Uploaded November 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Alan Murphy was Senior Animator at Atari, where we worked from 1980 through 1987. Alan created the graphics for the Atari 8-bit versions of Defender, Xevious, Galaxian, Countermeasure, Pac Man for the Atari 5200, Demons to Diamonds for the 2600, and many other games. He also worked with engineers at Atari Research on research projects and prototyping, and designed specs for game art and animation systems.
This interview took place June 15, 2015.
Teaser quote:
“So I did these animations of Mr. and Mrs. Pac Man going across the screen and then they came back the other way and there were little babies. Nampo came along and said uh-uh...that's a little too suggestive.”
“As far as I know, I think that was the first easter egg by an artist.”
Links:
Counteremasure Easter Egg: imgur.com/HNJz3B3
Animated Gauntlet Commercial: youtube.com/watch?v=Oju5vAfFBDc
Alan Murphy was Senior Animator at Atari, where we worked from 1980 through 1987. Alan created the graphics for the Atari 8-bit versions of Defender, Xevious, Galaxian, Countermeasure, Pac Man for the Atari 5200, Demons to Diamonds for the 2600, and many other games. He also worked with engineers at Atari Research on research projects and prototyping, and designed specs for game art and animation systems.
This interview took place June 15, 2015.
Teaser quote:
“So I did these animations of Mr. and Mrs. Pac Man going across the screen and then they came back the other way and there were little babies. Nampo came along and said uh-uh...that's a little too suggestive.”
“As far as I know, I think that was the first easter egg by an artist.”
Links:
Counteremasure Easter Egg: imgur.com/HNJz3B3
Animated Gauntlet Commercial: youtube.com/watch?v=Oju5vAfFBDc
