Author Topic: Locating "Lost" Authors to Bring Back "Lost" Books  (Read 31100 times)

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Offline Boromir

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Re: Locating "Lost" Authors to Bring Back "Lost" Books
« Reply #120 on: June 29, 2021, 02:36:22 AM »
An update for the interested reader; discussions on a way forward have been ongoing in the background as to how I can help further. And yes, I do understand this is a very sensitive issue for some authors. 

If you are an author and want to see your work made available again, please contact @Colin-ICE to cover the licensing bit (his email address is also on the ICE website). 

My first priority (springing from my own interest) is to work towards seeing War Law available again.  David Blank is the only missing author for whom I have no contact information at all; any clues (by PM if you like) would be appreciated.

Offline Cory Magel

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Re: Locating "Lost" Authors to Bring Back "Lost" Books
« Reply #121 on: June 30, 2021, 12:02:44 AM »
I will say that, while I was quite unlikely to come to a mutual agreement with the previous incarnation of ICE, I had very little doubt that there would be any issues with the current individuals in charge and we almost immediately came to an agreement that we were/are both perfectly happy with.  If anyone on the fence would like to discuss any of that in detail feel free to private message me.
- Cory Magel

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Offline Boromir

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Re: Locating "Lost" Authors to Bring Back "Lost" Books
« Reply #122 on: December 04, 2021, 02:56:32 AM »
We need your help!  After quite a lot of work in the background, @Colin-ICE and I have been able to contact and get agreement from some key "lost" authors, but to enable the publication of near-complete scanned products, we need to find two authors:
  • Lem Richards, who we think is on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/lem.richards, but we think because it is easy to miss a message from someone not in your friends list he is not responding
  • David Blank, for whom we have no identifying information
Does anyone here have contact with these two guys?  Or have clues or other contact methods?

And if you are the author of another product not in print, please contact @Colin-ICE, because he now has a streamlined process for you.

Offline Boromir

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Re: Locating "Lost" Authors to Bring Back "Lost" Books
« Reply #123 on: December 12, 2021, 06:35:19 PM »
Update:  Lem Richards is now in contact with @Colin-ICE

Offline The Chorned Jat

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Re: Locating "Lost" Authors to Bring Back "Lost" Books
« Reply #124 on: January 09, 2022, 03:09:49 PM »
Update:  Lem Richards is now in contact with @Colin-ICE
Congrats! I'm glad this project has been ongoing all this time!
(no personal connection to old products here, just a fan who used to own them :) )

Offline Cory Magel

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Re: Locating "Lost" Authors to Bring Back "Lost" Books
« Reply #125 on: January 09, 2022, 03:58:01 PM »
If anyone is a paid member of LinkedIn they might try this for David Blank (not sure if it's who is being looked for)
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dnblankedelman/
- Cory Magel

Game design priority: Fun > Balance > Realism (greater than > less than).
(Channeling Companion, RMQ 1 & 2, and various Guild Companion articles author).

"The only thing I know about adults is that they are obsolete children." - Dr Seuss

Offline Boromir

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Re: Locating "Lost" Authors to Bring Back "Lost" Books
« Reply #126 on: January 16, 2022, 11:45:28 PM »
We think from work done by members of ICE discord that https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-blank-5946082/ is the correct David Blank.  But we don't have paid membership to check.  @Colin-ICE was going to follow up.


Offline Boromir

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Re: Locating "Lost" Authors to Bring Back "Lost" Books
« Reply #127 on: January 16, 2022, 11:54:19 PM »
The next priority is to find the author Mike Carlyle, and this will unlock re-publication of RM2 Companion II and RM2 Elemental Companion (which was forgotten in the lists above).   From the old author lists and acknowledgements inside the publications, we think P. Singh Khanna and Art Ridley will have clues to help us contact him (they were in the same gamer group).  These authors have been in contact with ICE based on earlier work in the thread.

Offline Hurin

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Re: Locating "Lost" Authors to Bring Back "Lost" Books
« Reply #128 on: January 17, 2022, 08:33:36 AM »
The next priority is to find the author Mike Carlyle, and this will unlock re-publication of RM2 Companion II...

