... Van Burnham
By Joe Santulli
STELLAR. I've had a few people ask me what I thought of Van Burnham's first book: Supercade: A Visual History of the Videogame Age 1971-1984, and the word that continually comes to mind is STELLAR.
Books about retro video gaming seem to be the latest rage, with books by John Sellers (Arcade Fever), Steve Kent (The First Quarter) and Jaro Galiens (Electronic Plastic) joining veteran Leonard Herman (Phoenix) and a slew of others in the works. But Van has gone a different route, concentrating in equal parts on imagery and lore. Supercade is a gorgeous book. A glamourous book. It's the kind of book that demands to be kept on the coffee table. But it's also a stunning documentary, which makes it something more than just a coffee table book.
For 448 pages you'll experience the birth and
growth of our favorite pastime, with Van leading us through the origins of both
arcade and home machines with the help of an impressive array of industry
legends. Drawing on the personal experience of the "Father of Video Games" Ralph
Baer and the founder of Atari Nolan Bushnell, among others, each page gives you
the feeling that you are THERE. The highlight of the book for me is the first
100 pages which detail in both words and pictures the events at Brookhaven
National Labs, where physicist William Higinbotham invented the first
electronic game (Tennis for Two) in 1958; "Building 20" at MIT and the origins
of Spacewar!; the original "brown box" TV Game Project by Ralph Baer; and the
birth of Atari. This is to date the most interesting account of those early
years.
There's so much to love about Supercade beyond it's visual account of history. The typically dead-on use of the primitive graphics of these early years is effectively sprinkled throughout its pages. Interviews with notable personalities Tim Skelly and Walter Day as well as brilliant guest submissions by Leonard Herman, Steven Kent, and even our own Keita Iida lend additional substance to an already substance-packed compendium. Look carefully into the nooks and crannies of the book and you'll find loads of rare items beautifully photographed, and trivia in every little corner (do you know what the historical significance of the coin-op Radarscope is? Better take a look!).
Supercade is a history book. It is a vivid snapshot of a vivid era. But most of all, it is an account of the time and pastime that, if you're reading this, has affected and shaped your life in some way.
I was able to catch up with Van in-between her various engagements to talk a little about Supercade.
DP: This
is really more than a book – it’s a work of art! How long did it take you to
compile all of those wonderful pages into one final product? Tell us about any
unforeseen circumstances that may have come about during the process or stories
behind the making of it.
Burnham: Thank
you so much. The concept for Supercade: A Visual History of the Videogame Age
1971-1984 came to me in 1998. I had been collecting classic videogames for about
five years and kept visualizing the book I wanted to have. I imagined something
that captured the dynamic of videogames as well as their culture, presented in a
format that conveyed the impact of the videogame phenomenon. After a while, I
realized that maybe I was the one who was supposed to write it. So. I found a
publisher and started working on Supercade in 1999.
When I look back at the layouts from my initial
proposal, its amazing how much has changed and how much has stayed the same.
It's funny, because if I had stuck to my original content outline, the book
would be over eight hundred pages long! As for interesting stories, the original
title of the book was Supercade: Context and Aesthetics of the Videogame Age,
but a focus group thought it sounded way too academic. So. It was changed. I
like the new title much better.
DP: What
makes your book different than others like Leonard Herman’s Phoenix, John
Sellers’ Arcade Fever, or Digital Press’ Collector’s Guide. Assume I’ve already
got those other books and am not sure why I should buy yours. Sell it to me!
Burnham: You
forgot to mention Jaro Gielens' Electronic Plastic, which is one of my
favorites. I love all of these books, and feel they each have their own
perspective that makes them well worth owning. To be honest, I don't feel
comfortable debating why my book would be "better," other than saying that it's
the heaviest. I'm kidding. Supercade is really a totally different experience.
The book is unique in that it's a large format hardcover "coffee-table" style
book with full-color images throughout. Also, the content covers both home and
arcade videogames, and features contributions from some fantastic writers - from
industry veterans to contemporary game journalists to cultural commentators -
including Steven Kent, Tom Vanderbilt, William Cassidy, Chris Charla, Warren
Davis, Justin Hall, Steven Johnson, Ryan Lockhart, Nick Montfort, Bob Parks, and
Marc Saltzman, as well as Leonard Herman who wrote an absolutely brilliant
chapter on the Atari VCS.
DP: What
is your favorite snack food?
Burnham: CHEETOS!
