Monday, September 8, 2008

Games

Just like books, games now come in multiple formats: puzzles, board games, computer games, and role-playing games. Games are not just entertaining, often the artwork and craftsmanship are beautiful. The following list will get you started collecting games. Next blog – online games.

Adventures Of Sir Lancelot.Lisbeth Whiting, 1957
Arthur: The Quest For Excalibur.Bates, Bob [designer].Infocom, 1989 [Computer Game]
Arthurian Challenge.Gallagher, John.Hare Brained Ideas, 1995
Arthur's Knights: Tales Of Chivalry.DreamCatcher Interactive, 2001 [Computer Game]

Arthur's Knights: The Secret Of Merlin.DreamCatcher Interactive, 2002 [Computer Game]
Blood And Lust: Heroic Adventures In King Arthur's Britain.Cockburn, Paul.Chaosium, 1991 [RPG]
The Book Of Medieval Wargames.Slope, Nicholas.Harper & Row, 1984 [Board Game]
Britannia: Game Of The Birth Of Britain.Pulsipher, Lewis E. [designer].Avalon Hill Game, 1987
Camelot Legends.Parks, Andrew.Z-Man Games, 2004 [Card Game]
Camelot Warriors.Ruiz, Victor / Perteho, Florentino.Ariolasoft UK Ltd., 1986
Camelot: Parker Brothers Battle Game Of Knights And Men.Parker Bros., 1958 [Board Game]
Camelot: Parker Brothers Battle Game Of Knights And Men.Parker Bros., 1961 [Board Game]
Camelot: Puzz-3D.Wrebbit Inc., 1995 [Puzzle]
Chronicles Of The Sword.Psygnosis Ltd., 1996 [Computer Game]
Conquests Of Camelot: The Search For The Grail.Marx, Christy [designer].Sierra On Line, 1989 [Computer Game]
Crystal Caliburn.StarPlay Productions, 1993 [Computer Game]
Excalibur.Musgrave, Julian.Wotan Games, 1988
Excalibur: Sword Of Kings.Smith, Ian / McClure, Shawn.Alternative Software, Ltd., 1987 [Computer Game]
The Future King.Moldvay, Tom.Tom Moldvay, 1985
Galahad.Burton, Jon / Ingraham, Andy [designers].Electronic Arts/Genesis, 1992
Gamma-Lot: Paranoia, The Roleplaying Game.Boucher, Grant.West End Games, 1990 [RPG]
The Grey Knight.Ditillio, Larry.Chaosium, 1985 [RPG]
Gurps Camelot: Roleplaying In The Court Of King Arthur.Schroeck, Robert M. And Peggy / Blankenship, Loyd (Ed.).Steve Jackson Games, 1991 [RPG]
Hidden Kingdom: A Fantasy-Adventure Game.McClenahan, John [designer]..New Rules, 1983
Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade Graphic Adventure Game.Falstein, Noah / Fox, David / Gilbert, Ron [designers].Lucas Arts, 1990
King Arthur And The Knights Of The Round Table.Musgrave, Julian.Wotan Games [Board Game]
King Arthur Cards.Korecky, Atelier.Piatnik, 1975 [Card Game]
King Arthur Fantasy Chess Set.Summit Collection [Board Game]
King Arthur Pendragon: Epic Roleplaying In Legendary Britain (2709).Stafford, Greg.Chaosium, 1993 [RPG]
King Arthur Pendragon: Epic Roleplaying In Legendary Britain (2716).Stafford, Greg.Chaosium, 1993 [RPG]
King Arthur: The Card Game.Knizia, Reiner.Ravensburger, 2006 [Card Game]
King Arthur's Kort.MVP Softward, 1994 [Computer Game]
King Arthur's Magic Castle.King,.Multi Dimensional Communications, 1993
Knights Adventurous.Stafford, Greg / Et.al..Green Knight Publishing, 1990 [RPG]
Knights Of Camelot Fantasy Board Game.TSR Hobbies, Inc. [Board Game]
Lancelot.Austin, Pete / Austin, Mike.Level 9 Computing/Mandarin Software, 1988 [Computer Game]
The Last Knight In Camelot.SJT Enterprises, Inc. [Computer Game]
The Legends Of King Arthur.Lorenz, Albert.BePuzzled, 1995 [Puzzle]
Merlin: Magic And Power In Arthurian Britain.Musgrave, Julian.Wotan Games, 1992 [Board Game]
Merlin's Company.Laget, Serge / Cathala, Bruno.Days Of Wonder, 2008 [Board Game]
Monty Python & The Quest For The Holy Grail.7th Level, 1996 [Computer Game]
Mutants In Avalon.Wallis, James.Palladium Books Inc., 1991 [RPG]
Noble's Book.Stafford, Greg.Chaosium, 1986 [RPG]
Pendragon: Chivalric Roleplaying In Arthur's Britain.Stafford, Greg.Chaosium, Inc., 1985 [RPG]
Queen Victoria And The Holy Grail.Rowland, Marcus L..Games Workshop Limited, 1985
The Quest Of The Philosopher's Stone.Queststone Marketing, Inc., 1986 [Board Game]
Quests Of The Round Table.Kimball, Scott [designer].Gamewright, Inc., 1995 [Card Game]
Shadows Over Camelot.Laget, Serge / Cathala, Bruno.Days Of Wonder, 2005 [Board Game]
Spirit Of Excalibur.Clark, Alan [Lead Programmer] / Stein, Robert [Lead Artist].Virgin Mastertronic, 1990 [Computer Game]
Stonehange: An Anthology Board Game.Borg, Richard / Ernest, James / Faidutti, Bruno.Paizo Publishing, LLC, 2007 [Board Game]

