Bill Kunkel (gaming)
Encyclopedia
Bill Kunkel was the executive editor of Electronic Games
Magazine in the early 1980s. More recently, Kunkel was editor-in-chief of Tips & Tricks
magazine from January 2007 until August 2007 when it ceased publication. His nickname is "The Game Doctor" based on a column he has written for several magazines (including both versions of Electronic Games, VG&CE, EGM, and CGW) and game sites (including HappyPuppy.com, PostalNation.net and J2Games.com).
Kunkel was a game journalist, author of numerous strategy guides, a game designer, expert witness and taught several courses in Game Design for the University of Nevada at Las Vegas (UNLV). He remained active in the industry until his death, having served as editor-in-chief of Tips & Tricks during its final year of publication (2007). He continued to be active as a member of Running With Scissors and EIC of Postal Nation (PostalNation.net) and wrote regularly for J2Games.com. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Classic Gaming Expo in 1999 along with the other co-founders of the original Electronic Games magazine, Arnie Katz and Joyce Worley-Katz. The trio revived the Electronic Games title for several years in the early 90s for Sendai/Decker. As Subway Software, the trio were involved as designers on well over a dozen video and computer games, including Bart's Nightmare
(Acclaim) and Batman Returns
(Konami).
Dubbed "The Grandfather of video game journalism," Kunkel published his memoirs under the title Confessions of The Game Doctor (RolentaPress.com).
Kunkel is also well-known for having been a ground-breaking wrestling journalist and cartoonist beginning in the 1970s.
He wrote for comics, with stories being published at DC
in 1977-1978 including Superman
, Madame Xanadu
, and Vigilante
and at Marvel
, Spider-Man
in 1978 - 1979. Starting in 1979, he wrote Richie Rich for Harvey Comics
.
He was the "must-read" columnist during the early days of Pro Wrestling Torch playing a key part in turning the small newsletter into a wrestling newsletter powerhouse. Kunkel later moved to Wrestling Perspective as a featured columnist and cartoonist. Along with the Phantom of the Ring, Kunkel's work for Wrestling Perspective attracted respect and prestige to the publication.
Electronic Games
Electronic Games was the first video game magazine published in the United States and ran from 1981 to 1994. It was co-founded by Arnie Katz and Bill Kunkel, and is unrelated to the subsequent Electronic Gaming Monthly.-External links:* *...
Magazine in the early 1980s. More recently, Kunkel was editor-in-chief of Tips & Tricks
Tips & Tricks
Tips & Tricks is an American video game magazine published by Larry Flynt Publications . For most of its existence, the publication was devoted almost exclusively to strategies and codes for popular video games...
magazine from January 2007 until August 2007 when it ceased publication. His nickname is "The Game Doctor" based on a column he has written for several magazines (including both versions of Electronic Games, VG&CE, EGM, and CGW) and game sites (including HappyPuppy.com, PostalNation.net and J2Games.com).
Kunkel was a game journalist, author of numerous strategy guides, a game designer, expert witness and taught several courses in Game Design for the University of Nevada at Las Vegas (UNLV). He remained active in the industry until his death, having served as editor-in-chief of Tips & Tricks during its final year of publication (2007). He continued to be active as a member of Running With Scissors and EIC of Postal Nation (PostalNation.net) and wrote regularly for J2Games.com. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Classic Gaming Expo in 1999 along with the other co-founders of the original Electronic Games magazine, Arnie Katz and Joyce Worley-Katz. The trio revived the Electronic Games title for several years in the early 90s for Sendai/Decker. As Subway Software, the trio were involved as designers on well over a dozen video and computer games, including Bart's Nightmare
Bart's Nightmare
Bart's Nightmare is a 1992 video game developed by American company Sculptured Software based on the television show The Simpsons. It was released to the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.-Plot:...
(Acclaim) and Batman Returns
Batman Returns
Batman Returns is a 1992 American superhero film directed by Tim Burton. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it is the sequel to Burton's Batman , and features Michael Keaton reprising the title role, with Danny DeVito as the Penguin and Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman.Burton originally did not...
(Konami).
Dubbed "The Grandfather of video game journalism," Kunkel published his memoirs under the title Confessions of The Game Doctor (RolentaPress.com).
Kunkel is also well-known for having been a ground-breaking wrestling journalist and cartoonist beginning in the 1970s.
He wrote for comics, with stories being published at DC
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
in 1977-1978 including Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
, Madame Xanadu
Madame Xanadu
Madame Xanadu is a fictional character, a comic book mystic published by DC Comics. The character is identified with Nimue, the sorceress from Arthurian mythology made popular by Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur.-Publication history:...
, and Vigilante
Vigilante
A vigilante is a private individual who legally or illegally punishes an alleged lawbreaker, or participates in a group which metes out extralegal punishment to an alleged lawbreaker....
and at Marvel
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
, Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
in 1978 - 1979. Starting in 1979, he wrote Richie Rich for Harvey Comics
Harvey Comics
Harvey Comics was an American comic book publisher, founded in New York City by Alfred Harvey in 1941, after buying out the small publisher Brookwood Publications. His brothers Robert B...
.
He was the "must-read" columnist during the early days of Pro Wrestling Torch playing a key part in turning the small newsletter into a wrestling newsletter powerhouse. Kunkel later moved to Wrestling Perspective as a featured columnist and cartoonist. Along with the Phantom of the Ring, Kunkel's work for Wrestling Perspective attracted respect and prestige to the publication.
Sources
- Interview with Bill Kunkel Miner 2049er Information Page, 2001. (archived version at archive.org)
External links
- Bill 'The Game Doctor' Kunkel Lets Loose. gamasutra.com, December 12, 2005.
- Bill Kunkel Bio at classic gaming expo
- Bill Kunkel Interview at good deal games.
- Bill Kunkel Interview at 8bitrocket.com.