Scott Mackay's Fighting Fantasy Maps

Scott Mackay has made a name for himself with his hand-drawn and painted solution maps of classic Fighting Fantasy gamebooks.

The Warlock's goblins recently dragged Scott into the tunnels beneath Firetop Mountain to be interrogated about his work.

The Warlock: What was your first experience of Fighting Fantasy?

Scott Mackay: I first discovered Fighting Fantasy in 1984 in my local Woolworths (of all places)! I saw the cover for Island of the Lizard King and picked it up and was intrigued by the numbered passages. Loved it from the first attempt at saving Mungo (RIP!). I then bought all the previous books eventually and the new books as they were released.

Scott Mackay with two of his Fighting Fantasy solution maps.

TW: Which is your favourite FF gamebook?

SM: Ohh tough one... can I pick a short list of four? I'll go for my first book Island of the Lizard King - I loved the open world feel to it and the amazing Alan Langford illustrations. I'll then go for two city-based ones - City of Thieves and Kharé - Cityport of Traps. I always liked the city adventures and these two are my favourites. The closed-in feel to the streets, all the shops, the encounters - so much life to them! Finally, I'll go for Creature of Havoc - hard as nails and no idea what to do/who/what you are at the start... and I never completed it!

TW: Did any of the FF artists inspire you as an artist?

SM: I've got to say that the quality of the illustrations throughout all the Fighting Fantasy books I read was always amazing and added so much to the books. My favourite illustrators from the books were Alan Langford, Iain McCaig, Russ Nicholson and the illustrators for Caverns of the Snow Witch, Gary Ward and Edward Crosby. It's very likely that some of the illustrations from these artists got me into art initially as I so admired them during my formative years. I took art at school but eventually decided to go down a different path for further education/work. I finally came back to art a number of years ago and now you'll find me with a pencil or a paintbrush most evenings.

TW: Are there any adventures in particular for which you would like to produce a solution map?

SM: I've recently started to work on maps for the Sorcery! series. I've been looking forward to getting to Sorcery! for a while now, and the four books should prove a worthy challenge. I'm also looking forward to getting to Trial of Champions and Return to Firetop Mountain, to see how they compare to their 'parent' books. Finally, I'm also hoping to produce a map for Creature of Havoc, as I never finished this book back in the day.

A sneak peek at Scott's new Sorcery! map.

TW: If you were transported to the worlds of FF and dropped into an adventure with one of your maps, which one would you like it to be?

SM: I'll have to go for my first book and the last map I recently completed - Island of the Lizard King. I'd like to think that my map is the map you're handed by the islander in the game. As I said previously, the open world feeling to it, the great illustrations from Alan Langford and the fact it was my first Fighting Fantasy book make it the one I would most like to be 'dropped' into. Also, I would make sure to save Mungo!

You will be pleased to hear that Scott has now been released from Firetop Mountain so that he can continue to work on his Sorcery! maps.

You will find all the FF solution maps he has produced so far here.

Return to the Island of the Lizard King

Scott Mackay produces fully-licensed, hand-painted maps of your favourite Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks.

His latest map is of Fire Island, the notorious Island of the Lizard King. But be warned - as well as mapping the location, Scott's maps also show the route through the adventure.

To date, Scott has produced eight such maps, including ones for The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, Deathtrap Dungeon, and House of Hell.

You will find them all here, on Scott's Etsy shop.

Fighting Fantasy Adventures coming to Gamefound on Tuesday!

Fighting Fantasy Adventures, the new co-operative card game by Martin Wallace, is relaunching on the crowdfunding platform Gamefound on Tuesday 8th August 2023.

Fighting Fantasy Adventures’ gameplay will be powered by an elegant card-based system that gives the feel of a roleplaying game without the need for a games master. The rules are easy to pick up, with players rolling dice and levelling-up between adventures.

The first Fighting Fantasy Adventures game, referred to as Campaign One, will allow up to four players embark on five adventures based on four of Jackson and Livingstone’s original books - The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, Island of the Lizard King, Deathtrap Dungeon and The Forest of Doom - more to come” in the future.

You can find out more about the Gamefound campaign here.

 

Fighting Fantasy Adventures - now live on Kickstarter!

