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A GREMLIN IN THE WORKS

Mark James Hardisty



 

With the British computer game scene about to explode, a small shop appeared on Sheffield’s Carver Street. It was called Just Micro, and was founded by the partnership of Ian Stewart and Kevin Norburn, both with retail backgrounds but a desire to get into the business of games publishing. Fortunately, the shop attracted local talent such as Pete Harrap, Shaun Hollingworth and Tony Crowther, and so, in 1984, Gremlin Graphics was formed.


This lavish, 560-page book plots the course of the company, from initial successes with Monty Mole, Jack the Nipper and Thing on A Spring, to its ground-breaking Lotus-branded racing games, and eventual purchase by Infogrames in 1999.


Officially endorsed by founder Ian Stewart, A Gremlin In The Works by Mark Hardisty features interviews and anecdotes from all of Gremlin’s key members, including Chris Kerry, Ben Daglish and Greg Holmes, along with stalwarts of the UK gaming scene: Rod Cousens, Tim Chaney, Jeremy Heath-Smith, Geoff Brown and Infogrames founder Bruno Bonnell, among many others.


Filled with game imagery, memorabilia and archive material such as old letters, business cards, staff photos and game design documents, this is an exhaustive and comprehensive chronicle of one of Britain’s best-loved developers, and a fascinating exploration of the meteoric rise of the gaming scene in the ’80s and ’90s.

 

PUBLICATION DETAILS

LANGUAGE

BINDING

EDITION

ISBN

YEAR

PAGES

English

Hardcover

​

9781838458522

2021

560

 

TAGS


Publishers: #BitmapBooks (Bitmap Books)

Languages: #English

Format: #Hardcover

Accessibility: N/A

Year: #Year2021


Companies:

#Alligata (Alligata)

#ArticComputing (Artic Computing)

#AstrosProductions (Astros Productions)

#BoysWithoutBrains (Boys Without Brains)

#CoreDesign (Core Design)

#DMADesign (DMA Design)

#Dollarsoft (Dollarsoft)

#Foundation9 (Foundation 9 Entertainment)

#Gremlin (Gremlin, Gremlin Graphics)

#Imagitec (Imagitec)

#KrisalisSoftware (Krisalis Software)

#MagneticFields (Magnetic Fields)

#MicroPower (Micro Power)

#MicroProjects (Micro Projects)

#Novotrade (Novotrade)

#Quicksilva (Quicksilva)

#SumoDigital (Sumo Digital)

#SuperiorSystems (Superior Systems)

#Teque (Teque)

#TheSoftwareRefinery (The Software Refinery)

#WEMUSIC (W.E.M.U.S.I.C.)

#WizardDevelopment (Wizard Development)\

#USGold (U.S. Gold)


Public Figures:

#AdrianCarless (Adrian Carless)

#AndrewFindlay (Andrew Findlay)

#AndrewFox (Andrew Fox)

#AndrewMorris (Andrew Morris)

#AntalZolnai (Antal Zolnai)

#AnthonyClarke (Anthony Clarke)

#AshleyBennett (Ashley Bennett)

#BarryLeitch (Barry Leitch)

#BenDaglish (Ben Daglish)

#BrunoBonnell (Bruno Bonnell)

#CarlCavers (Carl Cavers)

#ChrisKerry (Chris Kerry)

#ChrisStamp (Chris Stamp)

#ChristianShrigley (Christian Shrigley)

#ChristopherPayne (Christopher Payne)

#ColinDooley (Colin 'Fungus T. Bogeyman' Dooley)

#DamianHibbard (Damian Hibbard)

#DavidKirk (David Kirk)

#DavidRowe (David Rowe)

#GaryPenn (Gary Penn)

#GeoffBrown (Geoff Brown)

#GeorgeAllan (George Allan)

#GeorgeKarboulonis (George Karboulonis)

#GregHolmes (Greg Holmes)

#IanRichardson (Ian Richardson)

#IanStewart (Ian Stewart)

#JacobHabgood (Jacob Habgood)

#JamesNorthHearn (James North-Hearn)

#JasonPerkins (Jason Perkins)

#JennyRichards (Jenny Richards)

