Warhammer Wednesday: Sticks and Stones

I haven't done one of these for a while - a Warhammer Wednesday post.

However, with the news that the Orc & Goblin Tribes Arcane Journal is soon to be released for Warhammer: The Old World, it seemed as good a time as any to remind you* that my Empire vs. Orcs short story Sticks and Stones is available to download as an eBook from the Black Library.

War against orcs and goblins is never easy for the soldiers of the Empire. Their foes and savage and brutal and revel in battle. and never more so than when a mighty idol of their gods marches to war alongside them, fuelled by magic and the power of the Waaagh! In the midst of battle, it falls to Rutger Erlang and his pistolier comrades to deal with the manifestation of Gork (or is it Mork?) and prevent the total destruction of the Empire army.

The Bretonnian Grail Reliquae was recently featured on the Warhammer: The Old World home page. I also wrote a story about one of these back in the day, entitled Sir Dagobert's Last Battle, which can be found in Issue #9 of Hammer and Bolter .

 * Or let you know, if you're new to this blog.

Gamebook Monday: Jonathan Green meets Jordan Sorcery

I was recently interviewed by Jordan Sorcery about my work for Fighting Fantasy and the Black Library, and the video went live yesterday. And you can watch it here...

It was nice to be given the opportunity to talk about things people don't often ask me out, such as my involvement with Games Workshop and the early days of the Black Library. However, having watched the interview back, I must apologise for the number of times I use the word 'fun' during the course of our conversation.

Jordan Sorcery has been putting out some fantastic content on his YouTube channel and has interviewed the likes of Sir Ian Livingstone, Rick Priestley, Alessio Cavatore, Gav Thorpe and Andy Chambers, to name but a few. You will also find an interactive history of Fighting Fantasy gamebooks on there.

Warhammer Wednesday: Warhammer eBooks

Monday saw the release of Krakenbane's Curse, a new Age of Sigmar short story by Yours Truly. 

A few of the short stories I have written for Black Library over the years are available as digital eShorts and three of the six novels I have written set within the Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 universes as eBooks. Why not check out one of them today?

 

Warhammer Wednesday: The Dead and the Damned is 20 years old!

Unbelievably, my very first published novel, the Warhammer short story collection The Dead and the Damned, is 20 years old today! What's more, it is still available to buy from the Black Library as an eBook.

The Warhammer universe explodes with adventure and sudden violence as Badenov's Band, rogues and brigands all, take on all comers as they roam the Old World. Led by their raven-haired commander Torben Badenov, whose lust for glory is only surpassed by his ferocity in battle, the motley gang roams the wretched towns and haunted forests fighting until every last unholy creature they encounter joins the dead or the damned.

One of the best things* about The Dead and the Damned being published, apart from the fact that it was a proper novel**, was that Clint Langley produced the cover. Since 2002, I have written another 15 novels, many of which are also still available to buy as eBooks.

* One of the worst things was it was the first book of mine that was reviewed in SFX Magazine, and the reviewer gave it one star. That was a humbling experience.

** Although it wasn't. Not really.

Warhammer Wednesday: Empire at War

Empire at War is the latest Warhammer Chronicles omnibus to be published by the Black Library.

Here's the blurb from the back cover:

The Empire is the largest and most powerful realm in the Old World. Founded by the warrior-god Sigmar, it is built up of city-states and provinces that are now bound together under the rule of the Emperor Karl Franz. Only through the actions of its valiant heroes has it repelled the numerous invasions brought against it. And in the far north stands Kislev, one of the Empire’s staunchest allies and the first bastion against the rampaging Chaos hordes beyond…

This omnibus edition collects together three tales of heroism and sacrifice focusing on the dour but courageous Winged Lancers of Kislev, the doughty rank and file of the Imperial halberdiers and the pious warrior-priests of the Sigmarite faith. Also included are an array of short stories focusing on the many fighters of the Empire.

As well as featuring novels by Dan Abnett, Nick Kyme and Darius Hinks, Empire at War also includes a reprint of a short story of my own featuring the Kislevite mercenaries known as Badenov's Band, who were the stars of my first published novel The Dead and the Damned.

Warhammer Wednesday: Tales from The-World-That-Was

My latest royalty statement arrived from Black Library last week*. What it highlighted to me is that a number of my old Warhammer stories - from what would now be referred to as 'The-World-That-Was' - are still available in eBook format, either alone or as part of larger collections.

If you would like a taste of my old school Warhammer writings, why not check out one of them today?

Hammer and Bolter Issue 9 contains my short story Sir Dagobert's Last Battle, which is one of the best Warhammer stories I think I ever wrote. Sticks and Stones appeared near the end of Warhammer's life, before it evolved into Warhammer: Age of Sigmar.

* Yes, I still earn a few pennies from sales of my BL stuff.

Martin McKenna (1969-2020)

It was with great sadness that I learned this weekend that Martin McKenna had passed away at the beginning of September. He was just 51.

Martin was an incredible artist, his illustrations for the Fighting Fantasy gamebooks some of the most realistic of all. They also dripped atmosphere, with their fine pen and ink details and sinister gothic air.

