Choose Wisely in the Scorpion Swamp!

The newest adventure available from Tin Man Games, as part of the Fighting Fantasy Classics library, is... Scorpion Swamp!

Sharpen your swords, steady your nerve, and maybe pack a spare pair of socks, because Scorpion Swamp has officially arrived as the latest DLC gamebook for Fighting Fantasy Classics!

A new edition of Scorpion Swamp - featuring brand new artwork by Tazio Bettin - is also on the horizon. It is coming as part of the second tranche of FF titles going from Steve Jackson Games in the States. You can back the Kickstarter here.

Scorpion Swamp Revisited

Currently funding on Kickstarter is Fighting Fantasy - Solo Adventure Gamebooks - Set 2 from Steve Jackson Games.

The classic adventures that will be published through this Kickstarter are Creature of Havoc, House of Hell, Caverns of the Snow Witch, Scorpion Swamp, and Island of the Lizard King.

All of these adventures will feature the original cover art and internal illustrations, apart from Scorpion Swamp.

It is not always possible to acquire the rights to reuse the original art from a gamebook, and this proved to be the case with Scorpion Swamp. As a result, another artist has been commissioned to produce all-new artwork for the book, and that artist is Tazio Bettin.

Fans of Fighting Fantasy will already know that Tazio illustrated Steve Jackson's 40th anniversary FF adventure, Secrets of Salamonis, and he has now brought his clean line and deeply shadowed realistic style of a veritable classic of the series.

Giant.

Master of Wolves.

Swamp Orcs.

As well as the internal illustrations, Tazio has also reimagined the Pool Beast for the gamebook's cover.

 

There is still plenty of time to jump on board and join the Kickstarter and secure yourself a copy of the new edition of Scorpion Swamp, featuring Tazio Bettin's incredible artwork.

Tazio Bettin's Art of Darkness

Tazio Bettin is the Italian artist who had the honour of illustrating Steve Jackson's 40th anniversary Fighting Fantasy adventure Secrets of Salamonis. His star is certainly in the ascendant, as he has also produced Warhammer 40,000 book covers for Games Workshop and is a regular contributor to British anthology comic 2000AD.

Tazio was recently interviewed about his work, including Secrets of Salamonis, by Wyrd Science Magazine, and you can read the interview here.

*What decade even is this? The 2020s or the 1980s?

40th Anniversary Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks' covers revealed!

Today, the Warlock is delighted to reveal the covers of the two new Fighting Fantasy gamebooks Scholastic are publishing this September to celebrate 40 years of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain!

Secrets of Salamonis, by Steve Jackson

Do YOU have what it takes to become a hero? Travelling to the ancient city of Salamonis to make your fortune, YOU must decide whether to join the Strongarms guarding the merchant caravans that criss-cross Allansia, or study at the famous Halls of Learning. Will you enter Bu Fon Fen in search of Cauldronweed, or rid King Salamon's Mine of the pests that plague it? Will you bring Cardinal Zyn to justice, or set off in search of the horn of the Black Unicorn? And just who is the Shivering Man, and what does he have to do with the mystery of the screaming sky? It is down to YOU to uncover the secrets of Salamonis!

The colour cover art and black and white internal illustrations for Secrets of Salamonis are by Italian artist Tazio Bettin, who has recently produced covers for Black Library books, including the reissues of the Bloodquest graphic novels, and is the current artist on the 2000AD strip Sinister Dexter.

Goblin Wolf Riders, by Tazio Bettin.

Shadow of the Giants, by Sir Ian Livingstone

When an ancient artifact is discovered inside Firetop Mountain, its evil magic unleashes terrifying Iron Giants upon the world. In a race against time, YOU must find the only person who knows how to defeat them. Where does he live? Will he help? Will YOU survive?

The colour cover art and black and white internal illustrations for Shadow of the Giants are by UK artist Mike McCarthy, whose design work for the Fable series of games for Lionhead Studios brought him to the attention of Sir Ian Livingstone.

Humluk the Ogre, by Mike McCarthy

Steve Jackson and Sir Ian Livingstone will be signing copies of their new 40th anniversary Fighting Fantasy titles at Fighting Fantasy Fest 4, on Saturday 3 September 2022 at the University of West London in Ealing.