If you've got a minute, go for it.  Thanks Frank.

Here are some images to compare.  The darker is the first printing of volume one.  Volume two has matching coloration.

Interesting.

I'm not sure what the heck that tells us, but it's interesting.  


So that answers question 2, leaving 1 and 3 still open.

That matches what Frank and I found when digging through his stuff.

So that's probably first, then color covers loose and brown covers boxed second.

1994 and 1995, if I remember right.

Okay. Now I have a theory.

Since (David) Kenzer is/was a corporate lawyer, he saved up his coin and printed the 1st print run (ala Gary Gygax), which funded the second print run, which was a box set.

That, in turn funded the printing of Tradgedy in the House of Brodeln (1995), Secret Temple of Adajy (1997), and Beneath the Waves (1998).

While these were being produced, Dave and his friends came up with ideas for adventures, but they couldn't produce them all in a standard-size format; hence, we get the digest-sized Kalamar Quests series (all printed 1999-2000).

After the relese of 3e, Dave signed a deal with WoTC to license the D&D logo to put on his campaign materials - likely all funded by those adventures (and a little comic called Knights of the Dinner Table).


Just a theory.
Sorry - didn't feel like hot-linking everything.

Just to sum up, we believe that rule books were available as follows:

* 1st print - Volumes 1 & 2 in Ziplock Bag with maps, overlay and comment card

* 2nd print - Volumes 1 & 2 with maps in boxed set

* 2nd print books sold separately with colour covers

* 2nd print books sold separately without colour covers

TheHistorian wrote:The box set has the plastic overlay as well.

Do you really think the separate books came two ways?  Not just copies with the color covers torn/worn off?  I don't know either way, just asking.

I'm not 100% sure but it seems that most of the copies I have come across don't have the colour cover - I think I've had 5 or 6 copies of Volume 1 pass through my hands without the colour cover.  It seems like too many to have been lost.

Probably a good question to ask over on Kenzer.  If it was only available in the boxed set or with colour cover then I would guess the colour cover is now fairly rare.

An answer from The Man Himself

Quote:
(Originally Posted by Mars)  
We have been trying to sort out the printing history for the Volume 1 and Volume 2 Kalamar books. I think we have surmised that the following versions exist:

2 editions of the books as follows:

1st Edition: Volumes 1 & 2 sold in a ziplock bag with maps, hex overlay, comment card.

2nd Edition: Volumes 1 & 2 sold in boxed set with maps and hex overlay

Volumes 1 & 2 also sold individually with loose wraparound colour covers

Were Volumes 1 & 2 also sold individually without the wraparound colour covers? There seems to be lots of these books around - I think too many for them all to have lost their loose colour covers along the way.

Appreciate the help!

[Quote ends here]

as Jolly said, this is correct, basically. (we also sold flat, unfolded poster maps, and some heraldry of the various Deity symbols)

A few points you miss re: funding. We published the Monty Python and the Holy Grail CCG in 1996. That funded everything for the next 3 years-ish. We obtained funding from a bank loan (believe it or not), based on our business model, license and business plan.

Jolly came on board and we used the CCG money to print KoDT and by issue, I dunno, maybe 10-12 KoDT became profitable. It funded the Kalamar Quest books and new comics (KoDT Illustrated and HackMasters of Everknight...also Avalon). All that together funded the 3e Kalamar and HackMaster 4th releases, which in turn fueled K&C for several years.

Hope that helps.