Updated cover for Surfin the Highway!

[Harald B]

At the moment you can only see it in thumbnail form in the Interloper, but man does it look good. Check your email now!

[Guybrush Threepwood]

I've ticked the box for the newsletter (have done for ages), but it never comes. Can someone help, please?

[Silly Bob]

I have the same problem, where's my interloper, and even if I wanted to check it out, I can't find it on the website anywhere.

edit: okay just recieved, but unfortunately I got the Text version rather than the HTML, like I signed up for, so I don't get any of the pretty pictures.

[Harald B]

Luckily the file location was clearly visible. Enjoy:
http://www.telltalegames.com/images/productshots/surfin_small.png

[xChri5x]

I'm glad they kept the original art, but hopefully it looks better blown up.
I'm sad they didn't keep the same logo though. Maybe it's not finalized yet!
Plus I really hope it's in Hardcover only.
hardcover only...
hardcover only...

[Guybrush Threepwood]

Oh, I've got it now. :) It looks sweet, I can't wait. :D

[fco.]

any word on the release date?

[tabacco]

That's not necessarily the final art.

[Jake]

Plus I really hope it's in Hardcover only.

Our current plans are for paperback only. I don't want to rule out the potential for a hardcover release, but it's not something we're really planning right now.

[xChri5x]

Can we have some sort of idea when it'll get released? I wanna make sure I have enough money to spare in time

Can we get a bigger version of that cover also? I know you have it somewhere! :P

[Silly Bob]

I'm glad they kept the original art, but hopefully it looks better blown up.
I'm sad they didn't keep the same logo though. Maybe it's not finalized yet!
Plus I really hope it's in Hardcover only.
hardcover only...
hardcover only...

Why?

Yeah it would be really cool to have a hardcover version, but should it ONLY be hardcover?

[Guybrush Threepwood]

I hope that when it comes out in the store, loads of other cool merchandise comes along with it.

[Emily]

Can we have some sort of idea when it'll get released?

Sometime in 2007. We don't have any more details than that right now.

Also, anyone who didn't get the newsletter can see it here (http://www.telltalegames.com/community/blogs/id-249). If you didn't get it and you're positive you're signed up for it (http://www.telltalegames.com/mytelltale/subscriptions), then maybe it was eaten by your spam filter?

[Kedri]

Mann, I can't wait! I'm trying as best I can to be S&M-obsessed, and when I get this book, I can finally read the comics! :D

[xChri5x]

They're amazing!

[Guybrush Threepwood]

Mann, I can't wait! I'm trying as best I can to be S&M-obsessed, and when I get this book, I can finally read the comics! :D

You're in the same boat as me. :)

[tobar]

They're fantastic!

[Silly Bob]

You're in the same boat as me. :)

Unfortunately I think alot of are in that boat, from what little Sam and Max comic stuff I've read, I know this is going to be my all time favourite TPB.

Maybe it'll come in just behind Watchmen and Kingdom Come.

[Hero1]

Actually, I hope that's not the final art. The original is a lot better.

[Zeek]

Our current plans are for paperback only. I don't want to rule out the potential for a hardcover release, but it's not something we're really planning right now.

I know paperback is cheaper, but c'mon! Hardback is so much better for this.:(

[Laserschwert]

I'd vote for at least a limited edition of hardcovers (say like 500, signed by Steve for those who want to pay a little more)...

[Zeek]

Define "little more."

[LuigiHann]

I love when things are expensive!

[Kedri]

I'm content with paperback. I mean, sure, hardcover's amazing, but as of yet I've only seen one hardcover comic anthology. The rest are paperback.

*Max comes along*

Max: Anthology isn't a word. 0.o

[Guybrush Threepwood]

I'd vote for at least a limited edition of hardcovers (say like 500, signed by Steve for those who want to pay a little more)...

