Steve Wozniak (born August 11, 1950), nicknamed “Woz,” is an American inventor, electronics engineer, programmer and technology entrepreneur who co-founded Apple Inc. He is known as a pioneer of the personal computer revolution of the 1970s and 1980s, along with Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. Wozniak single-handedly developed the 1976 Apple I, which was the computer that launched Apple. He primarily designed the 1977 Apple II, while Jobs oversaw the development of its unusual case and Rod Holt developed the unique power supply. In 1990, Wozniak helped found the Electronic Frontier Foundation, providing some of the organization’s initial funding. Wozniak’s favorite video game is Tetris, and he has the condition prosopagnosia (or face-blindness).
I thought being character No. 1001 would be appropriate for a computing pioneer like Woz. Here are 14 other characters I chose to honor numerically: No. 88 (Doc Emmett Brown), No. 100 (Benjamin Franklin), No. 200 (Johnny Cash), No. 300 (Leonidas I), No. 400 (Charles Darwin), No. 500 (William Gibson), No. 600 (Jeff Mangum), No. 666 (Nero), No. 700 (J. D. Salinger), No. 800 (Niall Ó Glacáin), No. 888 (Bernie Sanders), No. 900 (Don Hertzfeldt), No. 999 (Edward Snowden), No. 1000 (Alan Turing). As I was compiling this short list, I realized all 14 were male. Sorry, ladies. The patriarchy’s role in gender inequality and my personal focus on political leaders, artists, popular athletes and technology innovators are certainly reflected in the characters I’ve selected. My 8-bit characters are almost exactly 80% male and 20% female, which isn’t very equitable, but I have been making efforts to discover and celebrate a greater proportion of female characters with ongoing series like women in STEM. Modern cultures and our history books are still pretty awful at acknowledging the contributions of women, especially women artists and scientists, but I’m trying to be better.
Gary Coleman (February 8, 1968 – May 28, 2010) was an American actor, voice artist and comedian, best known for his role as Arnold Jackson in Diff’rent Strokes (1978-1986) and for his small stature as an adult. He became the most popular fixture of Diff’rent Strokes, enhanced by his character’s catchphrase “What’chu talkin’ ’bout, Willis?” Coleman was described in the 1980s as “one of television’s most promising stars.” After a successful childhood acting career, Coleman struggled financially later in life. In 1989, he successfully sued his parents and business adviser over misappropriation of his assets, only to declare bankruptcy a decade later. Coleman died of epidural hematoma at age 42.
Prince Nelson, known as Prince, was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and actor. He was a musical innovator and known for his eclectic work, flamboyant stage presence, extravagant dress and makeup and wide vocal range. His music integrates a wide variety of styles, including funk, rock, R&B, soul, psychedelia and pop. Prince has sold over 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time. He won seven Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award. In 1984, he released Purple Rain, which served as the soundtrack to his film debut of the same name and was met with widespread acclaim. Prince was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, the first year of his eligibility. He was born on June 7, 1958 and died yesterday, April 21, 2016, at the age of 57.
Sally Ride (May 26, 1951 – July 23, 2012) was an American physicist and astronaut. Born in Los Angeles, she joined NASA in 1978 and became the first American woman in space in 1983. She remains the youngest American astronaut to have traveled to space, having done so at the age of 32. After flying twice on the orbiter Challenger, she left NASA in 1987. She worked at Stanford University, then at the University of California, San Diego as a professor of physics. She served on the committees that investigated the Challenger and Columbia space shuttle disasters, the only person to participate on both. Ride died of pancreatic cancer in 2012.
Michael Stipe is an American singer, songwriter, musician, film producer, music video director and visual artist. He was the lead singer of the alternative rock band R.E.M. from their formation in 1980 until their dissolution in 2011. The band was pivotal in the development of the alternative rock genre. R.E.M. released 15 studio albums, including Out of Time (1991) and Automatic for the People (1992), as well as numerous live albums and compilation albums. Stipe was in charge of R.E.M.’s visual image, often selecting album artwork and directing many of the band’s music videos. Outside the music industry, he runs his own film production companies, C-Hundred (C-00) and Single Cell Pictures. Stipe is also noted for his social and political activism. He was born on January 4, 1960.
Jean‑Michel Basquiat was one of the most important American artists of the 20th century. He first achieved notoriety as part of SAMO, an informal graffiti duo who wrote enigmatic epigrams in the cultural hotbed of the Lower East Side of Manhattan during the late 1970s where the hip-hop, post-punk and street art movements had coalesced. By the 1980s, Basquiat was exhibiting his neo-expressionist paintings in galleries and museums internationally. His art appropriated poetry, drawing and painting. Basquiat was born on December 22, 1960 and died of a heroin overdose at his art studio at age 27, on August 12, 1988.
