Can we please get a Statement from Liz Danforth on the new MELEE project?

[Jim Kane]

AND, If at all possible, could we get answers from Liz Danforth to the following suggested questions:

• How does it feel to be working on Melee all over again, 40+ years after the fact?
  
• What are your personal thoughts as an artist on your original Melee counter sheet as you look back upon it today?
  
• From the original counter-sheet, did you have any particular favorite figure(s); and if so, which one(s), and why are they special to you?
  
• Did any one specific figure(s) require more time or effort to get it just the way you wanted it? If so, how so?
  
• What artistic tools and medium did you use to render with back in 1977 for the original counter-sheet, and will your method and materials remain the same for the new Melee project, or will it change; and if so, how?
  
• When rendering your art which will be later be reduced for printing onto game counters, how many times "up" are working in with your originals?
  
• What special considerations or specific limitations do you face as an artist, knowing your rendered figure art has to translate visually from original size to published counter size?
  
• What other professional doors opened for you, or future career opportunities presented themselves, which you can you point directly to as a result of being one of the artists for Melee in 1977?
  
• After you agreed to the new Melee project, would you describe in general for us, the step-process and journey which takes you as a commercial artist from conceptual roughs to final proofs delivered to the publisher?
  
• What were your thoughts when you realized that you would be working with SJ again, and that this new Melee project would become a reality?
  
• Do you have a favorite story related to your involvement with the original Melee project which you might share with us?

I don't know if we could have someone from the office call and ask Liz these questions over the phone, and then have her answers written-up and posted here, or as a YouTube Skype/Video, but I for one would love to know more about Liz as a TFT artist, and her take on her place in TFT history and her unique relationship to The Fantasy Trip.

Anyone care to 2nd the motion?

JK

[GlennDoren]

Originally Posted by Jim Kane

AND, If at all possible, could we get answers from Liz Danforth to the following suggested questions:

I don't know if we could have someone from the office call and ask Liz these questions over the phone, and then have her answers written-up and posted here, or as a YouTube Skype/Video, but I for one would love to know more about Liz as a TFT artist, and her take on her place in TFT history and her unique relationship to The Fantasy Trip.

Anyone care to 2nd the motion?

JK

Fun idea :) Would be great for the kickstarter and/or additional material for the updated release.

Now if only Howard Thompson could be tracked down for a similar interview/perspective :D

[Kirk]

I´d like to know her thoughts on the original Melee cover, a fave of mine.

There was one copy left at the hobby store, and four of us teens. The clerk said the game, which just sat on the counter a bit like an endcap, sold fast and that people had said it was a good game.

I saw the cover, it looked professionally done (unlike other weird fantasy stuff), the price was right for a poor teen, and the four of us flipped dimes to see who would get to buy the copy. I won the first toss, then the second one, and bought it.

[Jim Kane]

Originally Posted by Kirk

I´d like to know her thoughts on the original Melee cover, a fave of mine.

KIRK, I am confused; when you say "original Melee cover", are you referring to the the 1st edition cover which looks like a water-color of a Grimms' Fairy-Tale painting, and the artist signature "C. Bradley" at the bottom right corner - or some other edition?

Clarify please; thanks.

JK

PS - loved the hobby-shop story!

JK

[Kirk]

Originally Posted by Jim Kane

KIRK, I am confused; when you say "original Melee cover", are you referring to the the 1st edition cover which looks like a water-color of a Grimms' Fairy-Tale painting, and the artist signature "C. Bradley" at the bottom right corner - or some other edition?

Clarify please; thanks.

JK

PS - loved the hobby-shop story!

JK

As far as I remember she did the 1st edition cover which I bought near May-June 1977. Purple "color" pass, gargoyle and fighter. Not so keen on the subsequent editions, glad I hit the first one. I saw somewhere the total production run of the 1st edition, it wasn't a lot, mint/excellent copies of this game seem to go for hundreds of dollars on ebay now. Wish I had bought one to save back, but money was super tight as a 17 year old.

I bought and like the first edition Wizard as well, though the second edition artwork wasn't as bad as the 2nd edition Melee. I do know the $3.95 Wizard 1st edition had a blue and red countersheet which gave lots more counters and especially both fire and shadow, which wasn't possible with the single counter sheet of the 2nd edition.
http://www.waynesbooks.com/thefantasytrip.html

[stefanj]

It sounds like you want to do an interview, not just get a statement!

[LizDanforth]

Steve asked me to work on the project. I cheerfully said yes, of course! What more is there to say, really? ;)

Stefanj is correct -- you're asking for a lengthy interview, and I am in the middle of my workday (illustrating for another publisher's project at the moment). I must keep my reply brief!

Perhaps the most relevant thing to realize is that Steve and I have been friends for decades. He originally came to me for the Melee project because he already knew of my artwork for Tunnels & Trolls (published by Flying Buffalo), and Monsters! Monsters! (originally published by Metagaming). Since then, I've been working professionally in the field nearly nonstop, for more publishers than I can rightly remember, and several were well before Melee. A few games you might recognize in addition to T&T: Battletech and Shadowrun, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (artist and editor), Lord of the Rings from ICE, Traveller, Magic the Gathering and a few dozen other ccgs, computer game design work for Interplay (Wasteland both 1 and 2; story writer not artist) and concept art for EA. Eventually I was recognized for my contributions with an Origins award Hall of Fame in 1995. My website is gravely out of date and cobwebby -- I'd rather be making new art than fussing with my website -- but it has a few things you can look over: lizdanforth.com. Or have a look into my Patreon! www.patreon.com/LizDanforth

[Jim Kane]

Originally Posted by Kirk

As far as I remember she did the 1st edition cover which I bought near May-June 1977. Purple "color" pass, gargoyle and fighter. Not so keen on the subsequent editions, glad I hit the first one. I saw somewhere the total production run of the 1st edition, it wasn't a lot, mint/excellent copies of this game seem to go for hundreds of dollars on ebay now.

Ah, so that is the "1st Edition, 1st Printing", and the Clark Bradley cover is the "1st Edition, 2nd Printing". And then they moved off of that cover and the poly-bag packaging, onto the boxed format. Got it. I don't recall if we did or did not have the 1st/1st as you did. I had multiples of the 1st/2nd though; that one is burnt into my mind. Would love to have one of those 1st/1st editions! Good info KIRK; thanks.

JK