Last week I paid £38 for a copy of the 3rd edition Warhammer Armies book. This copy in fact:
![](//4.bp.blogspot.com/-JKJuDJ3KmdQ/UvuZIjD4ipI/AAAAAAAABzQ/CDJNkH0A0XU/s1600/WHA+Cover.JPG) |
Warhammer Armies. Average ebay price ~£15 |
You might (quite reasonably), ask why I paid £38 for a book (albeit in good condition), that normally sells for around £15. Well the answer was a little line in the item description:
"Signed at Games Day '89 by lots of then-GW staff - John Blanche, Tony Cottrell, Brian George, Bil, others whose names I can't decipher."
There was no picture, but I fancied a punt at the book, as I already have a number of signed copies of classic GW publications in my collection.
So to that end, I went to Glasgow to pick up my premium priced book in person (OK, I just happened to be in Glasgow with work & the seller kindly agreed me to collect in person). On being handed the book, I eagerly opened it up, and look what was hidden on the inside cover:
![](//1.bp.blogspot.com/-9guF8u9o9f8/UvuZKTpYBKI/AAAAAAAABzY/KKSKV-sgHuY/s1600/WHA+Inside+Cover.JPG) |
LOTS of lovely signatures |
That's right, no fewer than 12 signatures from GW luminaries past and present. Some I can ID, others could be runic inscriptions for all I know!
Here's a rundown of the 'knowns', complete with their Warhammer Armies title:
![](//3.bp.blogspot.com/-0wfj4oEEKuE/UvuZMGgLTzI/AAAAAAAABzg/u_aw5XOO6kA/s1600/Sig+1.JPG) |
John Blanche (Art Manager). Notice John's technique to ensure he gets an entire page devoted to his signature alone! |
![](//1.bp.blogspot.com/-CRmZTB4jgAg/UvuZOI_CKWI/AAAAAAAABzo/SpPPiQJW-ZQ/s1600/Sig+2.JPG) |
Bil Sedgewick (Graphic Design) |
![](//1.bp.blogspot.com/-OfvQxVsKcUc/UvuZPryhhkI/AAAAAAAABzw/p6sqzQ87Sq4/s1600/Sig+3.JPG) |
Brian George (Graphic Design) |
![](//2.bp.blogspot.com/-ouv8LLBuqSI/UvuZVCoKL4I/AAAAAAAABz4/MoDbYK0-5qo/s1600/Sig+4.JPG) |
Tony Cotterell (not listed in Warhammer Armies) |
![](//1.bp.blogspot.com/-PwRZu1JsvaA/UvuZXENgqPI/AAAAAAAAB0A/acHCdKos91o/s1600/Sig+5.JPG) |
Jervis Johnson (Designer/Developer) |
![](//4.bp.blogspot.com/-JYgii1-dQ7g/UvuZiQRm0II/AAAAAAAAB0o/jbd38yYXQVk/s1600/Sig+10.JPG) |
Aly Morrison (Citadel Designer) |
Then there's the celebrities of their day, who patiently sat at Games Day 1989, signing book after book, only to be seen as indecipherable scribbles 25 years later:
![](//4.bp.blogspot.com/-z2f--ev6MP4/UvuZY6P-c_I/AAAAAAAAB0I/vrlKiGPJwBY/s1600/Sig+6.JPG) |
Could this be Phil Gallagher? The first name looks more like Pam to me |
![](//1.bp.blogspot.com/-cAtSvsuyUdo/UvuZbdSLFNI/AAAAAAAAB0Q/A2I2X16m9T4/s1600/Sig+7.JPG) |
Pretty sure this is Andy Jones |
![](//3.bp.blogspot.com/-qr4aVTmdCy0/UvuZed3z7RI/AAAAAAAAB0Y/B1mGvrHp5hY/s1600/Sig+8.JPG) |
Got to be an 'A' name. Alan Merrett? Alan Perry? Somebody else? |
![](//4.bp.blogspot.com/-KuWKDJx04zw/UvuZgXKumdI/AAAAAAAAB0g/F-CDb5WLbFY/s1600/Sig+9.JPG) |
Is it an 'S'...or a 'B'...or a 'J'? |
![](//2.bp.blogspot.com/-PIxCdjSESc8/UvuZlZzWyyI/AAAAAAAAB0w/d68WRES0IKQ/s1600/Sig+11.JPG) |
I'm going for a 'B' here. Brian Ansell or perhaps Bob Naismith seem likely candidates. |
![](//1.bp.blogspot.com/-sgcqCwSao-o/UvuZnqO-VwI/AAAAAAAAB04/H9SAXJQ5t8o/s1600/Sig+12.JPG) |
And finally, I actually missed this one first time round, having been over-signed by Tony Cotterell, Andy Jones and Pam(?). Looks like a 'Mick' to me, but I'm stumped by it. |
So there we go, it's like some kind of graphologist's dream. All I need is examples of hand-writing from the entire late 1980s Games Workshop staff, and I should be able to decipher all these signatures.
Any suggestions & verifications welcome!
The B isn't Mr Ansell. I have his signature and it looks nothing like your example.
ReplyDeleteExcellent - eliminating the potentials is just as good as a positive ID :)
DeleteFirst unknown is almost certainly Phil Gallagher. I remember his sign from my time of dealing with Games Workshop as a licensee back in the mid 90s and he was responsible for intelectual properties back then iirc. I'm, say, 99,95% sure.
ReplyDelete99.95% certainty works for me ;-)
DeleteHa! - Your "Andy Jones" sign is his indeed. Same story.
ReplyDeleteLovely! Thanks
DeleteFantastic! Congrats in nice purchase /Hans
ReplyDeleteApropos of nothing, when I used to work GD's, (as a general troll), we used to have the shirts on, and we'd occasionally get overexcited frothers asking us to sign things.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea how many copies of RT I signed, so you could have just got a few MO Trolls in there... ;)
Ha! Never knew that...so now I need a list of all GW staff at GD '89 ;-)
DeleteMan, your collection never ceases to amaze me, how can you be such a great collector, modellist and painter at the same time with a normal life aside?
ReplyDeleteGive us the blueprints of your time machine now !
Very selective output & careful buying I guess.
DeleteAnd too much time browsing ebay on my phone while my wife watches tv ;-)
That's a nice find, very nice!
ReplyDeletePicture #8 is the signature of Carl Critchlow, who created Thrud the Barbarian and did illos for Blood Bowl, Dark Future, and more.
ReplyDeletePretty sure #10 is Alan Merrett.
#12 is Mike Brunton. You can just make out the M at the beginning.
The last one is Nick (can't remember his last name), one of the layout and paste-up folks if memory serves.
Or the last one might have been Nick Bibby, the miniature sculptor. That seems more likely on reflection.
ReplyDelete