Better Late Than Never - Andy Green Pixel Art book

[quahappy]

Hi all!

Some of you may remember me; I was a regular poster in this forum but sadly, real life for a few years has severely limited my free time. I'm hoping next year, all that will change. I still play Amiga games when the opportunity arises (and other formats).

I used DPaint quite a bit back in the 90's and there is a thread elsewhere showing what I did. Wasn't that many and one I managed to finish in 2015 after originally starting it in 1995! This in turn reignited by love for pixel art but knowing how little free time I have, I went further back to the humble ZX Spectrum, which I had before the Amiga 500 (and Amiga 1200) as these don't take as long to draw as Amiga screens. Anyhow, I've gotten somewhat carried away producing re-imagined loading screens for Spectrum games that never (or partially) had one. Screens for new Spectrum homebrew games (yep, still games being made!). Fighting Fantasy gamebook cover art, scenery, films and even game screen mockups for those that never got released on the Spectrum, such as Flashback, Another World, First Samurai to name a few.

So why am I saying all this? A good friend suggested that everytihng I had done to date should be within a book. A one-off as a keepsake. This was worked on last year and a copy printed off early this year. I posted about it on social media and to my total surprise, many asked if it could be bought! Fast forward several months and the book availalble to buy! 140 pages. Hardback. A4 landscape. All with everything I've done (including the game I did, Poker Mania!) plus some extras not found online. There are also a few C64, Amstrad CPC and even Spectrum Next screens in there too that I've done.

What's more - myself and my good friend (book compiler) stipulated that we don't wish to make a penny from book sales. Instead, proceeds go to the Multiple Sclerosis Charity. A very worthwhile cause! I know many of you may have had the humble Spectrum before the mighty leap to the Amazing Amiga and this is why I'm sharing this with you.

Better Late Than Never Andy Green Pixel Art is available from many online book stockists, such as Amazon, WHSmiths, Barnes & Noble, and more.

If you were (or still are!) a ZX Spectrum fan, check out my Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/AndyGreenPixelArt/

All publicly released Speccy screens are also on the ZX Art website here:
https://zxart.ee/eng/authors/a/andy-green1/

Thanks for reading this and fingers crossed, I shall return to my Amiga roots next year. I wish you all a fantastic Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

[van_dammesque]

Good luck and some fantastic pixel artwork there!

[Superman]

Lovely artwork and very nice looking book!

[DamienD]

Nice work my friend, congratulations with getting all this organised, and especially for donating all money received to a very just cause

We need more people like yourself in this world

[quahappy]

Thanks, guys! Really kind of you to say. Yes - I had stipulated with the publisher from the beginning that I wish to make no money from the book. Pixel art is a hobby I thoroughly enjoy and I gain much satisfaction giving something back to the retro community for all the years of pleasure my ZX81/ZX Spectrum/Amiga gave me.

I'm also immensely pleased the amount of positive praise it had received. Plenty of reviews abound including one in Retro Gamer magazine issue 201, of which three of my works feature in the free 2020 calendar that comes with the mag! Truly humbled.

If anyone would like to see a preview of the book, there are also two YouTube book reviews. Obviously these doesn't show every page but gives an insight to the contents. I also have a few copies remaining in my possession, sold as signed copies. If anyone is interested, feel free to drop me a PM.