That would be big; RM2 Companion II has the whole skill listing with all the charts in the back for skill cost. I imagine it would sell pretty well.
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Offline Spectre771

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Re: Locating "Lost" Authors to Bring Back "Lost" Books
« Reply #129 on: January 17, 2022, 03:51:59 PM »
The next priority is to find the author Mike Carlyle, and this will unlock re-publication of RM2 Companion II and RM2 Elemental Companion

The two books I use most from RM2 LOL.  RMC-II is the bible for creating a PC and my whole gaming world is elemental magic only so the EC is used tons. :)
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Offline Cory Magel

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Re: Locating "Lost" Authors to Bring Back "Lost" Books
« Reply #130 on: January 17, 2022, 08:20:46 PM »
Possibility for Mike?
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-carlyle-3707b726/
- Cory Magel

Game design priority: Fun > Balance > Realism (greater than > less than).
(Channeling Companion, RMQ 1 & 2, and various Guild Companion articles author).

"The only thing I know about adults is that they are obsolete children." - Dr Seuss

Offline Boromir

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Re: Locating "Lost" Authors to Bring Back "Lost" Books
« Reply #131 on: January 18, 2022, 06:50:11 AM »
Yes, RM2CII would be THE key companion to have back in print, which is why I am so keen to find Mike Carlyle.

(For those who don't know the rarer RM2CVI, it actually has a restructured and unified skill list simplifying all the skills from the companions that go before it. By calculations earlier in this thread, all authors are known and so it is with ICE to answer whether it is able to be republished.  I have scanned and OCR'ed my copy in preparation.)

Thanks for the suggestion Cory.

Offline Old Man

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Re: Locating "Lost" Authors to Bring Back "Lost" Books
« Reply #132 on: August 14, 2022, 01:38:51 PM »
Possibility for Mike?
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-carlyle-3707b726/

Looked at the profile and nothing speaks to ICE, but perhaps someone knows him from his US Army service (2001-2009)? (Said time frame vs. ROCOs suggests Mike is too young?)

Regards,
Old Man

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Offline C.Tozer

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Re: Locating "Lost" Authors to Bring Back "Lost" Books
« Reply #133 on: September 12, 2023, 10:52:54 PM »
Hi - its been a while since anything was posted here. Any news or updates in trying to find Mike Carlye or any of the others? I hugely support the idea behind this project and would be happy to lend a hand if I can help. I would LOVE the old ICE RM2 Edition books back in print/print on demand.

Please let me know if I can help.

I spent quite a while trying to track Mike down ... I have know idea what this site is/how it works or whatever but I did look up a friend in the USA on it and it seems to be legit. Dunno if this could be helpful? There are some Mike/Michaels on there that are in the their late 60s or 70s which I'm guessing may be right?
 https://radaris.com/p/Mike/Carlyle/

I also popped the following into ChatGPT too just to see what might come back:

"Q: Suggest ways (other than the obvious Twitter or Google search) that I could track down current day details for one of the designers that Rolemaster Companion II published in 1987. Where else can I look other than those suggested above
ChatGPT

A: Certainly! Here are some additional avenues you might consider when trying to track down a game designer or other professionals from older publications:

    Trade Associations: Many industries have associations or guilds. In the role-playing game industry, organizations like the Game Manufacturers Association (GAMA) may have contacts or can point you in the right direction.

    Industry Publications: Magazines or online publications that cater to the role-playing game industry often feature interviews, articles, and retrospectives that could include details about prominent members of the community. A magazine like Dragon from back in the day or more recent online equivalents might have some references.

    Alumni Networks: If you know where the designer went to school or college, the respective alumni association might be of help.

    Podcasts & YouTube Channels: Many podcasts and YouTube channels focus on the role-playing game industry. Interview-based podcasts or retrospectives might discuss older games and their creators. Engaging with the hosts or community can be a fruitful avenue.

    Industry Events: Attending game conventions like Gen Con, PAX Unplugged, or Origins Game Fair might allow you to meet industry veterans or enthusiasts who could have more information.

    Gaming Shops: Local gaming stores often have owners or employees who have been in the industry for a long time. They might know or have some leads.