I'd rather not, because then I'd have to buy one and then I'd have less money. :D

[backslash]

I'd rather not, because then I'd have to buy one and then I'd have less money. :D
You could make the same assumption about games. Why bother buying games when you're going to have less money afterwards? :P

[patters]

i would think a proper hard cover version would be awesome but the book is a little too small for a proper hard cover, maybe a special edition case?

[Guybrush Threepwood]

You could make the same assumption about games. Why bother buying games when you're going to have less money afterwards? :P

No, no, I meant that if there is a better edition version of something, I always have to buy that instead of the normal one. :D

[Zeek]

i would think a proper hard cover version would be awesome but the book is a little too small for a proper hard cover, maybe a special edition case?

A hard protective case would be something I wouldn't mind paying extra for if it came with the re-release. Could even make it a combo deal or something like that. Especially if it had some kind of Sam & Max grit and style to it.

*thinks of a time capsule with Max's teeth marks embedded into the surface with a small embossed type saying that it was buried in the year of the Disco Era and should not be open until 2008 or when weasels rule the earth (whichever happens first)*

[TrogLlama]

No, no, I meant that if there is a better edition version of something, I always have to buy that instead of the normal one. :D
Oddly enough, I never buy the 'special' version unless it's only a little bit more expensive (we're talking $5-10 range here) or it has significant improvements (Like, say, paying more for an MP3 player to get more memory (unless I don't really need that much...).).

[Guybrush Threepwood]

Oddly enough, I never buy the 'special' version unless it's only a little bit more expensive (we're talking $5-10 range here) or it has significant improvements (Like, say, paying more for an MP3 player to get more memory (unless I don't really need that much...).).

I agree with that, actually. I'm not going to pay £20 pound more for something just because it has, say, a signature on it. And I'm not going to pay £50 more for something whatever the features are.
If it is up to £15, I'll go for the better one. :)

[Kaldire]

you using british dollars man LOL

A standard purcell sig.. 100% free.. ask anyone in the office. Thats if you can get to him mind you. According to professional autograph appraisals sorry to say steves signature is worth little to nothing(to insane fans like me priceless.. hmm that should be a credit card commercial).. add an art on the other hand blam! Soo in summary
If you love purcell.. pay the extra 100$ on a TPB or something to get it signed. I recommend no one spends that just for a single signature and even purcell would agree In this matter I think. As for 50 Pounds for a book HAHA no way for a new book it will be even close to that man. But for an drawing and signature Id gladly pay 100$ for the new book provided its not 19.99 on release XD
So hard to find purcell stuff... muchless non sam & max stuff
(Kaldire wimpers for toyboxx)

[Guybrush Threepwood]

you using british dollars man LOL

A standard purcell sig.. 100% free.. ask anyone in the office. Thats if you can get to him mind you. According to professional autograph appraisals sorry to say steves signature is worth little to nothing(to insane fans like me priceless.. hmm that should be a credit card commercial).. add an art on the other hand blam! Soo in summary
If you love purcell.. pay the extra 100$ on a TPB or something to get it signed. I recommend no one spends that just for a single signature and even purcell would agree In this matter I think. As for 50 Pounds for a book HAHA no way for a new book it will be even close to that man. But for an drawing and signature Id gladly pay 100$ for the new book provided its not 19.99 on release XD
So hard to find purcell stuff... muchless non sam & max stuff
(Kaldire wimpers for toyboxx)

I was talking about special edition stuff in general. :) For example, games, DVDs and CDs.

[jab2565]

Hi first time post long time lurker. Was wondering if there is any estimate on when Surfin the Highway is going to be released. I'm planning on order season1 bonus disc, and the two other artbooks and I want to get everything in one fell swoop to save on the shipping.

[tobar]

Seems like you might be waiting a while, I say INDULGE NOW! :p

[Jake]

All we can say is "sometime in 2007" for now. More info soon!... ish!

