Bitmap Books are known for their stunning books which not only celebrate video games but act as a form of preservation for fans.
The Mirror sat down with Bitmap Books' founder Sam Dyer, to discuss everything from the publisher’s inception to what’s on the horizon.
Could you tell me a bit about yourself and how Bitmap Books came to be?
Sam: “I'd been doing commercial graphic design for 15 years, and I was getting a bit bored with designing brochures or logos for companies that I had little interest in. In my spare time, I was a big fan of retro gaming, and as the hobby grew in popularity, a few books started appearing of varying quality.
“I thought ‘I could do something like that and chose to focus on my first ever computer, the mighty Commodore 64! The idea of designing a book on something that I was massively passionate about, was a win-win for me – it was a way of fusing my two biggest passions in design and gaming.
“When Bitmap Books first started, I was actually still in full-time employment. It started off very much as a hobby; an outlet for my creativity in the evenings and at weekends and a vehicle which allowed me to have a bit of fun with things I loved.
“It has organically turned into what it is today; I wouldn't go as far as to say it was accidental, because I've purposely worked extremely hard to achieve my goals, but at the start, I never set out intentionally to become a boutique publisher.
“I had no experience in book publishing and I’ve had to learn on the fly, but I think my previous background in commercial marketing and design has really given me a good grounding for running a business and knowing how to successfully promote it.
“Our first title was Commodore 64: a visual compendium. Because we didn’t have a ready-made audience, we chose to use crowdfunding, it had raised almost £36,000 from just under 1,000 backers. This amazing initial success was a surprise, and I had to quickly learn the dark arts of crowdfunding fulfilment and backer management!”
Were there any gaming magazines that influenced you and your work?
Sam: “I’d say Commodore Format. I was a little late getting my Commodore 64 (1989), and by this time, the legendary Zzap! 64 magazine was in decline. The perception was that the Commodore 64 was also on the way out, with 16-bit systems such as the Amiga and Mega Drive on the scene.
“Future Publishing and Steve Jarratt took a calculated risk by launching a brand new Commodore 64 magazine in 1992 – a really brave decision, considering the C64 was 10 years old at this point. As an 11 year old, I loved that there was a magazine dedicated to my computer – its design was a little garish, but it felt cool, and fun and even came with a cover tape of games each month!
“I’d say this was my first experience with graphic design, and this coupled with my love of pixel art, set me on my path into the creative arts.”
What are some of your favourite video game books?
Sam: “Due to my childhood obsession with Sensible Soccer, I’d have to say Sensible Software 1986–1999.
“Not only are the various interviews and visuals treatments great, but this was the first video game book I ever purchased, and the moment I decided to do my own.”
What process goes into making one of your books and how long does it take?
Sam: “I’d say on average 12-18 months from initial idea to completion. Typically, once the idea is agreed upon, the next stage would be to have a play with the look and feel, and come up with some designs for how everything could look.
“Once a set of design templates are in place, it would be a case of gathering the content – the two main aspects here would be the words and images. The images in our books are typically screenshots that are captured using emulators.
“This can be time-consuming, as some games require lengthy playthroughs to get the required variety. Luckily, we work with a fantastic team who helps with screenshots (thanks Gonçalo!).
“The words typically come from an author, however books such as our visual compendium series, are a selection of many small interviews and soundbites, so we would work with our trusted journalists to gather this content.
“Once the words and images are ready, the book would then move into the design and artwork phase. This can take between 3-5 months, depending on the type of content. Once the design is at a draft stage, the whole book would go through an editor, and then off to a proofreader.
“The final phase is to prepare everything for print, ensuring that all images are of sufficient resolution and the colours are set to CMYK.
“Once this is completed, the book would go off to the printers, which would take around 3 months to have the finished items delivered to our warehouse.”
What was your first book and how different has the process changed as you've become much more established?
Sam: “Our first book was called Commodore 64: visual compendium. Although size-wise, it was much smaller than our recent books, the process is largely the same.
“This is where my career in graphic design has stood me in good stead with Bitmap Books.
“The discipline of seeing a project through on a deadline was something I was very used to.”
What has the overall reception towards your books been and how does it make you feel?
Sam: “We’re incredibly blessed to have such loyal and passionate customers. We receive some amazing feedback on a regular basis, which makes me feel incredibly proud. I make a conscious effort to read every single review we receive.”
How do you source third party contributors such as writers, industry professionals and illustrators to help bring the books together?
Sam: “The retro gaming community is a tight bunch, and packed full of talented individuals. Whether that’s writers or artists, over the years we’ve built up some great relationships with our contributors, that we continue to work with time and time again.
“We’re also very lucky to be approached by potential contributors on a regular basis, which keeps our pool of talent fresh.”
Who is the most unique/famous contributor you have worked with and why?
Sam: “One of the biggest moments was when Tim Stamper, of Ultimate/Rare fame, agreed to contribute to our ZX Spectrum book.
“Tim is notorious for not being involved in projects such as that, so it was an amazing validation for what we were doing that he was prepared to put his name behind some words in the book. That taught me a valuable lesson – 'if you don’t ask, you don’t get.”
What classic video game had the most profound effect on you and do you think any modern games have been as iconic?
Sam Dyer: “I wouldn't go as far as saying a profound effect, but The Secret of Monkey Island is, and always will be, my favourite game. The storytelling, puzzle-solving, humour and presentation are top drawer, and totally changed my perception of what a video game could be.
“I’m not alone, as the Monkey Island games have touched many gamers. It’s hard to say whether any modern games have had a similar effect – I guess we could answer that in 30 years' time.”
Since you spend a lot of time looking at older games do you feel that there's anything classic games have that the modern industry has lost?
Sam: “The main issue I see is that all modern games pretty much look the same. There are smaller differences in graphics and performance, but on the whole, most modern systems all look the same.
“Back in the day, this wasn’t the case, and games would look wildly different across the various systems. This variation adds extra interest, as kids, it was always fun to play the same game at a friend's house on a different system and see how it fared.”
You’re clearly a gaming fan, what game/ genre would you personally love to make a book about and why?
Sam: “I’d love to cover football video games in detail. Maybe one for the future…”
How involved are you with your community, do they pitch/request possible ideas for books?
Sam: “Yes, all the time. I’m an active member of the community and often receive book pitches. We can’t do all of them, but I love hearing people's ideas.”
Are there any recent games from the last few years that you think would make a great book and why?
Sam: “I’m a huge fan of Luigi’s Mansion. My son and I have played through Luigi’s Mansion 3 a few times and we love it. A book full of concept art and interviews with the developer should be amazing.”
Is there anything you would like to add?
Sam: “Just to say thanks to all our customers for their continued support over the years.”
You can purchase the amazing books from the Bitmap Books website.