Hobbes is the sardonic stuffed tiger owned by Calvin, a precocious, mischievous and adventurous six-year-old boy. Calvin and Hobbes is a daily comic strip by American cartoonist Bill Watterson that was syndicated from 1985 to 1995. The strip depicts Calvin’s humorous antics, his flights of fancy and his friendship with Hobbes. To Calvin, Hobbes is a live anthropomorphic tiger, but all the other characters see him as an inanimate stuffed toy. The pair is named after John Calvin, a 16th-century French Reformation theologian, and Thomas Hobbes, a 17th-century English political philosopher. At the height of its popularity, Calvin and Hobbes was featured in over 2,400 newspapers worldwide. Reruns of the strip still appear in more than 50 countries. There are 20 Calvin and Hobbes books, which encompass all newspaper strips plus extra content.
P.S. It was exactly 30 years ago today (November 18, 1985) that we first met a boy and his tiger. Happy birthday!
Calvin is a precocious, mischievous and adventurous six-year-old boy. Calvin and Hobbes is a daily comic strip by American cartoonist Bill Watterson that was syndicated from 1985 to 1995. The strip follows Calvin’s humorous antics, his flights of fancy and his friendship with Hobbes, a sardonic stuffed tiger. To Calvin, Hobbes is a live anthropomorphic tiger, but all the other characters see him as an inanimate stuffed toy. The pair is named after John Calvin, a 16th-century French Reformation theologian, and Thomas Hobbes, a 17th-century English political philosopher. At the height of its popularity, Calvin and Hobbes was featured in over 2,400 newspapers worldwide. Reruns of the strip still appear in more than 50 countries. There are 20 Calvin and Hobbes books, which encompass all newspaper strips plus extra content.
I’m excited for the day when my daughter is old enough to appreciate the humor of Calvin and Hobbes, especially the relationship of Calvin and his dad. I plan to read all of Watterson’s books to her just like my dad did for my sister and me. When I was in junior high school in the early 1990s, I expressed my fondness for Calvin and Hobbes by meticulously shaping and painting a papier-mâché head of Calvin (spiked hair and all) for a Mardi Gras art project. My second Mardi Gras head was of the Fat Kid from The Far Side by Gary Larson. Those were my two favorite newspaper comics. It was exactly 30 years ago tomorrow (November 18, 1985) that we first met a boy and his tiger.
Marty McFly is a fictional character in the Back to the Future trilogy. In 1985, Marty plays guitar with his group The Pinheads and is a talented skateboarder. His girlfriend is Jennifer Parker and his best friend is Emmett Brown, a scientist whom Marty and Jennifer call “Doc.” Marty is portrayed by actor Michael J. Fox. Marty also appears in the animated TV series (1991-92) and the episodic video game (2010-11).
Lufkin is a large stuffed ape I was given as a baby in 1979. A gift from my uncle, he’s one of my most beloved childhood toys. Lufkin’s body type strongly suggests that he is a gorilla, despite his chimpanzee-like ears. He was handmade by a South Dakota artist and sold at a craft fair in Aberdeen, SD. Lufkin came with an adult-size red cap, which he wore for my entire childhood. His name comes from this red Lufkin cap, which had an embroidered Lufkin measuring tools patch on the white polyester front, with red mesh and a snapback adjustable strap in back. We have always pronounced the gorilla’s name “Loofkin,” I suppose because my parents didn’t know much about the measuring tools company. The gorilla is now one of my two-year-old daughter Ramona’s favorite toys/pillows, though we’re not sure where his red trucker hat is these days.
Beach Bear is a character in The Rock-afire Explosion, an animatronic robot band. He is a “surfer” polar bear who would make sarcastic comments or ask other characters questions to throw off their act, but never in mean spirit. The Rock-afire Explosion played shows in Showbiz Pizza Place from the restaurant chain’s founding in 1980 until the early 1990s, when the Showbiz brand was unified with Chuck E. Cheese’s and Chuck E. Cheese characters steadily replaced the band. The Rock-afire Explosion show was created and manufactured by noted inventor Aaron Fechter, through his company Creative Engineering, Inc. (also known for Whac-A-Mole) in Orlando, Florida; in addition to overseeing the production of the animatronics, Fechter also provided the voices for several characters.
