Meppi's Work In Progress...

[meppi]

Due to some rumblings in the back of the site, I have no idea if I will keep releasing my issues under this banner or not.

If there's no coming back for me you'll always be able to find my future work here, unless a certain someone deletes the link, which wouldn't even surprise me at this point.

This 1st post will be updated as I get started on new scans.

I will also keep updating the % of each magazine that I'm currently working on.

Once a magazine has been completed, it will be posted along with download links and a preview image in the Magazine Releases section of the board.

I'll be rescanning my old magazines in between working on new magazines, and once I have re-edited or completely re-scanned and uploaded an issue, I will add "completed +release date" to differentiate between the new and the old versions.

Once a new version has been released I will remove the old one from the server so you don't have to worry about mixing the 2 up.

The new ones will generally be a bit larger in size due to the higher quality as well.

I have started using new editing techniques which work much better on either black or white pages, this way black pages will actually be black and not grey and white ones won't have any of the nasty yellowing that sometimes can be found around the edges of certain pages.

I will also take greater care about finding and removing dust particles as well as other spots and stuff that shouldn't be on there.

And finally thanks to the new "Vibrance" tool in CS4 and the correct settings at which this will be used, the colours of the magazines will be as close tot the original as I can possibly make them.

You might have noticed that the saturation process of before did quite a good job of making the pages look vibrant, but it only seemed to target the warm colour spectrum.

Now with the combination of a lower saturation level along with a 50% Vibrance boost, the full spectrum finally gets the attention it deserves.

You will be able to tell them apart from the new thank you page at the end of the magazine, at the bottom right of this page there will also be a date.

That way you can check which version you have. The ones without a date are the old ones.

and also from the fact that the name of the month in the title will be written in full from now on.

The pages will be resized to a width of 1440 instead of 1280 and they will also be much cleaner than the previous version, thanks to y new equipment.

(X) = currently working on this magazine

Last updated: August 23

Official Sega Saturn Magazine 001 - november 1995 (UK) completed 100/100 pages re-scanned 14/100 pages re-edited(X)

Official Sega Saturn Magazine 002 - december 1995 (UK) completed

Official Sega Saturn Magazine 003 - january 1996 (UK) completed

Official Sega Saturn Magazine 004 - february 1996 (UK) completed

Official Sega Saturn Magazine 005 - march 1996 (UK) completed

Official Sega Saturn Magazine 006 - april 1996 (UK) completed

Official Sega Saturn Magazine 007 - may 1996 (UK) completed

Official Sega Saturn Magazine 008 - june 1996 (UK) completed

Official Sega Saturn Magazine 009 - july 1996 (UK) completed

Official Sega Saturn Magazine 010 - august 1996 (UK) completed

Official Sega Saturn Magazine 011 - september 1996 (UK) completed

Official Sega Saturn Magazine 012 - october 1996 (UK) completed

Official Sega Saturn Magazine 013 - november 1996 (UK) completed

Official Sega Saturn Magazine 014 - december 1996 (UK) completed

Official Sega Saturn Magazine 015 - january 1997 (UK) completed

Official Sega Saturn Magazine 016 - february 1997 (UK) completed

Official Sega Saturn Magazine 017 - march 1997 (UK) completed

Official Sega Saturn Magazine 018 - april 1997 (UK) completed

Official Sega Saturn Magazine 019 - may 1997 (UK) completed 

Official Sega Saturn Magazine 020 - june 1997 (UK) completed 

Official Sega Saturn Magazine 021 - july 1997 (UK) completed 

Official Sega Saturn Magazine 022 - august 1997 (UK) completed 

Official Sega Saturn Magazine 023 - september 1997 (UK) completed 

Official Sega Saturn Magazine 024 - october 1997 (UK) completed 

Official Sega Saturn Magazine 025 - november 1997 (UK) completed  100/100 pages re-scanned 29/100 pages re-edited(X)

