Work and other commitments have meant that there have been no substantive updates for a few days, but I couldn’t let this day pass without mentioning the one year anniversary of the passing of Mr Joe Dever, creator of Lone Wolf.
You are still missed, sir.
Sometimes at these times when you’re searching for words, you can’t go past the Bard :
“He was a man. Take him for all in all.
I shall not look upon his like again.”
LONE WOLF PLAYTHROUGH 
I was lucky enough to correspond with Joe a bit on Facebook last year. I am glad that I got the opportunity to tell him how much his books meant to me as an isolated, misfit of a child in the 80’s who could escape that negative reality through them, and how I felt transformed briefly into a more confident person by placing myself in Lone Wolf’s shoes whilst reading.
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I know its the next day but I couldn’t think what to say.
There’s a picture in the Magnamund Companion, pages 44 and 45, which includes two men who’ve being practicing with long Warhammers. It was only this year, when I was researching something else, that I went through on Project Aon his Q+A’s from the old newsletters, someone had asked what the weapons were, he called them Toran Hammers (a joke) but added details like their use against cavalry and the metal stripping to prevent swords cutting them. All accurate and he had all this detail in the days before Wikipedia and the rest of the internet.
We can look for things to mock but he really did put a huge amount of detail into his books and his world. I miss him too. Thanks for posting Tim and Eric.
P.s. I also echo Eric Nyman’s words on Lone Wolf’s support in my own getting through the 80’s.
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When I was reading gamebooks as a child, it never occured to me to try to correspond with authors like Joe Dever and Ian Livingstone. Just them being from faraway England would have been enough to discourage me. For whatever problems the internet has helped bring down on us, it greatly helps connect us with those we admire. I’ve written here of my love of the DestinyQuest and Fabled Lands gamebooks, and have gotten quick yet thoughtful online responses from authors Michael J. Ward and Dave Morris.
In fact, Michael sent me some DQ bookmarks and loot cards that allow you to play extra items (you can see pics of them online and use them, but it’s not the same). Michael brought them to the post and sent them across the pond himself, and it was surely not unlike an epic quest found in one of Tolkien’s books, who himself is one of Michael’s favorite authors. I don’t know if he ever plans to visit America, but maybe I can tempt him to come meet me at my alma mater and hometown school, Marquette University, which has an epic J.R.R. Tolkien collection. I asked him to autograph his favorite loot card, and he signed the back of the Bloodmane necklace, which a warrior can equip when they learn the Were career. It’s pretty sweet.
And I’m glad that I’ve been able to connect with fellow gamebook fans like you, Tim. By the way, I just saw respected actor and Melbourne native Ben Mendelsohn being interviewed on Seth Meyer’s show. If you don’t mind, I’m going to assume you speak with a similarly charming accent.
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True story – During university I actually did some child care work, and I looked after Ben Mendelssohn’s half brother for 2 days a week for 3 years .
Great actor – check out Mississippi Grind.
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So my belief that all Australians know each other isn’t 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 stupid and narrow-minded!
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