Spectrum Computing

The Eidolon (Activision). Artwork by Ken Macklin (USA).

Luis Royo (SPA) made the artwork of:

La Aventura Espacial (Aventuras AD)
Chichen Itza (Aventuras AD)
Satan (Dinamic)
Narco Police (Dinamic)
Los Templos Sagrados (Aventuras AD)

http://www.boxequalsart.com/index-page-l.html

Troll (Kixx). Artwork by Mark Wilkinson (UK)

Captain Fizz Meets the Blaster-Troops (Psyclapse). Artwork by Melvyn Grant (UK)

http://www.boxequalsart.com/index-page-ma-me.html

Nigel Fletcher (UK) made all these Codemasters arworks:

ATV Simulator
BMX Freestyle
BMX Simulator 2
Death Stalker
Dizzy the Ultimate Cartoon Adventure
Fast Food
International Rubgy Simulator
Mig 29 Soviet Fighter
Moto X Simulator
ninja Massacre
The Race Against Time
SAS Combat Simulator
Star Runner
Super G-Man
Terra-Cognita
Treasure Island Dizzy
Vampire (Codemasters re-release of Dinamic's Phantomas 2, whose artwork was made by Alfonso Azpiri)

http://www.boxequalsart.com/index-page-n.html

Badlands (Domark). Artwork by Peter Andrew Jones (UK)

http://www.boxequalsart.com/index-page-p.html

Space Intruders (Quicksilva). Artwork by Rich Senfield (UK)

Darius + (The Edge). Artwork by Rodney Matthews (UK)

http://www.boxequalsart.com/index-page-r.html

Hercules (The Power House re-release). Artwork by Tim White (UK)
Tomb of Syrinx (The Power House re-release). Artwork by Tim White (UK)

ACE (Cascade). Artwork by Tony Roberts (UK)
ACE 2 (Cascade). Artwork by Tony Roberts (UK)
Adv. B - Inca Curse (Artic). Artwork by Tony Roberts (UK) (*)
Adv. C - Ship of Doom (Artic). Artwork by Tony Roberts (UK) (*)

http://www.boxequalsart.com/index-page-t.html

(*) As to Adv. B & C, there are two differents artworks for this game (Artic & Sinclair Research re-release). According to this web, "Adventure A’s original 1981 cover art would be typical of early UK bedroom-coder style covers that were functional but hardly inspiring. Publisher Artic Computing would take the pioneering step of commissioning established S.F painter Tony Roberts to create the re-release cover in 1982. Tony is at present the earliest high profile artist to design video game box art. He would go on to design Adventure B and Adventure C’s covers."

In ZXDB, the existing entry for Tony Roberts should be relating to the Sinclair re-release (different artwork from the original Artic one). So by the same analogy, the Adv. B & C above should be considered (in my opinion as it seems obvious) related to Sinclair re-release covers.

Juan F. Ramirez wrote: ↑Mon Mar 09, 2020 7:06 am Twinworld (Ubisoft). Artwork by Jean-Pierre Ferte (France).

Confirmed. Signature for future reference:

Juan F. Ramirez wrote: ↑Mon Mar 09, 2020 7:06 am Return of the Jedi: Death Star Battle (Parker/Sinclair Research Ltd). Artwork by John Berkey (USA)

Confirmed. No doubts after looking at the inlay that this MUST be Berkey's work, but also found on this page: https://johnberkeyart.com/star-wars-art/ They even have the original with the visible signature, cropped on all the inlays.



BTW, thanks for adding the nationality of the artist!

Corridors of Genon (New Generation).

We can check its artwork artist in the available inlay at SC:

'Cover artwork by Mike Cole'

Star Trader (Bug-Byte).

In the instructions:

'Graphic design: Gary McNamara'

Repulsar (by Softek).