Official Sega Saturn Magazine 026 - december 1997 (UK) completed  december 2008

Official Sega Saturn Magazine 027 - january 1998 (UK) completed  january 2009

Official Sega Saturn Magazine 028 - february 1998 (UK) completed  february 2009

Official Sega Saturn Magazine 029 - march 1998 (UK) completed  march 2009

Official Sega Saturn Magazine 030 - apri 1998 (UK) completed  may 2009

Official Sega Saturn Magazine 031 - may 1998 (UK) completed  june 2009

Official Sega Saturn Magazine 032 - june 1998 (UK) 100/100 pages scanned 95/100 pages edited

Official Sega Saturn Magazine 033 - july 1998 (UK) 100/100 pages scanned 0/100 pages edited

Official Sega Saturn Magazine 034 - august 1998 (UK) 100/100 pages scanned 0/100 pages edited

Official Sega Saturn Magazine 035 - september 1998 (UK) 100/100 pages scanned 0/100 pages edited

Official Sega Saturn Magazine 036 - october 1998 (UK) 100/100 pages scanned 0/100 pages edited

Official Sega Saturn Magazine 037 - november 1998 (UK) 92/92 pages scanned 0/92 pages edited

MAXIMUM 001 - 1995 (UK) completed  november 2008

MAXIMUM 002 - 1995 (UK) completed  december 2008

MAXIMUM 003 - 1996 (UK) completed  march 2009

MAXIMUM 004 - 1996 (UK) completed  june 2009

MAXIMUM 005 - 1996 (UK) completed 164/164 pages re-scanned 0/164 pages re-edited(X)

MAXIMUM 006 - 1996 (UK) completed 132/132 pages re-scanned 0/132 pages re-edited

MAXIMUM 007 - 1996 (UK) completed 132/132 pages re-scanned 32/132 pages re-edited(X)

Neo•Geo Freak 1996 Vol.7 - july (JAPAN) completed 

Neo•Geo Freak Tokyo Game Show 2005 Special (JAPAN) completed 

Mean Machines 001 - october 1990 (UK) completed 2/100 pages re-scanned 2/100 pages re-edited(X)

Mean Machines 002 - november 1990 (UK) 100/100 pages scanned 56/100 pages edited(X)