No, I'm kidding again. My favorite snack food is probably Tim's Cascade Style
Grilled Steak & Onion Potato Chips. Tim's totally rules the chip universe. These
radical snack mavericks also offer Alder Smoke Barbeque, Coney Island Hot Dog,
and Zesty Dill Pickle flavored chips for steak-adverse snackers. As a matter of
fact, I am enjoying one now.
DP: At
CGE 2000 you demonstrated the game Escape from Supercade, an Atari 2600 game
designed by EbiVision that was to be released in tandem with the book to a
select number of customers. What’s the latest on this?
Burnham: Owing
to a chip shortage, I was forced to push back the release to later this year.
I'm hoping to have the carts completed just in time for the holidays. Just wait
until you see the packaging!
DP: Of
the personalities you interacted with to put Supercade together, who made the
most lasting impression on you, and why?
Burnham: Having
the opportunity to meet all of my gaming heroes - people like Ralph Baer, Nolan
Bushnell, Tim Skelly, and Shigeru Miyamoto - was one of the great pleasures in
writing this book. I have been inspired by all of them.
DP: Was
there anyone that you would have liked to have met while writing this book,
living or deceased, but could not?
Burnham: I
would have loved the chance to meet Willy Higinbotham before he passed on. And I
have yet to meet Eugene Jarvis, programmer of Defender. Someday soon, I hope.
DP:: What
were your favorite games from the era that your book spans? Why?
Burnham: My
all-time favorite arcade games are Galaga, Pac-Man, and Space Ace for their
combination of genius gameplay and classic design, magnified by my personal
history with the games. However, I've recently been playing a lot of Journey!
DP: You
have impeccable taste in games, Van. And since you list Space Ace as a favorite,
let's settle something. My friends and I argue incessantly on who's "hotter",
Princess Daphne (from Dragon's Lair) or Kimberly. So let me pose this question:
Dirk the Daring or Dexter?
Burnham: Dexter
without a doubt... space jumpsuits are sexy!
DP: What
are your favorite games today? Do they “measure up” to the classics in your
opinion?
Burnham: As
far as arcade games go, I really love Arctic Thunder (it's air-conditioned!),
Shakattao Tambourine, The Grid, and Eighteen Wheeler: American Pro Trucker. At
home, I've been playing a lot of Xbox lately and can attest that Dead Or Alive 3
and Halo totally kick ass. I'm also really into Ka for PlayStation 2 at the
moment. As for "measuring up," I think it's impossible to compare modern games
with the classics because they are competing on a totally different level...
it's like trying to compare The Adventures of Snow White and Final Fantasy: The
Spirits Within. You just can't.
DP: Then
I'm not wording the question properly. Let me put it this way: you have two
hours and every machine is on free-play. Do you spend most of your time on the
older arcade machines or the newer ones?
Burnham: It
totally depends on what I'm in the mood for... however, I tend to gravitate
toward the classics.
DP: If
you could date ANY classic video game journalist in the field today, who would
it be (note that there is only one correct answer to this question), and what
would be your perfect date?
Burnham: Well,
you're married so I know that isn't the answer!
Actually, my boyfriend occasionally writes for
The Edge and kicks serious ass at Robotron... so I think he qualifies as a
classic game journalist! As for a perfect date, well, that would be today. This
afternoon, we went to Hi-Score arcade - a totally awesome classic video arcade
in downtown Seattle (which is sadly closing on the 29th of this month) - and
played Galaga, Tempest, and the pinball game Attack From Mars. After that we
went to see the Vans Triple Crown Freestyle Motocross, sponsored by Xbox. All in
all, it was a totally excellent gamer date.
DP: Ha
ha! WRONG answer! Okay then... what’s NEXT for you?
Burnham: I'm
launching a new electronic entertainment magazine early next year called SUPER.
Right now I'm working on the preview Issue which is going to be published as a
special holiday gaming supplement in the December issue of Gear Magazine. So be
sure to check it out! I'm also beginning to work on the sequel to Supercade
which will cover the years 1985-2001. My editor is calling it Son of Supercade!
I'm hoping to do a box set for holiday 2002...
DP: Thanks, Van! I'm sure everyone has already clicked on the link at the top of this page and ordered their copy, so this mini-contest is in order: on what PAGE does the official Digital Press mascot appear? First person to correctly email the page number to us wins a six-issue subscription to Digital Press!
And if you haven't ordered yet, here's another chance to do so. Just click here.
