Any interest in reprints of the Whirlwind Manu catalog?

[fcgamer | 4,753]

Years ago I took a risk off a sketchy auction listing and paid about $100 for a catalog of bootleg games from Whirlwind Manu, a company quite notorious and popular in the Famiclone collecting scene.

As the years have passed on, I've begun to wonder if people would be interested in some sort of reprint of this catalog? If there's an actual interest, I'll spend the time and scan the whole thing and do a modern reprint, but if there's little interest, of course why waste the time and risk damaging my own specimen?

So please let me know regarding your interest in buying a reprint or not, as well as what you'd be willing to reasonably pay, as cost is another factor (I'd likely throw it up on mag cloud).

Thanks 

[Gloves | 11,827]

I don't think you should scan and sell something like that, no. Scan and share online for free sure, but reprinting it to sell is not cool IMO. 

[fcgamer | 4,753]

29 minutes ago, Gloves said:

I don't think you should scan and sell something like that, no. Scan and share online for free sure, but reprinting it to sell is not cool IMO. 

Assuming any red tape had been addressed (i. e. obtaining rights for the reprinting, etc) I am genuinely curious as to what would be "not cool" about it.

[Gloves | 11,827]

8 hours ago, fcgamer said:

Assuming any red tape had been addressed (i. e. obtaining rights for the reprinting, etc) I am genuinely curious as to what would be "not cool" about it.

You never mentioned anything about having cleared or intention to clear "red tape". If you have the rights required then I'd see no issue. 

[fcgamer | 4,753]

34 minutes ago, Gloves said:

You never mentioned anything about having cleared or intention to clear "red tape". If you have the lights required then I'd see no issue. 

Thanks for the clarification.

 

[Joshua Rogers | 77]

You should scan it and upload it to archive.org (for e.g.) These catalogues are useful for finding out more information and hiding them behind a fee isn't cool

Here's a catalogue from the 90s from Poland for the Pegasus Famiclone: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KQo7L4AQAINhJ1JA1En1d2uE7tDwyud5/view?usp=sharing which is cool. No idea where I got it though

[fcgamer | 4,753]

24 minutes ago, Joshua Rogers said:

You should scan it and upload it to archive.org (for e.g.) These catalogues are useful for finding out more information and hiding them behind a fee isn't cool

Pictures of the catalog can be seen on my old blog.

If someone wants to come visit me and scan it themselves, they are more than free to do so; however, it is quite low on my list of priorities, as there's honestly other projects I'd rather see through first.

Regarding reprints, I used to work in a book shop that was focused on historical books - they did a ton of reprints of (important) books from the 19th century, stuff that most people would never be able to own originals of. The books were obviously replicas, but they looked somewhat period, making them more fun to have than just the text content printed off the internet or something.

I thought perhaps people here might enjoy something similar, but obviously I was wrong.

[Tanooki | 4,950]

I’d be highly interested in the catalog as it drips with interest.  Games maybe sure. If the price made sense vs an old original as even I have a couple of them. They’re interesting but both unique and not. I see no issue we are taking a bootleg of a bootleg. Very strange. 

[Brickman | 4,012]

I’d love to see this on archive.org too, it would be fun to read through this and learn more about the different bootlegs.

I definitely think you should consider uploading it there because it shares the info and then more people will understand what these bootlegs are all about. Just my 2cents.

[fcgamer | 4,753]

5 hours ago, Brickman said:

I’d love to see this on archive.org too, it would be fun to read through this and learn more about the different bootlegs.

I definitely think you should consider uploading it there because it shares the info and then more people will understand what these bootlegs are all about. Just my 2cents.

Without context, it wouldn't explain anything to people who don't want to hear it

I just looked and here's the reality:

$100 for the book + any damages + four hours minimal to scan the catalog = this likely won't be getting scanned for its own sake anytime soon. 

[Tanooki | 4,950]

The book is $100 to buy or have done?  I was going to half serious half joke order to buy it. The cool images and epic levels of engrish have appeal. I’d so love to browse that thing. 
 

I mean look at castle vania. The way of use of stick makes things exciting.  That some good laughs right there. 

Edited March 6, 2023 by Tanooki

[fcgamer | 4,753]

2 minutes ago, Tanooki said:

The book is $100 to buy or have done?  I was going to half serious half joke order to buy it. The cool images and epic levels of engrish have appeal. I’d so love to browse that thing. 

Oh it cost me $100 to purchase. 