Dook LaRue is a character in The Rock-afire Explosion, an animatronic robot band. A dog who aspired to space travel, his costume is an astronaut suit. His character, when set up properly, had the ability to play a four-piece drum kit in time with the music. A bit of a dimwit, Dook would often lose focus during shows and miss his cues. The Rock-afire Explosion played shows in Showbiz Pizza Place from the restaurant chain’s founding in 1980 until the early 1990s, when the Showbiz brand was unified with Chuck E. Cheese’s and Chuck E. Cheese characters steadily replaced the band. The Rock-afire Explosion show was created and manufactured by noted inventor Aaron Fechter, through his company Creative Engineering, Inc. (also known for Whac-A-Mole) in Orlando, Florida; in addition to overseeing the production of the animatronics, Fechter also provided the voices for several characters.
Mitzi Mozzarella is a character in The Rock-afire Explosion, an animatronic robot band. A mouse and teenage cheerleader, Mitzi is obsessed with gossip, boyfriends, pop music and (appropriate for the time) Michael Jackson. The Rock-afire Explosion played shows in Showbiz Pizza Place from the restaurant chain’s founding in 1980 until the early 1990s, when the Showbiz brand was unified with Chuck E. Cheese’s and Chuck E. Cheese characters steadily replaced the band. The Rock-afire Explosion show was created and manufactured by noted inventor Aaron Fechter, through his company Creative Engineering, Inc. (also known for Whac-A-Mole) in Orlando, Florida; in addition to overseeing the production of the animatronics, Fechter also provided the voices for several characters.
Billy Bob Brockali is a character in The Rock-afire Explosion, an animatronic robot band. A bear in overalls, Billy Bob was the mascot for Showbiz Pizza Place throughout its existence, and his image was on most of the chain’s merchandise. Sweet and naive, Billy Bob was usually a mediator to the band’s minor on-stage squabbles. The Rock-afire Explosion played shows in Showbiz Pizza Place from the restaurant chain’s founding in 1980 until the early 1990s, when the Showbiz brand was unified with Chuck E. Cheese’s and Chuck E. Cheese characters steadily replaced the band. The Rock-afire Explosion show was created and manufactured by noted inventor Aaron Fechter, through his company Creative Engineering, Inc. (also known for Whac-A-Mole) in Orlando, Florida; in addition to overseeing the production of the animatronics, Fechter also provided the voices for several characters.
Fatz Geronimo is a character in The Rock-afire Explosion, an animatronic robot band. A silverback gorilla who plays the keyboard, Fatz is a parody of real-life entertainers Fats Domino and Ray Charles. As the band’s unofficial front man, Fatz introduced most shows, ordered other band members around and had a tendency to ramble. The Rock-afire Explosion played shows in Showbiz Pizza Place from the restaurant chain’s founding in 1980 until the early 1990s, when the Showbiz brand was unified with Chuck E. Cheese’s and Chuck E. Cheese characters steadily replaced the band. The Rock-afire Explosion show was created and manufactured by noted inventor Aaron Fechter, through his company Creative Engineering, Inc. (also known for Whac-A-Mole) in Orlando, Florida; in addition to overseeing the production of the animatronics, Fechter also provided the voices for several characters.
During my 1980s childhood, I had a lot of good times at Showbiz Pizza and Chuck E. Cheese’s. For an entertaining history of singing animatronic robots in pizza parlors, I recommend watching The Rock-afire Explosion (2008), a documentary about Chris Thrash, Aaron Fechter and the remaining Rock-afire Explosion fan base.
Chuck E. Cheese is the mascot of Chuck E. Cheese’s, a chain of American family entertainment center restaurants. The brand derives its name from its main animatronic character Chuck E. Cheese, a comedic mouse who sings and interacts with guests. The establishment serves pizza and other menu items, complemented by arcade games, amusement rides and family-friendly animatronic displays. In 1977, Chuck E. Cheese’s Pizza Time Theatre in San Jose, California, was the first location to open. The concept was authored by Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell, credited with bringing video games such as Pong to the mainstream. Pizza Time Theatre was the first family restaurant to integrate food, animated entertainment and an indoor arcade. The chain merged with competitor Showbiz Pizza Place in 1984. In the early 1990s, the company unified the two brands renaming every location to Chuck E. Cheese’s.
Bill the Cat is a fictional character created by cartoonist Berkeley Breathed. Bill is a large orange tabby cat, first introduced in 1982 as a parody of the comic character Garfield. Bill has appeared in Breathed’s 1980s comic strip Bloom County as well as the two “sequel” strips (Outland and Opus), his illustrated children’s books and the 1991 television special A Wish for Wings That Work. The cat’s most frequent spoken sentiments are “Ack!” and “Thbbft!” Numerous strips indicate that Bill’s persistent near-catatonic state is the result of drug use or brain damage resulting from once being legally dead and then revived after too long of a period.