[xChri5x]

I really hope "Belly of the Beast" is included in it. As well as the 3 missing "Adventurer" comics

[Mel]

What are the 3 missing Adventurer comics?



FYI, I know what the Adventurer magazine is, I just don't know about the missing comics.

[Jake]

Curse of Monkey Island, Outlaws, and... a third one I've forgotten about. :)

[xChri5x]

afterlife

[wisp]

sounds interesting. i want that. well, if it's not to complicated.
also "sometime in 2007" sounds good to me. we shouldn't forget that the Sam & Max games are the main product here and everything else is a bonus. oh and i like the new cover artwork. it fits perfectly into the new line of products, which all had more "mature" artwork. as for the hardcover edition: i would buy one and pay in advance if that would help. maybe have the option to preorder a hardcover version on the newsletter and if enough orders come in, having one printed. but as i already said, everything besides the games is optional.

[xChri5x]

The comics aren't a bonus. They're the first and finest Sam & Max material of all!

[wisp]

..but for telltale they are. remember, the company is called telltale games.
don't get me wrong, i want all the merchandise i can get, but if something is not possible then i can live with it...or at least have to try.

[xChri5x]

But Steve Purcell is putting the book out, not Telltale.

[Jake]

afterlife

Ah right! The excellent one where Sam smothers Max with the pillow.

[wisp]

But Steve Purcell is putting the book out, not Telltale.

from what i read on the blog i got the impression that telltale is involved in the process as well.

Sam & Max are turning 20 this year (I know, they don't look a day over 19...) and to celebrate, Steve Purcell and Telltale are bringing back the complete Sam & Max collection, Surfin' the Highway, for your extreme reading pleasure.

anyway, i'm pretty sure that, regardless who is working on it, the same sense for style and quality will be applied and will lead to a satifying result. i'm quite eager to read all the classic sam&max comics, but i can wait all the time that is needed.

[Chuck]

Ah right! The excellent one where Sam smothers Max with the pillow.
Hey, you're right, that one's NOT in the book! Well, dang. Now I want to get the new version even more.

When's the book coming out, huh? When? When is it? Don't you care about your fans? Tell me when! Hurry!

[RabidZombie]

No one said that the 3 adventure comics would be in it did they.

I think Jake dodged by naming them instead of answering!

[Jake]

No one denied anyting either! I simply dont know all that Steve is planning on including! When we have a final book out the door to printers, I'll look into pubishing a table of contents for you guys.

[Hero1]

is that unfinished comic where max gets shot and is replaced by a monkey still left unfinished in steve's top desk drawer? :rolleyes:

[Jake]

far as i know, yep

[Hero1]

If only there were 2 Steve Purcell's.. 1 could work at Pixar, the other could finish Sam & Max comics :D

[Zeek]

Yeah, but then that would confuse the wife and kids. Not to meantion that whole Space-Time Continum thing...

[tobar]

Multiplicity for the win!

[Hero1]

Get to cloning now!

[Silly Bob]

It wouldn't confusing because the other one will look like this.

http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/8403/purcellkw5.gif

[Mel]

Get to cloning now!

You just need a few skin cells you know. :p

[Jake]

The pieces of the book are all finally 99.9% off to the printer, so they're starting to Frankenstein it together from Steve's old pieces of film, scans of paintings, and the new cover and miscellaneous pages we're adding in. Awesome! The book is still "coming soon," but we should have more info in the next few weeks.

For now, here's a shot of the updated cover that Steve and I have been working on...

http://files.telltalegames.com/misc/surfin.jpg

Note that despite leathery appearances this book is paperback. :) That's just a picture of a classy old book that we slapped on there to try and class things up.

New to this version is the fact that both the front and back cover feature flaps like a hardcover dust jacket, so you can mark your page if you want (and because it just looks cooler with flaps). We used them to do an "about the author" blurb as well as a quick rundown of who Sam & Max are for people who don't know. It's definitely a change from the old book, but once you see all the little art and details Steve provided for the new cover treatment (especially the flaps, back of the book, and the inside of the cover), you'll be pretty into it.

