I Am 8-Bit: Art Inspired by Classic Videogames of the '80s

by Jon M. Gibson

Book Overview

Pac-Man. Frogger. Super Mario Bros. These classic videogames are burned into the collective consciousness of an entire generation, thanks to countless hours spent at pizza parlors and bowling alleys across the country. Now artists such as Gary Baseman, Tim Biskup, and Ashley Wood put their memories to paper, canvas, and wood to create original works of art inspired by the art of the videogame. Chuck Klosterman shares his thoughtsin his distinctively...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0811853195
• ISBN13: 9780811853194
• Release Date: April 2006
• Publisher: Chronicle Books
• Length: 156 Pages
• Weight: 1.52 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 9.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Take pop appreciation to a new level

Coffee table or bookcase, this book is for the most artistic of videogame fans, as well as those that appreciate mixed media with their pop culture. Joust, Mario Bros, Donkey Kong, Pac Man, Q-Bert and more are all displayed like you've never seen them by talented artists. The nostalgia is thick and sweet smelling; a feeling that few will appreciate to it's fullest. Highly recommended for artists and nerds alike. Also check out Arcade Fever and Supercade for the history behind our favorite up up down down history.

IN 8-BIT WE TRUST!

"I AM 8-BIT" is a must have for those old school fanatics who long for another golden era... one of the best books ever made. Buy it now!!!

art is neato.

this book is a great collection of established and up and coming artists interpreting classic video games. what more could you want?

Rad, Awesome, and Other '80s Reactions Inspired by This Book

Where do I start? I found this gem listed under books from Chuck Klosterman, who I think speaks for an entire generation of 30-somethings raised on bad rock bands and crappy John Hughes movies. I gave it a shot, and wasn't disappointed! In typical Chuck fashion, he analyzes video games and why they had an indelible affect on the childhoods of guys like me who spent about $3 million in quarters on Yie Ar Kung Fu (and why, 20 years later, guys i tell this to completely understand). For Klosterman fans, this is worth half the price right here. But that's just 2% of the book! The rest is filled with totally awesome art that's hard to describe because I've never really seen anything like it--it's not advertising art, or game screenshots, or concept art from games. I guess it's just like the sub-title says, artwork inspired by what the artists played as kids in the 80's, but it's still hard to understand until you actually see it. And what's really cool are the pieces that have quotes from the artists explaining their inspirations, why they used a particular game, or just random game memories--really funny stuff! My favorites are: 1) Excitebike: Cool blocky render of a classic. Made me remember how I'd build my own track and line up all those turbo things. 2) Mega Man: I recognize this artist, Tim Biskup, from Juxtapoz and Super 7 magazines. Cool! 3) Don't Be a 2nd Player Hater (Luigi for Sheezy): Luigi pimped out like Snoop. Hilarious, yo! 4) Pac-Man in Hospice: This gives me nightmares. Especially the Frogger frog. 5) Record Dug Digger: Cross between skateboard art (in a good way) and NY graffiti. Trust me, it's awesome! Other games I recognized include more mainstream stuff like Joust and Space Invaders to games that are a little more esoteric, like Contra, 720, Kid Icarus, and that weird robot thing that came with the NES. If you're a fan of the classics, I highly recommend it!