Fighting Fantasy Adventures, the new co-operative card game by Martin Wallace, is now live on Kickstarter!

Fighting Fantasy Adventures’ gameplay will be powered by an elegant card-based system that gives the feel of a roleplaying game without the need for a games master. The rules are easy to pick up, with players rolling dice and levelling-up between adventures.

The first Fighting Fantasy Adventures game, referred to as Campaign One, will allow up to four players embark on five adventures based on four of Jackson and Livingstone’s original books - The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, Island of the Lizard King, Deathtrap Dungeon and The Forest of Doom - more to come” in the future.

You can pledge your support to the Kickstarter here.

Fighting Fantasy Adventures - coming to Kickstarter soon!

Exciting news, adventurers! Fighting Fantasy Adventures, a new co-op card game, is coming to Kickstarter on 1st July 2023. 

Created by Martin Wallace of Wallace Designs and based on the iconic series of books by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone, the game allows up to four players to experience the classic adventures in a completely new way. Despite being a card game, it has the feel of a roleplaying game but without the need for a Gamesmaster.

The first campaign will comprise five adventures, based on four beloved books - The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, The Forest of Doom, Deathtrap Dungeon, and Island of the Lizard King - with the promise of more to come.

Sir Ian Livingstone said, "It has been a pleasure to work with Martin on his Fighting Fantasy Adventures game. Martin is one of the most successful and respected games designers in the industry. His design ideas for Fighting Fantasy Adventures and his understanding of the Fighting Fantasy world make for a very exciting and innovative game."

Make sure you keep on eye open for updates on this blog with more details in the coming weeks.

God Save the King!

It probably hasn't escaped your notice that tomorrow is the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

Royalty has long been a staple of fantasy stories, and that includes adventure gamebooks. So, today we thought we would count down some of Fighting Fantasy's baddest and best monarchs. But be warned, spoilers abound!

#5 - King Salamon LVII - The Gates of Death

The highly respected current ruler of Salamonis first appeared in Steve Jackson's Fighting Fantasy novel, The Trolltooth Wars, and then in Dungeoner, the first book in the Advanced Fighting Fantasy series.

However, when he was next encountered in Charlie Higson's The Gates of Death, he had become infected by a terrible demon plague and... wasn't quite himself.

#4 - King Gillibran - The Forest of Doom

King Gillibran Ironhelm III is the ruler of the Dwarves of Stonebridge. It is he who you are trying to aid by recovering his fabled warhammer in Sir Ian Livingstone's The Forest of Doom, so that he can continue to defend the town against the predations of the Hill Trolls that live to the east in the Moonstone Hills.

#3 - The Serpent Queen - City of Thieves

The Serpent Queen is under the protection of Lord Azzur and can be encountered in Sir Ian Livingstone's City of Thieves.

She is a woman with the head of a giant serpent, the result of terrible experiments performed by Caarth sorcerer-priests in the Desert of Skulls, and her bite is most definitely worse than her bark!

#2 - King Salamon LVII - Secrets of Salamonis

Having not appeared in a Fighting Fantasy gamebook until 2018, only four years later King Salamon returned in 2022, in Steve Jackson's Secrets of Salamonis. The reason for his second appearance on the list is because the previous listing was for his evil demonic self, while in Secrets of Salamonis he is as noble, wise and generous as you might have previously been led to believe.

#1 - The Lizard King - Island of the Lizard King

There is only one monarch whose name appears in the title of a Fighting Fantasy gamebook and that is the Lizard King of Fire Island. Armed with a lethal sword and protected by his pet Black Lion, he is a truly formidable foe. And you have to battle your way past his entire army before you can even face him in single combat!

Bubbling under: the Liche Queens of Trial of Champions and Night of the Necromancer, the Pharaoh Akharis the Accursed from Curse of the Mummy, and Queen Zyteea of the Usai tribe who appears in Bloodbones.

So, who is your favourite Fighting Fantasy monarch? Let us know in the comments below?

Iain McCaig 'appearing' at Fighting Fantasy Fest 4

Have you booked your ticket for Fighting Fantasy Fest 4 yet? If so, you're in for a treat. If not, you might want to hurry up and purchase yours today, as the latest guest to be confirmed for the event is none other than Iain McCaig.