[Brickman | 4,012]

1 hour ago, fcgamer said:

Without context, it wouldn't explain anything to people who don't want to hear it

I just looked and here's the reality:

$100 for the book + any damages + four hours minimal to scan the catalog = this likely won't be getting scanned for its own sake anytime soon. 

I would have thought that having a reference book with what bootlegs were released would be helpful information. If someone wanted to get into bootlegs they could look up your scan on archive.org and see what was released and also read the funny translations like Tanooki mentioned.

Not sure about the cost stuff. Personally for me I don't really take that into consideration when sharing info. I'm currently scanning Japanese GC manuals and I've paid more than $100 for some games CIB and that doesn't bother me because it is about sharing the info.

[Tyree_Cooper | 771]

lol at the blue line to hide FAMILY COMPUTER, compared to the previous catalog

i am still wondering what DEVIL COTY is supposed to mean

[Tanooki | 4,950]

I dont usually factor cost either depending how steep.  At that rate then I look at a way to do what needs to be done then turn it around to recoup it if necessary.

Like a decade ago when I made friend on NA doing that Faria Mail away map.  I tried to get a clean copy for personal use, got screwed with and taunted. Eventually found one, scanned it at an absurdly high level of resolution for then.  I made masters and a huge PDF and dual uploaded them cleaned up for any pen marks etc to my web space and DP which it is still on both now.  I then resold the map since I no longer needed it to someone who appreciated it.

Sure it dinged the value of the map short term, some years yes, but it did recover and get even more intolerable to buy.  All the whining how it would ruin the value and leave it open to pirate copies went nowhere, nothing burger in both ways.  No harm, no foul, anyone in need who isn’t a collector could enjoy it in peace.

[fcgamer | 4,753]

12 hours ago, Tyree_Cooper said:

lol at the blue line to hide FAMILY COMPUTER, compared to the previous catalog

i am still wondering what DEVIL COTY is supposed to mean

City haha

[fcgamer | 4,753]

Okay, here's where we are at. Wanted to do a reprint version, but it would have been at least $20 to do so, with a large problem being that these print on demand services have strict guidelines for their files, i.e. in terms of boundaries and such - I started working on a way to edit the scans I did to make them fit into the parameters, but at the end of the day I decided that no one wants to pay $20 for a reprint of a catalog that has been scanned and then shoddily hacked by a guy with minimum Photoshop skills to fit within the parameters of a PoD service. On the other hand, I could have just thrown it up there and said "Hopefully nothing gets cropped!" but that's not my style either.

Here's the link, I'm asking $5 for a digital version:

Famicom Whirlwind Manu Catalog | Mali S Cash Bar

Now time for a few notes and general comments.

1. The scans aren't perfect, as I don't have a professional scanner, but I tried to make them adequate. 

2. I am asking $5 per download. I know someone here (or elsewhere) could download the file, upload it to Archive.org, and make it available for free - please don't. It cost me $100 for the catalog itself + five hours to scan the thing + actual damage to my magazine for the sake of scanning it decently. $5 is a small sum / donation for the effort. 

3. While I agree with preservation, I personally am one who also believes that one should be compensated for his or her time. If you have interest in reading the catalog, then please go to the link above to download. If not, then please don't.

If things go well here then I might also consider releasing digitalized versions of my Family Bits books, Mali's Cash, my ITG-Soft games, etc. Similarly, if it just gets copied and I don't get compensated for my time, then I won't be taking this route in the future.

4. Not here to discuss or argue about it, it is what it is. Again, I personally am one who also believes that one should be compensated for his or her time. Time > else.

 

[Tanooki | 4,950]

Hah that is $5 more than well spent.  Between the solid quality scans of the various game labels, the information included, and some epic level engrish ranging from the hilarious to the implied depravity on accident(see Castle Vania) and it's a gold mine.

If it matters, less so since they all know we know each other going back (not how far though hah), I'd like to see those printed books in digital format as it would make them far more approachable to the masses.  Color copies so you can view them on PC, tablet, mobile device, or if you're insane to print yourself would be some nice choices in freedom on that end.

I really don't see why someone would fuss over $5 given the time involved, just 20 people would break even on the catalog which shouldn't be a stretch.

[Tanooki | 4,950]

I think it couldn't hurt to get a few pages of this popped up here for example.  There's comedy gold with innuendo totally unintentional, company names spelled wrong in more than one way on the same page, a write up that might match something related in real life but not the game itself, and other whacked out stuff worth a peek (and likely laugh.)