RetroDefense's Work In Progress

[Areala]

On deck to be preserved: EG's Complete Guide To Mortal Kombat II. This was originally released as a supplement to Electronic Games Issue 20 (May 1994).

This and its sister issue will forever haunt my nightmares... *giggle*

*huggles*

Areala

[RetroDefense]

EG's Complete Guide To Mortal Kombat II (Electronic Games LC2 issue 20 supplement) is preserved and ready for download/mirroring.

https://archive.org/details/EGMKIISup

Should someone have an opportunity to preserve Electronic Games #20 at a later date, feel free to bundle this scan with your own.

Oh, and Areala, I'm a little hesitant to mention this but, um, the EG MKII cover thumbnail above? I found it in the RetroMags cover gallery.

It clearly indicates May '94.

Doh.

I suppose I should've checked the gallery before posting my EG supplement questions a while ago.

I'm sure you'll (justifiably) remind me to do so next time.

[Areala]

*laugh* Well, the point is, we worked it out together.

*huggles*
Areala

[twiztor]

yay teamwork!

[RetroDefense]

*laugh* Well, the point is, we worked it out together.

This is true. And if we saved future retro video game magazine enthusiasts a nightmare or two, it was well worth it.

On deck to (potentially) be preserved: Video Games & Computer Entertainment #7 (August 1989).

This will be something of a challenge as I won't be debinding the issue but will give it a try.

[Sean697]

This is true. And if we saved future retro video game magazine enthusiasts a nightmare or two, it was well worth it.

On deck to (potentially) be preserved: Video Games & Computer Entertainment #7 (August 1989).

This will be something of a challenge as I won't be debinding the issue but will give it a try.

That issue is on my watch list on eBay. I was willing to buy it and debind.mbut if you get a good scan.mthat works. Or you could hold off and just let me buy it. (Although I haven't seen it yet.) so many times I wanted to reference this issue. A big hole in our collection.

[E-Day]

This is true. And if we saved future retro video game magazine enthusiasts a nightmare or two, it was well worth it.

On deck to (potentially) be preserved: Video Games & Computer Entertainment #7 (August 1989).

This will be something of a challenge as I won't be debinding the issue but will give it a try.

I have a few tips to get a good scan from it. It will make it a long and tedious process, but you'll get good results.

Have a loose piece of black construction paper on hand, and use it behind the page you are scanning.

When you are near the front and the back of the magazine, another magazine of equal thickness placed on top of the side your scanning will help you get more of the spine scanned as it will give a more level surface for the scanner lid to press down on. And press down on your lid with your hand. That will ensure the page you are scanning stays flat.

It takes significantly longer than scanning a debound magazine, but you get good results and a magazine that you can either keep in your collection afterwards or sell to someone else.

[RetroDefense]

An edited Next Generation #53 (May 1999) is ready for downloading.

http://www.retromags.com/magazines/category/usa/next-generation/next-generation-issue-53

Thanks to marktrade for the actual scan work and Phillyman for the new & improved file uploading!

If you'd like to help with marktrade's backlog of unedited magazines, please see his Work In Progress discussion.

[marktrade]

Thanks Retro! Have you tried that auto deskew utility I mentioned?

I don't think I'll be uploading any more unedited scans like that, now that editing is pretty straightforward (no pun intended). Manually straightening every page was just killing me.

[E-Day]

Thanks to marktrade for the actual scan work and Phillyman for the new & improved file uploading!

And thanks to me for getting that ball rolling

Thanks Retro! Have you tried that auto deskew utility I mentioned?

That's the one where you need to write a script of some sort to use, correct? Do you have that code for sharing? I would love to save time adjusting the pages, especially since I won't be debinding my next magazine.

[Sean697]

Thanks Retro! Have you tried that auto deskew utility I mentioned?

I don't think I'll be uploading any more unedited scans like that, now that editing is pretty straightforward (no pun intended). Manually straightening every page was just killing me.

The straitening is not really the time consuming process for me. Takes me maybe 30 seconds a page maybe 1 minute if it's something tricky where I'm trying to match a two page spread. The time consuming part is the editing. I'm taking aroun 5 minutes a page I'd say. Maybe I'm being a little too anal. But I try to get most of the dust and blemishes off. And fixing printing errors like ink streaks.

I literally have a sore finger from using the clone stamp.

[VGBounceHouse]

In addition to the time involved in clone stamp I've found the results far less consistent than using Content Aware fill. As long and you set the origin of the selection box/lasso correctly you'll get immediate and most likely better results that way.

[marktrade]

And thanks to me for getting that ball rolling

That's the one where you need to write a script of some sort to use, correct? Do you have that code for sharing? I would love to save time adjusting the pages, especially since I won't be debinding my next magazine.

I use the Mac version with Automator. I wish I could be of help for Windows.

Anyway mine looks something like this:

I haven't moved the deskew utility from my downloads folder so that's the path.

With this setup I can right-click on any selection of images in the Finder and deskew them to BMP files in the same folder (the Mac version of deskew won't save as TIF for some reason and it's faster to edit uncompressed images). It's a little slow but it seems to work perfectly for text pages. It's just the errant ad page that you have to manually straighten.

[Sean697]

This is true. And if we saved future retro video game magazine enthusiasts a nightmare or two, it was well worth it.

On deck to (potentially) be preserved: Video Games & Computer Entertainment #7 (August 1989).

This will be something of a challenge as I won't be debinding the issue but will give it a try.

Any update on this. Been eagerly awaiting this issue.

[RetroDefense]

Wise Fwom Your Gwave!

So decided to bring this thread out of mothballs.  It's been so long I actually had to un-archive it.  

