Re: Cover Artists 2

[Rorthron]

Could it be Melvyn Bagshaw, who did this illustration in C&VG at around the same time as Microbot was released?

Yeah, might be. I credited him anyway because I was pretty sure that was a real name, but nice to have a second confirmation. Thanks.

The C&VG picture is actually credited to Melvin Bagshaw. There seems to be a good chance they are the same person. It's an unusual name. The different styles are probably because the C&VG illustration is mimicking Japanese ukiyo-e prints. However, there is no confirmation, and we do not know whether the correct spelling is Mervyn, Melvin or something else. The only direct source spells the name Mervyn.

[Rorthron]

Here the signature is more clear:
https://www.mobygames.com/game/into-the ... Id,400445/

As for me, it says ROB.8

I didn't find a match but I didn't search for long. Maybe it's Robin Chapman, one of the game authors himself???

It could even be "RO 8.8": a pair of initials and a date truncated by image cropping.

[StooB]

Airliner (Protek release)
Hunter Killer
Spectrapede
Speculator
Venture (Protek release)

All have artwork by George Neill. (source: back of inlays)

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[druellan]

The C&VG picture is actually credited to Melvin Bagshaw. There seems to be a good chance they are the same person. It's an unusual name. The different styles are probably because the C&VG illustration is mimicking Japanese ukiyo-e prints.

And I found this one by Melvyn Bagshaw, 1981 and the airbrush style looks similar to the inlay.

[druellan]

Enlightenment: Angus McKie
Per Mobygames
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/1 ... ightenment
https://www.mobygames.com/game/zx-spect ... nt/credits

I was looking at this, and seems that the cover artists is in fact Alan Craddock, and they used some drawings from Angus McKie for the game manual.
I can see references of Alan Craddock here and here.
Also, looking at his Twitter he seems to be the author for the Solider of Light cover https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/4 ... r_of_Light

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[Rorthron]

I was looking at this, and seems that the cover artists is in fact Alan Craddock, and they used some drawings from Angus McKie for the game manual.
I can see references of Alan Craddock here and here.
Also, looking at his Twitter he seems to be the author for the Solider of Light cover https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/4 ... r_of_Light

The Mobygames entry might have changed since I wrote that post. It was 9 months ago.

Good catch.

[druellan]

The Mobygames entry might have changed since I wrote that post. It was 9 months ago.

Good catch.

Haha Yeah, so sorry is taking so long to got through the reports, I know you also compiled a list, but I like to review them in case I can catch something else, like other authors and roles. In this case I always try to double-check what's in MobyGames, since you never know their sources.

[sho]

The proof can be found in the manual found here:
https://archive.org/download/Spectrumin ... herdetails

(if only this site had "real" manuals instead of all these transcripts)

[richl]

Here the signature is more clear:
https://www.mobygames.com/game/into-the ... Id,400445/

As for me, it says ROB.8

I didn't find a match but I didn't search for long. Maybe it's Robin Chapman, one of the game authors himself???

It could even be "RO 8.8": a pair of initials and a date truncated by image cropping.

If you look at Mort's alternate version of the cover then it says ROB.86 so we know the year it was painted but still can only guess at the artist. I agree that it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to say that it's possibly Robin Chapman since he did the graphics for the game but it wouldn't exactly stand up in court, would it?

https://ia600701.us.archive.org/view_ar ... nlay03.jpg

[StooB]

Robin Chapman is probably ROB who does loading screens too.

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[Rorthron]

The Mobygames entry might have changed since I wrote that post. It was 9 months ago.

Good catch.

Haha Yeah, so sorry is taking so long to got through the reports, I know you also compiled a list, but I like to review them in case I can catch something else, like other authors and roles. In this case I always try to double-check what's in MobyGames, since you never know their sources.

No problem. I know you have other, and almost certainly better, things to do. I do think it would be worth putting through these changes before you get to review them, however. They are subject to scrutiny on the forum, and have historically been accurate with only a few exceptions. The harm caused by those errors is comfortably outweighed by the benefit of having the other corrections and additions. Moreover, you can still correct any errors later when you get to review them.

[Rorthron]

(if only this site had "real" manuals instead of all these transcripts)

It's an unfortunate legacy from WoS, which at some point switched to .txt files to save memory. I agree it would be better to have the full instructions and I think several people have been working to improve this aspect of the database.

[mention]PeterJ[/mention], [mention]R-Tape[/mention], [mention]Ivanzx[/mention], [mention]Einar Saukas[/mention], perhaps you could explain to [mention]sho[/mention] how he can help to upload full instructions.

[Rorthron]

[mention]druellan[/mention], per [mention]sho[/mention]'s comment, this page contains several more credits for Enlightenment:

https://ia800701.us.archive.org/view_ar ... ions02.jpg

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[Rorthron]

Robin Chapman is probably ROB who does loading screens too.

