Box Art - Who did What? Database Please!

[capcomarthur]

I'm a big fan of the box / instructions artwork - especially the early Atari titles but I would like to know who the artist was as they look like they were done by the same person...

 

Is there any such data on AtariAge for all the great artwork and get those artists some recognition?

 

If not would it be possible to include this in the game info?

 

Looking through my own small collection I know the artwork contains signatures but can't make a lot of these out

 

Defender and Haunted House have been done with the same signature but can't make it out

Adventure looks like A. Jackel?

Superbreakout by John ?

Vanguard by R.M.Q.?

Dig Dug - Gus Allen - this one I know

Centipede and Phoenix - Burrell

 

This is my first posting so I apologise if his topic has already been done to death. Cheers

[PressureCooker2600]

I love some of the artwork on early Atari and later Activision games. Some of that stuff kicked ass. As a kid, the picture always drew me to the game, even if it sucked.

 

I remember when Kangaroo came out, I wanted that one because the box art was awesome. The game turned out to be just as cool.

[Dino]

I love some of the artwork on early Atari and later Activision games. Some of that stuff kicked ass. As a kid, the picture always drew me to the game, even if it sucked.

 

I remember when Kangaroo came out, I wanted that one because the box art was awesome. The game turned out to be just as cool.

 

Off the topic, but I too was a sucker for box art. if the box art was cool, I'd buy the game

[A.J. Franzman]

I apologise if his topic has already been done to death.

It has been brought up before but not "done to death" IMO. If it had, there would be a database somewhere of who did which art.

 

I too would like to know more of which artists did the paintings, especially the one prolific artrist who did so many of the early games. You can spot his work easily; they all look similar and AFAIK he included the sun, moon, or a planet/orb of some kind in every single one of his images.

[Rom Hunter]

Looking through my own small collection I know the artwork contains signatures but can't make a lot of these out

The problem is: nobody can.

 

Hence: not added.

 

[mos6507]

Looking through my own small collection I know the artwork contains signatures but can't make a lot of these out

The problem is: nobody can.

 

Hence: not added.

 

 

That's not necessarily true. Nobody knew who wrote a lot of 2600 games before a lot of these guys were interviewed either. It just takes some detective work.

[PressureCooker2600]

I always wondered why these hadn't been researched at all.

 

I mean.....everything else has been researched to death....yet no one knows anything about the artists.

[Rom Hunter]

It just takes some detective work.

Tell me about it.

 

[crunchysuperman]

Welcome to AA, Capcomarthur!

[candiru]

This thread from digitpress lists a few names.

 

Welcome to AtariAge!

[PressureCooker2600]

I find this one the most intriguing.

 

Illustrator: R.M.Q.

Notes: possibly Ralph McQuarrie - the famous Star Wars concept artist and illustrator

Games: Vanguard (Atari)

 

That would be awesome. I always liked the Vanguard cover.

[7800Lover]

My favorites had to be the Brain Games cartridge (with the wizard on front), Video Checkers (with the king who looks like Mark Hamill), and Adventure (with the hedge maze filled with elves and the dragon). Those are nice images to help jog one's creativity IMHO.

[+Midnight Synergy]

It would be neat to know who did what - esp. if someone like Ralph McQuarrie was indeed involved.

 

Vanguard has great art - also the flying snake in the instruction manual.

 

Other fav artwork (for me) includes Slot Racers (too bad the game sucked), Demon Attack (because I owned one of the toys and thought it was neat that they just painted it silver for a game cover), Adventure (reminded me of my edition of The Hobbit) and Yars' Revenge (just cool!).

 

Other wonderful Art includes the Galaxians poster with the armies of winged fighters and the Star Raiders version for the Atari 400/800 that had a ship that looked like a Cylon basestar as envisioned by Ancient Egyptians on it.

 

My absolute favourite, though, is not from a game - its in the Atari Catalog for their "Adventure" section. I always wondered when a game based on that illustration would come out.

