An update — Steve Turnbull finally wrote back to me! And it turns out, he *does* still have some of the files and code for the vaporware "Wildcardz" IGS game he was working on.
Can't *wait* to dig in to this!
#atari #atarist #igs #bbs #textmode #textart #breakintochat #retrocomputing
I just found concrete evidence that one of the people I most wanted to interview for my 2024 deep-dive into "Instant Graphics and Sound" did actually read the series after it was published. He added a link to it on his website! It's kind of mind-boggling ... He never responded to a single inquiry I made over 5 years. I had wondered if he was dead, but I never found an obit. Well, since he's seen my work (and linked to it!), maybe he might re-consider and talk with me. https://breakintochat.com/blog/category/instant-graphics-and-sound/?order=asc
Cartoonist Yaakov Kirschen died Monday.
Many are celebrating him for "Dry Bones," his great life's work.
But he has a lesser-known legacy: as a tech innovator who brought humor and humanity to the cold silicon world of computers.
https://www.jns.org/yaakov-kirschens-other-legacy/
#digipres #retrocomputing #retrogaming #appleii #atarist #atari #commodoreamiga #kirschen #breakintochat #gamedev
🥕 🍔 🍦
Over the last week, I've spent some time digging in to "Nosh Kosh," the Jewish Pac-Man clone for the Apple II that's all about kashrut — Jewish dietary law.
Along the way, I've run into bugs, mapped out level designs, and calculated checksums to figure out how many versions there are.
https://breakintochat.com/blog/2025/02/13/digging-in-to-nosh-kosh-the-jewish-pac-man-clone/
#appleii #apple2 #kirschen #breakintochat #pacman #jewish #judaism #kosher #kashrut #gamedev #games #digipres #retrocomputing #vintagecomputing #videogames
🕹️ 📹 🎉
If you saw my posts about playing "Nosh Kosh," a previously-lost Jewish spin on Pac-Man for the Apple II, and are curious to learn more, then I've got something for you!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiC4h2e0nXU
The Atlanta Historical Computing Society finally posted a video of my presentation last fall about the A2 educational games made by Ya'akov Kirschen and Gesher in Israel.
#appleii #apple2 #gamedev #digipres #retrocomputing #retrogaming #jewish #kirschen #breakintochat #videogames #pacman
Check it out! Here's my presentation on rescuing the lost games made by Ya'akov Kirschen and Gesher for the Apple II. The talk was given at the Atlanta Historical Computing Society last fall.
I incorporated new things I learned during my research fellowship, exploring materials at Emory University and the Breman Museum.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiC4h2e0nXU
#apple2 #appleii #gamedev #games #jewish #kirschen #breakintochat #retocomputing #retrogaming #digipres
❄️ 🔥
If the snow and sleet has left you buried at home, warm up with the IGNITE artpack!
It's a #retrocomputing salute to a long-overlooked #textmode format for the Atari ST called "Instant Graphics and Sound."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rS_riObN32o
It's full of fun images and animations, but please don't miss the Guardian of Forever at 3:48 or Calvin and Hobbes at 5:46.
#atari #atarist #pixelart #animation #vintagecomputing #startrek #calvinandhobbes #bbs #igs #breakintochat
IGNITE 01 IS HERE!
Squeaking in before New Year's -- at least in *part* of North America -- it's the world's first all-IGS artpack from Break Into Chat and Mistigris computer arts (@mistfunk).
Featuring 9 static images and 8 animations in IGS format for the Atari ST. Download it now!
https://breakintochat.com/blog/2024/12/31/ignite-the-first-all-igs-artpack/
#igs #atarist #atari #pixelart #textmode #mastoart #retrocomputing #vintagecomputing #bbs #breakintochat
Writing a Python parser for a collection of 15 issues of the "National Graphical BBS List" (ca 1993-94) before I publish the collection on Break Into Chat.
One thing is driving me nuts, though.
I just realized that the author of the list replaced every instance of the number 0 with the letter O in the first four issues ... for "legibility."
I am literally pulling my hair out right now.
#bbs #bbsing #retrocomputing #vintagecomputing #digipres #archives #usenet #breakintochat
I'm pumped! Today Emory University published a blog post about my experience learning more about several Jewish educational computer games for the Apple II from the early 1980s, which I came to Atlanta to study last month.
https://scholarblogs.emory.edu/marbl/2024/09/16/renaud/
You can learn more about the games here:
https://breakintochat.com/blog/2022/11/26/unearthed-kirschens-apple-ii-games-for-gesher/
Or play them at the @internetarchive:
https://archive.org/search?query=creator%3A%22Gesher+Educational+Affiliates%22
#kirschen #breakintochat #digipres #gamedev #retrogaming #retrocomputing #vintagecomputing #appleii
Received a new box of documents from Yaakov Kirschen in Israel a few days ago for use in my ongoing research project into his computer software.
Some of these documents are really sad, including a handwritten letter from his wife Sali to a creditor where she explains that they can’t repay a debt. Their projects generated almost no income, and they had spent all their savings to fund it.
#retrocomputing #vintagecomputing #history #digipres #YaakovKirschen #breakintochat #computers #gamedev
Josh Renaud