Mean Machines 003 - december 1990 (UK) 0/100 pages scanned 0/100 pages edited

Mean Machines 004 - january 1991 (UK) 0/100 pages scanned 0/100 pages edited

Mean Machines 005 - february 1991 (UK) 0/100 pages scanned 0/100 pages edited

Mean Machines 006 - march 1991 (UK) 0/100 pages scanned 0/100 pages edited

Mean Machines 007 - april 1991 (UK) 0/100 pages scanned 0/100 pages edited

Mean Machines 008 - may 1991 (UK) 0/100 pages scanned 0/100 pages edited

Mean Machines 009 - june 1991 (UK) 0/100 pages scanned 0/100 pages edited

Mean Machines 010 - july 1991 (UK) 0/100 pages scanned 0/100 pages edited

Mean Machines 011 - august 1991 (UK) 0/100 pages scanned 0/100 pages edited

Mean Machines 012 - september 1991 (UK) 0/100 pages scanned 0/100 pages edited

Mean Machines 013 - october 1991 (UK) 0/100 pages scanned 0/100 pages edited

Mean Machines 014 - november 1991 (UK) 0/100 pages scanned 0/100 pages edited

Mean Machines 015 - december 1991 (UK) 0/100 pages scanned 0/100 pages edited

Mean Machines 016 - january 1992 (UK) 0/100 pages scanned 0/100 pages edited

Mean Machines 017 - february 1992 (UK) 0/100 pages scanned 0/100 pages edited

Mean Machines 018 - march 1992 (UK) 0/100 pages scanned 0/100 pages edited

Mean Machines 019 - april 1992 (UK) 0/100 pages scanned 0/100 pages edited

Mean Machines 020 - may 1992 (UK) 0/100 pages scanned 0/100 pages edited

Mean Machines 021 - june 1992 (UK) 0/100 pages scanned 0/100 pages edited

Mean Machines 022 - july 1992 (UK) 0/100 pages scanned 0/100 pages edited

Mean Machines 023 - august 1992 (UK) 0/100 pages scanned 0/100 pages edited

Mean Machines 024 - september 1992 (UK) 0/100 pages scanned 0/100 pages edited

Mean Machines - The Essential Sega Guide - 1994 (UK) completed

Club Nintendo Vol.1 Issue 1 - 1989 (UK) not yet in possession

Club Nintendo Vol.1 Issue 2 - 1989 (UK) not yet in possession

Club Nintendo Vol.1 Issue 3 - 1989 (UK) completed 

Club Nintendo Vol.1 Issue 4 - 1989 (UK) 20/20 pages scanned 0/20 pages edited

Club Nintendo Vol.1 Issue 5 - 1989 (UK) 20/20 pages scanned 0/20 pages edited

Club Nintendo Vol.2 Issue 1 - 1990 (UK) not yet in possession

Club Nintendo Vol.2 Issue 2 - 1990 (UK) not yet in possession

Club Nintendo Vol.2 Issue 3 - 1990 (UK) not yet in possession

Club Nintendo Vol.2 Issue 4 - 1990 (UK) completed

Club Nintendo Vol.2 Issue 5 - 1990 (UK) completed

Club Nintendo Vol.2 Issue 6 - 1990 (UK) completed

Club Nintendo Vol.3 Issue 1 - 1991 (UK) not yet in possession

Club Nintendo Vol.3 Issue 2 - 1991 (UK) not yet in possession

Club Nintendo Vol.3 Issue 3 - 1991 (UK) completed

Club Nintendo Vol.3 Issue 4 - 1991 (UK) completed

Club Nintendo Vol.3 Issue 5 - 1991 (UK) completed

Club Nintendo Vol.3 Issue 6 - 1991 (UK) 0/32 pages scanned 0/32 pages edited

Club Nintendo Vol.4 Issue 1 - 1992 (UK) completed

Club Nintendo Vol.4 Issue 2 - 1992 (UK) completed

Club Nintendo Vol.4 Issue 3 - 1992 (UK) 0/32 pages scanned 0/32 pages edited

Club Nintendo Vol.4 Issue 4 - 1992 (UK) 0/32 pages scanned 0/32 pages edited

Club Nintendo Vol.4 Issue 5 - 1992 (UK) 0/32 pages scanned 0/32 pages edited

Club Nintendo Vol.4 Issue 6 - 1992 (UK) 0/32 pages scanned 0/32 pages edited

Club Nintendo Vol.5 Issue 1 - 1993 (UK) 32/32 pages scanned 4/32 pages edited(X)

Club Nintendo Vol.5 Issue 2 - 1993 (UK) completed 32/32 pages re-scanned 0/32 pages re-edited

Club Nintendo Vol.5 Issue 3 - 1993 (UK) completed 

Club Nintendo Classics - holiday 1990 (UK) completed 52/52 pages re-scanned 0/52 pages re-edited

Club Nintendo Strategy Guide (UK) completed 8/8 pages re-scanned 0/8 pages re-edited

MegaTech 001 - XMAS 1991 (UK) 13/84 pages scanned 0/84 pages edited(X)

Super Play 001 - november 1992 (UK) 28/100 pages scanned 0/100 pages edited(X)

[racketboy]

Haven't some of the Saturn mags you have marked as 0% scanned been released already?

I have the files for #19, 23, 26, 29, 34, 36, and 37.

[meppi]

Yes they have. :happy:

But I'm redoing all my original scans (SSM, CVG and the one DreamCast magazine).

Since I got my new scanner I immediately noticed a big quality difference between my new ones and my old ones, so I decided it would be best to start from scratch.