 

Link: http://www.atariage.com/catalog_page.html?...;currentPage=26

[mos6507]

Link: http://www.atariage.com/catalog_page.html?...;currentPage=26

 

That looks like something that belongs on the cover of an 80s D&D book.

[mos6507]

It would be neat to know who did what - esp. if someone like Ralph McQuarrie was indeed involved.

 

Vanguard has great art - also the flying snake in the instruction manual.

 

 

 

It may be him. He signs his initials the same way on this Galactica painting, for instance.

 

 

Edited October 2, 2007 by mos6507

[A.J. Franzman]

It would be neat to know who did what - esp. if someone like Ralph McQuarrie was indeed involved.

It may be him. He signs his initials the same way on this Galactica painting, for instance.

Gotta be him. Notice the "dot" between "M" and "Q" is well above the baseline in both -- it's actually the raised "c" in the "Mc" prefix.

[PressureCooker2600]

Awesome......99.999% sure it's Ralph now.

 

Thanks for the comparison shots.

[capcomarthur]

Thanks for all the replies. There is certainly of great artwork to look at in boxes, catalogues and inside instructions. As some of the artists have been verified (as per the great digital press link ) why aren't these included on this site? Even the ones which aren't 100% they could have (unverified) next to the names within game details - putting that to [email protected]!

 

There is another thing we could do and that is to ask the Atari Art Director (1977 through 1983) who was in charge of marketing design, packaging and the illustration department to see if he could help?

 

Apart from who did what / when - what else would you ask ?

[staylo030]

There is another thing we could do and that is to ask the Atari Art Director (1977 through 1983) who was in charge of marketing design, packaging and the illustration department to see if he could help?

 

Apart from who did what / when - what else would you ask ?

 

I would ask if the original artwork is available anywhere, and could we reproduce it? I, too, love looking at the early Atari artwork from the 2600 games and the 8-bit games. I would frame and hang large versions of this artwork if good copies were available. Do you know the name of the Atari Art Director during that time?

 

The 8-bit forum pointed out this page awhile back, which has a high-res scan of the excellent Atari 8-bit Space Invaders cover art: Space Invaders

 

The same site has a couple of other great high-res box scans as well.

[PressureCooker2600]

I'd want to know who did the Berzerk box art and instruction manual pictures.

 

That was always one of my all-time favs of the original Atari box designs.

[capcomarthur]

I DO know who the Art Director was for Atari during 1979 - 1983 and so far I haven't been able to reach him by phone from the UK. I also have an address for him so I can always send a letter (no email address). I don't know how willing/able he is to help out so I will post any progress here. Fingers crossed

[Giltygear]

I love some of the artwork on early Atari and later Activision games. Some of that stuff kicked ass. As a kid, the picture always drew me to the game, even if it sucked.

 

I remember when Kangaroo came out, I wanted that one because the box art was awesome. The game turned out to be just as cool.

 

Off the topic, but I too was a sucker for box art. if the box art was cool, I'd buy the game

 

 

+1 on that... the main reason i bought the japenese symphony of the night... with no japanese PS1 to play it on... :/

 

a lot of the earlier 2600 art (haunted house, warlords, missle command, etc.) were incredible pieces of art. i guess the actual paintings are availabe if you dont mind spending some $$$.

[Skylark68]

Most of the artwork for the Atari was totally awesome. My favorites were Vanguard and Adventure.

 

Vanguard was just freaking sweet overall. The whole premise of the game was just cool. The artwork just added even more to the effect.

 

I would seriously like to know if some of the old original artwork was available. I hope Atari didn't just throw it all out (or Time Warner).

[boek]

I wonder what happened to Steve Hendrickson. He did some of my favourite box art - Haunted House, Othello, Defender, Warlords. Same with Cliff Spohn, he did some cool stuff too.

[MausGames]

I remember reading about someone ending up with a cabinet that contained a huge amount of the original artwork, but I can't seem to find any reference to it.