Collecting for Dragon's Lair and Space Ace

My article on Dragon's Lair and the new book, Collecting for Dragon's Lair and Space Ace, is in the new issue of AntiqueWeek. I've reprinted it here for your perusal. Enjoy! 

Released during the summer of 1983, Dragon’s Lair was the world’s first fully animated laser disc video game, breathing new life into the arcade industry, which was starting to lag and needed a big hit.

Unlike most other games of the time, which employed sprite-based graphics, Dragon’s Lair was essentially an interactive cartoon. Gamers, cast in the role of Dirk the Daring, set out on a journey to rescue the beautiful (and scantily clad) Princess Daphne, who was held captive in the wizard Mordroc’s castle by an evil, fire-breathing dragon named Singe.

Instead of directly controlling the action, players would watch animated sequences and intermittently press the joystick for directional movement or the button to swing Dirk’s sword at just the right moments. If the player’s timing was off, a humorous death sequence would follow.

Produced by Cinematronics, Dragon’s Lair was conceived by Rick Dyer and animated by Disney alumnus Don Bluth, director of such classic cartoon features as The Secret of NIMH (1982), An American Tail (1986), and The Land Before Time (1988).

When it was new in the arcades, Dragon’s Lair cost 50 cents to play, which was double the price of other coin-op video games. In addition, its non-traditional, quick-time gameplay was befuddling to some. However, that didn’t stop many, many people from lining up to play it. By February of 1984, the game had grossed $32 million.

Dragon’s Lair inspired such arcade offshoots and sequels as Space Ace (1984) and Dragon's Lair II: Time Warp (1991), and it spawned a surprising amount of merchandise, including action figures, comic books, magazines, and T-shirts. It’s also one of only three arcade video games housed at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. (the other two are Pong and Pac-Man).

Syd Bolton, author of the newly released Collecting for Dragon’s Lair and Space Ace, which was published by the Personal Computer Museum to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the franchise, compared the success of the game to other pop culture icons.

“The loyalty and nostalgia created by Dragon’s Lair is not unlike the fandom created by science fiction hits like Star Wars and Star Trek,” he said. “Virtually every year since Dragon’s Lair’s initial release, new ways to purchase the game have emerged,” including releases for such home consoles as the NES, Wii, Super Nintendo, and Sega CD.  You can even play Dragon’s Lair’s on your iPhone.

Bolton acknowledges that better, more beautifully animated games have come along since Dragon’s Lair, but there’s no denying the popularity and longevity of the adventures of Dirk the Daring and his cartoon cohorts.

“The combination of gameplay, animation, sound, and the time in it was introduced to the world is what makes the game memorable,” he said. “Certain players feel personal pride being able to complete the game, which is considered far too difficult and frustrating by some. Others just like being transported to a world with monsters and knights and treasures where anything can happen.”

According to Bolton, the Dragon’s Lair arcade cabinet is, of course, the most highly sought after Dragon’s Lair collectible, but there are two versions in particular that are especially desirable to collectors. “Dragon’s Lair serial number one, which was once owned by Don Bluth, sold at auction for $8,000 several years ago,” he said. “We can only guess at its value today.”

Bolton also referenced the Australian release of the game, which is worth $5,000 or more in working condition. “Only two are known to still exist today,” he said.

Other Dragon’s Lair collectibles of note include: original animation cels ($50-$5,000 each, depending on the scene, and whether or not the cel is autographed); the Korean version of the Panasonic 3DO game ($150); a counting target toy set ($200); the Tele-Story Presents Dragon’s Lair storybook ($150 with cassette tape); the Sega CD demo disc of the game ($100); the 2008 Blu-ray release autographed by creators Don Bluth, Rick Dyer, John Pomeroy, and Gary Goldman ($100); and How to Win at Dragon’s Lair by Laren Ferguson ($25 in good condition, $150 or more in very fine or better condition).

Classic Home Video Games, 1985-1988 - ON SALE!!! - $17.49!

My second book, Classic Home Video Games, 1985-1988, is on sale for the crazy low price of $17.49 through Amazon.

A follow up to 2007's Classic Home Video Games, 1972-1984, this reference work provides detailed descriptions and reviews of every U.S.-released game for the Nintendo NES, the Atari 7800, and the Sega Master System, all of which are considered among the most popular video game systems ever produced. Organized alphabetically by console brand, each chapter includes a description of the game system followed by substantive entries for every game released for that console. Video game entries include publisher/developer data, release year, gameplay information, and, typically, the author's critique. A glossary provides a helpful guide to the classic video game genres and terms referenced throughout the work, and a preface provides a comparison between the modern gaming industry and the industry of the late 1980s.

