Karl Kopinski to attend Fighting Fantasy Fest 6!

The Warlock is delighted to announce that ace artist Karl Kopinski will attend Fighting Fantasy Fest 6, alongside Sir Ian Livingstone, as one of our Guests of Honour.

Karl is known for his incredible work for Magic: The Gathering, as well as working for Games Workshop, illustrating the worlds of Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000.

In recent years, he has joined the ranks of the Fighting Fantasy artists, contributing cover art to the collector's hardbacks of Assassins of Allansia and The Warlock of Firetop Mountain.

And now he has illustrated Sir Ian's brand new Fighting Fantasy gamebook Tomb of the Golden Skull.

This is a rare appearance by Karl, so make sure you don't miss your chance to meet him and book your ticket for Fighting Fantasy Fest 6 today!

Sir Ian Livingstone to attend Lucca Comics & Games 2025

Sir Ian Livingstone will be attending the Lucca Comics & Games festival in Italy, which is on from Wednesday 29th October - Sunday 2nd November 2025.

This year, attendees will also be able to enjoy FORGING THE MYTH: Art & Artifacts from the Workshop, an exhibition that tells the story of the company founded by Steve Jackson and Sir Ian, and that changed pop culture forever.

The exhibition will be held from 18th October 18th - 2nd November 2025, at the Palazzo Guinigi. There you will be able to see original paintings by John Blanche, Geoff Taylor, Jim Burns, Stephen Tappin, John Sibbick, Paul Bonner, Gary Chalk, Karl Kopinski, and Iain McCaig, who will also be attending the games fair. There will even be some personal items of Sir Ian's on display.

The Warlock of Firetop Mountain collector's hardback edition out now!

Today marks the publication of the hardback collector's edition of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone.

The collector's hardback features brand new cover art by Karl Kopinski, the classic, iconic interior illustrations by Russ Nicholson, an updated History of Fighting Fantasy, the Qatlas map of Firetop Mountain, and the 1989 map of Allansia by Leo Hartas on the back cover.

The book is limited to 2,000 copies only, and is available online and in selected book shops.

Earlier this week, Steve Jackson and Sir Ian Livingstone visited Blackwell's Bookshop in Oxford to sign 500 copies of the collector's hardback of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain.

Steve Jackson and Sir Ian Livingstone - may their STAMINA never fail!

New collector's hardback edition of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain coming soon!

Today marks 43 years since The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone, was first published by Puffin Books.

Over the years since, there have been many different editions released in numerous languages, but one of the most special was the 25th anniversary hardback put out by Wizard Books in 2007.

But today the Warlock is able to share the exciting news that a new hardback edition of the book will be published by Scholastic Books, featuring brand new cover art by the incredibly talented Karl Kopinski.

Click to enlarge.

The new collector's hardback will be published on 25th September 2025. Not only will it featutre Karl Kopinski's amazing new artwork, but it will include the iconic interior illustrations by Russ Nicholson, and the 1989 map of Allansia by Leo Hartas will appear on the back cover.

The book will also feature an updated History of Fighting Fantasy and the Qatlas map of Firetop Mountain. It will be limited to 2,000 copies only, and it will be available online and selected book shops.

Zagor is back!

Sir Ian Livingstone at Lucca 2024

Last weekend, Sir Ian Livingstone was a guest at the week-long Italian comics and games fair, Lucca 2024.

Sir Ian Livingstone at Lucca 2024 with Karl Kopinski, cover artist for the hardback of Assassins of Allansia.

During his time there, he joined with others in celebrating 50 years of Dungeons & Dragons, including Luke Gygax, son of the late Gary Gygax.

Sir Ian Livingstone (centre) and Luke Gygax (second from right).

He also met with many Italian Fighting Fantasy fans and was even presented with an award for Best Foreign Gamebook.

Sir Ian's award for Best Foreign Gamebook.

Artist of Allansia

Ian Livingstone recently visited artist Karl Kopinski at his studio to collect the incredible cover painting Karl produced for the limited edition hardback of Assassins of Allansia, back in 2019.

It will now join other classic FF covers - by the likes of Iain McCaig, Les Edwards, Jim Burns, and Brian Williams - in Ian's home, as part of his unique Fighting Fantasy art collection.

Ian Livingstone and Karl Kopinski with the cover painting for the Fighting Fantasy gamebook Assassins of Allansia.

Ian will be selling copies of the limited collector's edition hardback of Assassins of Allansia at the UK Games Expo, when the convention returns to the NEC at the end of July.

You can find out more about what is happening at the incredibly popular event here.

Assassins of Hungary

As some of you brave adventurers will no doubt already be aware, Ian Livingstone's latest Fighting Fantasy adventure, Assassins of Allansia, is now available in a Hungarian edition, published by Chameleon Comix.

Chameleon Comix have gone with an old school look for the book, featuring Karl Kopinski's cover art for the special edition hardback on the cover, and even going so far as to give Allansia Bergyilkosai a green spine!

The gamebook features brand new internal illustrations by Krisztian Balla.

Assassins of Allansia has been very well received in Hungary, which is good news because Chameleom Comix are planning on releasing further titles in the future.

Assassins of Allansia - Turn to 400!

Fans of Fighting Fantasy gamebooks (so anyone reading this update) will be delighted to learn that the hardback edition of Ian Livingstone's brand new book, Assassins of Allansia, has been printed, ready for Fighting Fantasy Fest 3.

The limited hardback edition of Ian Livingstone's Assassins of Allansia, with cover art by Karl Kopinski.

Not only that but now, rather than being limited to 300 copies, 400 hardbacks have been printed. 290 will be on sale at Fighting Fantasy Fest 3, but if you are unable to make the event, there will be an opportunity to get hold of one later.

Ian Livingstone signing the Assassins of Allansia hardbacks.

Assassins of Allansia - The Limited Edition Hardback

It's what fans and collectors have been asking about ever since Ian Livingstone's new Fighting Fantasy gamebook, Assassins of Allansia, was announced last week. And today we can confirm that there will indeed be a limited edition hardback of the book, which will be on sale for the first time at Fighting Fantasy Fest 3.

The hardback features specially commissioned cover art by the phenomenally talented Karl Kopinski. While this may be Karl's first Fighting Fantasy cover, long-term fans of Games Workshop or Osprey Books, will doubtless be aware of his astounding work already, which is very much of the Iain McCaig school of painting. And here it is...

The hardback of Assassins of Allansia will be limited to only 300 copies, and will cost £40. Restrictions will be placed on how many copies any one person can buy, so the best way to ensure you get hold of a copy of this soon-to-be highly collectible item is to make sure you are at Fighting Fantasy Fest 3 on Saturday 31st August. That way you will be able to get it signed by the author as well!

(Please note that any hardbacks that remain unsold after the event will only be sold at other shows, at a later date; they will not be available to buy in traditional retail outlets or online.)