Tournament Of Dreams.Brooks, Les / Shirley, Sam / Stafford, Greg.Chaosium, 1987 [RPG]

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Digital Publications

In recent years the Internet has brought about an evolution in publishing formats. eBooks are everywhere. Full texts of public domain works are available from multiple sites - Bartleby.com http://www.bartleby.com/, Google Book Search http://books.google.com/,and Project Gutenburg http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page for example. If you are not seeking signed, first edition, first printing books, downloading free books is a quick and easy way to build your Arthurian collection. For those titles still under copyright, there are a number of sites where eBooks may be downloaded and purchased for less than print copies. You may want to visit Adobe’s eBookmall http://www.adobe.com/epaper/ebooks/ebookmall/ to begin your search of eBook sites.

In addition to standard eBook publishers, there are now multiple sites where authors and poets post their own writing. It takes a lot of web browsing to uncover these student projects, self-publishing sites, and personal websites. My husband collects these writings because they represent popular culture and the evolution of the legend. Initially he printed out each writing but now that the titles number in the hundreds we will store the works as electronic files. If you want to add eBooks and files to your collection there are a few things you want to consider:


1. Unless otherwise stated, the writings are protected by copyright law.
2. The works are fleeting, transient publications. What you find one day may disappear or change addresses the next. 3. These stories, poems and cartoons are often written by amateurs so the quality of writing is mixed.

Enjoy these links while they last:

Andrealyn’s Archive on King Arthur
http://www.andrealyn.like-neon.com/arthur.html
Arthur, King of Time and Space by Paul Gadzikowski
http://www.arthurkingoftimeandspace.com/1557.htm
Arthur, the Rightful King
http://www.lundyisleofavalon.co.uk/arthur/arthur.htm
An Arthurian Miscellany
http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/arthur/index.htm
Arthurian Myth. Calvin College student project
http://www.calvin.edu/~ksaupe/arthur/projectdir.html
Arthurian poetry by Graham
http://www.geocities.com/grahamps15/poemsindex.html
At Camelot by Robert Crawford
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/at-camelot/
The Camelot Project
http://www.lib.rochester.edu/Camelot/cphome.stm
Celtic Twilight
http://www.celtic-twilight.com/camelot/poetry/index.htm
The Death of Llaccheu ap Arthur by Jo Walton
http://www.zorinth.net/bluejo/poetry/myths/llacheu.htm
FanFiction (search each Arthurian character to uncover additional writings)
http://www.fanfiction.net/search.php?field=text&plus_keywords=%22king+arthur%22&minus_keywords=&categoryid=0&languageid=0&censorid=0&statusid=0&sort=0&genreid=0&subgenreid=0&characterid=0&subcharacterid=0&words=0
Falling for Lancelot by Gwen Knighton
http://www.gwenknighton.com/lancelot.html
If King Arthur had known the Internet by Christian Unfried
http://homepage.mac.com/juggle5/fun/Arthur.html
Internet Medieval Sourcebook
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/sbook.html
Kidpub
http://www.kidpub.com/search/node/%22king+arthur%22
King Arthur and the Enchanted Sword by G. Pitchford
http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/online/kingarthur.swf
A King Arthur Story: “The Half Man”
http://hazel.forest.net/whootie/stories/half_man_england.html
Mystic Realms Arthurian eBooks
http://www.mysticrealms.org.uk/eboox.htm
A Passing Fair Lady by Debra A. Kemp
http://www.coachlightpress.com/bygone/passingfairlady.shtml
Shaggy Sir Lancelot
http://www.awpi.com/Combs/Shaggy/028.html
Stories of King Arthur’s Knights
http://manybooks.net/titles/keithmar2565425654.html
The Sword in the Stone
http://www.4to40.com/story/index.asp?id=511
Taliesin: Epyllion in Anamnesis A Cycle of Poems by Michael R. Collings
http://arachnid.pepperdine.edu/humteachered/faculty/collings/taliesin.html
Three Arthurian Poems by Urgyen Sangharakshita
http://sangharakshita.org/p-arthurian.html
When Mallory Met Arthur: Sex and Magic in Camelot by Jack Fritscher
http://www.jackfritscher.com/Non-Fiction/Malory%20Met%20Arthur/MortDarthur.html

