Showing posts with label Happy Birthday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Happy Birthday. Show all posts

Saturday, 30 August 2025

Happy Birthday to The Box of Delights!

Ninety years ago today, on 30th August 1935, The Box of Delights by John Masefield was published in the UK by Heinemann. 

Why not mark the occasion by purchasing a copy of the licenced The Box of Delights - The Roleplaying Game?


The Box of Delights – The Roleplaying Game is a rules-lite RPG for 2-6 Players, plus a Gamesmaster, inspired by John Masefield's Christmas classic.

Designed to be picked up and played with minimal preparation, it nonetheless includes a well-developed character creation system, as well as rules for combat and magic.

Illustrated throughout by Tony Hough, it is ideal for a festive gaming session with an established group, or as an alternative to the family games usually played at Christmastime.

Time and Tide and Buttered Eggs wait for no man. So, grab your dice and playing cards, and prepare for adventure, for the Wolves are Running!

Wednesday, 23 April 2025

Happy Birthday, Mr Shakespeare!

It is one year to the day since Shakespeare Vs. Cthulhu: What Dreams May Come funded on Kickstarter, but there's still time to place a Late Pledge - but only just!

I am making a few final tweaks to the manuscript, ready to start proofreading and renumbering next week. In the meantime, illustrator Heraldo Mussolini is working on producing the artwork for the book. Here are a couple of his finished illustrations.

"O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?"

"Something is rotten in the state of Denmark."


Happy Birthday, Mr Shakespeare!


Sunday, 14 January 2024

Happy Birthday, Tony Hough!

M'colleague and occasional collaborator, fantasy artist Tony Hough, is 60 years old today!

Tony and I first worked together when Puffin Books commissioned him to illustrate my second Fighting Fantasy gamebook Knights of Doom, for which he also painted the cover.

We spoke for the first time, over the phone, not long after he became a father but didn't meet until some years later at Dragonmeet.

We worked together again when he provided the internal illustrations for Bloodbones, my fourth FF gamebook, which was published by Wizard Books.


I was privileged to visit an exhibition of Tony's art - much of it Warhammer 40K and Fighting Fantasy-related - in his home town of Luton, and he was one of the artists who attended the first Fighting Fantasy Fest in 2014. He has also attended every one since.

Since then Tony has provided a picture for the Shakespeare Vs. Cthulhu short story anthology and he illustrated my fourth ACE Gamebook, 'TWAS - The Krampus Night Before Christmas. He is also the illustrator on the 'TWAS RPG line and our next collaboration will be The Box of Delights RPG.



So please raise a glass to Tony on this, his 60th birthday. May his STAMINA never fail!

Saturday, 19 February 2022

Happy Birthday, 2000AD!

Today marks the 45th birthday of the Galaxy's Greatest Comic - a.k.a. the British sci-fi, fantasy and horror anthology title 2000AD. I have been collecting the comic since the early 1990s and have been a subscriber for many years. When times were tough I got rid of 100 or so comics from my collection and have always regretted having to do so.

There is so much to love about 2000AD, although I am not a fan of some perennially popular strips. My favourites include Judge Dredd (of course), Nikolai Dante, Brink, Brass Sun, Kingdom... and those are just the ones that come to me now off the top of my head.

My work has actually appeared within the pages of 2000AD, once, when my festive tale Miracle on 34th and Peltzer appeared in Prog 1961 back in 2015. In 2020 it was reprinted in Judge Fear's Big Day Out and Other Stories, along with the Judge Dredd stories I wrote for the Judge Dredd Megazine.

I am fortunate that over the years I have got to work with a number of 2000AD artists. Usually it means that have provided a cover painting or internal illustrations for one of my books - most recently Neil Googe, Chris Weston, Simon Fraser, and Tazio Bettin - but some have actually illustrated comic strips I have written, such as Steve Yeowell on The Tale of the Hound.

I attended the 40th anniversary celebrations in London back in 2017, but for some reason the Imposter Syndrome was strong that day and so I barely spoke to anyone, even though many of the creators are known to me personally.

But tonight I shall be raising a glass in Tharg's honour and wishing 2000AD a very Happy Birthday. Here's the next 45 years!

Monday, 8 November 2021

Happy Birthday, Mr Stoker!

Today, Monday 8th November 2021, would have been Bram Stoker's 174th birthday, if he had still been alive - or undead!

You may not realise that Dracula - Curse of the Vampire actually uses elements from three of Stoker's works: his seminal horror novel Dracula; the short story Dracula's Guest, which was published posthumously; and the last novel to be published before his death, The Lair of the White Worm.