Iain McCaig is a legend among Fighting Fantasy artists, having painted the original covers of such seminal gamebooks as Ian Livingstone's The Forest of Doom, City of Thieves, Deathtrap Dungeon, and Island of the Lizard King.

Iain will be 'appearing' via the magic of Zoom, broadcasting live from his home in Canada on Saturday 3 September 2022. As anyone who attended Fighting Fantasy Fest 2 back in 2017 will know, his masterclass was one of the standout sessions of the day.

Iain is a world-renowned and award-winning character designer and visual storyteller, who has worked on such blockbuster films as Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Endgame, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, The Jungle Book, and Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, as well as the recent TV series Obi-Wan Kenobi.

For this very reason, due to the potential for copyright infringement, Iain's talk will not be livestreamed or recorded to be posted online later. The only way to experience it is in person at Fighting Fantasy Fest 4. So don't delay, get your ticket today.

Marvellous Maps

The maps that used to appear in the Fighting Fantasy books have always been celebrated, quite rightly, as wonderful works of art.  

Well French Fighting Fantasy fan Alnaro has produced his own maps of some of the most iconic FF adventures, and they too are works of art.

But be warned - spoilers lie ahead!

Alnaro's maps are characterised by the inclusion of creatures, characters and settings that appear in the gamebooks, or on their covers. His map solution for Steve Jackson's The Citadel of Chaos is a perfect example of this.

One of the things that makes Alnaro's map of Ian Livingstone's seminal Deathtrap Dungeon stand out is his portrait of Baron Sukumvit. Another is the fact that it has been presented horizontally, rather than vertically.

The different regions of Fire Island can be clearly seen on this map of Ian Livingstone's Island of the Lizard King, which includes two mini-maps of the gold mine and the prison colony.

Alnaro's map of Scorpion Swamp is less illustrative, but nonetheless striking and effective.

His map of Ian Livingstone's Caverns of the Snow Witch makes it clear what a wide-ranging adventure it is, with the hero travelling from the Icefinger Mountains, across the Pagan Plains to Stonebridge and the Moonstone Hills, and from there to the peak of Firetop Mountain!

Alnaro's map for Vault of the Vampire includes the overland route to Castle Heydrich, as well as detailed plans of the vampire's lair itself.

The beast-haunted land of Lupravia is rendered in exquisite detail in Alarno's solution to Howl of the Werewolf, as is the kingdom of Femphrey that is the location for Stormslayer.

And finally we have the Invisible City, from Charlie Higson's FF adventure The Gates of Death. The Temple of Throff is a nightmare to navigate, but with this map to aid you, you actually have a chance of doing so successfully!

If you have your own maps of your favourite Fighting Fantasy adventures, we want to see them. Find out more here.

Fighting Fantasy Legends - 24 hours to go!

The Fighting Fantasy Legends Kickstarter by Atlantis Miniatures has just 24 hours left to run, so make sure you don't miss out and pledge your support today!

The best news is that all the Stretch Goals have now been unlocked, including Urzle Ironface from Ian Livingstone's new Fighting Fantasy gamebook, Assassins of Allansia!

And work has even begun on a new Lizard King miniature.

The Fighting Fantasy Legends are coming to Kickstarter

Atlantis Miniatures are launching their long-awaited Kickstarter to produce Fighting Fantasy Legends models at 1:00pm BST on Wednesday 16th October 2019. The campaign will run for three weeks and has a funding target of £12,000.

The intention is for there to be 41 miniatures in total. This includes the 21 creatures and characters sculpted by Damien Sparkes, and the Lord Azzur miniature sculpted by Dan Mark, which were on sale at Fighting Fantasy Fest 3, plus another 19 new figures.

Included among the new sculpts are everyone's favourite sailing companion, everyone's favourite barbarian, not everyone's favourite wizard, two Troll guards everyone loves to hate, and everyone's favourite fiendish dungeon designer.

Keep checking www.fightingfantasy.com for more news, regarding rewards and limited edition items, and start saving those Gold Pieces!

Fighting Fantasy Fest 3 - 70 Days to Go!

