Spectrum Computing

I agree - it's not the same art style at all, and he generally signed his name HAIRE'8X.
The R in the HAIRE signature doesn't match the R in the airbrushed plane image either.

I should be able to access the supporting evidence on Mobygames after the weekend (the site is having the first major upgrade in years)

Please remind me via pm once it is back if I forget.

sho wrote: ↑Sun Feb 19, 2023 2:59 pm I should be able to access the supporting evidence on Mobygames after the weekend (the site is having the first major upgrade in years)

Please remind me via pm once it is back if I forget.

I don't think there's anything wrong with the MobyGames data. It just doesn't specifically say Michael Haire did the cover. It uses the same "art and graphics" language as the instructions.

Rorthron wrote: ↑Sun Feb 19, 2023 3:03 pm I don't think there's anything wrong with the MobyGames data. It just doesn't specifically say Michael Haire did the cover. It uses the same "art and graphics" language as the instructions.

Actuallly, looking at the instructions again, they are the original Commodore 64 instructions from the 1985 US version but they've put the new artwork on the front. So those credits don't apply to this version, which is from 1987.

Rorthron wrote: ↑Sun Feb 19, 2023 10:21 am Some Microprose art credits:

Project Stealth Fighter: Tom Freeman
Per instructions (p117)

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 96&id=3900

I think they've done the same here. The cover art credit in the manual seems to be for the original US version shown at Mobygames, and then MicroProse UK have put new cover art on the front.

StooB wrote: ↑Wed Sep 01, 2021 1:49 pm More Mastertronic cover art by John Smyth. Confirmed by John Smyth in the Mastertronic collectors group on Facebook:

Con-Quest https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 96&id=1053

John now says he doesn't think he did this one after all.

StooB wrote: ↑Sun Feb 19, 2023 4:28 pm I think they've done the same here. The cover art credit in the manual seems to be for the original US version shown at Mobygames, and then MicroProse UK have put new cover art on the front.

Confirmation - "Freeman" in the corner of the original US release. So the later cover is probably not Tom Freeman and the manual is misleading.

Creatures: Oliver Frey
Per signature (though the game was not released on the Spectrum)

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/9 ... /Creatures

Armalyte: Oliver Frey?
Based on the style and his authorship of all other covers from Thalamus (which was owned by Newsfield)

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/9 ... m/Armalyte

Yes, most if not all Thalamus' covers are credited to Oli Frey and according to Mobygames Armalyte is not exception, despite there are some missing in that listing. https://www.mobygames.com/person/211736/oliver-frey/

Best regards

Does anyone know the names of any of the artists that did the cover artwork for the Sinclair/PSION game releases for the ZX Spectrum and ZX81 please?

I've included some examples below.

I've spent a long time looking into this but never been able to find any names or even any leads on who to ask that may have been involved with the company back in the day etc.

Thanks in advance

POOTERMAN wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 5:38 pm Does anyone know the names of any of the artists that did the cover artwork for the Sinclair/PSION game releases for the ZX Spectrum and ZX81 please?

I've included some examples below.

I've spent a long time looking into this but never been able to find any names or even any leads on who to ask that may have been involved with the company back in the day etc.

Thanks in advance

Tony Roberts is the only artist that has been positively identified for doing the early Sinclair covers. He did Adventures A, B and C.

John Harris is a possibility. His work is on the Spectrum and ZX81 manuals. Clive Sinclair owned a lot of his original canvasses too, so not having to pay extra would have appealed to him. Planetoids and Games 4 look suspiciously like his style.

Other artists that did Sinclair artwork are Stuart Hughes, who was around at the right time but has only one confirmed Sinclair cover so far (Zipper Flipper) and Roger Garland, but his style doesn't match the early artwork at all.

Hi

I've credited the cover artists below through the Preservation Tools.

* THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS - THE COMPUTER GAME. Cover art by BRIAN BYSOUTH. https://www.filmonpaper.com/blog/an-int ... n-bysouth/

* DICK TRACY. Cover art by JOHNNY KWAN. https://www.movieart.com/dick-tracy-199 ... hnny-kwan/

* MOONWALKER. Cover art by CHRIS CONSANI. http://www.chrisconsaniart.com/?p=1224

* DARKMAN. Cover art by JOHN ALVIN. https://vice-press.com/en-es/blogs/news ... john-alvin

* INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE. Cover art of the Spanish ERBE release: DREW STRUZAN. https://filmartgallery.com/products/ind ... ade-1119-1

* ALIEN. Well, this is not exactly an illustration, it's more like a blend of photography, design and special fx done by STEPHEN FRANKFURT and PHILIP GIPS. https://filmartgallery.com/products/ali ... 1025014955

Thank you!

Best regards

Hi

I've credited the cover artists below through The Preservation Tools.

* ALIEN SYNDROME. Cover art from the Spanish Dro Soft release: CIRUELO CABRAL. https://comics.ha.com/itm/video-games/c ... 48-28504.s

* SIDEWIZE. Cover artist. SIMON ROBERTS according to this link. https://comics.ha.com/itm/video-games/s ... 48-28565.s

* ACTION FORCE. Cover artist. SIMON ROBERTS according to this link. https://comics.ha.com/itm/video-games/s ... 48-28566.s

* XENON. Cover art: PAUL KIDBY according to his Twitter account.

* STAR FARCE. Cover art: PAUL KIDBY according to this link. https://www.originalvideogameart.com/or ... -art-r327/

* MISSION JUPITER. Design & artwork. NIGEL FLETCHER as per inlay.