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Gift Shops

The Library


While books are the focus of my husband’s collection, he has decorated what little shelf space remains with a mix of well-crafted and collectible items. As I look at his shelves I see multiple pewter pieces from The Noble Collection, a Camelot music box made by Hallmark Cards, Inc. in 1982, an Arthurian chess set, goblets and tokens from Excalibur Hotel in Las Vegas, early carvings by Steve Tunturi, reproduction stone ceiling boss from Salisbury Cathedral, oh - and a pair of coconuts and “cow catapult” from Monty Python’s “Spamalot” – a must-have for all collectors. If you are shopping for that perfect addition to your collectibles, here are some gift shops you may want to browse.

Camelot Wines

http://www.camelotwines.com/

Chalice Well Shop in Glastonbury
http://www.chalicewell.org.uk/index.cfm/glastonbury/Window.Home

English Heritage Gift & Book Shop
http://www.english-heritageshop.org.uk/

The Franklin Mint
http://www.franklinmint.com/search.aspx?Keywords=arthur

Glastonbury Abbey Shop
http://www.glastonburyabbeyshop.com/

Great Hall, Winchester
http://www.hants.gov.uk/shop/home.php?cat=263

King Arthur Flour (rather “fringe” material, but ….)
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/landing.jsp?go=Home

King Arthur’s Great Hall in Tintagel
http://www.kingarthursgreathalls.com/page4.htm

Merlin’s Cave in Tintagel
http://www.merlinscave-tintagel.co.uk/

The Nobel Collection
http://www.noblecollection.com/catalog/catalog.cfm?catid=55

Noble Wares
http://www.iloveswords.com/ME_GIFTS.html

Spamalot Shoppe
http://www.montypythonsspamalot.com/spamalot_shop.php

The Tudor Mint

http://www.xystos.co.uk/TudorMint/

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Some Favorite Book Dealers

If you have been collecting for a while you have probably developed a list of friends and reliable sources for your books. We have been fortunate to meet so many wonderful dealers. It would be hard to name them all but here are some we do business with as often as we can:

Austin Books & Comics located in Austin, Texas. This store does not have a searchable online inventory but is well worth a personal visit. The huge collection of graphic novels and backstock comics will make it worth your while. The store has recently expanded which gives you more room to browse their very well-organized inventory.
http://www.austinbooks.com/index.html

The Book House in Dinkytown – Minneapolis, Minnesota. As with most university towns there is one great used bookstore near the campus. This bookstore is in a congested area close to the University of Minnesota campus but it is worth the effort to find parking – except in January when you may want to browse their online inventory from the warmth of your own home.
http://www.bookhouseindinkytown.com/

Book People is one of those all-too-rare independent bookstores that includes small press publications among their new book inventory. You won’t find used books here, but if you are looking for a new hard-to-find release stop by their web site. If you are fortunate enough to live nearby you can also take in one of their frequent book events.
http://www.bookpeople.com/