What they are saying about the book:

From Booklist

Weiss follows his 2007 volume (Classic Home Video Games, 1972-1984) with this follow-up, which covers games made for the Atari 7800, Nintendo NES, and Sega Master System, with the bulk of the text devoted to the popular Nintendo system. The entry for each game lists the publisher, developer, possible number of players, and year of publication. Sound, graphics, and levels of play are briefly described, and the author--an experienced collector and gamer--provides his well-educated opinion on the quality of play. Arcade games and other systems for which the game was also ported are listed. A glossary and index provide further information. For as far as it goes, this reference is professionally executed and an obvious labor of love.

  Reviews

"professionally executed and an obvious labor of love" --Booklist/RBB

"this is a great book...information is spot-on...100% accurate...a must-own" --Video Game Trader

"a great tome of reference...excellent...a must-own for any avid 8-bit collector" --Retro Gamer

AMAZON REVIEW:
For anyone that is interested in the Nintendo NES, Atari 7800 and Sega Master System this book is well worth purchasing. This guide does a good job of providing a quick and informative overview of all US licensed games for each system. Considering that there are over 700 games for the Nintendo NES alone, a guide like this helps the potential gamer to home in on games that fit their taste. That way you can only purchase games that you might enjoy. Overall, the book is an interesting read and I doubt that anyone who plays video games wouldn't find it interesting.

AMAZON REVIEW:
Just like this book's companion, this book is a must own for any gamer out there. It is laid out extremely well and gives a nice description of each game that is spot on. I loved reading about all the different games for each system. I was surprised to see how many games the author and I agree on. I can spend hours going over each system and all the games for them. It is a great book that will help you build a better collection. Highly recommended, I love both books and plan on getting the third in the series.

4 books and counting...Look for more next year.

A Brief History of Flight

I love writing for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Occasionally, however, they alter my work, either for space or content considerations. I don't mind--usually, it's for the better. One recent example was a story I did on airplanes in popular culture. The editors at the paper changed my lead and took out the entire A Brief History of Flight section. You can read the entire published version on the Star-Telegram's website.

Below is my original lead and short history lesson:

People are just plain passionate about airplanes. We see this reflected in the movies we watch, the books we read, the music we listen to and the games we play.

While some are afraid to fly (a condition called aerophobia), and airport security can be a pain, most travelers love that you can get from Dallas/Fort Worth to Paris, France in around nine hours (for example), a trip that would have taken weeks (or months, depending on the time period) prior to the advent of the airplane.

A Brief History of Flight

Flights of fancy date back at least to ancient Greece, where Bronze Age tales of such characters as Icarus, who flew too close to the sun, and Pegasus, the flying horse, were a big part of that culture’s oral tradition.

Beginning around 400 BC, the kite, which is believed to be invented in China during the 5th century BC, was studied as a possible means of propelling humans through the air. For centuries, humans have tried (and failed, of course) to fly like birds, fashioning wings made of feathers or light wood.

Real progress involving human flight occurred in 1782 with Joseph-Michel Montgolfier and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier’s hot air balloon, which Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent d'Arlandes piloted in Annonay, France in 1783. This was the first manned, non-tethered flight.

Further progress was made with George Cayley’s gliders (beginning in 1799), Leonardo da Vinci’s Ornithopter design (1845), Samuel P. Langley’s steam-powered aerodrome (1891), the publication of Octave Chanute’s Progress in Flying Machines (1894) and, of course, the groundbreaking work of Orville and Wilbur Wright. In 1903, the Wright Brothers’ “Flyer,” piloted by Orville, traveled 120 feet in twelve seconds at Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. This was the first heavier-than-air flight.

Aviation took off from this point at sonic boom speeds, leading to warplanes, work planes and the modern day jet airliner, the latter first developed during the middle part of the 20th century.

My First Story for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram

I've been freelancing for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram since April of 2010. Here's the first story I wrote for the paper, chronicling the house fire and writing life of James and Livia Reasoner.

(Click on the image for a closer look).

Batman and Superman to Team Up in Man of Steel 2

One of my primary sources of income these days is through AntiqueWeek, a weekly newspaper with several editions published across the country. I typically have 1 or 2 (and sometimes 3) articles per week in AntiqueWeek, and those articles are often printed in more than one edition. I get to write about many of the things I enjoy, including comic books, art, conventions, movies, museums, trading cards, collectible toys, and even video games.

