Jed Margolin's VAX mails

[level42]

I've been reading Jed Margolin's VAX mail archives from Atari again lately and there is so much great information if you look between all the technical stuff.

I'd like to post some copies of the really interesting things that I find right here if that's OK. Since it's all public (but a bit hard to find) on his website (www.jedmargolin.com) I guess it's OK to repost it here.

For those who don't know who Jed is: He worked for quite some years at Atari (Games) and developed the hardware for games like Star Wars and Hard Drivin' among others.

Here is a really impressive mail to start with.

From:   KIM::VANELDREN    27-NOV-1985 16:29:20.33
To:   @SYS$MAIL:JUNK
CC:   
Subj:   GEORGE OPPERMAN


   This is probably the toughest piece of VAXMAIL I've ever had to send, so
please bear with me if I'm not too eloquent.
   As many of you know, George Opperman was admitted to El Camino Hospital
this past Sunday morning.  He was diagnosed as having lung cancer in a very
advanced stage.  I have just been informed by his family that he passed
away shortly before noon today.
   George's family (wife Pat, son Kevin, and daughter Heather) were able to
spend the last couple days at his side.  Other than some shortness of breath
and a raspy voice, the last few days were quite miraculously pain-free, and
he was able to enjoy the time with his family and many close friends and
fellow workers who dropped by to encourage him.  He and his family were
especially grateful for this, and Pat has asked me to pass on her thanks
to all of his "family" here. 
   The family will not be making any final arrangements until Friday, but
according to Pat, they will probably be scheduling a Memorial Service for
some time early next week (Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday).  I will try and
let everybody know the details of this by first thing Monday morning.  I
believe Tuesday will be the most likely day for this to be scheduled.
   Few people have given as much of their life to a company as George gave
to Atari, and even fewer will leave behind the marks of permanence and
beauty and art that
George was able to leave.  His going will leave a big hole in the lives of
his family, his friends, his fellow workers, and a significant number of
other people who were touched by his role here at Atari.
   George's family's home address, where they will all be for the next week or
two is:     (removed for privacy reasons although the original does mention the address)

I'm sure they would all appreciate your thoughts and your prayers.

                                                          Dan Van

___________________________________________________________________

George Opperman was the man who designed the brilliant Atari logo and the man behind so many fantastic arcade artwork sets that I can't even start to list them....

[level42]

OK, getting distracted right away but who cares....here are the other pages of that interview:










Now.....about that first picture.....look at that SW model (how cool is that !). There are quite a few differences from the final upright ! It looks like the side-art has a blue background on the top. Also notice the marquee which has a very different shape and the top of the cab looks different too. Sadly I can't find better resolutions of that interview. Also notice the artwork on the desk.... (The SW marquee is the shape like that on the model).

[Vond]

Somehow I was completely unaware of the existence of these documents.
Makes for an awesome read! Thank you!

[Ronald Reagan]

his usage of colors is so epic.

amazing, including the white main color of most of those cabs.
Come to think about it, why not a small exhibition dedicated to the beautiful artwork of game designers like Opperman at EC?

[level42]

I sure like that idea !

It looks like that article comes from the magazine "Video Games" but I haven't found the correct issue yet.

However looking through this (AWESOME source for us) : http://www.digitpress.com/library/magazines/video_games/video_games.htm I found an article about SW in the nov.1983 issue which featured two interesting pictures. The first is the model as seen on the desk before but this is a much bigger and clearer picture:

The differences with the final machine are pretty obvious: the marquee is very different for sure. It's hard to see but looking at it it might be that the marquee was actually integrated with the plastic shroud in one piece. I think it looks nicer than the final machine, and seeing it I guess there was a normal plexi or glass used for the marquee (Probably plexi seeing the shape) that would have survived better than the "foil" type marquee on that finally ended up on the uprights.

The 2nd big difference is the red colors being used for the CP and the bezel and the artwork looks different altogether. The yoke is also different shape and artwork.

I had always wondered why the top of the artwork didn't actually match the shape of the top of the cab on uprights but even this doesn't match so....maybe they were just unsure of the top how it would end and choose to be on the safe site. The top is still different on the final cab though, it extends further.

Anyway, interesting stuff......that model would fetch some serious money if it still exists

The 2nd picture is also very interesting. It looks like this may have been the first cockpit that was placed in field-testing...
Now what I find particularly interesting is that the side-art doesn't seem to be all blue but there's a lot of black (or dark-blue) used too.

I've always wondered why the upright had mainly black backgrounds on the side-art while the cockpit had blue, I even asked Jed about it but he didn't know why that happened.
I even made a (very rough) picture of a SW cockpit with black background, just to get a bit of feel how it would look and for me, it would have been totally awesome.

The only reason I can think of is that maybe they thought the cab would be too dark. If it would stand in a dark arcade people might overlook it (or even bump into it....).

Anyway, interesting stuff (Well I think so)

[level42]

2nd picture:

[level42]

Found the article about George Opperman, it is in this issue:

http://www.digitpress.com/library/magazines/video_games/video_games_jun83.pdf

(a lot easier to read this way )

[level42]

his usage of colors is so epic.

amazing, including the white main color of most of those cabs.
Come to think about it, why not a small exhibition dedicated to the beautiful artwork of game designers like Opperman at EC?

Maybe in 2015 ? It would have been his 80th birth year...(it that correct English ?)

[Ronald Reagan]

by the way, what an extremely cool magazine. It looks so professional. Every page seems to be interesting even the adds. And it even got 2 comics/cartoons inside. I could seriously imagine kids running to the store for that back in '83.

and that trucker cap add  , with the magazine logo printed on it. That's so one hundred procent 80's. Gives you another EC idea, doesnt it?

[Belike]

Page 16 is recommended to Luigi.

[Alpha1]

It still exists. Infact there's two.

[level42]

by the way, what an extremely cool magazine. It looks so professional. Every page seems to be interesting even the adds. And it even got 2 comics/cartoons inside. I could seriously imagine kids running to the store for that back in '83.

and that trucker cap add  , with the magazine logo printed on it. That's so one hundred procent 80's. Gives you another EC idea, doesnt it?

Yep totally my feelings !! Indeed I like the ads just as much as the articles. Definitely throwing them on my iPad for reading in those rare moments I have some spare time

You know....I actually remember seeing the magazine a couple of times in a big book store in Rotterdam BITD (Donner, that's where I bought my Atari 800 XL books and sometimes Antic Magazin)......but it was pretty damn expensive for us but I should definitely have bought a couple then....


@Béla: Yeah actually there are a number of ads in the various issues with that band

Next message is Alpha1 saying he has one of those two machines I guess....



 


OK buddy, tell us more Was it indeed the field-test machine(s) ?

[Alpha1]

No - both owned by US people AFAIK

[Alpha1]

and yes they were the field test machines. Both were owned by Atari engineers but later sold on to collectors - although I am not sure if one of them is still owned by the Atari employee! I hope so, it's a nice thing to treasure 

[level42]

Well Jed doesnt have it....he has an upright....