If you want to find out more about the source material for the sixth ACE Gamebook, and learn how Bram Stoker set about writing Dracula in the first place, then you want to pick up a hardback copy of Dracula - Curse of the Vampire, which includes a bonus chapter that discusses all of the above.

Many people have been enjoying Dracula - Curse of the Vampire, and here are just some of the reviews that have come in so far.



If you have also read and enjoyed Dracula - Curse of the Vampire, I would ask that you post a review on Amazon, and Goodreads, and anywhere else you can. Quite simply, the more reviews, the greater the exposure. The greater the exposure, the more sales. And considering I spent the best part of two years writing the book, I could really do with some good sales right now.


Thursday, 20 August 2020

Cthulhu Thursday: Happy Birthday, Mr Lovecraft!

Today is - or rather, would have been - H P Lovecraft's 130th birthday. The impact his work made on the horror and science fiction genres cannot be underestimated, and his Cthulhu mythos has inspired writers and artists all over the world.

I have written a number of stories that reference the Cthulhu mythos, and I have move ideas I would like to develop in the pipeline. I also edited an anthology of Cthulhu short stories that merged Lovecraft's creations with the Bard of Stratford's plays. There are even elements of the mythos in my ACE Gamebook NEVERLAND - Here Be Monsters!

So why not check one of them out today?


An anthologie of fine stories inspir’d by the Bard of Stratford and the Lovecraftian Mythos

Imagine if it had been William Shakespeare, England’s greatest playwright, who had discovered the truth about the Great Old Ones and the cosmic entity we know as Cthulhu, rather than the American horror writer H P Lovecraft.

Imagine if Stratford’s favourite son had been the one to learn of the dangers of seeking after forbidden knowledge and of the war waged between the Elder Gods in the Outer Darkness, and had passed on that message, to those with eyes to see it, through his plays and poetry. Welcome to the world of Shakespearean Cthulhu!

To mark the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare, Snowbooks proudly presents fifteen stories of eldritch horror that blend the Bard’s most famous plays with Lovecraft’s most terrifying creations. But before you dip into this curséd tome, be warned – that way madness lies...



A Dark Tale of the Cthulhu Mythos

“When oblivion comes, it is forever, as endless as the slumber of those beings that lie buried beneath the roots of the world, dreaming in darkness.”

A writer’s research into the legend of the Lambton Worm takes a horrifying twist when he uncovers the true origin of the story: a legend that stirs, knowing the time for its rebirth is near…



An ACE Gamebook

On the 15th April, 1912, during her maiden voyage, the RMS Titanic sank after hitting an iceberg. 1,503 people died, including passengers and crew. But 706 people survived, among them Wendy Darling and her dog Nana...Separated from the rest of her family, Wendy's lifeboat is washed up on the shore of a mysterious island a place lost in time home to creatures long thought extinct, a forgotten tribe, and a boy who can never grow up.

But the notorious pirate Captain James Hook and his crew have also found their way to Neverland, and the island is angry...

In NEVERLAND Here Be Monsters! YOU decide which route to take, which perils to risk, and which of the island's strange, prehistoric denizens to fight. Play as shipwreck survivor Wendy Darling, automaton avenger Peter Pan, heroic hunter Tiger Lily, or plundering pirate Captain James Hook. But be warned whether you succeed in your quest or meet a dire end will be down to the choices YOU make.

Will you manage to escape from Neverland?



The Scottish Patient
As featured in the World War Cthulhu anthology

As the shadows of war gather over Europe something is stirring within the darkness; something far older than humankind. Those with evil intent will seek to harness these terrible powers, while those fighting to turn the tide of war will find themselves up against far more than bullets and bombs. In forgotten R’lyeh, Cthulhu stirs as the mighty armies of the Third Reich march.

Friday, 15 May 2020

Gamebook Friday: Happy Birthday, L. Frank Baum!

On this day in 1856, Lyman Frank Baum - who would one day write The Wonderful Wizard of Oz - was born in Chittenango, New York.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was a hit right from the start, the story of Dorothy and her friends the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion capturing the public’s imagination.

It wasn’t long before there was merchandising associated with the book, a Broadway musical, a film, and eventually thirteen sequels, although the majority of these were written because of Baum’s money problems. A year after writing the sixth (and what was supposed to be the final) book in the series, The Emerald City of Oz, Baum filed for bankruptcy and resumed writing the Oz books to pay his debts.