* PROFESSIONAL BMX SIMULATOR. Cover artist: GAVIN MACLEOD. Design & artwork: NIGEL FLETCHER as per instruction manual.

* THE HIT SQUAD. Cover art. MARK HARRISON. Design & artwork: NIGEL FLETCHER as per instructions manual.

* BLADE WARRIOR. Cover illustration: NIGEL FLETCHER / LIZ DARLING as per inlay.

* FRUIT MACHINE SIMULATOR 2. Illustration: ALASTAIR GRAHAM as per inlay credits.

Best regards

Who Would Be King: Terry Greer
Per TEL signature

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 6&id=10395

Hi

KORONIS RIFT. Cover artist. TERRY HOFF according to signature on cover and several sources.

https://colorcomputerarchive.com/repo/D ... Tandy).pdf

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koronis_Rift

https://www.mobygames.com/game/9551/kor ... redits/c64

https://www.pinterest.es/pin/753578950129391449/

The colour covers of the AWA releases of Bedlam and Beetlemania have very small "AJC" signatures.

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/4 ... rum/Bedlam

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.php?cat=96&id=501

This excerpt from "The History of Ocean" caught my eye:




Armageddon

So, I started Googling and the style sure seems to match:

http://3rd-art.blogspot.com/2013/12/edw ... lkins.html

https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?143053

This signed artwork confirms his involvement with the Moon Alert artwork.

Which leads to the question, what other covers he might have done?
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.ph ... 471&page=2
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.ph ... 75&page=91

PS, this came about as I was looking for confirmation that the Sleepwalker artwork is by Wakelin, any help appreciated

Very interesting. So we can put Armageddon down as a "maybe". What's the story of the signed poster? It has two signatures: Edward Blair Wilkins and Bob Wakelin.

sho wrote: ↑Fri Jun 09, 2023 11:28 am Which leads to the question, what other covers he might have done?

You can always ask him: his email address is in the comments to the blog post you linked to.

Rorthron wrote: ↑Fri Jun 09, 2023 8:57 pm Very interesting. So we can put Armageddon down as a "maybe". What's the story of the signed poster? It has two signatures: Edward Blair Wilkins and Bob Wakelin.

http://www.retrogamesmaster.co.uk/bob-wakelin/

How did you get into designing box art for Ocean?

It was completely accidental. I decided to go freelance, doing odd advertising jobs and fantasy art for various publications, then I talked a friend into sharing a studio space with me, thinking we could start a small art and design studio. This friend, Blair Wilkins, had already done a couple of early game boxes for Ocean and dragged me along to a meeting with David Ward and Jon Woods. I took some samples along and they were impressed enough to offer me some work. Initially, Blair and myself decided to work together on the box art – we’d each draw and paint the bits we were best at. Unfortunately, it became obvious that Blair wasn’t capable of turning up to work on time and meeting deadlines, so I took over all the art.

Thanks. So it seems to me safe to add Edward Blair Wilkins as co-creator of the Moon Alert cover:

1. Wakelin says in the quoted passage thst he and Wilkins started by working jointly on art
2. Elsewhere in the same interview he says Moon Alert might have been his first cover.
3. Moon Alert is signed by both artists.

According to the same interview, Wakelin also did Road Frog and Caterpilla. However, @StooB has cast doubt on whether Wakelin did the cover for the Spectrum version:

viewtopic.php?p=42956#p42956

Personally, I think the earlier Road Frog cover could also be Wakelin's style (compare Hunchback, for example), but it's not certain. Also does anyone know if Ocean ever released Road Frog for the Spectrum with the later cover?

I think we can add Wakelin as the artist behind Caterpilla, though.

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/8 ... Caterpilla

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

Rorthron wrote: ↑Fri Jun 09, 2023 8:57 pm Very interesting. So we can put Armageddon down as a "maybe". What's the story of the signed poster? It has two signatures: Edward Blair Wilkins and Bob Wakelin.

The History of Ocean (linked above) goes in a little more detail, as outlined in the Road Frog Discussion.

Bob Wakelin from the History of Ocean" wrote:Ocean’s founders, keenly aware of the importance of marketing and the quality of artwork they required, signed up Blair-Wakelin on the spot, although the partnership fell apart rapidly. ‘Moon Alert [1984] was the first thing I did in conjunction with Blair and then Gilligan’s Gold. I think he drew the backdrops on that one and I drew the main character"

sho wrote: ↑Fri Jun 09, 2023 11:28 am This excerpt from "The History of Ocean" caught my eye:

So, what good early Spectrum Games / Ocean cover scans are out there?

Here is one C64 cover by Blair Wilkins confirmed.

Atrog (Zafiro, 1988).

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/3 ... trum/Atrog

The artist of the Atrog cover has been discovered recently: Vicente Segrelles (follow the thread)



https://theplenty.net/wiki/index.php/Wolf%27s_Brother

I've just uploaded the info via the preservation tool

Rorthron wrote: ↑Tue Dec 27, 2022 10:19 am Black Magic: Thomas J Clement
Per C64/128 inlay which has the same cover.

Hi! I'm reviewing cover artists again, and found this case.
The manual says: Documentation illustrated by Thomas J. Clement. But I'm not sure if it is related also to the cover.
I was looking at the manual for Saracen (https://archive.org/details/SaracenData ... ew=theater), that also mentions Clement as the "documentation illustrator", (you can even see a TJC signature) but the cover has a signature that seems from a different author:



So, I'm really unsure about it.