Custom LucasArts boxes

[CalisDraws]

 

OH MY GOSH!!! You guys are my heroes!! How did you find something so similar so fast!!!
@Crumb Thank you so much for the detective work!! 
 

8 minutes ago, Laserschwert said:

The question is so, how we would put this new knowledge to use. Obviously I'll add a poster version of HTR with its border, but apart from that?

 

Well, the reason I need it is because I'm too young to have been around back in the lucasarts days and boxed copies of these games are just too expensive for me to purchase, so I wanted to make reproduction boxes for myself (like those people who make prototype boxes for their board games) just so I could have them on my shelf, I recreated a lot of the Hit the Road Box text and assets myself (outdated gifs from the very begining) :

But the background (although it WOULD be possible to remake it myself) would take too much time to recreate and would probably not be as good as if I just used the actual one... 

VERY selfish reason to want this map, I know..... 

Edited May 12, 2022 by CalisDraws

[Laserschwert]

Now that's some excellent reproduction work. You should open a dedicated thread for that!

 

I've thought about doing more custom boxes myself, but mostly for stuff that didn't get a big box (or a very limited one, like ToMI), like BTTF or the Double Fine remasters.

Edited May 12, 2022 by Laserschwert

[CalisDraws]

41 minutes ago, Laserschwert said:

I've thought about doing more custom boxes myself, but mostly for stuff that didn't get a big box (or a very limited one, like ToMI), like BTTF or the Double Fine remasters.

 

Oh my gosh! I actually wanted to make one for the Grim Fandango remaster too! The Hit the Road one is my first attempt (because Sam and Max is the first thing I gravitated towards initially) and I started it a good while ago, like 8 months ago I think? I had to take a break from it when I hit the roadblock of the background map, plus I had to go abroad for an end of studies internship in January so this kind of took priority hahaha. 

I wanted to see how the process of making the box would go before starting any other box. I am still abroad right now and don't have my tablet with me, I'll have to pick that project back up in August when I return so I don't think opening a thread right now would do anything haha!

However, when I get back to doing this, I'd love to document the process of actually putting the box together so maybe I'll ask if I can make a thread about it when I get to that!

 

If the process goes well and the boxes look good enough, I was thinking of making them for other lucasarts or non lucasarts games (I want to make one for the Neverhood because I feel like it) and making them available for anyone to download and print out at home as papercraft projects (I, for one want to make a tiny version for my Sam and Max figures to hold in their hands) or to make their own reproductions (for people like me who can't afford to buy a legitimate one off of ebay or even those whose boxes are damaged and can't be displayed).

Sorry for the ramble... TL; DR; I'd love to make reproduction boxes for more games and I'd love to make them available for everyone to print out at home.
 

[Lagomorph01]

@CalisDraws, I found something that might help you make the ultimate LucasArts Big Box facsimile!

I found these ZakMcKracken uncut box print plates online. They were on Ebay, but they're long sold now. The seller claimed they were real.

Maybe you can use them to get the exact dimensions, or to get a feel of how the boxes are when they're unfolded.

 

[CalisDraws]

Ooh thank you!! 

 

It seems like the Zak McKracken box is actually a different kind of box looking at this. The boxes I'll aim to replicate are made of 2 parts (the lid and the tray) but this one looks like it's just one box, folded up! 

 

It gives me a good idea of what the cutting pattern will have to look like if I ever get to making a ZakMcKracken one though! Thank you a lot!! 

Edited May 19, 2022 by CalisDraws

[Jake]

I’ve recently heard the ones with the full lift-off lid referred to as “board game” style boxes, which makes sense! I’ve started using that as my mental shorthand for them.

[CalisDraws]

Oh yeah I've heard that a lot too, I think the main difference I saw in the Lucasarts Boxes is that they were printed directly on the cardboard and then folded meanwhile most board game boxes I've seen (as well as tutorials on how to make one for prototype board games) are a little different, the cardboard box seems to be made before and then the artwork is glued on the box so the box has this seamless kind of look on the spines. While what I'll be looking to recreate is the look of the real ones where you can see the folds on their spine :

 

I did bother Lasershwert about how to achieve this look and he was nice enough to give me a ton of tips thankfully (or unfortunately lmao, such an annoyance I am!) 

Funnily enough, I have noticed that some reprints of lucasarts games DO have the more seamless look of game board boxes, the KIXX ones specifically (which I think look horrible, they hide so much of the artwork).I don't know if these two kind of boxes have specific names or which one is more durable, more cost effective, ect. but I'll want to go for the folded look, just to see how far I can make it look like the real deal. 

Edited May 19, 2022 by CalisDraws

[Jake]

Yeah I think that you can print directly on paperboard or, “casewrapped” where the art is printed on adhesive paper that is wrapped over the paperboard. I don’t think either of those necessarily implies the folds you see in some boxes vs others, but I’m not sure. 
 

apologies if I got any of that wrong

[CalisDraws]

I've never worked on anything packaging-related so I wouldn't know if you're wrong or right haha. What you're saying about the boxes wrapped with adhesive paper feels very right though. 

I don't want to derail the conversation more than it needs to be but the folded look comes from the way that you fold the box. It's much easier to show how it's folded than talk about it haha

 

 

[ThunderPeel2001]

On 5/19/2022 at 10:17 AM, Lagomorph01 said:

@CalisDraws, I found something that might help you make the ultimate LucasArts Big Box facsimile!

I found these ZakMcKracken uncut box print plates online. They were on Ebay, but they're long sold now. The seller claimed they were real.

Maybe you can use them to get the exact dimensions, or to get a feel of how the boxes are when they're unfolded.

 

I used to work in packaging for DVDs. Designed plenty of DVD box sets back in the day. As cool as these are you can’t actually use them to get “exact dimensions”. Unfortunately you still need the printer’s cutter guide, which would be supplied as a separate plate. 
 