Good spot, but what makes you confident the Players "Rob" is the same as the Pandora one? It's a pretty common name.

[StooB]

Good spot, but what makes you confident the Players "Rob" is the same as the Pandora one? It's a pretty common name.

Players and Pandora are both Interceptor Software. It seems unlikely that one company would have a Robin who was their "in-house illustrator and graphic designer" doing graphics and cover art (eg Panda Sprites - "additional screens and cover design by Robin Chapman" with a loading screen signed "ROB"), a second person doing loading screen artist who signs their work as "ROB", and a third person doing cover art who signs their work as "ROB" too.

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[Rorthron]

Good spot, but what makes you confident the Players "Rob" is the same as the Pandora one? It's a pretty common name.

Players and Pandora are both Interceptor Software. It seems unlikely that one company would have a Robin who was their "in-house illustrator and graphic designer" doing graphics and cover art (eg Panda Sprites - "additional screens and cover design by Robin Chapman" with a loading screen signed "ROB"), a second person doing loading screen artist who signs their work as "ROB", and a third person doing cover art who signs their work as "ROB" too.

Makes sense.

[druellan]

@druellan, per @sho's comment, this page contains several more credits for Enlightenment:
https://ia800701.us.archive.org/view_ar ... ions02.jpg

Yeah, I was taking a look at those, in fact as sho commented, this instructions need to be part of the entry.

[druellan]

According to this page about Mandarin the artwork is by Mike Ellis. I think Godfrey Dowson and Neil Strudwick, currently listed as inlay/poster artists, are actually the in-game graphic artists.

Level 9 credits are kind of hard to read, they have some obscure attributions like "transport to your micro". In this case they attribution is just "pictures", so, might be the in-graphics. I can see them attributed also on Level 9's C64 games: http://www.gb64.com/game.php?id=9874 and Neil Strudwick https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/list?label_id=10218 has other works on the Spectrum.

Thanks to sho I can also check the original Lancelot manual for credits: https://ia800701.us.archive.org/view_ar ... ions02.jpg

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[druellan]

Just found this resource: http://covers.emucamp.com they seems to have some very nice original inlay art restored and in good resolution.
I just did a quick sweep, but I've confirmed this art from Battle of Britain (https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/4 ... of_Britain) that can be credited to Roger Pearse

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[Rorthron]

Sacred Armour of Antiriad: Dan Malone (Palace/Erbe/Silverbird), Andrew McGuinness (Hi Tec)

There are also various role credits in the inlays that can be added to the game's entry.

The Palace release has the following credits:
"Plot, design, comic and cover illustration by Dan Malone
Programming by Chris Stangroom
Sound by Richard Joseph"

The Hi-Tec release inlay has different art credits (but has a different cover):
"Programmed by Chris Stangroom
Plot and comic by Dan Malone
Illustration by Andrew McGuinness
Sound by Richard Joseph"

The Erbe release has different credits again:
Programming: Stanley Schembri
Plot, design, cover, comic: Dan Malone
Sound: Richard Joseph

It is very odd that the Erbe release has a different programming credit. The Erbe release is for the Spectrum version. I presume it is an error. Schembri seems to have been a C64 coder and is credited with programming for the C64 version in Lemon64. (The Amstrad version was by Andrew Fitter)

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/4 ... f_Antiriad

https://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/The_Sa ... f_Antiriad

https://www.lemon64.com/?mainurl=https% ... 3FID%3D121

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[StooB]

Axe

Cover art is by Oliver Frey according to the inlay..

Also, the game was released by Top Ten, but Your Sinclair originally reported that it was going to be published by Incentive and had graphics by Pete Carter.

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[StooB]

Cage Match
Cavemania
Spooky Castle
Gunfighter
Crossfire


All listed as John Smyth in this interview with him in Reset 8.5.

5705|Wiz: Words and Pictures
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/5 ... ectrum/Wiz

John says in the same interview that he worked for the Words and Pictures studio. Wiz definitely looks like one of his:

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[StooB]

Hotch Potch with Mistertronic
Type Rope with Mistertronic

These both have inlay credits for "Words and Pictures" but in the interview with John Smyth above he says he created the Mistertronic character, and the interview also features the cover of the C64 title "Make Music with Mistertronic" as an example of his work.

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[sho]

John is semi-active on the Mastertronic Collector Facebook Group. While his style is somewhat unmistakable, it would be nice to get confirmation from the horses mouth which covers were actually his, since they are more often than not uncredited and unsigned. I have tried contacting him there, without luck. Maybe someone else will fare better.

If you need confirmation for any of the cover credits here, I can probably help out.

https://www.mobygames.com/developer/she ... Id,467758/

[sho]

I have tried contacting him there, without luck. Maybe someone else will fare better.

I went back and realized he probably had to create a new account at some point and got hold of him. He confirms both Wiz and The Curse of Sherwood.
More to come.

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