Booked Up is co-owned by Larry McMurtry and is located in Archer City, Texas. The Booked Up web site does not provide a searchable inventory but you can submit a search request or keep up with the inventory by viewing their “New Arrivals”. No matter where you live, Archer City is not likely to be on any travel itinerary. However, if you are passionate about bookstores this is one (actually five) worth going out of your way to see. They have a large collection of chap books that surely holds some treasures if you find the time to search their “Erratically/ Impressionistically/ Whimsically/ Open to Interpretation” arrangement.
http://www.bookedupac.com/

Charles E. Wyatt is a name familiar to anyone who has a history of collecting Arthuriana. Before the Internet became available, we used to wait in anticipation for a catalog to arrive from Camelot Books. Charles no longer owns his store in Vista, California but he does maintain a presence on Ebay.
http://stores.ebay.com/Charles-Wyatt

Lulu.com is a web-based service for the growing market of self-published books. You will find a large selection of Arthurian titles available here. The quality of some of the writing is dubious but if you are a collector after new and unique publications this is a place you will want to check out. If you are interested, be sure to purchase the title while it’s available. If you wait too long, you will find book dealers charging three times the original Lulu price.
http://www.lulu.com/

Powell’s Books is a little piece of heaven on earth. Their inventory is searchable through their web site or any of the online book search engines. But do yourself a favor - this bookstore is definitely worth traveling across country to see. Oregon is a perfect vacation destination, so when you make your plans allow at least one day to browse the multiple levels of their Burnside location.
http://www.powells.com/

The Poetry Bookshop in Hay-on-Wye, United Kingdom often carries hard-to-find items. We found them to be one of the best dealers among the overwhelming number of stores in Hay-on-Wye. The staff is helpful and shipment has never been a problem when items are shipped directly from them rather than a book search engine.
http://www.poetrybookshop.com/

The Steinbeck Collector’s Club is the perfect place to look for that signed first-edition Steinbeck. The club “is an educational non-profit organization whose sole purpose is to share information and educate its members and others regarding John Steinbeck”. They publish an e-newsletter titled the “The Steinbeck Collector’s Gazette”. In it you will find items for sale as well as want lists. A web site is coming. Until then you can contact steinbeck.collectors.club@gmail.com for further information.


Thorn Books has one of the best selections of rare Arthurian material available in the U.S. It is a joy just to look at the images of featured items posted on their web site. For those with a large budget and the ability to properly care for rare items, this is the place for you!
http://www.thornbooks.com/cgi-bin/thb455/index.html

Three Geese in Flight specializes in Celtic and Arthurian material. We have not had the privilege of visiting their shop in Somerville, Massachusetts but we have taken advantage of their online sales. The prices can be a bit on the high side so browsing their inventory on Abebooks.com will be helpful to those beginning their book collection.
http://www.threegeeseinflight.com/

Willis Monie Books located in Cooperstown, New York is a smaller used bookstore that provides an excellent inventory and great service. We were told to visit this bookstore on a trip through New York State and we were glad we stopped. Additions were made to the collection and several purchases have been made since. You will find the staff at this quaint bookstore to be friendly, courteous and very prompt in filling your orders. http://www.wilmonie.com/cgi-bin/wmb455/index.html

Thursday, August 7, 2008

New items to add to your wish list

We may occasionally pause from acquiring additions to our collection but the search for new material never stops. We derive as much satisfaction from the search as we do from the collecting. If you feel the same way, here are some new items you may want to look at:

Among the new books to be released:
A Companion to Arthurian Literature by Helen Fulton (Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009). This books is part of “Blackwell Companion’s to Literature and Culture” series. Amazon.com lists a release date of March 27, 2009 with a price of $149.95. ISBN-10: 1405157895
ISBN-13: 978-1405157896
http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=ti%3Acompanion+to+arthurian+literature+au%3Afulton&fq=dt%3Abks+%3E&qt=advanced

Daily Life in Arthurian Britain by Deborah Shepherd ( Greenwood Publishing Group, 2009). An addition to Greenwood Press “Daily Life Through History” series. Amazon.com lists a release date of February 28, 2009 with a price of $49.95. ISBN-10: 0313332959 ISBN-13: 978-0313332951
http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/166388171?tab=details#tabs