I first encountered Martin's work via Fighting Fantasy but I soon discovered that his art peppered numerous Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay products as well, and it was with genuine pleasure that I pored over his immaculate vignettes and character portraits.

His illustrations really helped bring the grimdark corners of Warhammer's Old World to life, as they did Fighting Fantasy's own Old World.

Naturally, when I started writing my own FF gamebooks, it was Martin I requested to illustrate the adventures, but it didn't happen until Curse of the Mummy*, my third FF title. Unfortunately, the illustrations weren't quite what I had been hoping for and Martin later admitted himself that they had been rather rushed. In contrast, the cover painting he produced for Curse of the Mummy** was astonishing.

The digitally retouched cover for Curse of the Mummy that Martin McKenna produced in 2007.

However, when Wizard Books started publishing new titles, I got the chance to work with Martin again. We were clearly inspired by the same source material, and the illustrations he produced for Howl of the Werewolf and Night of the Necromancer are some of my favourites.

The cover for Howl of the Werewolf, by Martin McKenna.

The Werebear, Water Wyrd, Van Richten the Vampire Hunter, Serpensa the Serpent Woman, Werebat, and Count Varcolac***, from Howl of the Werewolf.

The Sea Demon, Grave Golem, Dread Knights, Wraith Queen, Hellfire Golem, and Shadow King, from Night of the Necromancer.

He also painted the stunning cover for my zombie-pirate adventure Bloodbones, which ened up being animated for Tin Man Games' digital edition.

The cover for Bloodbones, by Martin McKenna.

When I wrote YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks, I knew there was only one artist who could produce the wraparound image I desired for the book.

The cover for YOU ARE THE HERO, by Martin McKenna.

And we were due to collaborate again on my new ACE Gamebook, Dracula - Curse of the Vampire, but sadly that is not to be now.

We never actually met and we didn't even speak on the phone, but I had huge respect for Martin and his work, and I think if we had met we would have got on very well.

However, my greatest regret is that is seems Martin did not have the same confidence in his own abilities as everyone who ever enjoyed any of his immaculate illustrations. I only hope that he had some inkling of the pleasure he brought to all those whose lives he touched through his art.

In memory of

Martin McKenna

1969-2020

Martin's close friends have set up a JustGiving page to raise money, to help disadvantaged children gain access to the arts, in Martin's memory. If you feel able to give something, no more what, follow this link.

* The upside of this was that I got to work with Alan Langford and Tony Hough instead, and Tony and I have a new RPG coming out this Christmas.

** His first FF cover!

*** Martin based Count Varcolac's face on his own.

Warhammer Wednesday: Inferno! classic reprints

Black Library have released the next batch of classic Inferno! reprints. Each issue is a facsimile of the original magazine, available to print on demand for two weeks only, and you can purchase them as a single collection that will get you issues 26-35!

The period covered by this collection just happens to be the time when I was at my most prolific, in terms of making contributions to Inferno! magazine. Of these ten classic issues, six contain short stories or comic strips by Yours Truly, and they are...

Inferno! #26 - Firestarter! – Necromunda short story

Inferno! #27 - The Nagenhof Bell – Warhammer short story

Inferno! #28 - The Executioner’s Tale – Warhammer comic strip

Inferno! #29 - Bad Medicine – Necromunda short story

Inferno! #32 - The Miner’s Tale – Warhammer comic strip

Inferno! #34 - Mark of the Beast – Warhammer short story


To order the collection of ten issues*, or just the edited highlights, follow this link.

* These issues are available to order until 6:00pm GMT on Saturday 18th July 2020.

Warhammer Wednesday: Inferno! Volume 4 Review

During to the Coronavirus lockdown, a lot of people have been catching up on their reading, and that includes The Sci-Fi and Fantasy Reviewer. The latest review to go up is of Inferno! Volume 4, which features my own Thousand Sons short story Journey of the Magi, and it makes for very pleasant reading*.

"I was both surprised and delighted to see Jonathan Green’s name in the Table of Contents, because he was one of the first Black Library authors I ever read; The Dead and the Damned remains perhaps my favourite Warhammer Fantasy (now Warhammer Chronicles, I suppose) novels of all time. So I was curious to see what Journey of the Magi would deliver, and was intrigued to find a slow-paced, atmospheric and multi-layered tale revolving around three sorcerors from the Thousand Sons Legion landing on a seemingly-abandoned planetoid in search of a prize buried in the depths of a strange temple. While the trio breach its external defences easily enough, they soon find that the metallic, undying defenders inside have no intention of allowing them an easy journey. I appreciated the old-school feel of the story, with some detailed descriptions of the three sorcerers, their powers and the complex relationship between them, but also the way in which Green deftly brought the plot up to date with the latest lore and canon. It’s a striking story written with a narrative richness I think is unique to Green, as is the ending which deploys twist after twist to create a complex yet deeply rewarding story that immediately bears fruit from re-reading after finishing."

Click on the covers below to download eBook editions direct from Black Library.

     

* Especially when I am currently busy writing another new short story.