[Johnny Walker]

It looks great!!! Where do I sign up to buy it??

[Jake]

Here (http://www.telltalegames.com/store/samandmax-highway). We're not taking orders yet, though.

[Dedlok]

Well hurry up with the order-taking! Mach Schnell! :D

*wants this badly*

[Hero1]

exciting stuff

[Mel]

I love the flaps (I never have a bookmark handy and I hate dog-earing the pages of a nice book like that).

Also, the leather look is very cool. Are the sepia tones of Sam & Max staying for the front cover? It works really well with them because now I'm thinking of Fleischer cartoons from the 1930's.

[xChri5x]

I love you Jake!

[Zeek]

Wait, that's a paperback cover?! I've seen things that look like they are made from one material but are really another (it's a common practice in the world of art), but this is the first time I've seen as convincing a paper print to look and photograph as if it was leather-bound!

Excellent job on the cover! I'm glad I signed up for the e-mail notice when I did!

[wisp]

let me guess: it's not actually a photo? it looks pretty hardcover.
*sigh* this would be so cool. imagine, sam & max bound in fake leather..

[Haggis]

imagine, sam & max bound in fake leather..
That would be almost as cool as Sam & Max bound in snake leather.

[Jake]

let me guess: it's not actually a photo? it looks pretty hardcover.
*sigh* this would be so cool. imagine, sam & max bound in fake leather..

Of course it's not a photo - I said in the post that the book is still being pieced together by the printers :P That's the same "book cover" template that is used for every image on the store. When the real book is in my hands, I'll take a ton more photos as well.

[xChri5x]

None of the original B&W comics got colourized did they? Because I remember how horrible of a job they did in the colour collection. Although the comics that are originally in colour look really really nice.
If they did a pro job on them like they did with Bone then I'd be happy, but if not then I'd forget it.

[Emily]

Um... actually I think there are a couple of comics that were in black and white and are now in color? We didn't do it; it was stuff Steve already had.

Jake, please correct me if I'm wrong.

[Jake]

"Fair Wind to Java" - the one where Sam & Max go to ancient Egypt - is appearing in color in the new Surfin the Highway. Steve found his original painted color guides which he sent in for the Color Collection, and is using those. Note that that doesn't mean it's the actual color that appeared in the Color Collection - that was a late 80s/early 90s interpretation of Steve's color guides, while with the new ones, Steve scanned in his actual original painted color sheets and dropped them under his original ink work. It looks great and, unlike the original coloring job, adds to the comic instead of detracts from it by turning Sam a weird puke color and stuff.

[Hero1]

awesome fair wind to java is one of my favs.. that alone will be worth repurchasing the collection

[xChri5x]

I like!

[Laserschwert]

I'd say it's time for another update on this... well?

[Emily]

Latest update: we have delivered everything to the printer, were supposed to get a proof yesterday, but they ran into a few hiccups that require attention from us and we won't be able to get to them until after launch. (More than you wanted to know? :D)

We'll definitely be opening up for preorders soon but I don't want to a shipping date estimate until we're sure it'll be accurate. Stay tuned.

[wisp]

just be sure to get some fresh bank accounts, 'cause there seem to be a lot of people here desperate to buy from you soon...

[Laserschwert]

Which makes me wonder, did you ask Steve if he'd sign some of the books? (and add one of his imfamous Max-drawings)

[Emily]

There have been whispers of a signed, limited edition hardcover...

[Laserschwert]

There have been whispers of a signed, limited edition hardcover...

To break the whispers: WHAT????? :eek::eek::eek:

Are we notified about this eventuality early enough, before buying millions of paperback versions?

[Jake]

Of course. We're not jerks!