The Grail, the Quest and the World of Arthur edited by Norris J. Lacy (D.S. Brewer, 2008). A collection of Arthurian essays by noted writers: Norris J. Lacy, Antonio Furtado, Will Hasty, Richard Trachsler, Marianne E. Kalinke, Martine Meuwese, David F. Johnson, Phillip Boardman, Caroline D. Eckhardt, P.J.C. Field, James P. Carley, Richard Barber, Kevin J. Harty. Due to be release November 20, 2008. ISBN-10: 1843841703 ISBN-13: 978-1843841708
http://www.boydell.co.uk/43841703.HTM

Here Lies Arthur by Phillip Reeve (New York: Scholastic, 2008). A young-adult story first published in England in 2007. Amazon has a release date for the 1st American Edition as November 1, 2008. ISBN-10: 0545093341 ISBN-13: 978-0545093347
http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/77540798?tab=holdings#tabs

Illustrating Camelot by Barbara Tepa Lupack and Alan Lupack (Woodbridge: Boydell & Brewer, 2008). Arthurian authorities, Barbara and Alan Lupack have compiled this study of Arthurian book illustration. Release date is October 16, 2008 with a publisher list price of $60.00. ISBN-10: 1843841835 ISBN-13: 978-1843841838
http://www.boydell.co.uk/43841835.HTM

King Arthur’s Raid on the Underworld: the Oldest Grail Quest by John Matthews, Caitlin Matthews and Meg Falconer (Glastonbury, UK: Gothic Image Publications, 2008). Prolific Arthurian authors, John and Caitlin Matthews have prepared another study of Celtic tradition based on the 9th century Welsh poem “The Raid on the Underworld”. Amazon.com lists a release date of November 10, 2008 ISBN-10: 0906362725 ISBN-13: 978-0906362723
http://www.gothicimage.co.uk/

The Well Between the Worlds by Samuel Llewellyn (New York: Orchard Books, 2009). According to Amazon.com this children’s book has a release date of February 1, 2009. ISBN-10: 0439934699 ISBN-13: 978-0439934695
http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/232390616&tab=holdings?loc=Illinois

Comic and Graphic Novel collectors will want to check out this Superman series:
Superman: Camelot Falls, Volume 2 by Kurt Busiek and illustrators Carlos Pacheco and Jesus Merino (DC Comics, 2008) was released in hardback January 2, 2008. A new paperback edition is due to be released February 3, 2009. ISBN-10: 1401218652 ISBN-13: 978-1401218652

Game enthusiasts may want to purchase the expansion game for Shadows Over Camelot produced by Days of Wonder:
Merlin’s Company introduces Merlin and seven new knights to Shadows Over Camelot. The list price is $25.00. To complete the game set, A Company of Knights (painted plastic characters) are available for $20.00. Watch for these on Ebay as well.
http://www.daysofwonder.com/shadowsovercamelot/en/content/merlin/

So many more to come….

Monday, August 4, 2008

To begin Collecting Camelot

Books are likely to be mentioned first in this blog. If you are a collector, this is the essential book. It is the best, and most comprehensive, bibliography of Arthuriana to date:
The Arthurian Annals: The Tradition in English from 1250 to 2000 by Daniel P. Nastali and Phillip C. Boardman (New York: Oxford University Press, 2004). This large two-volume bibliography is expensive (currently listed at $708.00 from the publisher or around $200 for a used copy) but worth it. Within the chronological arrangement you find annotated entries arranged alphabetically by author. Complete citations are included along with references to reprints and varying editions. But this work is not limited to books. It includes art, comics, music, video and everything in between. The second volume in this set includes indexes sorted by people; titles; forms and genres; characters; cultures; places; themes, motifs, artifacts, and events; and source languages.


Collectibles and ephemera will also be covered in this blog. Have you ever wanted a piece of the movie action? Through The Prop Store of London you can purchase an original prop from the film King Arthur. As of this date they had Guinevere’s wedding dress and petticoat (worn by Keira Knightley) , swords, armour and helmets.
http://www.propstore.com/

Web links (lower-right coumn)will be added as new ones appear or favorites are updated. One of the best, if not the best, site on the Web for Arthuriana content and bibliographies is The Camelot Project. The site was designed by Alan Lupack who, along with his wife Barbara, have authored and edited numerous Arthurian publications. If you are looking for an obscure, rare or out-of-print title this is the place to begin your search. The full text of many public domain items can be found here.