    Specialized Forums: Websites like RPG.net or EN World have forums where many long-time RPG fans and professionals communicate.

    Online RPG Communities: Websites like DriveThruRPG or the RPG Stack Exchange can be places where you could potentially get in touch with someone who knows the whereabouts of older industry professionals.

    Contacting Cohorts: If you can find out other people who worked closely with the designer at the time (other co-authors, illustrators, editors, etc.), they might be more accessible and can provide a lead.

    Crowdsourcing: While not directly searching on Google or Twitter, you can ask on platforms like Reddit (particularly specialized subreddits like r/rpg) or Quora. The collective knowledge of such large communities can be very useful.

Remember, when reaching out, always be respectful and ensure that your approach doesn't infringe upon anyone's privacy. It's possible that some individuals may not want to be contacted, and their wishes should be respected.
"







Possibility for Mike?
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-carlyle-3707b726/

Looked at the profile and nothing speaks to ICE, but perhaps someone knows him from his US Army service (2001-2009)? (Said time frame vs. ROCOs suggests Mike is too young?)

Regards,
Old Man
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Offline Lars1444

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Re: Locating "Lost" Authors to Bring Back "Lost" Books
« Reply #134 on: February 19, 2024, 09:23:48 AM »
Just to get an update. 

Is Mike Carlyle the only person still missing in the puzzle?    And if we (read: the fans) should be able to help, perhaps we could get some background information on Mike like: year of birth?, where was he from?, where did he live?, education, jobs etc.  Things that could help us search places like Facebook etc.     And could it be possible, that Mike was short for Michael?

Has anyone made a joined effort to try and find Mike?   and perhaps made a list on which Mike's that has been contacted so random Mike's all over the world aren't spammed with multiple messages from Rolemaster fans:-)

Best regards

Lars Smalby
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Offline Elrich Maltah

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Re: Locating "Lost" Authors to Bring Back "Lost" Books
« Reply #135 on: February 19, 2024, 09:35:46 AM »
I know it was mentioned earlier that it's possible P. Singh Khanna and Art Ridley might have contact information for Mike Carlyle, but has anyone actually reached out to them to check on that?

Online jdale

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Re: Locating "Lost" Authors to Bring Back "Lost" Books
« Reply #136 on: February 19, 2024, 07:52:14 PM »
ICE doesn't necessarily have any of that information. These were people who submitted content, not people who were ICE employees.
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Offline Elrich Maltah

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Re: Locating "Lost" Authors to Bring Back "Lost" Books
« Reply #137 on: February 19, 2024, 09:09:13 PM »
These were people who submitted content, not people who were ICE employees.

Oh, sure, I'm aware of that. I was referencing the work mentioned in this previous post:

The next priority is to find the author Mike Carlyle, and this will unlock re-publication of RM2 Companion II and RM2 Elemental Companion (which was forgotten in the lists above).   From the old author lists and acknowledgements inside the publications, we think P. Singh Khanna and Art Ridley will have clues to help us contact him (they were in the same gamer group).  These authors have been in contact with ICE based on earlier work in the thread.

I didn't see any personal shout-outs from Singh or Art in this thread, so that seemed to imply that their previous contact with ICE would have been on file somewhere internally. Since this thread is more than 12 years old now, how likely is it that any of those old communication records are still readily accessible to the current crew?

Offline Lars1444

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Re: Locating "Lost" Authors to Bring Back "Lost" Books
« Reply #138 on: February 21, 2024, 08:06:39 AM »
Well...  I don't know how the copyright system works...  But if finding Mike Carlyle means that Companion II right can be granted/fixed, that is all that matters...   And if so, I don't understand why people aren't more keen on working together to try and find the guy?

I personally would love to get it cleared up, so there would be a chance that the Companion II could be used in Fantasy Grounds rules. :-)

Offline Elrich Maltah

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Re: Locating "Lost" Authors to Bring Back "Lost" Books
« Reply #139 on: February 22, 2024, 07:57:15 PM »
For what it's worth, I've just been in contact with Art Ridley. He said he hadn't been in touch with Mike Carlyle in "more than a few years," and doesn't know how to contact him directly, but he'd put out some feelers to see if he gets a response. I'll post back here if I hear anything else.