Well, one lost pilgrim to be precise. On 7th September, I was fortunate to have participated in Fighting Fantasy Fest 5 in the UK, representing Lost Pilgrims there in exhibiting the City of Thieves graphic novel I’ve been working on with Chameleon Comix’s founder Gyula Szűcs and mega-talented graphic artist Krisztián Balla. We met and chatted with a lot of enthusiastic Fighting Fantasy fans, encountered living legends, listened to intriguing talks, and saw a ton of cool stuff, including the new gamebook The Dungeon on Blood Island by Sir Ian Livingstone himself.

For readers not familiar with the franchise: Fighting Fantasy started as a series of single-player roleplaying gamebooks in the UK (similar to Choose Your Own Adventure in the US), mostly sharing an original setting, kicked off by The Warlock of Firetop Mountain in 1982 by RPG and video game pioneers Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson. Even though the gamebooks still form the basis of the franchise, it has since expanded into video games and other forms of entertainment.

But what was the event and why did I go there, I hear you ask?

Fighting Fantasy Fest

A mostly bi-annual gathering of Fighting Fantasy (FF) enthusiasts, the Fest is not only where you can find rarities, get books signed by authors and artists, and listen to the talks from the creators of the franchise, but also where the newest FF books and products are released and revealed. The event has the usual con fare, too, in FF attire of course, like merchandise, collections, talks, games, demos, and more.

City of Thieves - The Graphic Novel

The reason for our visit was to promote and give an update on the graphic novel we have been working on. Based on Ian Livingstone’s seminal gamebook of the same name, it’ll take readers into the notorious Port Blacksand, where a cast of misfits unite for an unlikely heist against corrupt, powerful tyrants. Will their efforts lead to the revenge and rewards they are looking for? Will they be willing to pay the price for victory? You will certainly be able to find out when the graphic novel launches.

And what about that update we gave? Well, writing on the first chapter of the graphic novel has been completed for a while and the art is coming along nicely, though it’ll take at least a year to complete. As for the creators, the project is overseen by Sir Ian Livingstone himself, with Chameleon Comix publishing and Krisztián Balla meticulously creating the artwork in amazing detail. Our good friend Gyula Szűcs from the publishing house has teamed up with me (like many times before) to write the graphic novel, so that is where Lost Pilgrims enters the fray.

To show off the graphic novel’s progress, art, and the tremendous amount of work going into it as well as to provide fans with something to hold them over until that work is completed, Chameleon Comix put together a hardcover artbook. It includes concept art, information on the creators, character introductions, and the first 10 pages of the graphic novel (part colored, part black and white). Collectors can order a copy from Chameleon Comix’s webstore.

Festival Highlights

For a small, cozy convention, there were a lot of amazing encounters and happenings at FFF5 – way too many to list here – but some of these were especially memorable so they bear mentioning.

One such highlight was the meeting and chat with legendary graphic artist, designer, and author Iain McCaig after his talk on some of his most celebrated FF cover paintings and illustrations over the years. Iain is not only a magnificently talented visual storyteller and a veritable rockstar of the industry but also a kind, cool dude, and so our interactions have left us humbled and galvanized in equal measure. He might be most known for creating Darth Maul for George Lucas but his Fighting Fantasy work was also defining for many of us starting our journeys down a path in fantasy and sci-fi – something we’ll be eternally grateful for.

FFF5 was also where Magic Realms - The Art of Fighting Fantasy by Jonathan Green and Ian Livingstone debuted. It is a huge hardcover book that celebrates over 40 years of Fighting Fantasy artwork. Backstories and biographies are interspersed with exquisite images of classic illustrations and paintings over its 350ish pages. Magic Realms is a truly magnificent volume of fantasy and sci-fi art that I can wholeheartedly recommend – especially for fans of the FF gamebooks.

An even greater debut at the Fest – and its most prominently advertised event – was that of The Dungeon on Blood Island by Sir Ian Livingstone. This brand new gamebook was written for the 40th anniversary of his seminal book Deathtrap Dungeon, one of the most beloved FF gamebooks and certainly one of my favorites. It’s a classic dungeon crawl with a sadistic twist (some would argue that’s what Sir Ian is best at!), and the new book is its sequel in a sense while it also expands on the backstory of Trial of Champions, another great volume in the series. The cover of The Dungeon on Blood Island was created by Iain McCaig and its internal illustrations were drawn by our very own Krisztián Balla. Needless to say, we are extremely proud of his work and the book itself promises to be a fantastic romp in a labyrinth filled with cruel traps and cunning monsters!

Last but not least, one of the greatest highlights was the kindness, curiosity, and friendly attitude of the participants. We truly felt at home at the Fest and the positivity was overwhelming. There’s something unique about these small, tight-knit cons, but also about Fighting Fantasy enthusiasts in general.

And so we hope to return for FFF6 in two years time, hopefully – with the completed graphic novel in hand, of course. Perhaps we’ll see some of you there? Until then, we’ll cherish the memories and draw on the positivity of fans to grind through the obstacles ahead. As for you, in the words of Ian Livingstone: may your stamina never fail!

Geri, Lost Pilgrim

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