YOU ARE THE HERO Part 2 has 6 hours to go on Kickstarter!

YOU ARE THE HERO Part 2 has just 6 hours to go on Kickstarter, so if you've been considering upgrading your pledge, now would seem like a good time to do so - just make sure you do so before 1:00pm today!

Pledge at the £20 Gargoyle reward level (or above) and simply add £15 to your pledge to receive a second copy of the book.

Pledge at the £60 Gark reward level (or above) and add £40 to your pledge to receive a second copy of the limited edition hardback.

Add £120 to your pledge to receive the Golden Fleece canvas print of Chris Achilleos's cover art for the book.

Since YOU ARE THE HERO Part 2 reached its fourth stretch goal yesterday, everyone who pledges to receive a physical copy of the book will also receive:

1 x art print of Chris Achilleos's cover art for YOU ARE THE HERO Part 2
1 x art print of John Blanche's painting of Kharé - Cityport of Traps
1 x art print of Leo Hartas's painted map of north-west Allansia
1 x MP3 download of music inspired by Fighting Fantasy gamebooks

On top of that all copies of YOU ARE THE HERO Part 2 will now be hardbacks rather than softbacks.

Gamebook Friday: YOU ARE THE HERO Part 2 has 24 hours to go on Kickstarter!

YOU ARE THE HERO Part 2 has only 24 hours to go on Kickstarter and is creeping ever closer to the stretch goal whereby all softbacks that people have pledged to receive automatically become hardbacks!

Backers who have pledged to receive physical copies of the book will already be getting two bonus art prints and an MP3 download of Fighting Fantasy-inspired music, but if the next stretch goal is reached they will also receive a full-colour print of Leo Hartas's map of Allansia.

A new art add-on has also been announced. Add £120 to any other pledge (or select the Golden Fleece reward by itself) and you could be the proud owner of a canvas art print of Chris Achilleos's cover art for YOU ARE THE HERO Part 2.

So if you've been holding out, hoping that  YOU ARE THE HERO Part 2 would be published as a hardback, don't delay - back the Kickstarter today!

Fighting Fantasy Fest 2014 - 3 weeks to go!

There are just 3 weeks to go until  FIGHTING FANTASY FEST 2014 takes place at the DoubleTree Hilton in Ealing, West London, and 2 weeks left to buy your tickets.

For those attending we have all of the following on offer:

6 Fighting Fantasy artists - including Russ Nicholson, John Blanche, Chris Achilleos, Malcolm Barter, Tony Hough and Leo Hartas.

3 Fighting Fantasy authors - Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone, co-creators of the Fighting Fantasy series, and Jonathan Green, author of seven FF gamebooks.

An extremely collectible goodie bag, including a Fighting Fantasy gamebook, a poster, a novel, a Tin Man Games download app code, and a ZAGOR THE WARLOCK miniature, only available to those FF fans attending FIGHTING FANTASY FEST and based on this piece of artwork by Russ Nicholson!

A talk on the early days of Fighting Fantasy by Steve and Ian, with special guest Philippa Dickinson, the editor who first worked on The Warlock of Firetop Mountain.

Arion Games running Advanced Fighting Fantasy sessions throughout the day.

Tin Man Games talking about and demonstrating their latest FF apps.

Inkle Studios talking about their Sorcery! apps.

Various others traders, offering books for sale, wargaming miniatures, dice and gaming equipment, and more!

The official book launch of YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks, written by Jonathan Green and supported by hundreds of FF fans through the Kickstarter crowd-funding website.

An exhibition of never-before-seen and highly-collectible items from FF's history.

An auction of rare Fighting Fantasy memorabilia from the vaults of the Warlocks of Firetop Mountain themselves.

And if all that wasn't enough you'll be able to have a drink with the creators of Fighting Fantasy at the Black Lobster Tavern, from Port Blacksand, City of Thieves, themed bar!

If you've not bought your ticket yet you can do so here. Please tell all your friends via social media and any other means at your disposal (such as telephone, email, carrier pigeon, smoke signals, sorcery...) and we'll look forward to seeing you in September!

Fighting Fantasy Fest 2014 - 1 month to go!

There is just 1 month to go until  FIGHTING FANTASY FEST 2014 takes place at the DoubleTree Hilton in Ealing, West London, and 4 days left to buy your tickets.

For those attending we have all of the following on offer:

6 Fighting Fantasy artists - including Russ Nicholson, John Blanche, Chris Achilleos, Malcolm Barter, Tony Hough and Leo Hartas.

3 Fighting Fantasy authors - Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone, co-creators of the Fighting Fantasy series, and Jonathan Green, author of seven FF gamebooks.

