Italian restaurant Mr Leicester has booked. Already chose what I’d like. Hope it doesn’t give me the shits. Everything is packed and the taxi is booked for just before noon tomorrow. Hope to get there safely. Especially now I have a love interest… wink wink 😉
I hear Most Haunted may get another outing. Do people still take this crap in?
…she died in 1763 and her name was Mary…..Mary Hinge… thankyou Jam!!
Old age creepeth on. Echoes of my back injury when I was seventeen have surfaced, and I am struggling to get about with a grumbling sciatic nerve. It hasn’t been this painful since the accident. Taking a couple of days of work to see if it gets any better. Hope so with our trip to the Fighting Fantasy Fest in Ealing this weekend. Have experienced a couple of clicks in my back so maybe its locking back into place. Time will tell. Wonder how ‘they’ at Romec will react with me having phoned in sick. First time in over two years so they needn’t get cocky.