In the inlay:

'Cover Illustration by Angus McKie'

Juan F. Ramirez wrote: ↑Mon Mar 09, 2020 7:27 am Captain Fizz Meets the Blaster-Troops (Psyclapse). Artwork by Melvyn Grant (UK)

Confirmed by signature:

Juan F. Ramirez wrote: ↑Mon Mar 09, 2020 7:50 am Nigel Fletcher (UK) made all these Codemasters arworks:

Interesting, as already happened with another artist, Nigel Fletcher is listed as part of the team on: Grand Prix Simulator but not attributed as inlay artist, nor in the BOX=ART page, but we can confirm attribution in the manual: "Design & Artwork - NIGEL FLETCHER" (https://ia800604.us.archive.org/view_ar ... ulator.txt)

Juan F. Ramirez wrote: ↑Mon Mar 09, 2020 7:50 am BMX Freestyle
BMX Simulator 2
Death Stalker
Dizzy the Ultimate Cartoon Adventure
Fast Food
International Rubgy Simulator
Mig 29 Soviet Fighter
Moto X Simulator
ninja Massacre
The Race Against Time
SAS Combat Simulator
Star Runner
Super G-Man
Terra-Cognita
Treasure Island Dizzy
Vampire (Codemasters re-release of Dinamic's Phantomas 2, whose artwork was made by Alfonso Azpiri)

Confirmed attribution via game manual

3D Tunnel (New Generation).

In the instructions: "Covert artwork by Rob Pengilley, Bath"

Flash Gordon: (https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 96&id=1791)
We have another case of artist vs designer: the covert art is based on the works of Alex Raymond (looks like a composition more than original art), but the inlay was put together by Words and Pictures LTD.

We don't have a "designer" role on the ZXDB. For sure we have a lot of cases just on this thread alone, for example, NIGEL FLETCHER above was the artists AND the designer, but I'm unsure if we need this kind of detail on the database, specially if adding a new role kind of force us to retro-fit everything.

I'm inclined to have it, and do what we can to fill in the gaps, but I'm a compulsory completionist, so, take my vote with a grain of salt

druellan wrote: ↑Thu Mar 12, 2020 11:59 am Flash Gordon: (https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 96&id=1791)
The covert art is based on the works of Alex Raymond (looks like a composition more than original art),

It may have been inspired by Alex Raymond, but I don't think the image is by him. The art seems to have been copied from a Marvel book, as discussed in the copied art thread.

Rorthron wrote: ↑Sun Mar 15, 2020 12:59 pm It may have been inspired by Alex Raymond, but I don't think the image is by him. The art seems to have been copied from a Marvel book, as discussed in the copied art thread.

Seems like a composition on my eyes, but, Yeah, that's why I think an "inlay designer" role might be useful for this and other cases on where we know someone "designed" the inlay manipulating someone's art.

Hi all!

As some of you already know, Steve Weston (1948-2010) was the artist behind a big part of Hewson's covers: Uridium, Rara Rama, Impossaball, Zynaps, Marauder, Cybernoid 1 and 2, Nebulus or Exolon are some of them. He also worked for Telecomsoft (Jinx, Starglider 2 or Fish are some of his works). However his signature is not easy to find on the canvas. In some cases is probably missing or out of frame on the final cover, but luckily in other cases is visible.

Here you have three examples of Steve Weston's signature: Starglider 2



5th Gear (a 16 bit Hewson title).



Onslaught (another 16 bit Hewson game).



And finally the cover of the february 1982 issue of Computer & Video Games magazine. You can clearly see Steve Weston's signature on the bottom right.



So, if you come across covers with this signature you know who the artist was. Thank you!

Badlands is by Peter Andrew Jones per the artist's website:

http://www.peterandrewjones.net/biography.htm

Juan F. Ramirez wrote: ↑Wed Mar 11, 2020 7:06 am 'Graphic design: Gary McNamara'

McNamara did other covers like Alchemist (Imagine) and the style looks similar, but since the instruction sates "Graphic design" I'm not sure if we should add him as inlay artist, also, there is no references of him working on this particular title in BOX=ART. Another case on were that role might be useful.

This game also has NO entries about the authors on the database, but we have that information on the manual.

For some reason, Alien 8 https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 96&id=9302 inlay is not credited to Tim Stamper.

Soviet Fighter MIg 29 - https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 96&id=9377
Inlay art credited to Nigel Fletcher but looking at the instructions, seems that the inlay artist is Gavin Macleod, and Fletcher provided the rest of the design.

Cover illustration: Gavin MacLeod
Artwork: Nigel Fletcher

Same with Arcade Flight Simulator: https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 96&id=9304

Also, some other credits:

Designed by Dennis and Martin Webb
Developed by Amazing Games with music and FX by David Whittaker
Directed for CodeMasters by David Darling and Dennis Webb
Production by Mike Clark and Stew Regan
Illustration by Gavin MacLeod
Design and artwork by Nigel Fletcher

Hi all!