An extremely collectible goodie bag, including a Fighting Fantasy gamebook, a poster, a novel, a Tin Man Games download app code, and a ZAGOR THE WARLOCK miniature, only available to those FF fans attending FIGHTING FANTASY FEST and based on this piece of artwork by Russ Nicholson!

A talk on the early days of Fighting Fantasy by Steve and Ian, with special guest Philippa Dickinson, the editor who first worked on The Warlock of Firetop Mountain.

Arion Games running Advanced Fighting Fantasy sessions throughout the day.

Tin Man Games talking about and demonstrating their latest FF apps.

Inkle Studios talking about their Sorcery! apps.

Various others traders, offering books for sale, wargaming miniatures, dice and gaming equipment, and more!

The official book launch of YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks, written by Jonathan Green and supported by hundreds of FF fans through the Kickstarter crowd-funding website.

An exhibition of never-before-seen and highly-collectible items from FF's history.

An auction of rare Fighting Fantasy memorabilia from the vaults of the Warlocks of Firetop Mountain themselves.

And if all that wasn't enough you'll be able to have a drink with the creators of Fighting Fantasy at the Black Lobster Tavern, from Port Blacksand, City of Thieves, themed bar!

If you've not bought your ticket yet you can do so here. Please tell all your friends via social media and any other means at your disposal (such as telephone, email, carrier pigeon, smoke signals, sorcery...) and we'll look forward to seeing you in September!

Fighting Fantasy Fest 2014 - Featuring Leo Hartas and a Warlock's hoard of goodies

There are now just 5 days left in which to buy your tickets for Fighting Fantasy Fest 2014...

One of the artists joining us on the day is the man responsible for a host of beautiful maps - everything from painted charts of Gallantaria to black and white plans of Allansian towns - Leo Hartas!

There are several pages given over to Leo's exqusite cartography in YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks, which will be launching at the event. So why not come along and get Leo to sign your copy on the day?

Attendees who snap up a full price ticket now will also receive a goodie bag, stuff full of goodies, including the following:

• A Fighting Fantasy gamebook (with the first 100 to buy their tickets receiving the highly sought after 25th anniversary edition of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, signed by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone).
• A Pax Britannia novel by Yours Truly.
• A download code for a Tin Man Games app.
• A limited edition poster.
• The highly collectible 'Adventurer's Backpack' itself.
• A commemorative convention programme.
• And a 32mm miniature of Zagor the Warlock, especially sculpted for this event by Paul Muller and cast by Otherworld Miniatures.

In addition to all of the above, every attendee buying a full price ticket will be entered into a raffle to win the chance to have their name appear in a forthcoming Tin Man Games Fighting Fantasy app!

So what are you waiting for?

Iain McCaig, who illustrated Ian Livingstone's City of Thieves, has a number of pieces of work in YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks, including two especially commissioned for the book and his first FF-related illustration work in years!

Fighting Fantasy Fest 2014 - Only 2 months to go!

It's hard to believe, I know (and just a little bit scary), but two months today the DoubleTree Hilton in Ealing, West London, will be opening its doors to attendees from across the world visiting FIGHTING FANTASY FEST 2014. And you could be there too.

For those attending we have all of the following on offer:

6 Fighting Fantasy artists - including Russ Nicholson, John Blanche, Chris Achilleos, Malcolm Barter, Tony Hough and Leo Hartas.

3 Fighting Fantasy authors - Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone, co-creators of the Fighting Fantasy series, and Jonathan Green, author of seven FF gamebooks.

An extremely collectible goodie bag, including a Fighting Fantasy gamebook, a poster, a novel, a Tin Man Games download app code, and a ZAGOR THE WARLOCK miniature, only available to those FF fans attending FIGHTING FANTASY FEST and based on this piece of artwork by Russ Nicholson!

A talk on the early days of Fighting Fantasy by Steve and Ian, with special guest Philippa Dickinson, the editor who first worked on The Warlock of Firetop Mountain.

Arion Games running Advanced Fighting Fantasy sessions throughout the day.

Tin Man Games talking about and demonstrating their latest FF apps.

Inkle Studios talking about their Sorcery! apps.

Various others traders, offering books for sale, wargaming miniatures, dice and gaming equipment, and more!

The official book launch of YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks, written by Jonathan Green and supported by hundreds of FF fans through the Kickstarter crowd-funding website.

An exhibition of never-before-seen and highly-collectible items from FF's history.

An auction of rare Fighting Fantasy memorabilia from the vaults of the Warlocks of Firetop Mountain themselves.

And if all that wasn't enough you'll be able to have a drink with the creators of Fighting Fantasy at the Black Lobster Tavern, from Port Blacksand, City of Thieves, themed bar!