That way we'll all get much better scans in the end and the quality will be much more consistent once I get the last 2 magazines of the series in my possession and finish off the whole set.

So don't worry, I'm just gonna go through them all in the correct order (as much as possible) and I'll rescan those ones when it's their turn. :wink:

[racketboy]

Yes they have. :happy:

But I'm redoing all my original scans (SSM, CVG and the one DreamCast magazine).

Since I got my new scanner I immediately noticed a big quality difference between my new ones and my old ones, so I decided it would be best to start from scratch.

That way we'll all get much better scans in the end and the quality will be much more consistent once I get the last 2 magazines of the series in my possession and finish off the whole set.

So don't worry, I'm just gonna go through them all in the correct order (as much as possible) and I'll rescan those ones when it's their turn. :wink:

OK

So have you already released all the ones that you don't have marked as "not yet in possession" at one point or another?

[meppi]

Ah, no. Just the ones you listed. (#19, 23, 26, 29, 34, 36, and 37)

I started out with only 34,36 and 37 and bought a couple more off ebay, so I did those other 4 after that.

Then I got 2 big ebay auctions which filled out the set, besides #8 and 9.

So I started scanning them from the first issue onwards, but before I released the first one, I got a new scanner, so I redid the first one and the rest were done chronologically.

So you didn't actually miss out on any other issues before. That were simply the only ones I had at the time. :-)

[meppi]

Taking a short brake from scanning the official Sega Saturn magazine to scan this one first:

Mean Machines - The Essential Sega Guide - 1994 (UK)

[wildlele]

keep up the awesome work!

[retromags1]

Great work meppi, I can't wait till we've got all of the Sega Saturn Magazines.

[Phillyman]

Great work meppi, I can't wait till we've got all of the Sega Saturn Magazines.

I have often wondered about you retromags1, Every time I have ever seen you online you seem to be viewing Meppi's WIP thread. I was beginning to think you were a bot or spy :fear:

[meppi]

Great work meppi, I can't wait till we've got all of the Sega Saturn Magazines.

No problem. I'm continuing to scan and edit these magazines whenever I can find a bit of time.

I do take out some time to do new Club Nintendo issues in between as they are much smaller, so they can be finished and put out there much quicker as well.

I have often wondered about you retromags1, Every time I have ever seen you online you seem to be viewing Meppi's WIP thread. I was beginning to think you were a bot or spy :fear:

Hehe, if I should take a guess I'm thinking he's/she's someone from UG when I used to up magazines there. :grin:

[Phillyman]

No problem. I'm continuing to scan and edit these magazines whenever I can find a bit of time.

I do take out some time to do new Club Nintendo issues in between as they are much smaller, so they can be finished and put out there much quicker as well.

Hehe, if I should take a guess I'm thinking he's/she's someone from UG when I used to up magazines there. :grin:

Well wildlele is moving some of our releases over there for more exposure

[meppi]

My most difficult scan to this day. Hopefully the next one will a bit easier.

Even though it was a hard project, I enjoyed working on it simply because almost every page has a truely classic game on it.

Anyway, I'm very happy how it turned out in the end, so I hope you all will be pleased with it as well.

Enjoy!

Mean Machines 001 - oct 1990 (UK)

[meppi]

For my next scan I'm returning to the Sega Saturn set. Its actually fun to go back to a magazine which requires very little editing relatively speaking. Well at least compared to the last one above.

So you can expect this one to pop up in the next couple of days.

Official Sega Saturn Magazine 018 - apr 1997 (UK)

[vrap]

I only recently learned of and checked out MAXIMUM magazine, thanks so much for uploading them! Fantastic magazine.

[mikecox]

Hey meppi thanks a lot, I've been looking for Saturn Mags for a long time.

[meppi]

Glad you like em.

Maximum is indeed an incredible magazine. Sadly enough not too many people know about it.

But when you realize that the person behind the magazine was Richard Leadbetter who worked on many of the best British videogame publications (including OSSM), you know you're in for a treat.