Note: About a week ago, Berkeley Breathed starting posting new Bloom County comics, after over 25 years. I was a 10-year-old when the strip ended.
Opus the Penguin is a fictional character created by cartoonist Berkeley Breathed. First introduced in 1981, Opus is a large-nosed penguin (occasionally mistaken for a puffin) with a herring addiction who lost track of his mother during the Falklands War. Opus has appeared in many of Breathed’s works, most notably his 1980s comic strip Bloom County. Breathed has described him as an “existentialist penguin” and the favorite of his many characters. Opus’ hopeless naïveté and optimism was at the center of Bloom Country, and he’s also the subject of two “sequel” strips (Outland and Opus), three children’s books and the 1991 television special A Wish for Wings That Work.
Note: As of this week, Berkeley Breathed is creating new Bloom County comics, after over 25 years. I was a 10-year-old when the strip ended.
Debbie Harry is an American singer-songwriter and actress, best known as the lead singer of the new wave and punk rock band Blondie. She recorded several No.1 singles with Blondie and is sometimes considered the first rapper to chart at number one in the United States as well, due to her vocals on “Rapture.” She has also had success as a solo artist, and in the mid-1990s she recorded and performed with The Jazz Passengers. Her acting career spans over 30 film roles and numerous television appearances. She was born on July 1, 1945.
Garfield is the title character of a comic strip created by Jim Davis. Published since 1978, Garfield chronicles the life of the cat Garfield; his owner, Jon; and Jon’s dog, Odie. As of 2013, it was syndicated in roughly 2,580 newspapers and journals, and held the Guinness World Record for being the world’s most widely syndicated comic strip. Common themes in the strip include Garfield’s laziness, obsessive eating, and disdain of Mondays and diets. Originally created with the intentions to “come up with a good, marketable character,” Garfield has spawned merchandise earning $750 million to $1 billion annually. In addition to the various merchandise and commercial tie-ins, the strip has spawned several animated television specials, television series and movies. Part of the strip’s broad appeal is due to its lack of social or political commentary.
Few things are more banal than a Garfield comic strip, but apparently few things are more profitable than relatable banality. My daughter now has two plush Garfield toys from my 1980s childhood. With one billion dollars in Garfield merchandise sold each year, this lazy cat is difficult to avoid, despite having nothing interesting to say. However, it’s all worth it, because the existential angst of Dan Walsh’s Garfield Minus Garfield is the best.
Steve Wozniak – No. 1001
Steve Wozniak (born August 11, 1950), nicknamed “Woz,” is an American inventor, electronics engineer, programmer and technology entrepreneur who co-founded Apple Inc. He is known as a pioneer of the personal computer revolution of the 1970s and 1980s, along with Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. Wozniak single-handedly developed the 1976 Apple I, which was the computer that launched Apple. He primarily designed the 1977 Apple II, while Jobs oversaw the development of its unusual case and Rod Holt developed the unique power supply. In 1990, Wozniak helped found the Electronic Frontier Foundation, providing some of the organization’s initial funding. Wozniak’s favorite video game is Tetris, and he has the condition prosopagnosia (or face-blindness).
I thought being character No. 1001 would be appropriate for a computing pioneer like Woz. Here are 14 other characters I chose to honor numerically: No. 88 (Doc Emmett Brown), No. 100 (Benjamin Franklin), No. 200 (Johnny Cash), No. 300 (Leonidas I), No. 400 (Charles Darwin), No. 500 (William Gibson), No. 600 (Jeff Mangum), No. 666 (Nero), No. 700 (J. D. Salinger), No. 800 (Niall Ó Glacáin), No. 888 (Bernie Sanders), No. 900 (Don Hertzfeldt), No. 999 (Edward Snowden), No. 1000 (Alan Turing). As I was compiling this short list, I realized all 14 were male. Sorry, ladies. The patriarchy’s role in gender inequality and my personal focus on political leaders, artists, popular athletes and technology innovators are certainly reflected in the characters I’ve selected. My 8-bit characters are almost exactly 80% male and 20% female, which isn’t very equitable, but I have been making efforts to discover and celebrate a greater proportion of female characters with ongoing series like women in STEM. Modern cultures and our history books are still pretty awful at acknowledging the contributions of women, especially women artists and scientists, but I’m trying to be better.