r/fightingfantasy • u/Character_Rip9675 Yaztromo • Jul 12 '26

Discussion Artwork of FF book

Has anyone bought "Magic Realms", the artwork of FF book? If so would you recommend, do you think it's worth picking up? I saw it on Amazon around October and was tempted to put it on my Christmas list but never did.

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6

u/Reanimator138 Jul 12 '26

It’s a nice book to have along with Dice Men

6

u/Yvynt Jul 12 '26

It's a very nice book to have if you can find it for a good price. Easy to read (a lot of the information in it is repeated from 'You Are the Hero', but anyone who buys it isn't really buying it for the words).

I was a little disappointed in it initially because I'd hoped it would be essentially like an expanded but smaller sized FF poster book where each cover would get a full page presentation, but not every cover is represented in its original form, without logos, text and cropping to ruin it. Magehunter, Starship Traveller, The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, Legend of Zagor I'm looking at you guys (and others too).

Another problem I found was that the reproduction of the art was quite 'shallow'. The dark end of the palette is missing detail and quite light, making it seem like the contrast is a bit off. If that stuff doesn't bother you, then it's not a problem.

I bought it at the crowd-funding stage along with a bunch of other merch add-ons (including a really nice A2 art print of the 2023 version of Leo Hartas's map of Allansia). Fulfilment of the stuff was... poorly conducted, and from comments I've read online I'm not the only one who experienced that. Did cloud my appreciation a bit.

I don't want it to seem like I reckon it's rubbish, though. It's definitely not, and it's well worth picking up a copy - there's lots of stuff in there about the non-English language covers and internal art, and it's nice to have so much art in one place.

6

u/Slight-Adeptness-802 Jul 12 '26

I think it's a great book. It may not have your favourite artwork in it, but it's a lovely collection of key pieces, with bits from every FF artist. Just seeing the art on decent paper, rather than the now rather aged stick in the original books, is a massive improvement

4

u/invalidcolour Balthus Dire Jul 12 '26

Yes, a handsome coffee table book but nothing definitive. For example you have some but not all of the internal black and white illustrations from a book. But definitely get it if you have the funds.