C64 Paper Craft Mini Monitor

Download the paper craft Monitor template v1 here.

A paper craft version of the Commodore 64 computer is already underway as part of a "Draw Your Favorite Computer" contest being put on by RetroManCave celebrating 30,000 subscribers. A link to the paper craft computer will be available by next weekend.

There are 10 screen variations of the paper craft monitor template to choose from in the download (PDF).

While I never personally had one of the 1701 monitors myself, a number of my C64 friends back in the day did and they were great!

A True Story: An Animated Film

This film is about a story my grandmother told me as a child about her sister's encounter with a stranger late at night along a lonely country road. Isolation and a lack of connection to family and friends was commonplace in many parts of Manitoba a generation ago and still persists in many ways today.

Manitoba Highway in the 1960's.

Radio, a one-way communication that often served to comfort as much as it did to inform.

Returning home.

Hallway, Studio, Bathroom Outlines Complete

Very excited to see continued progress on this project. I promise colour and details will follow but I must first outline the kitchen and the bedroom. I force myself to stay at this limited level of detail in order to remain flexible in the overall design. Also, it has been said, that you can't help but get better as you practice your pixelwork. By the time I have completed outlining, I am hoping I will have gained enough skill to fill in the gaps.

The trailer is beginning to take shape!

Here is a sample of the in-game door functionality. Doors allow for "privacy".

The final two rooms are smaller than the "first two" but are both full of interesting details so I will avoid the impulse to start rushing. This is a labour of love!

Faux and Rockasoo Video Game Development Begins

I went to Faux's trailer to take photos and graph out (on paper), the game's assets.

The idea of making a game out of my personal life is a theme that has followed me for a long time. I hope to celebrate life's many hardships, struggles, triumphs and victories in our quest to reach the lofty heights of the 16-bit.

For perspective, the trailer will span several screens.

Dicky's Diamonds - Arduboy Mockup

Start Screen

Option Menu

Making Arduboy mockups of classic Commodore games is great way to spend an evening. Dicky's Diamonds was a game published in 1983 by B. O'Shaugnessy for the Commodore 64. The game scales down handsomely to the Arduboy's scale and 1-bittyness.

My 8-Bit Future

The Living Room *ruffed* out. Bruce, the Blue Heeler, says hello.

Trying to distinguish feminine from masculine in 8-bits is a challenge.

Faux's trailer is the world map. The limitations of the NES will ultimately determine the level of detail I am able to give to this world.

NES 8-bit game design has always been on the bucket list. I am hoping NESmaker will be the key to giving it a go. Getting familiar with a different graphics mode is always exciting to me, and the opportunity to tell a meaningful story with an old Nintendo makes the whole prospect that much more attractive.

My Home Circa 1990

I grew up with a Commodore. One of my favorite things to do was draw pictures of my house using the PETSCII characters on the keyboard. Back in the day there was no way to easily save this drawings so the image above is a modern take using the very cool PLAYSCII editor.

Watch Colourways

Watch design recoloured.

Watch Design

As I continue to give watch design a critical look, I am beginning to see the templates emerge.

Avoiding unnecessary complications.

Flower Bandanas

I eventually always return to my monogram bandana designs. I love repeats and patterns. Can anyone guess the source of the flowers petal geometry?

Dancing Flowers Bandanas

Puyo Puyo SharpSCII

Puyo Puyo Tetris is available for the switch, but this Madou Monogatari spinoff got its start back in 1991 for the MSX and the Famicom Disk System. I think Puyo Puyo would look pretty handsome as a MX-700 port.

Another SharpSCII Mock-up

Wonderboy is one of my favorite games! It was pretty fun trying to recreate a familiar scene in SharpSCII.

Sharp MZ-700 Super Mario Bros Mockup

I grew up making PETSCII illustrations on my C64 so I had to try my hand at some SHARPSCII.

Conion C-100F Ghettoblaster Patch Design

The Conion C-100F is one of the craziest ghettoblasters I have ever seen and one I would most certainly love to own. Here is my take on the iconic design as a fabric patch. Cassettes are totally on the way back in!

Grey fabric; Silver, black, tomato thread - low-cost edition

Fort Ri¢hmond T-shirt Graphic

With my mind on my community. And my community on my mind.

Amstrad CPC 464 Paper Craft

Please enjoy this paper craft version of the Amstrad CPC 464 available for download here! It's the closest I've ever been to touching the real thing. As a Canadian I never grew up with these machines but there's something magical about UK silicon.

Congratulations James on the first issue of Colour Personal Computing!

A two-frame Arduboy animation of Bruce, the blue heeler.

BC's Quest for Tires - Arduboy Mock-up

BC's Quest for Tires is another favorite I can enjoy on the Commodore 64, Colecovision, and the Atari 8-bit. I am really happy with how my Arduboy mock-up turned out.

Jumpman Arduboy Mock-up

I recently got an Arduboy and I think it's a pretty fantastic little device. Inspired by the very low resolution display (128px x 64px) I decided to do a few mock-ups. My Jumpman port looks doable if only to punish the gamer's eyes. I LOVED Jumpman on the C64, Atari 8-bit, and Colecovison.

Retro Challenge 2016/10 - Day 31 - FINAL

It was a lot of had work but I have finally completed the Retro Challenger for 2016. It was a fun experience as always. Perhaps one day I will team up with a programmer and Super Mario will find another home on the Commodore.

But that'll be for another Challenge. Thanks a million for all the support!