I hope that you're staying safe during these unusual times. In spite of this confinement, these days I have managed to review some cover inlays in search for signatures. As far as I know none of them is previously mentioned on the database.


CULT GAMES

The artist signature is easy to come across on the cover inlay, but I could not find any additional information about this artist.

* CUP FOOTBALL (1988). Illustrator. M. Hopewell.
* SOCCER STAR (1989). Illustrator. M. Hopewell.
* THE NATIONAL (Re-Release, 1989). Illustrator. M. Hopewell.


CCS

* DESERT RATS (1985). Illustrator. John Berry (1925-2009). Painting: 25 Pounder Gun and Team in Action on the El Alamein Front (1942). Reproduced by permission of the Impresial War Museum. Link: https://www.artuk.org/discover/artworks ... front-7105

* GALLIPOLI (1986). Illustrator. Norman Wilkinson (1878-1971). Painting: The Base Camp under Shell Fire. August 1915: The SS 'River Clyde' Aground. Reproduced by permission of The Trustees of the Imperial War Museum. Link: https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/the ... round-6450

* YANKEE (1987). Illustrator. Oliver Frey. His well-known signature is not included on the canvas, but I was sure it was his, so I asked Mr. Frey himself by email and this was his answer.

"Your bet is correct, this is one of mine – though I had all but forgotten it, probably one of the last I did for CCS.

Thank you for reminding me of it!

All the best,
Oliver Frey"

* BLITZKRIEG (1988). In this case the illustrator is anonymous but this cover is set up of a well known nazi propaganda poster called "Der Sieg Wird Unser Sein!". Link: https://www.warmuseum.ca/collections/artifact/1025410/

* STALINGRAD (1988). Illustrators: Nikolai Zhukov & Viktor Klimashin. Propaganda poster: Link: https://bit.ly/2UFEapj

* AUSTERLITZ 1805 (1989). Illustrator. Oliver Frey. His signature is clearly visible on the cover.

* THE GENERAL (1989). Illustrator. Théodore Géricault. Painting: The Chasing Chasseur (1812). Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Charging_Chasseur


VARIOUS

* THE BULGE - BATTLE FOR ANTWERP (1985). MC LOTHLORIEN. Illustrator: "Daniels" according to the signature clearly visible on the cover. I haven't found any additional information about this artist.

* 3D PINBALL (1989). MASTERTRONIC PLUS. Illustrator: David John Rowe. Link: https://davidrowe.net/3d_pinball.html

* SILKWORM (1989). MASTERTRONIC PLUS / TRONIX re-releases. Illustrator David John Rowe. Link: https://davidrowe.net/silkworm.html

* IVAN "IRONMAN" STEWART'S SUPER OFF ROAD (1990). VIRGIN GAMES. According to Mr. Rowe's website he did the poster included with the UK edition of the game with a completely different art to the game cover. Link: https://davidrowe.net/ivan-ironman.html

* DEATH WAKE (1985) QUICKSILVA / BUG-BYTE releases. Illustrator David John Rowe. Link: https://davidrowe.net/death-wake.html

* DARK CASTLE (1987). MIRRORSOFT. C64 original never-released on the Speccy, but with an entry on the database. Illustrator: David John Rowe.

* CHAMELEON (1986). ELECTRIC DREAMS. C64 original never-released on the Speccy, but with an entry on the database. Illustrator David John Rowe.

Best regards and stay safe!

Audionautas wrote: ↑Thu Apr 02, 2020 7:33 pm* THE BULGE - BATTLE FOR ANTWERP (1985). MC LOTHLORIEN. Illustrator: "Daniels" according to the signature clearly visible on the cover. I haven't found any additional information about this artist.

I cannot shed any light on Daniels, but the inlay contains a credit for "Battle and combat design: Ken Baker", which is not recorded in the SC/ZXDB credits.

Cobra Force - Peter Austin
Signature: "PJA89"
Inlay credit: "Artwork Peter Austin"

In fact, the instructions contain a large number of credits, only some of which are recorded in SC/ZXDB:

Original Design Simon Hobbs
Spectrum Code & Graphics Simon Hobbs
Spectrum Loading Screen Jabba Severn
Spectrum 128K Music Ian Sheridan
Spectrum Music Player Andy Severn
Artwork Peter Austin
Logo Mike Wood & Jon Clarke
Textuals, Story & Shots Simon 'The Truth' Daniels
Inlay Production Pete,Si,Steve,Simon & Mike
Tape Mastering Kevin Parker