In just 10 weeks' time, Fighting Fantasy fans from all over the world will be at the University of West London in Ealing to enjoy all that Fighting Fantasy Fest 3 has to offer, including a Q&A with Guests of Honour Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone, and special guest artist Russ Nicholson, an interactive theatrical performance of Steve Jackson's House of Hell LIVE, a host of traders, a day of gaming, and the exclusive release of the collector's hardback of Ian Livingstone's brand new Fighting Fantasy gamebook Assassins of Allansia.

Tickets are selling fast, so make sure you don't miss out on the chance to be a part of it all, and grab your ticket today!

Fighting Fantasy Fest 3 marks the 35th anniversary of the publication of Ian Livingstone's Island of the Lizard King, and as well as picking up the Scholastic edition of this classic adventure, you will also be able to buy a model of the Lizard King - including his pet Black Lion and Gonchong 'crown' - from Atlantis Miniatures on the day.

Fighting Fantasy Easter Eggs - The Answers!

On Friday we asked you, in which Fighting Fantasy books do these eggs appear? Well here are the answers...

A) 

City of Thieves, by Ian Livingstone

- from Iain McCaig's illustration of the Market Square, where an old crone is offering you a couple of eggs to throw at the poor wretch locked in the stocks.

B) 

Island of the Lizard King, by Ian Livingstone

- from Alan Langford's illustration of the Razorjaw nest.

C) 

Titan - The Fighting Fantasy World, by Marc Gascoigne

- from Alan Langford's illustration of a Lizard King hatching.

D) 

City of Thieves, by Ian Livingstone, again

- from Iain McCaig's illustration of the panicking Silversmith.

How did you fare? If you got all the answers right, why not let us know in the comments below?

And if you like quizzing, don't forget, the second dedicated Fighting Fantasy Pub Quiz is being held the evening before Fighting Fantasy Fest 3, where Alan Langford will be one of the guest artists in attendance.

Blast from the Past! Portal of Evil

Thirty years ago, Puffin Books published the 37th book in the Fighting Fantasy series - although the book didn't have the number 37 appear anywhere on its cover - and the second title to be written by Peter Darvill-Evans.

Set in the area surrounding the city of Neuberg in Khul, Portal of Evil was an adventure involving magical portals and a dinosaur invasion of Titan. “I wanted to write something different,” says Darvill-Evans, “so a portal to another world of dinosaurs seemed appropriate. And everyone likes dinosaurs.”

The book featured a cover by Games Workshop artist David Gallagher cover, who had also painted the cover for Marc Gascoigne's Battleblade Warrior. “Battleblade was the first cover I did for Puffin,” says Gallagher. “I was freelancing and this was Puffin’s response to my initial approach for work.”

Portal of Evil featured illustrations by Alan Langford, back on dino duties following Battleblade Warrior and Ian Livingstone's Island of the Lizard King. “Zdeněk Burian, Ray Harryhausen and Frank Frazetta – they were my influences as far as dinosaur art went,” says Langford.

Both Peter Darvill-Evans and Alan Langford will be attending Fighting Fantasy Fest 3 in August, and talking about their collaborations. So if you have a burning question you would like to ask either of them, make sure you book your place at the Convention of Firetop Mountain today!

Classic Cover! Island of the Lizard King

As winter bites hard, here in Allansia, thoughts naturally turn to sunny times and travel to sunnier climes. Well how about a trip to a tropical island, spending time hanging out on the beach and enjoying the sites and engaging with the local wildlife?

Ian Livingstone's fourth solo title for the series, Island of the Lizard King had the hero fighting to free the young men of Oyster Bay from the tyranny of the insane Lizard King who ruled his island domain through a combination of black magic, voodoo and sheer force of arms. Iain McCaig’s classic cover bears the intimidating image of the Lizard King holding back his deadly pet, a Black Lion.

“The covers he did for The Forest of Doom, Deathtrap Dungeon, City of Thieves and Island of the Lizard King were nothing short of amazing," says Ian Livingstone. "Working with Iain was brilliant. He was full of ideas and energy, always excited by possibilities. His art captured moments frozen in time even though those moments never actually happened. There is so much drama and movement in his work, it’s genius.”

Island of the Lizard King is available again, in a new edition, courtesy of Scholastic Books, featuring artwork by Rob Ball, and can be picked up here.