As 2024 winds down and the holidays draw near, it’s the perfect time to pause, reflect, and celebrate our wonderful world of retro. Grab a warm drink, snuggle in by the glow of your favorite screen, and join me for a brief holiday look back at this busy year.

2024 marked the 40th anniversary of King’s Quest, Sierra On-Line’s crown jewel and a game with a special place in my heart. The legacy of Roberta Williams and her revolutionary game spawned what might be my longest blog post to date but it didn’t just stay in letters and words. The article inspired a three-episode animated documentary, I created during this summer. While there are still a few tweaks I’d like to make, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Hearing from so many who appreciated the effort has made every late night worthwhile.

The first episode in my animated documentary series on King’s Quest aired on July 17th, 2024.
The story was written months earlier and in late spring I adapted it into a screenplay before starting on the graphics and animations.
I allowed myself two weeks of production for each of the three episodes.
All episodes can be found on my YouTube.

Before starting work on King’s Quest, I had already begun work on the first episode of an animated Police Quest series. However, with the anniversary celebration taking center stage, I put it on the back burner until the three episodes of King’s Quest were complete. In the autumn, the first Police Quest episode aired and while I had hoped to have one more episode ready this year, with everything going on, I have to postpone it to sometime in 2025.

The first episode of my animated documentary on Police Quest aired on September 25th, 2024.
The story was written a few years ago and in early spring I adapted it into a screenplay before starting on the graphics and animations.

Between my small animated documentaries, my passion book project, The Sierra On-Line Story, Vol. 1 continues to evolve, with the digital edition laying the groundwork for a physical release. Trying to produce a premium book in small quantities, at a fair cost for buyers, is challenging. With the surge of new retro books, games, and documentaries flooding the market, it’s easy to wonder if there’s room for one more. But the retro community thrives on passion, and these stories deserve to be told, so I’m still pursuing the dream of having the book published.
Vol. 2 is coming along nicely, with over 100 pages completed.

How I visualize the book in physical form.

Spreads from the book to show design and layout.

With everything going on, I only managed to write 20 blog posts this year, about a third of my usual output. Even so, around 30,000 incredible readers visited my blog, most discovering it through search engines, with a smaller number coming from social media. I’ve largely stepped back from social platforms this year, though I occasionally share links to new articles.

As the holidays approach, it’s a time to celebrate not just the games, but the joy they’ve brought us, past and present. It’s also a time to cherish our families and spare thoughts and prayers for those whose lives have been affected by war and hardship. Let’s spread the holiday spirit and end the year on a note of 1980s Christmas creativity.

Activision’s The Christmas Kit: Paper Models is the perfect software to get in the Christmas spirit. Design fun and festive holiday decorations, ornaments, gift boxes, and more with your computer.
Glue, felt-tip pens, a ruler, jingle bells, and card stock are all included, all you need is a computer, a printer, and some holiday spirit!
The program was released for the Apple II, IBM PC, and Commodore 64/128 in 1986.

Here’s to 2024, the games that shaped us, the stories we still share, and the community that keeps the magic alive. Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday season and a bright year ahead, may your days be as warm as your memories and your season as bright as your favorite CRT!

A very merry Christmas and a happy New Year
-and from the bottom of my heart, thanks for visiting.