#JeremyHeathSmith (Jeremy Heath-Smith)

#JoeChetcuti (Joe Chetcuti)

#KevinNorburn (Kevin Norburn)

#LesSpink (Les Spink)

#MalcolmGillott (Malcolm Gillott)

#MarioVanZeist (Mario van Zeist)

#MarkRogers (Mark Rogers)

#MatthewFurniss (Matthew Furniss)

#MikeDailly (Mike Dailly)

#NeilBiggin (Neil Biggin)

#PatPhelan (Pat Phelan)

#PatrickStrassen (Patrick Strassen)

#PaulBlythe (Paul Blythe)

#PaulHiley (Paul Hiley)

#PeterFrith (Peter Frith)

#PeterHarrap (Peter Harrap)

#PhilipDurbidge (Philip Durbidge)

#PhilPlunkett (Phil Plunkett)

#PhilWright (Phil Wright)

#RichardBridgwater (Richard Bridgwater)

#RichardCostello (Richard Costello)

#RichardStevenson (Richard Stevenson)

#RickiMartin (Ricki Martin)

#RodCousens (Rod Cousens)

#RogerKean (Roger Kean)

#SarahBennett (Sarah Bennett)

#SeanMillard (Sean Millard)

#ShaunHollingworth (Shaun Hollingworth)

#ShaunSouthern (Shaun Southern)

#SimonPhipps (Simon Phipps)

#SteveCamber (Steve Camber)

#SteveHammond (Steve Hammond)

#SteveLycett (Steve Lycett)

#StuartGregg (Stuart Gregg)

#TimChaney (Tim Chaney)

#TimHeaton (Tim Heaton)

#TonyCasson (Tony Casson)

#TonyCrowther (Tony Crowther)

#TonyKavanagh (Tony Kavanagh)

#TonyWills (Tony Wills)

#WayneLaybourn (Wayne Laybourn)


Games:

#ActuaSoccer (Actua Soccer, Actua Soccer: Club Edition, Actua Soccer 3)

#Avenger (Avenger)

#Blagger (Blagger, Blagger Goes To Hollywood, Son of Blagger)

#BodyHarvest (Body Harvest)

#Bombscare (Bombscare)

#Bounder (Bounder)

#DisposableHero (Disposable Hero)

#Flag (Flag)

#Frak (Frak!)

#Gauntlet (Gauntlet)

#GrandTheftAuto (Grand THeft Auto)

#Hardwar (Hardwar)

#HogsOfWar (Hogs of War)

#JackTheNipper (Jack the Nipper, Jack the Nipper II: Coconut Capers))

#JetPowerJack (Jet Power Jack)

#LitilDevil (Litil Devil)

#Loaded (Loaded, Re-Loaded)

#LotusTurboChallenge (Lotus Esprit Turbo Challenge)

#MastersOfTheUniverse (Masters of the Universe)

#MinerWilly (Manic Miner)

#Normality (Normality)

#Paddy (Paddy)

#PercyThePottyPigeon (Percy The Potty Pigeon)

#Ramrod (Ramrod)

#RealmsOfTheHaunting (Realms of the Haunting)

#SabreWulf (Sabre Wulf)

#SandWarriors (Sand Warriors)

#ShootForLoot (Shoot For Loot)

#ShortsFuse (Short's Fuse)

#Slipstream5000 (Slipstream 5000)

#Soulbringer (Soulbringer)

#SuicideExpress (Suicide Express)

#SuperSam (Super Sam)

#Switchblade (Switchblade)

#Terramex (Terramex)

#ThingOnASpring (Thing On A Spring)

#Trailblazer (Trailblazer, Cosmic Causeway [Trailblazer II])

#MontyMole (Wanted: Monty Mole, Baby Monty, Monty On The Run, Auf Wiedersehen Monty)

#WayOfTheTiger (Way of the Tiger)

#WildMetal (Wild Metal Country)

#XargonWars (Xargon Wars)

#Zool (Zool, Zool 2)


Misc:

#CancelledGames (Cancelled Games)

#Commodore64 (Commodore 64, C64)

#ZXSpectrum (ZX Spectrum)

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