Diceman gamebooks

Some of you may remember reading and playing the low-tech predecessors of interactive fiction games... the gamebooks. These were interactive fiction where the reader gets to decide how the protagonist would act at various points of the story, thereby playing a role in directing the narrative.

The Diceman series is an early, interesting combination of two of my favourite things - gamebooks and graphic novels, introduced in 1986 as a spin-off of UK's popular (and non-interactive) 2000AD weekly comic magazine. Billed as a "role-playing comic," Diceman lasted five issues before being discontinued in 1986. A compilation of some Slaine game-comics from this series was compiled into "You are the Hero: You are Slaine".

As the name implies, games in Diceman all require you to use dice (typically 2 six-sided ones) to play most games in the book. Each issue includes two to three different games, each starring heroes from the 2000AD magazine, including Judge Dredd, Torquemada, Slaine, Rogue Trooper, ABC Warriors, and Nemesis the Warlock. Given the "mature" nature of 2000AD stories in general (e.g. graphic depiction of violence and some sexual overtones), the games are challenging and interesting. A nice feature is that each game has different types of gameplay depending on the main character and the plot. The artwork is consistently very good throughout, featuring UK legends such as Hunt Emerson and Bryan Talbot. The stories are action-packed and all, save one, were penned and designed by the 2000AD stalwart Pat Mills. If you enjoy gamebooks or even just comic books in general, check these out.


Diceman #1


Diceman #2


Diceman #3


Diceman #4


Diceman #5


You are the Hero: You are Slaine TPB


Interior art (Diceman #1)


Panel shot of Slain from Diceman #1 (just to you an idea of how the game works)

Fractured Fables

I first encountered Fractured Fables with a preview in Previews (the monthly order catalog by comic distributors Diamond Comics). This was followed by a Free Comic Book Day freebie comic earlier this year containing selected stories from the final release hardcover anthology in the months leading up to its release.

Fractured Fables features twisted versions or parodies of well-known fables or fairy tales by some of the top talent working in comics today - Michael & Laura Allred, Peter David, Terry Moore, Bryan Talbot, Jill Thompson, Whilce Portacio, Shannon Wheeler and Jim Valentino just to name a few. It was published under the Image Comics banner by Jim Valentino's Shadowline Comics. Needless to say, I had been looking forward to the hardcover release just to run my eyes over comics by some of my favourite creators. I was able to score my copy from Kinokuniya during their members' sale and rushed home to read it. That was when a glance through the contents page revealed another familiar name in addition to some of the comics creators mentioned earlier - Nikki Dy-Liacco.

I had met Nikki through my work when we were organising a seminar at my workplace last year. I was not aware she was a published writer and seeing her name in a comic book was a nice surprise. We met again last week for another seminar we organised and Nikki gamely autographed my copy of Fractured Fables.

Nikki related how she had first collaborated with May Ann Licudine, the artist who illustrated her story "The Fox and the Cat" in Fractured Fables. She had won a story-writing contest with "The Yellow Paperclip With Bright Purple Spots", which was the story for an illustration contest that May Ann Licudine won. The resultant illustrated story was published and released as a children's book only in their native Philippines. Nikki was kind enough to present me with an autographed complimentary copy the following day. Thank you, Nikki!

Do pick up Fractured Fables and drop a note to Nikki to tell her how much you enjoyed it. Tell her Peow sent you. ;)


Fractured Fables (Michael Allred cover art)


Two page spread from "The Fox and the Cat" by Nikki Dy-Liacco and May Add Licudine




Nikki signing my Fractured Fables



Nikki's autograph in Fractured Fables


FCBD edition of Fractured Fables