This is because there’ll be lots of bleed on those images, and without the cutter guide you won’t know where the bleed begins, or where the folds are. (The industry standard is at least 3mm — but there’s no harm in adding more.)

 

Don’t get wrong. I’d still love to own them. They’re extremely interesting, and I bet you could make some very good guesses using them. Just not “exact measurements” in the way you might expect. 

[Semsajah]

 Hello

@CalisDraws I have made several of the boxes in the 2 part board game box style, also called a telescoping box. The originals I have are all this style and I don’t like the folded ones so much. I have only made games for Amiga so far so no Sam and Max but below is an example 🙂 I cut hard cardboard and glue them then wrap them with the print. I made an exact size for lucasarts and a bit smaller one. 
if you make a new thread for boxes later it might be a better place 😊
 

jjjj

 

[QueZTone]

Late last year I made some custom boxes too. As gifts for my brothers and as custom box for the Special editions of MI, inspired by Laser's custom box at the time.

 

While it's awesome we can do this to great detail now, everyone should be warned there's scammers on eBay now using this technique to sell fake boxes for high prices. Just recently I think someone scamming a lot of honest collectors with fake sealed boxes. So I really usually add a little personal note in one of the bottom cover labels.

 

Both designs were created from scratch, using Laserschwert's awesome poster files for most of the the artwork. 

 

 

 

 

[QueZTone]

Woops, per accident posted a photo of the bottom-side of Laser's original custom SE MI box. This is mine.

[BillyCheers]

They are all really nice! I like the attention to detail, for example the Guybrush barcode. And although I'm not a fan of the SE artwork (and the logo), the Collection Box looks really great! 🥰

I'm curious to see what other boxes will be posted here. Now I want my old boxes back... 😟

Edited June 9, 2022 by BillyCheers

[Laserschwert]

I guess I'll share the "original" as well then (more info HERE) :

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 9, 2022 by Laserschwert

[Semsajah]

They look so great and especially with all the collector stuff inside 😀

[CalisDraws]

Woahh all of this is so cool!!! All of your boxes look so clean! I'm excited to soon get back to this project in August, I wanna be able to make my own boxes, hoping that they'll look as good as yours! 

11 hours ago, Semsajah said:

I have made several of the boxes in the 2 part board game box style, also called a telescoping box. The originals I have are all this style and I don’t like the folded ones so much. I have only made games for Amiga so far so no Sam and Max but below is an example 🙂 I cut hard cardboard and glue them then wrap them with the print. I made an exact size for lucasarts and a bit smaller one. 

 

 

This is exactly what I was originally planning!! I kind of still want to make one like this for The Neverhood so I might follow your technique for this one! (I know it didn't have a big box version like this but I just love this game a lot okay...)

 

4 hours ago, QueZTone said:

While it's awesome we can do this to great detail now, everyone should be warned there's scammers on eBay now using this technique to sell fake boxes for high prices. Just recently I think someone scamming a lot of honest collectors with fake sealed boxes. So I really usually add a little personal note in one of the bottom cover labels.

 

 

 

 

 

Oh gosh I had no idea, that sucks!! I'm pretty sure I won't be able to make my hit the road box look 100% accurate anyway but I did change the barcode, the numbers actually spell "fuckebay" when you pass them through a simple number-to-letter cipher.

 

I also wanted to add a Sam and Max drawing on the inside of the box talking about how fake it is but that'll just be glued on the inside afterwards. 

 

Oh by the way speaking of using his work @Laserschwert do you think it's okay to use your restored artworks for the boxes ? With my first HTR box I just used whatever I found on Google images but yours is much higher quality. 

 

This is all so exciting..... I'm pumped to see that there is a community of fake box makers to learn from and ask advice to! 🥺

[Laserschwert]

45 minutes ago, CalisDraws said:

Oh by the way speaking of using his work @Laserschwert do you think it's okay to use your restored artworks for the boxes ?

As long as you don't sell them for profit, I don't mind.

[Romão]

6 hours ago, Laserschwert said:

 

 

 

 

Please tell me there's a way to get this map and there's a map of Melee Island done in the same style

Edited June 9, 2022 by Romão

[Romão]

Replying to my own post, I seem to have found it: 

 

 

 

 

 

They look absolutely gorgeous and very much coherent with the three MI2 maps that came with the Limited Run MI Anthology

[Scummbuddy]

Jan, did you ever get the scans of both??

[CalisDraws]

4 hours ago, Romão said:

Replying to my own post, I seem to have found it: 

 

 

 

 

 

They look absolutely gorgeous and very much coherent with the three MI2 maps that came with the Limited Run MI Anthology

 

WOAH THOSE ARE SICK!!! I 

[ThunderPeel2001]

Some very talented people in this thread. Those boxes look amazing!

 

Would any of you consider sharing your art files?

Edited June 11, 2022 by ThunderPeel2001

[Semsajah]

Just made a wrap for Sam & Max based on the map posted by Jake. I’ll make a box of it another day. 
It’s not how the original sides look but that’s how I like it 😊

[CalisDraws]

3 hours ago, Semsajah said:

Just made a wrap for Sam & Max based on the map posted by Jake. I’ll make a box of it another day. 
It’s not how the original sides look but that’s how I like it 😊

 

Woah you didn't waste time at all haha! 

Man!! I'm abroad and don't have a tablet + currently finishing an internship and preparing a defense for my end of studies memoir so right now time is like, absolutely not the time to do these kinds of things. If I hadn't had that going on I would have totally done just like you and finished my box asap lol! 

I wish I could pick that project back up right now but it'll have to wait for now, hoping I can get back to it in august. 
 

Edited June 13, 2022 by CalisDraws