The Def Guide to Zzap!64

As you may or may not know, I'm doing redesigns of the DVD covers in the Zzuperstore. To be frank, the ones currently in use are... not that visually pleasing, let's say.

The first cover I'm redesigning is, of course, the Zzap!64 one, simply because there's the most resources for it on the Internet and because this is a Zzap!64 site, it would be MORALLY WRONG of me to not do the Zzap!64 one first.

Note: For the purposes of this thread, the cover I'm doing will be called the 'new' one and the current one (soon to be replaced [hopefully] when I finish it) as the 'old' or 'original' one.

Warning: It is VERY compressed. Generally I prefer PNGs as they don't leave the artifices JPEG's leave, but due to the requirements of the forum, I have turned it into a JPEG and also made the image incredibly tiny.

So, here is my latest WIP, as of 7/2/2014.
One thing I really liked about the original Zzap!64 DVD cover is that the spine looked old, parchment-like, as though it was an ancient and valuable document (which it is ) so, I've done something similar to that by using a parchment texture I downloaded a long time ago. I added a Zzap!64 logo to it, and some words. I made them semi-transparent so that the unique texture of the parchment could sort of 'leak' through.

Obviously, there's still a lot for me to do - such as the full contents of it, the credits, adding Mort's to the cover, and of course adding the name of this glorious website to it. However, for about 45 minutes work, I think I've made a pretty good start.

Your thoughts?

Liking it so far. Can I suggest you use the early magazine covers as a reference? I'm thinking of the diagonal bands bottom left with a contents list.

Professor Brian Strain wrote:Liking it so far. Can I suggest you use the early magazine covers as a reference? I'm thinking of the diagonal bands bottom left with a contents list.

I was thinking of something similar, but eventually decided against it. One of the main ideas I have is to change it from the messy disorganized thing it is now to something that all seems similar, yet different - in branding they'd call it a United Front, under one brand and one sort of 'theme.' Not all magazines had those diagonal bars; so I decided not to use them.

Anyway, due to a rather stupid mistake I discovered that the original image was set at somewhere around 68 by something inches, which (obviously) is slightly larger than the average A4 paper.

Humiliated, I started again, and now present the completed, finished version. (By which I mean the compressed JPEG. I sent the 300 ppi .png to the good Webmaster) ...And that's it. Next I intend to do the Page 6 DVD cover.

I've completed the Page 6 DVD cover. Once again, this is a compressed image, and the 300 ppi .PNG has been sent to the benevolent Webmaster. Here it is.

--Terry93D

Liking those, nice and clear.

I've since done the Atari User cover... Next, I intend to do the TV Gamer and The One DVD covers.
As always, the 300 ppi PNG was sent to the Kind and Benevolent Webmaster that would Never throw me into an active volcano.

--Terry93D

Well busy chappy since I last checked here! The images have been sent over to Mort for his approval Well still being sent as my "broad" band only uploads at 320Kb/s!

I present...
and...
...complete

The next ones as is norm will come as I complete them.

--Terry93D

Well Mort approves, so they'll be making it onto the DVDs soon and I'll have the full versions for download somewhere if people want to replace their old covers themselves.

Iain wrote:Well Mort approves, so they'll be making it onto the DVDs soon and I'll have the full versions for download somewhere if people want to replace their old covers themselves.

Yazoo! I shall continue to do the covers for the rest. Thanks to the power of the Internet, I can find information (and magazine covers) on/for most anything.

Also, I have some questions:

• Does The Micro User really come on three DVDs?
  
  And can you send me scans of the covers of that Spectrum fanzine called Format? Albeit I really do like the original DVD inlay for the Format DVD, I'm not sure how much change I'll do. I might just do a bit of fiddling with the typography and layout of it. I'm not quite sure
  
  Does Commodore User's DVD include its predecessor, Vic Computing, on the DVD?

And I have a suggestion for Mort's next scanning project - the TurboGrafx-16 (American term for PC Engine) magazines TurboPlay, TurboForce and DuoWorld.

I don't think every Vic Computing issue has been scanned... I don't own them all yet either (missing two issues) and I hadn't gotten around to scanning them either. I don't believe any are on the CU DVD, unless that's changed since I got my copy.

HI Terry,
Thanks for the Amazing work, funny thing is the early ZZap64 inlay was actually designed by Sir86 of the loading screen fame. But it has been looking tired for a very very long time and Iain has been nagging me to get it sorted!.

Trouble like a lot of us now "real life " gets in the way.

answering the questions.

oes The Micro User really come on three DVDs?

Yes it does

And can you send me scans of the covers of that Spectrum fanzine called Format? Albeit I really do like the original DVD inlay for the Format DVD, I'm not sure how much change I'll do. I might just do a bit of fiddling with the typography and layout of it. I'm not quite sure

Certainly I have sent you my email via the site.

Does Commodore User's DVD include its predecessor, Vic Computing, on the DVD?

Not at the moment, very very hard to find, Think I have one copy in the loft with a Hen on the front of it!



And I have a suggestion for Mort's next scanning project - the TurboGrafx-16 (American term for PC Engine) magazines TurboPlay, TurboForce and DuoWorld.

If you can supply the mags I can scan them

Once again thanks again for the hard work.

Stephen aka Mort

Mort wrote:HI Terry,
Thanks for the Amazing work, funny thing is the early ZZap64 inlay was actually designed by Sir86 of the loading screen fame. But it has been looking tired for a very very long time and Iain has been nagging me to get it sorted!.

Trouble like a lot of us now "real life " gets in the way.

answering the questions.

Does The Micro User really come on three DVDs?

Yes it does

And can you send me scans of the covers of that Spectrum fanzine called Format? Albeit I really do like the original DVD inlay for the Format DVD, I'm not sure how much change I'll do. I might just do a bit of fiddling with the typography and layout of it. I'm not quite sure

Certainly I have sent you my email via the site.

Does Commodore User's DVD include its predecessor, Vic Computing, on the DVD?

Not at the moment, very very hard to find, Think I have one copy in the loft with a Hen on the front of it!

And I have a suggestion for Mort's next scanning project - the TurboGrafx-16 (American term for PC Engine) magazines TurboPlay, TurboForce and DuoWorld.

If you can supply the mags I can scan them

Once again thanks again for the hard work.

Stephen aka Mort

Ah -_- I'm afraid I can't supply any magazine for scanning, much less those three rarities. You're welcome And thank you, as well, for answering my questions!