As for the upcoming Sega Saturn magazines, you might notice that I'm scanning them first right now.

I normally scan one and edit it right away. But I'm getting a new laptop in 3 weeks or so, which will have a much better screen than the 6 year old Packard Bell one I'm using right now. So it should be much more comfortable to edit the scans on the new laptop.

I will probably release issue 18 next week, but will hold of on editing the others and just keep scanning them in one after another.

It might mean that it will be a little while longer before the next one is released, but from then on they should follow a bit quicker after each other.

[meppi]

I thought that I would get a nice headstart by scanning as many mags before I got my new system and then edit them on that.

But it seems that the 2 versions of the same program scan the pages a bit differently.

I've also noticed lots of problems on darker scans I did in the past, which I couldn't even see on my old screen. But they are very noticeable now. So I'm planning on returning to those in the future and rescan the pages or even complete magazines where necessary.

All this means that my next scans won't come any quicker that I promised before.

The plus side of all this is that the quality will only improve from here on out, so bear with me.

[puslar_t]

Just grabbed issue 18 of OSSM.. Brilliant work meppi and thanks! After OSSM is complete do you plan on undertaking a new project or is an overdue vacation from scanning (like Phillyman) is in order?

[meppi]

After I get the full set of OSSM finished, I'll probably go back to the older issues and see which pages might need a rescan.

I've just upgraded to a new laptop, so I can see problems with certain pages that I wasn't able to see before. Especially with very dark backgrounds.

You might also notice that I had scanned 8 or so issues of OSSM already which only needed to be edited, but I had to delete those files as the quality didn't match on my 2 systems. So instead of rushing them out as they were, I decided to start from scratch starting with issue 19. Sorry for the delay this will cause...

I don't think I'll be taking a break any time soon. I simply try to mix things up a bit. That way I keep myself motivated to come back to other magazines.

Like for instance the new NeoGeo Freak magazines that just arrived.

Even though they are still magazines which need to be scanned and edited, I'm very exited to get started on them since they are something very special. Well, at least to me.

[meppi]

Just wanted to mention that the new issue of the Official Sega Saturn Magazine is the first one of the new batch which has been completely scanned and edited on my new system.

So the quality should be quite a step up on the previous mags I did, if only for the much higher clarity of my screen so I can see any problems that the pages might have so much better.

I've also adjusted the each page's color saturation with 20 points so the colors look much more vibrant and less dull. Which putsthe digital pages closer to the original magazine.

I'm planning on going back to my old releases as well and touch them up where possible and rescan things where necessary.

So if you have any comments about the newest issue, please let me know so I can keep making them better and better.

Official Sega Saturn Magazine 019 - may 1997 (UK)

[meppi]

The magazine I'm currently working on and should be finished around the weekend is my first Japanese scan.

So when downloading the magazine, please be aware that it should be viewed in reverse order. So from right to left instead of left to right. That's why the page numbering will be reversed as well.

Normally your cbz viewer should have an option for reading Manga or Japanese magazines, which should do the trick.

The reason why these are going much faster is that these particular issues hardly need any editing at all, besides the cropping of the pages and removing a dust particle here and there as these are in absolutely perfect condition.

Only the covers need extended touching up, but that's it.

Neo•Geo Freak 1996 Vol.7 - jul (JAPAN)

Wiki page here.

[meppi]

Neo•Geo Freak Tokyo Game Show 2005 Special (JAPAN)

Wiki page here.

Download page here.

[Thor]

Hey Meppi thank you very much for the NF releases since I know I will probably never get my hands on them.

[meppi]

You're welcome.

I just love to dig for the more obscure stuff, be that in Japanese videogames, movies or magazines.

Things like NeoGeo Freak or Sega Saturn magazine might not be the most popular releases, but I'm sure the people who do like them really enjoy them quite a lot.

[meppi]

Official Sega Saturn Magazine 020 - jun 1997 (UK)

Wiki page here.

Download page here.