"more than jerks" reference preempted

[AllenB]

Latest update: we have delivered everything to the printer, were supposed to get a proof yesterday, but they ran into a few hiccups that require attention from us and we won't be able to get to them until after launch.

Of course. We're not jerks!

"more than jerks" reference preempted

You made me mess up!

[Hero1]

There have been whispers of a signed, limited edition hardcover...

sold! :):rolleyes:

[Laserschwert]

And yet, to get this thing to us Europeans in time for christmas, the release has to be sometime this month, since your stupid warehouse obviously delivers all orders afoot. My latest order again took about a month to get here... that's not normal!!

[Hero1]

And yet, to get this thing to us Europeans in time for christmas, the release has to be sometime this month, since your stupid warehouse obviously delivers all orders afoot. My latest order again took about a month to get here... that's not normal!!

haha this is true.. effigy mound took 6 weeks so i wont have it by christmas

[Zeek]

There have been whispers of a signed, limited edition hardcover...

Can I hand you my credit card account now, or would you rather opt for complete access to my bank account entirely?

[xChri5x]

I'm down for a hardcover as long as it isn't insanely priced. ( Like the hardcover Bone One Volume)

Can we have an idea of the pricing by any chance?
Didn't the original sell for like $13 lol

[Kaldire]

ello? Limited edition hardcover and signed? can you say cheap?

Fork the dough its worth it.. if not.. stick to the standard edition :P

Squaaaaaaaak!

[Jake]

The original trade paperback Surfin the Highway started at around $12 and through its various original printings went up to $15 new during the time it was being printed (read: about ten years ago). We'll be selling the new one for, I believe, $19.99.

[wisp]

for the good one or the even better one?

[Jake]

I'm talking about the regular trade paperback paperback edition - the only one announced.

[MeaningOfLife]

So when are we going to ge the hardcover binded book collector's edition and signed by yours truly Steve-o?

[TxdoHawk]

http://telltalegames.com/store/

Check the bottom of the page, under "Stock up on Featured Telltale Merch". The page for the book itself is still in its "coming soon" state, but that looks pretty telling to me.

Just in time for our Season 2 orders, Telltale? :cool:

[Jake]

That was the plan, but it looks like it'll get pushed back a tiny bit yet.

(We'll plug it pretty hard when orders or preorders are available... there's a lot of pent-up demand for this book.)

[Hero1]

wouldnt it be 4-6 weeks once you give the okay to the printers?

[Jake]

I don't know the turnaround from the printer. It's probably in an email somewhere :) All the print merchandise we did last year varied pretty wildly. I'll let you guys know when we have a proper release date estimate.

[Hero1]

nice :)

[TrogLlama]

The proofs you showed in the blog the other day have me confused.
Is it in color or black-and-white? I kind of assumed that the greyscale version in that one picture was what we were getting, but I don't really know.

[tabacco]

The stuff that's in black and white is black and white, and the stuff that's in color is color :)

[Jake]

The color version there were the actual color pages. The black and white stuff in the background were from Steve's original photocopied rough notes.

[Soup]

there is but one word for my anticipation:

rabid

[dloeke]

There have been whispers of a signed, limited edition hardcover...

:eek: You have my money already!

[RabidZombie]

You've found a pre-order page?

WHERE?!?!?

I must send out my monies immediately.

[Guybrush Threepwood]

You've found a pre-order page?

WHERE?!?!?

I must send out my monies immediately.

Not yet, I'm afraid! :D

[dloeke]

You've found a pre-order page?

WHERE?!?!?

I must send out my monies immediately.

I'm afraid I wasn't being literal. I have a stash of money lying underneath my pillow, in a bag marked "Property of Telltale Games", but they have yet to receive it.

[Jake]

one day it will all be ours!

[xChri5x]

Don't spend it all in one place!

[akajackfrost]

Just curious, are the ones that were reprinted in color going to be in their original b+w in the new book? I am really hoping they are, I liked the b+w better.