If you've not bought your ticket yet you can do so here. Please tell all your friends via social media and any other means at your disposal (such as telephone, email, carrier pigeon, smoke signals, sorcery...) and we'll look forward to seeing you in September!

John Blanche and Leo Hartas to attend Fighting Fantasy Fest 2014

Joining the already impressive roster of guests attending Fighting Fantasy Fest on Sunday 7 September 2014 at the DoubleTree Hilton in Ealing, West London, are Leo Hartas, the Fighting Fantasy cartographer, and John Blanche, the man who illustrated Steve Jackson's legendary Sorcery! series.

Both Leo's maps and John's artwork appear in YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks, and if you're coming along to Fighting Fantasy Fest, you could ask them to sign the book for you. If you're not already attending Fighting Fantasy Fest, you can buy your ticket by clicking this link.

L is for Leo Hartas

Today's special guest on my blog is Leo Hartas, illustrator, writer and for those of a certain age, Fighting Fantasy cartographer.

I actually interviewed Leo for a piece I wrote for SFX Magazine about the history of Fighting Fantasy and his involvement in the world's premier gamebook series. So today, for the first time ever, I present said interview with Mr Leo Hartas...

Which was the first Fighting Fantasy gamebook you read?

Warlock of Firetop Mountain.

Did you read FF before illustrating FF?

I did.

Which is your favourite FF gamebook?

City of Thieves, I think. To be honest it's been a very time since I read an FF.

How did you find the process of drawing maps for the FF books?

I loved the process of drawing the maps because the editor always gave me a completely free hand. He would initially send me a poor photocopy of a scribble by the author with the very basic information of locations, etc, and I could go off and embellish to my heart's content. Of course I had to submit a rough for checking, but apart from a handful of minor changes, I remember everything going very smoothly.

Would you have liked to illustrate a whole book?

Yes I would, but at the same time I was at uni or working on other projects such as the Golden Dragon gamebooks by Dave Morris and Oliver Johnson. You may be interested to know that Dave is writing gamebooks again, currently working on an epic gamebook version of Mary Shelley's classic, Frankenstein. Should be great!

What are you doing now?

I still work full time as a freelance illustrator. Recently I have been illustrating a series of books called Adventure Island for 8-12 year-olds, along with a series for younger children of pirate adventure called Sam Silver. Both series are for Orion Books. When I have time I also work on my graphic novel, Mirabilis - Year of Wonders, written by Dave Morris. Book One is out and Book Two should be out in a month or two. I'm half way through Book Three of the epic eight book series. You can find out more at the Mirabilis website.

How much did FF influence your career and what you are doing today?

Difficult to say. I'm known for working on the maps, and I've had a few jobs since because of them. On the whole my main career has been in slightly younger children's books. However, I loved drawing and painting the maps, and that experience definitely feeds into my other work.

What is it that makes FF so special?

I think it was because they were the first gamebooks to break open the market in the 80s coming on the heels of the D&D revolution a decade before.

How do you explain the gamebook resurgence of the last couple of years?

I don't know really, so I'll guess. Gamebooks were destroyed by the emergence of computer RPGs. I suspect it could be that some people are looking for a deeper imaginative experience that writing can provide, from the rather vacuous and repetitive experience of the computer RPG genre. It's also true that there is a hardcore fan base that read the original series, and has grown up to revive the gamebook with the help of social media. All good stuff!

There are notable exceptions (such as House of Hell and Appointment with F.E.A.R.) but in general why do you think the non-Titan adventures were less well-received than those set within FF’s own fantasy world?

I would think that readers like to feel the stories they are engaged in link into a bigger world which over time they can "discover" and become familiar with. I think it's also true that the fantasy genre seems to work exceptionally well with the gamebook genre. I can't remember seeing too many crime fiction gamebook titles.

What do you feel was the impact of video games on FF (both negative and positive)?

On the whole I think it's been totally negative, in that video RPGs have sucked away most potential gamebook readers. I haven't read any recent "post video game" gamebooks, so I can't comment on any influence they may have had on gamebooks themselves.

Where is there left for gamebooks to go?

Perhaps the most exciting area for gamebook expansion is in the new mobile devices, which strike me as perfect to handle the simple mechanics of rolling dice and linking paragraphs. As a genre I fear they will always occupy a niche, but can never tell. The mainstream may suddenly pick them up again and we'll see them flying off the shelves like they did in the 80s.

Do you think people will still be talking about FF in another 30 years?

Turn to paragraph... I hope so. :)

Thanks to Leo for letting me post his answers online. You can find out more about what Leo's working on at the moment at his website here, and you can find out more about Mirabilis - Year of Wonders, here.