Great item, I picked up a copy.  I only wish that there was a comprehensive photo catalog somewhere for the oldest stuff (1975 - 1982).

Is there a list of known Grenadier catalogs anywhere?  I don't remember that being in the book ...

Hello, everyone! It's been a while, I know, but I am now working again on the 3rd and last revision to The Fantastic Worlds of Grenadier.

The basic structure of the book will remain similar, but there will be some layout changes, image additions and subtractions, numerous pages added, some narrative text changes, error corrections, additional product listings, and (hopefully) one or more additional interviews. Numerous images on the accompanying CD supplement (and others not) will be included in this last revision. And although last on my list of priorities, I would also like to change the front and back covers. More on the latter later )

As far as whether or not this last revision will be an electronic book (most likely in PDF form) or a hard copy depends entirely on whether or not I can find a publisher, or at least a financial backer, to cover the cost of printing, etc. Although I did not go the way of P.O.D. (print-on-demand) before, I have noticed there still is confusion about how P.O.D. works and how much money is required in advance to set this service up initially. And keep in mind -- the pages in the physical book were glossy pages (best for colour) with 31 colour pages and front and back colour covers.  In 2003 and 2004 I had a shoestring budget, but now I have what I would call an Instant Raman Noodle budget. LOL! Such will not be a deterrent for me to put this last revision together in an attractive and more expansive way, but -- in regards to a hard copy version -- the costs of printing, packaging, shipping, etc., of such is another aspect in itself. Regardless of what format the last revision of the book will manifest in, there is first and foremost considerable work to be done completing this revision; and until its completion, achieving this will remain my main focus.

Regarding the new layout of this book, I would be most appreciative of feedback from those who have read this book, and who appreciate the fairly accurate chronological textural narrative of Grenadier Models and its product history I provided. In this last revision of the book I am experimenting with breaking up chapters, often at the end or halfway, etc. of such chapters, by featuring numerous pages of assorted images of miniatures prefaced in the chronological narrative.

My question is: will implementing such be a distracting disruption to the flow of the chronological narrative or a post-narrative enhancement? Would the reader -- who appreciates the chronological narrative -- prefer such pages of images of miniatures towards the end of the book, just before the product appendix? Or would the reader prefer a little post reference during the chapters that mention such products? I understand that placing all such within the closest proximity of the chronological product(s) mentioned would be preferable, but I simply do not have enough images (enough quality images) to do a decent job of this, so this is not an option currently.

On a side note, for those who have been seeking me via a particular invalid email address once associated to me -- I have changed my email address numerous times in the last decade, and did not include a forwarding address.

misterspock wrote in The Fantastic Worlds Of Grenadier - A Product History:My sort of feeling is that having photos along the way would be preferable. I don't think that breaks up the narrative at all. Maybe some of us can help you get the photos you're after?

Ditto.  And if I can provide any pictures from my collection of minis, just let me know. All my miniatures can be seen with the link below, although I have added to my collection slightly.  

Dragonsfoot • View topic - My Latest Batch of Minis

benjoshua wrote in The Fantastic Worlds Of Grenadier - A Product History:

misterspock wrote in The Fantastic Worlds Of Grenadier - A Product History:My sort of feeling is that having photos along the way would be preferable. I don't think that breaks up the narrative at all. Maybe some of us can help you get the photos you're after?

Ditto.  And if I can provide any pictures from my collection of minis, just let me know. All my miniatures can be seen with the link below, although I have added to my collection slightly.  

Dragonsfoot • View topic - My Latest Batch of Minis

Wow! That's quite the collection! Difficult to make out everything but I do see some early Wizzards & Warriors that would be most useful!

Hi Terrence,

Glad to hear the 3rd revision is in progress!

Regarding the format options, have you considered a Kickstarter or other crowdfunding platform to secure financing? That way, you could potentially offer different formats (PDFs, discs, soft/hardcover printings). I know I would be in for a physical printing as well as a PDF.

I think your proposed changes to the layout sound just fine. I don't think I'd be crazy about placing all the images towards to end, but maybe I'd have to see a mockup just to be fair.

And as others have mentioned, if I have any images that would be helpful I am more than happy to share.

Terence Gunn wrote in The Fantastic Worlds Of Grenadier - A Product History:Wow! That's quite the collection! Difficult to make out everything but I do see some early Wizzards & Warriors that would be most useful!

An interesting part to my eyes would also be some more inputs on the history of books like the wizards & warriors editions... Afaik there are 2 editions by grenadiers and an earlier version of leicester wargame... Any tips on whay happened here would be very interesting...
For the sake of completeness i have the earlier version by leicester and i have smoe more stuff of this small press publisher!
Thanks and ciaoo

Alexander wrote in The Fantastic Worlds Of Grenadier - A Product History:I really look forward to this new edition and I am eager to buy a copy  8)

I'm looking forward to it, too! The finished product will be a vast improvement over the 2003/'04 release and revision. The layout is the most time consuming and challenging part, as well as getting the images together, editing them, doctoring them, adjusting size, etc., but so far so good. It's looking like the new version will be upwards of an additional 30 plus pages -- mainly all pages with black and white and colour images of miniatures from various sources.