From time to time, I reprint one of those articles on my blog, including this piece on Batman and Superman teaming up to fight crime (and probably one another) in Man of Steel 2.

The spectacle that is Comic-Con International: San Diego has come and gone once again, leaving in its wake a number of news items to thrill comic book buffs and fantasy film fans alike. One of the biggest announcements came at the end of the Warner Bros/Legendary Pictures panel, where it was revealed that Batman and Superman will appear together on the silver screen for the very first time.

The tights-wearing twosome will tangle (and, hopefully, work together) in 2015’s Man of Steel 2, directed by Zack Snyder (Man of Steel, Watchmen) from a screenplay by David Goyer (Man of Steel, The Dark Knight Rises). Man of Steel’s Henry Cavill will reprise his role as Superman, but there’s no word yet on who will play Batman.

While this will be the motion picture debut of Batman appearing with Superman, the Caped Crusader and the Metropolis Marvel have fought side-by-side in the comics for decades.  

According to DC Comics: Sixty Years of the World’s Favorite Comic Book Heroes (1995, Bulfinch Press) by noted historian Les Daniels, “Superman and Batman shared a brief, one-panel cameo as early as All Star Comics #7 (1941, $5,800 in near mint), but didn’t really get together until Superman #76 (1952, $3,800),” in which Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent independently (not to mention coincidentally) book a vacation cruise on the same ship, learning one another’s secret identities in the process.

Starting with World’s Finest #71 (1954, $2,500), Batman and Superman began appearing within the same stories on a regular bases. In previous issues of World’s Finest, the pair would appear together on the covers, but in separate stories. According to Daniels, the team-ups were serendipitous, occurring “after production economics had shortened the page count and forced them to share the same story.”

During the Silver Age of Comics, Batman and Superman were the best of pals. However, beginning in 1986 with John Byrne’s Man of Steel Superman reboot and Frank Miller’s seminal The Dark Knight Returns, which is set in a dystopian future, the duo’s disparate natures came to the forefront, kick-starting years of conflict—much of it violent—between DC’s two biggest icons.

Industry veteran Paul Kupperberg, who has written numerous Superman titles for DC, prefers cooperation between the characters instead of contempt—fighting evil instead of each other.

“Superman and Batman are good guys, working towards the same end, so why wouldn’t they be friends,” he said. “Of course, that was back in the olden days, when super-heroes were still the good guys, as opposed to the dark and gloomy interpretations we get these days. It would never occur to ‘my’ Superman or Batman to be anything but friends. Superman could achieve the physical things Batman wasn’t capable of doing while Batman could provide Superman with the strategic thinking that the more direct, punch-his-way-through-a-wall Man of Steel didn’t usually employ.”

Kupperberg’s favorite Batman/Superman team-up of all time is “The Origin of the Composite Superman” from World’s Finest #142 (1964, $140), in which a freak accident gives a man all the powers of the entire Legion of Super-Heroes.

“I was nine years old when it came and it just blew my mind,” he said. “The concept was amazing and the visual was awesome. I read and reread that book until it disintegrated. These days, I keep the DC Direct Composite-Superman figure on my desk.”

Regarding Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel 2, which is set to begin filming next year, Kupperberg will approach the movie with “VERY guarded optimism,” hoping that Batman and Superman will put aside their differences long enough to work together as a team.

SMS Encyclopedia - Match 5 for Intellivision - Sonic Book

One of the benefits of being a writer is getting review copies of games, books, and other items. Last week I got a nifty new puzzle game for the Intellivision and two really cool books. I plan to review them at some point, but wanted to go ahead and mention them on my blog as each are worthy projects that deserve attention.

Match 5 is a brand new Intellivision game, complete with professionally produced box, manual, and keypad overlays. It's a puzzler in which, as the title suggests, players match rows of five items to make them disappear. You can order the game, which I've played and thoroughly enjoyed, on the Elektronite website.

Freelancer Derek Slaton, who I met at the Retro Game Fest in Austin, has written reviews of every U.S.-released Sega Master System and published it as The Sega Master System Encyclopedia. Unlike most self-published books, this one has full color illustrations throughout (though you can order a cheaper black and white version). Derek is a nice guy, and you can order his book through his website. 

The History of Sonic The Hedgehog is a gorgeous hardcover that does an excellent job giving a certain Sega mascot his due. Every great video game character, from Pac-Man to Mr. Do! to Q*bert, deserves such a book. You can order The History of Sonic The Hedgehog here.