 

I'll be de-binding this copy of VG&CE Issue 7 (August 1989) and scanning it shortly.

 

It's the priority item in my scan queue which also includes some EGM content scans for Sean697, some Next Generation comparison scans (disc vs. standard editions), and I have a number of misc. supplement cover scans planned.

 

I already own the above VG&CE issue but scanning it bound proved too much of a pain.  Despite the saddle-stitching I couldn't avoid fuzzy-gutter - my scanner has an annoyingly high beveled trim.  So while paying a bit of a premium (well, certainly compared to what I paid for it back in the 80s) I finally grabbed a copy off Ebay.

 

More importantly, I've negotiated dining room table scanning privileges for several days.  Especially considerate as my usual scanning setup has been acting a little grumpy lately.

 

And no, this does not mean I'll stop annoying everyone with missing magazine threads.  

 

I'm also still working on editing marktrade's Play #4 scan although KiwiArcader has essentially done the work already.  I was only 20 or so pages in before my PC started throwing fits so I may take you up on that "basis" offer Kiwi.  I put some time into restoring that damn cover.  

 

Cheers all.

[kitsunebi]

I tried scanning one magazine while still bound - a thin little Game Player's Strategy Guide to Nintendo Games.  But even that was such a pain in the ass I vowed to never scan again unless I de-bind first.  I would never try to obtain two of everything though.  If I'm gonna go to the trouble of scanning and editing something, I'm gonna damn well read that scan when I'm done, not some second copy of the mag.  Actually, if I scan something I have two copies of, I throw them both out once its been scanned, since I no longer need it and can't be bothered trying to sell the extra one. (disclaimer: this might not be applicable to mags I have a great nostalgic fondness for.  Every single one of the Japanese mags I've scanned were purchased this year, so it isn't like I grew up reading them or anything.  It makes their destruction less painful.)

[Sean697]

Wise Fwom Your Gwave!

So decided to bring this thread out of mothballs.  It's been so long I actually had to un-archive it.  

 

I'll be de-binding this copy of VG&CE Issue 7 (August 1989) and scanning it shortly.

 

It's the priority item in my scan queue which also includes some EGM content scans for Sean697, some Next Generation comparison scans (disc vs. standard editions), and I have a number of misc. supplement cover scans planned.

 

I already own the above VG&CE issue but scanning it bound proved too much of a pain.  Despite the saddle-stitching I couldn't avoid fuzzy-gutter - my scanner has an annoyingly high beveled trim.  So while paying a bit of a premium (well, certainly compared to what I paid for it back in the 80s) I finally grabbed a copy off Ebay.

 

More importantly, I've negotiated dining room table scanning privileges for several days.  Especially considerate as my usual scanning setup has been acting a little grumpy lately.

 

And no, this does not mean I'll stop annoying everyone with missing magazine threads.  

 

I'm also still working on editing marktrade's Play #4 scan although KiwiArcader has essentially done the work already.  I was only 20 or so pages in before my PC started throwing fits so I may take you up on that "basis" offer Kiwi.  I put some time into restoring that damn cover.  

 

Cheers all.

Oh man I can't wait. I've been waiting for this issue forever as it is one of my most treasured childhood issues. I had a notification on eBay for this but never saw it come up. I'm so glad your finally doing it. I've said this elsewhere but for me, Iv'e found anything over 50 or so pages is hard to get a good bound scan on. That's kind of my limit. So early EGM's I've done it no problem. Later ones I took out the staples.

[RetroDefense]

I tried scanning one magazine while still bound - a thin little Game Player's Strategy Guide to Nintendo Games.  But even that was such a pain in the ass I vowed to never scan again unless I de-bind first.  I would never try to obtain two of everything though.  If I'm gonna go to the trouble of scanning and editing something, I'm gonna damn well read that scan when I'm done, not some second copy of the mag.  Actually, if I scan something I have two copies of, I throw them both out once its been scanned, since I no longer need it and can't be bothered trying to sell the extra one. (disclaimer: this might not be applicable to mags I have a great nostalgic fondness for.  Every single one of the Japanese mags I've scanned were purchased this year, so it isn't like I grew up reading them or anything.  It makes their destruction less painful.)

 

Most of my late 80s/early 90s stuff I'm very nostalgic for.  I purchased the majority of my VG&CE collection off the newsstand and always looked forward to the next issue.  Despite not being much of a computer gamer it was one of my favorite magazines of the era.  So I won't be debinding my collection anytime soon.  

 

Everyone has been expecting this issue though - I flagged it for scanning a good while ago - so decided to grab a copy off Ebay.  Might do the same with other issues but probably won't make a habit of it unless I find a good deal or two.

 

Here's the unedited scan of Video Games & Computer Entertainment August 1989 (Issue 7).  I converted the raw tifs to jpgs but otherwise have performed no editing whatsoever.

 

I'm hoping to get some more scanning done while I still have my makeshift setup in place so an edited version isn't an immediate priority.  If anyone would like to edit this issue feel free but please post about it here so we don't have any redundant work going on.  

[kitsunebi]

What the hell - I'll give it a shot.  It might be nice to edit something written in English for once.

 

Edit: Uploaded

[RetroDefense]

Next up, the February 1993 installment of Video Games & Computer Entertainment, kindly donated by RetroMags' own bigster.  I'll be debinding this issue and scanning it shortly.

 

 

The promised Next Generation comparison scans have been posted and EGM #24's missing pages has been sent to Sean697 for editing.  I also have a number of EGM, EGM2, and Electronic Games supplement covers queued for editing.

 

Thanks for editing VG&CE #7, kitsunebi77!

[bigster]

You ever get your scanner?