As far as product listings, I'm adding to this, as well. At the time, being aware of the following and having the listings, I'm not sure why I left out the individual figure code listings for the Wizzards & Warriors line, or why I left out the 54mm mail-order-only range, but I am including both in this revised edition. Then there's the case of the Grenadier Heavy Metal Dungeons. Not sure why I left those out, either, but I suspect it may be that they were sculpted by another company and Grenadier merely endorsed the product with their company name. I recall talking to Andrew Chernak about this, but do not recall the details. Then there are the Grenadier art calendars released in the 1990s: I only listed one but it happens that there were at least four, perhaps five, calendars released.

One thing I noticed is that the Lost Minis Wiki website has entirely different product codes for the W&W individual figure listings than I have, which corroborates further what I state in the book about product codes for certain lines and figures changing over the course of time. In this particular case (for W&W), I will list the earliest code listings, which are what I have.

Update:

The new edition of The Fantastic Worlds of Grenadier is coming along well. I've poured close to a hundred and fifty hours into this project in the last two and a half weeks. (I'm in between jobs right now, so am using as much as my ‘free' time as possible to work on the book.) I've made loads of corrections, added a great deal of information, have changed a good deal of the layout, and have added hundreds of images of miniatures. The layout work and all that precedes such has been the most labour intensive and time-consuming.

I have gathered enough images from Grenadier's John Carter, Wizzards & Warriors, and Gamma World lines to provide more than a worthy showcase of such figures. But I do not wish to dissuade anybody with intent of contacting me who may have images that I do not have; such images may well attribute to the proverbial cake of images I already have, if not, provide a further layer of icing. As well, quality images of these figures are not so easy to come by.

Although very challenging and very much investigative research, one new aspect of the book I am very proud of is having (hopefully) cleared up the mysteries and confusion involving the Wizzards & Warriors ‘Dungeon Explorers', ‘Monsters', and ‘Tomb of Spells' boxed set figure line ups, and the subsequent AD&D sets of the same titles. From a historical and collector's standpoint, this information will be most helpful. The Grenadier W&W and AD&D section on the Lost Minis Wiki website has been a good source of information and reference, as well as a catalyst for me to explore further. I've noticed a lot of gaps in the information, and in the book I have filled in such gaps.

I am also very pleased to announce that I have been granted permission by Hobby Japan (monthly) to include in the printed book images from the supplemental booklet put together by Hobby Japan on Grenadier Models in the 1980s. '87 is the copyright date, but the figures included in the supplemental booklet show nigh Grenadier's entire range of miniatures put out between 1983 through 1986 -- all professional, colour photographs of well-painted miniatures, thoughtfully placed and displayed. I had to do a great deal of scanning, decreasing size and adjusting contrast and brightness, as well as some work with Paint, but the result and inclusion of such images in the book is a great enhancement, for both visual representation and reference.

Usage of images from Mirliton's website I have been granted also, and numerous images from such will be included in the printed book, further enhancing its visual and referential quality. But I have had to be particularly detail-oriented in this regard, as the names and groupings (and even some of the miniatures) are not the same as produced by Grenadier.  I have had to do a lot of cross-referencing with 1990s Grenadier catalogues to determine what is what, and, as a result, do a great deal of image editing.

Back in late 2002/early 2003, when I was putting together and doing research for my book, Thomas Pope's website The Stuff of Legends was of assistance, but is now even more of assistance, as Thomas has granted me permission to use images from his website for the printed book; not that he would not have then, but I did not ask: although my vision was more expansive, my intention with the initial book was not to provide a comprehensive photo compendium of Grenadier Models, but rather a history of the company and its products, with an assortment of images included to illustrate the journey. (As limited as it was in content, the CD supplement included with the physical book -- and later, the eBook -- was intended to be more complimentary and complementary, than it was to be comprehensive. Such also alleviated further printing costs, for inclusion of such imagery on the printed page would have increased greatly the price of the book. As well, with a PDF file, one could increase the images included therein for greater clarity and detail. But such will be different in the new edition.)

Image-wise, because of source material availability and the quality of such sources, the new edition of The Fantastic Worlds of Grenadier will be a mixed bag of imagery. Such cannot be remedied. But, with all the limitations I am grappling with (including lack of finances and quality source material), I have put in tremendous effort and used great savvy into making this new edition the best it can be in this NOW Moment; and when such is published, I feel those who invest in (purchase) this book will agree.

FYI, my print copy of this book arrived last weekend, and it looks great.  This new edition of _The Fantastic Worlds of Grenadier_ is a significant expansion from the previous edition (130 pages vs. the 2nd edition's 60 page book and a 22 page supplement).

I'm hoping that Black Blade will be able to sell copies at GaryCon, will keep folks posted!