All and all he wrote over 50 novels, 80 short stories, hundreds of poems, and at least a dozen plays.

And almost three years ago today, I sent the finished manuscript for my gameified take on his classic work of children's literature to Snowbooks ready for publication.


Hunted by the Wicked Witch of the West's winged monkeys and joined by her friends - the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Lion - Dorothy Gale sets off for the Emerald City.

Surrounded by enemies on all sides, will you uncover the secrets of The Wicked Wizard of Oz?

YOU decide which route to take, which perils to risk, and which of Oz's strange denizens to fight. But be warned - whether you succeed in your quest or meet a dire end, somewhere over the rainbow, will be down to the choices YOU make.

Are you ready to return to Oz?


Friday, 28 February 2020

Gamebook Friday: Sir John Tenniel's 200th Birthday

As Google informed me this morning, today would have been Sir John Tenniel's 200th birthday, if he were still alive*.


Sir John Tenniel was, of course, the original illustrator of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel, Through the Looking-Glass, And What Alice Found There.

Artist Kev Crossley created his own homage to Tenniel when he drew Alice's encounter with the Cheshire Cat for Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland, and which ended up being used on the cover of the first ACE Gamebook.


Well now you can also have Kev's awesome artwork adorning your wardrobe. Simply click the image below and shop 'til you drop.



* Which, let's face it, would be pretty impressive.

Thursday, 23 November 2017

Happy 54th Birthday, Doctor Who!

It's crazy to think that since the epic 50th anniversary The Day of the Doctor event four years have passed, during which time I have had not only the Doctor Who: Time Lord Quiz Quest published but also my second Doctor Who Choose the Future gamebook, Night of the Kraken.*

          

And the most recent Doctor Who-related release that I have contributed to is Doctor Who: 100 Illustrated Adventures, which makes the perfect Christmas gift for the Doctor Who fan(s) in your family.


* Not to mention Terrible Lizards being published as a standalone story.

Wednesday, 17 May 2017

Happy 117th Birthday to L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz!

On this day, 17th May, in the year 1900 - which just so happened to be a Thursday - L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was published for the first time, making his world famous children's book, and classic of American literature, 117 years old today!
And to celebrate the occasion, here's a sneak peak at the character paintings that will be adorning The Wicked Wizard of Oz collector bookmarks, courtesy of illustrator extraordinaire Kev Crossley.

Wednesday, 23 November 2016

Happy 53rd Birthday, Doctor Who!

And what better way to celebrate the occasion than by joining the Doctor on one of his most recent adventures?


Friday, 26 February 2016

Happy 39th Birthday, 2000AD!

Today, 2000AD is a grand 39 years-old! I those almost four decades, it has become a mainstay of British comics, and a pop culture icon. I have also been fortunate enough to have been published in the comic, just once, before Christmas last year.

I wasn't a comic that I had written, but it was a story featuring cultural icon Judge Dredd himself. That's right - I've written for 2000AD before, and I've written comics before, but I have never had a comic published inside the pages of 2000AD.

Despite being 44 years-old myself, that is still a writing achievement I would like to unlock. And who knows, maybe 2016 could be the year it happens.


The one time I have actually been published within the pages of 2000AD was in last year's bumper Christmas issue.

But for the time being, Happy Birthday, 2000AD! And to celebrate, why not head over to the 2000AD online shop and grab yourself a birthday bargain? (I'm after the Aquila graphic novel, myself.)



Thursday, 26 March 2015

New Who is 10 Today!


Ten years ago today, at 7.00pm*, I sat down, like millions of other Who fans, to watch 'Rose', the first episode of the resurrected Doctor Who. Ten years on, eight series and four Doctors later, New Who is still going strong and I've written for three of those four Doctors.

My first Doctor Who book was The Horror of Howling Hill, featuring the Tenth Doctor and Martha Jones. The second was Terrible Lizards, printed as one of two stories in Monstrous Missions, and featuring the Eleventh Doctor, Amy Pond and Rory Williams. The third is... yet to be published, but here's a sneak preview...



So all that there remains for me to do is say, Happy Birthday New Who!


* Having hurriedly just put my then almost 8 month old son to bed.

Wednesday, 26 February 2014

Happy Birthday, 2000AD!

2000AD is 37 years young today! I've been reading 2000AD regularly since 1992, when the magazine was still a sprightly 15 years old, and now it's heading into middle age!

I've never written for the comic (I've only submitted one Terror Tale to date) but, bizarrely, I have written for Judge Dredd in the Megazine (in short fiction form). Maybe 2014 is the year I change that...